Yangzhou.
It is famous for its 'Three Heads', which are:
Stewed Silver Carp Head!
Braised Whole Pig Face!
Crab Roe Lion's Head!
Among them, the origin of Crab Roe Lion's Head can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, over a thousand years ago.
At that time, with economic prosperity, officials and nobles paid more attention to their diet.
One day, Duke Xun, Wei Zhi, hosted a banquet, and his mansion's famous Chef, Wei Juyuan, prepared four famous dishes using rare delicacies from land and sea.
When a dish called'Sunflower Chopped Meat' was served, the massive meatball looked as exquisite as a blooming sunflower, and even more so, like the head of a mighty lion!
The guests at the banquet seized the opportunity to say, "Duke Xun has spent half his life in military campaigns, with brilliant achievements, and should be worthy of the Lion Commander's Seal."
Upon hearing this, Wei Zhi happily raised his wine cup and drank it all, replying, "To commemorate today's grand gathering, let's rename'Sunflower Chopped Meat' to 'Lion's Head'."
With that, everyone responded with a resounding yes.
From then on, the dish 'Lion's Head' became known in Yangzhou.
During the Qing Dynasty, when Emperor Qianlong visited Jiangnan, he praised the Lion's Head dish endlessly and brought it to the capital, making it a Qing palace dish.
Thus, the Huaiyang cuisine dish 'Lion's Head' finally became famous throughout the world and known to all!
...
At night, the Izakaya began its business.
Sosuke was seen cutting pork belly, water chestnuts, and rehydrated dried shrimp into pieces the size of mung beans.
Then he continued to finely dice ham and winter bamboo shoots separately.
Next, he combined the pork, ginger, scallions, water chestnuts, dried shrimp, eggs, salt, pepper, cooking wine, and water starch, preparing it in the same way one would make steamed bun filling.
Immediately after, he divided the prepared meat filling into 5 large meatballs of the same size.
Hmm!
As for the diameter of the meatballs...
Considering Kobayashi Rindo's large appetite, they were all made to be 8 centimeters.
They were then placed in oil at 70% heat and fried until the surface turned golden brown before being removed.
Finally, a wok was placed over high heat, oil was added, and winter bamboo shoots and ham were stir-fried lightly.
Fresh broth, cooking wine, sauce, sugar color, scallions, and ginger were then added and brought to a boil before the meatballs were added, shaped, and plated.
A small amount of water was used to line the edge, and after the soup in the wok boiled again, pepper and water starch were added to thicken it, which was then poured over the meatballs and garnished with green leaves.
Subsequently, placed before Kobayashi Rindo were 5 round and large Lion's Heads, each nestled among three green leaves.
At first glance, it even had the meaning of 'Five Blessings Descending'.
The meat, both fatty and lean, was reddish and shiny, complemented by the lush green vegetables.
The vibrant colors and the enticing aroma, just one glance, could instantly stimulate one's appetite.
"Ah... mmm mmm mmm!"
Taking advantage of the steaming, reddish broth.
As a big foodie, Kobayashi Rindo quickly picked up one, opened her mouth, and took a bite.
As soon as it entered her mouth, the entire meatball burst with juice, making a 'pffft pffft' sound.
What followed was a texture of alternating fat and lean, springy and elastic, with a rich and fresh flavor.
Fried foods like this usually feel greasy, but miraculously, this greasiness had already been dissipated by the refreshing taste of the water chestnuts.
So much so that before one was even finished, she wanted to pick up the next one!
...
Swallowing, after devouring an entire Lion's Head.
Kobayashi Rindo couldn't help but smack her lips, feeling unsatisfied, so she continued to pick up another large meatball and ate it.
Although one bite took off half of it, with just a gentle pull.
That feeling of disappearing into the meat still made her experience a strong sense of happiness.
"So that's how it is."
"If the Lion's Head is too firm, it won't be moist in the mouth."
"But if it's too loose, it loses some of its elasticity and tastes bland."
"So, to achieve a melt-in-your-mouth effect while still having elasticity, one must add some chopped water chestnuts, chopped yam, chopped silk threads..."
"Only then can the entire meatball combine meat and vegetables, resulting in a loose and moist texture!"
Involuntarily, Kobayashi Rindo, slowly chewing, began to close her eyes and ponder, carefully analyzing this Lion's Head dish.
Chinese cuisine is delicious, tasty, and portion-wise, it's definitely satisfying.
Western cuisine, many types are relatively monotonous, and the ingredients and seasonings used in cooking are high in calories, not as healthy.
