Lin Xu adjusted the radish strips on the plate with his chopsticks and then said with a smile, "I don’t know about other places, but at Fishing Platform, this dish wouldn’t cost less than five hundred and eighty-eight yuan."
The higher-end the restaurant, the more they favored this type of dish. Even though a serving of steamed radish strips sold for several hundred yuan, it also required a tremendous amount of effort.
Lin Xu placed the dish in front of his parents. "Give it a try and see how my skills are."
As soon as Chen Meijuan heard that such a dish could sell for five to six hundred yuan, she quickly said, "It’s just radish, after all. It would be a waste for your dad and me to eat it. Save it for your parents-in-law later; they’ll probably love it."
After speaking, she gazed intently at the dish on the plate.
What mother doesn’t want to taste her son’s culinary skills?
But her son had just been sweating so much over the cutting; if they ate it, he would have to cut and prepare it all over again. It was better not to, to avoid tiring him out.
Although Lin Hongqi didn’t speak, he clearly felt the same way.
Such a labor-intensive dish. It was better not to try it, to avoid him having to make it all over again later.
"This dish needs to be eaten hot," Lin Xu said with a smile as he passed the chopsticks over. "If it cools down, the radish strips will become as tough as cotton string, impossible to chew. Eat it quickly; I’ll make another batch later."
Only after his parents started eating did he pick up a mouthful with his chopsticks to taste.
The first bite revealed the spiciness of garlic, but it wasn’t overpowering—it was just right.
The finely shredded radish was slightly firm yet tender, not at all tough to chew. The texture was somewhat similar to Bamboo Noodles but even more resilient. The thin layer of Potato Starch coating the strips added a delightful soft chewiness, making the overall texture of the radish even richer.
If he hadn’t watched the entire process, Lin Hongqi would never have believed this was made from White Radish. The texture and flavor were simply too delightful.
Chen Meijuan also looked surprised. The anticipated raw radish flavor was completely absent. Instead, the delightful combination of springy and soft textures left a profound impression on her.
The texture of this dish was fantastic. The subtle garlicky spiciness and saltiness were also just right.
The family of three enjoyed the dish, finding it extremely tasty.
After having a few bites, Lin Xu saw that his mom had bought Lotus Root in the morning and said, "Later, I’ll make some White Jade Lotus Root Strips. Everyone else has tried this dish, so you two should try it as well."
White Jade Lotus Root Strips? Wasn’t that the dish with which her son had won the championship? It was said to be incredibly delicious, a dish many people couldn’t get even if they were willing to pay for it.
Chen Meijuan and Lin Hongqi were filled with anticipation. They had long wanted to taste their son’s handiwork.
While his parents were eating, Lin Xu put down his chopsticks and went outside.
The matter of the prize draw had been weighing on his mind. He’d better get it over with. The sooner it was done, the sooner he could relax.
In the living room, Dundun, who was chasing a self-entertaining little mouse all over the place, was scooped up into Lin Xu’s arms.
"Son, it’s time for you to lend a paw again. I’ll steam a piece of fish for you to try later."
Dundun lifted a paw and patted Lin Xu’s hand. An understanding was reached.
Holding the chubby little fellow, Lin Xu silently chanted in his mind, Lottery!
The lottery wheel immediately appeared in his mind, filled with the names of various soups and broths. The lottery wheel quickly began to spin in his mind.
I hope I get a popular hotel soup, Lin Xu silently wished before pressing the lottery button.
Soon, a system notification sounded in his mind: "Congratulations to the Host for drawing the Perfect Level soup dish—Corn Soup."
Corn Soup? Lin Xu glanced at Dundun. What gives? Why didn’t you pick something like beef soup?
Dundun rolled his eyes. You wanted a popular hotel soup, and I got you a popular hotel soup. What, not satisfied? Believe it or not, this kitty will give you a swat!
He deftly leaped from Lin Xu’s arms and resumed chasing the self-entertaining little mouse.
Corn Soup it is, then, Lin Xu mused. This soup is supposedly quite popular in hotels. Besides, the new restaurant doesn’t have any sweet soups yet, so this will fill that gap nicely. Newest update provıded by 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚑𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚑𝙣𝙚𝙩
He returned to the kitchen.
Chen Meijuan and Lin Hongqi had already finished the shredded radish. Since their son had said it wasn’t good cold, they quickly ate it all to ensure his efforts weren’t wasted.
After they finished, Chen Meijuan was filleting a plump Grass Carp, scraping Fish Mince from the flesh with a kitchen knife, apparently preparing to make Fish Balls. Meanwhile, Lin Hongqi was tending to a clay pot on the stove, skimming foam from the surface. Inside, an old hen was stewing with wild Mushrooms, and a rich, savory aroma was already wafting through the kitchen.
I’ll have a bowl of that soup to try once it’s ready, Lin Xu thought. The delicious aroma was truly tantalizing.
He picked up a Lotus Root, peeled it, then sliced and shredded it, preparing to make the dish he had won the championship with—White Jade Lotus Root Strips.
Just as he finished shredding the Lotus Root, he saw his mother wondering what to do with the Fish Skin left over from scraping the Fish Mince and said, "Give the Fish Skin to me. I’ll try making Pickled Pepper Fish Skin."
He didn’t actually know how to make this dish; he just saw the ingredients and couldn’t resist the urge to practice.
He took a kitchen knife and scraped off the reddish flesh still clinging to the Fish Skin. After washing it twice, he used the knife to cut the Fish Skin into strips. One side of the Fish Skin strips was white, while the other bore the intricate pattern of Fish Scales, looking quite beautiful.
Once the strips were cut, he boiled a pot of water. He poured some Cooking Wine into the water to eliminate any fishy smell. Once the water boiled, he added the cut Fish Skin and scalded it for thirty seconds. On a professional restaurant stove, ten seconds would have been sufficient. However, with the weaker flame of a home stove, it took a while for the water to return to a boil after the Fish Skin was added.