The customers were eagerly waiting for Lin Zhiqiang's sharp comments.
Zhou Yan stood at the kitchen door, also eagerly awaiting Lin Zhiqiang's comments.
"The soup is delicious, the beef is tender, the tripe is crispy, the intestines are soft, and the tendons are glutinous. The perfect control of the heat brings every ingredient to its peak state. It's so delicious!" Lin Zhiqiang exclaimed. "The dipping sauce is also amazing, adding a spicy flavor to the meat, the perfect finishing touch."
"Plus, I think this soup really has the effect of dispelling cold. After half a bowl, I felt warm all over, and the chill was mostly gone."
"At 60 cents a bowl, I think it's well worth it!"
Lin Zhiqiang's comments made the onlookers' eyes light up.
What a high praise!
Anyone in Suji Town who says they don't know about the soup pot at Sha Niu Zhou Village is definitely lying.
The soup is bland, and the offal, poorly prepared, has a strong muttony smell that many people can't get used to.
Further more, the Cross-legged Beef at Zhou Erwa Restaurant, at 60 cents a bowl, is even more daunting.
But Deputy Director Lin's comments have completely overturned everyone's perception of Cross-legged Beef, and they've intensified their desire to try it.
Tripe hot pot is delicious, but making it at home is a hassle, and if you're not careful, it can easily overcook.
And this bowl also includes beef intestines, tendons, and beef, weighing over three taels. So, it doesn't seem too expensive.
"But I think there's a better way to eat it. Madam, bring me another small dish and add some salt." Lin Zhiqiang called out, pulling the bottle of Donghu vinegar from his briefcase.
"Old Lin, what are you doing..." Zhao Dong looked at Lin Zhiqiang, who had already unscrewed the vinegar bottle, his expression becoming a little strange.
"Old Zhao, let me teach you a new way." Lin Zhiqiang took the small dish from Zhao Tieying, poured some vinegar on it, then dipped a piece of beef in the vinegar, put it in his mouth, and nodded repeatedly: "Mm! That's the taste! So authentic!"
"Tsk!"
"Huh!"
"Oh my god!"
The restaurant erupted in exclamations, each tinged with disdain.
If it wasn't for the deputy factory director, they would definitely go up and throw vinegar at him!
Who eats clear soup with vinegar?
"I want a bowl of Cross-legged Beef with a chili sauce." Zhao Dong said, looking at Zhao Tieying.
"Sure." Zhao Tieying replied with a smile.
"Miss Zhao, I want a bowl of Cross-legged Beef, and a bowl of rice, too."
"Miss Zhao, I want a bowl of Cross-legged Beef, and a double portion of chili! I love spicy food! I eat spicy food everyday."
"Me too! I feel sick if I don't eat spicy food for a day!"
Inspired by Lin Zhiqiang's suggestion, several customers immediately ordered the Cross-legged Beef, simply to justify the chili dip.
Zhou Yan smiled and walked into the kitchen. Lin Zhiqiang was really his benefactor. It was he who helped to build the reputation of the noodles. He didn't expect that the Cross-legged Beef was also made by him.
He was truly the 'best food taster'!
"Sure, I'll make it for you right away." Zhao Tieying replied with a beaming smile.
Soon, bowls of Cross-legged Beef were on the guests' tables.
"Wow! The beef is so tender! And how can the chili be so fragrant!"
"Tripe is so crispy! Only fresh tripe has this kind of crunch! Absolutely amazing!"
"The beef tendon is so tender and melts in your mouth with just one sip. So fragrant!"
"The soup is so delicious! It's so delicious! It's unlike any other soup pot!"
The guests gushed over each other, expressing their deep satisfaction with the Cross-legged Beef.
What surprised most people, besides the soup, was the dipping sauce. It was fragrant and spicy, the perfect finishing touch to the Cross-legged Beef.
With or without the dipping sauce, it's like two completely different dishes.
A plate of chili flakes transformed the bland Cross-legged Beef into a delicious dish that goes well with rice. Paired with the delicious soup, the rice was incredibly flavorful.
Zhao Dong took two bites and ordered a bowl of rice; it was quite tasty.
His favorite is undoubtedly the beef intestines.
They're perfectly prepared, completely odorless, and coated in chili powder. They're fatty but not greasy—truly delicious!
He has a strong palate and loves intestines the most. He enjoys the delicate texture with a hint of fat, and the way the fat blooms between his teeth.
Of course, it has to taste good.