Many dishes, such as fish and chips, and vegetable salads, leave the stomach feeling empty after eating.
Take Western desserts, for example; Kobayashi Rindo has always liked them deep down.
But she doesn't eat them often because they are high in calories and not very filling!
But Chinese cuisine is different; perhaps it's because of the greater variety, and in terms of ingredient selection and cooking techniques, it often surprises her.
Of course, the most important reason is that Sosuke's cooking skills have deeply impressed her, making her particularly enthusiastic about the dishes Sosuke makes.
Whenever she has free time, she will appear at the Izakaya on time.
...
Regarding the understanding of Lion's Head.
Kobayashi Rindo, as the Second Seat of the Elite Ten, may not have as profound an understanding as Sosuke.
But she knows very well that making an authentic Lion's Head with perfect taste and texture actually requires a lot of attention:
Incorrect fat-to-lean ratio of the meat is not acceptable.
Incorrect cutting size and direction are not acceptable.
Careless seasoning is not acceptable.
Because if the seasoning is too light, the meaty aroma won't come out, only a gamey smell.
If the seasoning is too heavy, the complementary relationship between the meat and the seasoning cannot be tasted, which is also not good.
Even just meat is not enough; there must be some vegetables for garnish, just like the Lion's Head dish in front of Sosuke, which must have green vegetable leaves.
Doing so not only balances the taste but also caters to the various preferences of the diners.
To put it plainly, a true Lion's Head precisely pursues this richness and balance achieved through careful harmonization.
Clearly, in this regard, Sosuke has done an exceptionally perfect job.
...
Soon, Kobayashi Rindo opened her eyes and secretly glanced at Sosuke.
He was currently wetting a knife cloth and rinsing it several times with warm water.
Then he began to carefully wipe a sharp Chef's knife in his hand, and then dried it with a dry cloth.
Meanwhile, the assistant Chef, Kuguchi Sonoka, was at the sink, turning on the faucet and washing some vegetables.
So, Kobayashi Rindo could only turn her gaze to her.
She noticed that her pretty little face had a slight blush.
Her wandering eyes always secretly watched Sosuke, just like hers, often with a hint of excitement and admiration.
"Shopkeeper, you haven't been around much lately, have you hired an assistant Chef here?"
Withdrawing her gaze, Kobayashi Rindo, still wanting more, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
At this point, even a three-year-old child would know what was going on.
"As you can see, Kuguchi Sonoka is indeed an assistant Chef at the Izakaya now."
Sosuke said lightly.
"Oh, oh, that's really unexpected."
Upon hearing this, Kobayashi Rindo sighed softly.
Although given the current operating situation of the Izakaya, Sosuke would certainly hire some staff.
But it was truly unexpected that the first person to work at the Izakaya would be the proprietress of the neighboring Chun Guo Ting Restaurant, Kuguchi Sonoka!
"Sigh, she got there first!"
Thinking this, Kobayashi Rindo muttered helplessly.
She remembered that she had already agreed with Sosuke when she was at the Izakaya before that she would come to work here after she graduated.
Who knew that there was another Far Moon student, and even a former Far Moon graduate, who had the same idea as her and achieved it even faster.
This made her feel a bit choked up, always feeling as if something important had been snatched away from her!
...
"What's wrong?"
"Does this make you unhappy?"
"Or are you jealous after learning that Kuguchi Sonoka became the assistant Chef at the Izakaya?"
Putting away his knife, Sosuke said with a chuckle to Kobayashi Rindo.
Kobayashi Rindo's delicate body trembled instantly, her face flushed, and she said somewhat flustered, "Me, jealous? No, why would I be jealous?"
How strange, why do I feel so flustered when he says that?
Do I really like him?
No, no, no, I don't like him.
At most, it's just because his cooking is delicious, and I... I can't resist the temptation of good food!
Yes, at most, I'm just a little curious about him!
"Are you alright?"
"I just made a couple of jokes with you, why are you shaking your head?"
Sosuke's voice suddenly interrupted Kobayashi Rindo's thoughts.
After regaining her composure, she inevitably felt very embarrassed and could only quickly point to the unfinished Lion's Head dish in front of her, saying, "A... a bowl of rice again, it tastes even better with the meatballs."
"Okay, I'll get you a bowl of rice."
...
Nowadays, the age demographic of customers visiting the Izakaya is gradually diversifying.
Of course, besides the nine-to-fivers living a two-point-one-line life, there are also many students, foreign tourists, and some elite members of society.