"Old Zhao, do you want to try it?" Lin Zhiqiang pushed the dish of vinegar toward him.
"You can eat it yourself. I like to dip it in the dry sauce." Zhao Dong quickly pushed the vinegar back and straightened the dry sauce. "Cross-legged Beef should definitely be dipped in chili powder."
"I think vinegar is great." Lin Zhiqiang insisted.
Come on, everyone has their own favorites, and no one can convince the other.
Zhao Dong's rice arrived. He took a sip, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it, nodding repeatedly. "This rice is steamed really well!"
It's soft and delicious, each grain distinct, not sticky at all, and perfectly moist. It's better than the rice cooked in the cafeteria.
He loved rice more than noodles. When he was little, his family was poor, and he rarely had the chance to eat rice. Every New Year's Day, he looked forward to his mother steaming rice in a wooden barrel.
His mother steamed a large pot of rice for everyone in the village cafeteria. She was the best at it, and her rice was just like this: each grain distinct and not sticky at all, yet the rice's fragrance was perfectly preserved, with a faint woody aroma.
Later, he got a job at a textile factory, becoming a workshop manager. His life improved day by day, and he could finally eat rice everyday.
But his mother's brain hadn't been working as well in the past two years. She kept forgetting things and sometimes even failed to recognize him.
She'd burned her steamed rice twice, her specialty, and once she nearly set the kitchen on fire. They didn't dare let her in.
Unexpectedly, the rice Zhou Yan had steamed today brought back those childhood memories.
The moisture and heat were perfectly controlled.
It was exactly like the perfect steamed rice he remembered.
"Old Zhao, what are you thinking about? Not a sound at all." Lin Zhiqiang asked with a smile.
"Eating this steamed rice reminds me of my mom. She used to cook big pots of rice for the whole village, feeding over a hundred people. Everyone praised its quality." Zhao Dong smiled and said, "Little Zhou's rice is quite good, comparable to what my mom makes."
"You can be happy while your mom is still around. I don't think my mom has anywhere to go back to." Lin Zhiqiang sighed with envy, then curled his lips and said, "What's so good about rice? This isn't even a good side dish. Even if it's delicious, it can't be as good as little Zhou's noodles."
"Old Lin, you don't understand." Zhao Dong smiled and shook his head.
Just then, Zhao Hong arrived with their two bowls of noodles.
"Already hired a new waiter?" Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile. "It means the restaurant's business has improved and expanded."
"My son and me were too busy, so we asked my niece's wife in law to come help out." Zhao Tieying replied with a smile.
"Very good." Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, and started drinking the Cross-legged Beef soup in the ceramic bowl.
After swallowing this large bowl of soup and three ounces of beef offal, he felt warm all over, broke into a sweat, and felt much more energetic, and he stopped sneezing.
"This Cross-legged Beef soup is really good. It really makes me feel better after drinking it." Lin Zhiqiang praised.
"Then I'll get you another bowl of soup." Zhao Tieying picked up the ceramic bowl and added another bowl of soup.
"How could I be so embarrassed? I still have a bowl of noodles to eat!" Lin Zhiqiang waved his hands repeatedly.
"What's there to be embarrassed about? In our restaurant, you can have free refills of soup. No extra charge." Zhao Tieying put down the ceramic bowl and said with a smile, "It's the same for everyone."
"Very good." Lin Zhiqiang nodded.
"Great!" The customers who had ordered the Cross-legged Beef also smiled.
The soup is so delicious that you can drink a second bowl. It's much better than plain water.
Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong spread word of the Cross-legged Beef, and many customers ordered it, and it was delicious.
Later customers would easily ask and receive strong recommendations from their colleagues, and many of them ordered it.
While serving noodles to the customers, Zhou Yan came out to greet Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong.
"Little Zhou, your Cross-legged Beef is really good. Not only is it delicious, but it even cured my cold." Lin Zhiqiang gave Zhou Yan a thumbs-up, looking at him admiringly.
"I've tried several soup pot restaurants in Zhou Village, and none are as good as little Zhou. It seems you've mastered the soup." Zhao Dong said with a smile. "And your steamed rice is really good, much better than the cafeteria one."
"You two are very kind." Zhou Yan said with a modest smile.
"When will the stir-fried and cooked dishes be served? Putting aside other things, these three dishes, braised pork ribs, beef with bamboo shoots, and minced beef, can be complete dishes and will definitely go well with rice." Zhao Dong asked with concern.