Although the operating hours are only from 7 PM to 12 AM, which feels a bit short, it still doesn't stop the enthusiasm of many customers!
Following Kobayashi Rindo, another regular customer finally appeared at the Izakaya.
"Senior, it is truly an honor for me, Isshiki Satoshi, to invite you to drink and eat here together."
After taking a seat, Isshiki Satoshi slightly narrowed his eyes and said with a smile to Jōichirō Yukihira next to him.
"Isshiki Satoshi, you don't need to be like this."
"As your senior, I should take care of a junior like you, so how can I let you pay for bringing me here to eat?"
Jōichirō Yukihira quickly replied.
"Senior, after Fumio told me about your deeds, I was filled with immense admiration!
The current Polar Star Dormitory has long lost the glory it had when you all were at Totsuki, and whenever I think of this, my heart feels deeply regretful."
At this point, Isshiki Satoshi's eyes inevitably showed a hint of disappointment.
"It's been over 20 years, after all, but the situation is still better than I expected."
"At least now there's still you, an Elite Ten member, holding down the fort at Polar Star Dormitory, so there's not absolutely no hope of a resurgence."
Jōichirō Yukihira's gaze was deep, as if he was reminiscing about the time he lived in the Polar Star Dormitory with Gin Dojima, Nakamura Azami, Jun Shiomi, and others.
"Senior, you think too highly of me."
"With my aptitude and skill, it's impossible for me to lead Polar Star Dormitory in the future."
Isshiki Satoshi scratched the back of his head and replied with an awkward smile.
"People's potential is often stimulated by their environment!
I think that when the time truly comes, you will have the ability to lead Polar Star Dormitory back to glory, so please don't underestimate yourself."
Jōichirō Yukihira slightly glanced at Isshiki Satoshi out of the corner of his eye, then said seriously.
...
Afterward, he began to observe the Izakaya on his own.
Leaving aside the various carefully designed decorations and suitable dining environment, with his keen insight, he quickly discovered that there was something problematic with the food eaten by every customer here!
"How interesting, this Izakaya doesn't have specific set meals."
Finally, withdrawing his gaze, Chen Yilang couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"Senior, there's a rule here that as long as there are existing ingredients and the Chef can make it, customers can order whatever they want!"
Isshiki Satoshi explained.
"Creative, but daring to set such a rule really tests the Chef's ability to improvise."
"And it also requires the Chef to have a deep understanding of many dishes."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yilang was stunned.
But after a brief thought, he couldn't help but show an appreciative gaze.
"Yes, that's why I brought senior here to eat this time; I also wanted you to witness the strength of this Shopkeeper."
Isshiki Satoshi nodded and replied.
As Jōichirō Yukihira, who had also run a restaurant before, he could actually better understand that Sosuke's Izakaya business model had very little operational feasibility.
Because an Izakaya, it definitely has to be open at night.
Just this operating time alone means it's impossible to do a very large catering business!
And not to mention that many convenience stores now operate 24 hours a day, selling various fast food and snacks, etc.
What's more, from the current situation.
Sosuke's Izakaya, besides the rule of ordering whatever you want.
In fact, many stories have also happened, making everyone very moved, thus turning them into regular customers!
However, Japanese people, no, it should be that as long as a person is human, he has an emotional side, and naturally also a rational side.
So in real life, who would be so emotional as to always put their own affairs here at the Izakaya, sharing them with strangers, sharing them with this Zhang's Restaurant?
However, what is seen before them is precisely that all customers are happy because of the food, and are touched by the stories here...
"It seems that this Zhang's Restaurant is definitely a very charming person!"
After thinking for a moment, Chen Yilang exclaimed again.
...
"You two have been sitting for a while, why haven't you ordered yet?"
Just then, Sosuke, who had actively approached them, asked.
"Zhang's Restaurant, let me introduce you."
"This is a former resident of our Polar Star Dormitory, and also the Second Seat of the 69th Elite Ten, Joichiro Saiba!"
Seeing Sosuke personally attend to them, Isshiki Satoshi dared not neglect him and quickly stood up to introduce Chen Yilang to him.
"Hmm! Nice to meet you."
After a quick look, Sosuke only nodded.
In fact, ever since Jōichirō Yukihira entered the Izakaya, Sosuke had been silently observing him.
As the strongest Chef in the early stages of the original plot, his visit to the Izakaya at this moment inevitably surprised him deeply.
And at this moment, Jōichirō Yukihira, upon seeing Sosuke before him.
He was even younger than the Izakaya Shopkeeper image he had imagined, and he couldn't help but feel secretly surprised.
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