"Yes, yes, yes. Let's eat first." Ma Cheng picked up his chopsticks and prepared to pick up the tofu.
What a joke. This was the last dish. If they didn't eat it now, they wouldn't be able to eat it today.
While they were talking, Zhou Shijie had already picked up his chopsticks and picked up the tofu without batting an eyelid.
"The shape is complete. It's tender but not broken," Zhou Shijie looked at the tofu on his chopsticks and nodded his head.
"This plate is also interesting," Lee Yanyi also picked up a piece and said.
That's right. Normally, Mapo Tofu was a dish with sauce. Normally, people would use a plate with a rim to contain the sauce so that the sauce wouldn't flow out.
However, Yuan Zhou used a square plate with a flat bottom. Only in this way could one see the craftsmanship of this dish, because the sauce was directly wrapped around the tofu. Except for the white tofu that was intentionally left for the customers to see, the rest of the tofu was wrapped in the bright red sauce.
The red sauce, the white tofu, the green garlic sprouts, the golden-red minced beef, and the clean white plate made the tofu look refreshing and appetizing.
While Zhou Shijie and Lee Yanyi were studying the craftsmanship seriously, Zhang Yan directly ate the tofu.
Putting aside everything else, Zhang Yan stuffed the tofu directly into his mouth.
"It's hot," Zhang Yan couldn't help hissing.
That's right. The first taste of the Mapo Tofu was hot. The tofu looked soft and tender, but once it entered his mouth, Zhang Yan's tongue immediately quivered.
While the aftertaste of the tofu was still lingering in his mouth, the sauce wrapped around the tofu spread out in his mouth. The sauce wrapped around the tofu was stir-fried with Pixian bean, chili oil, and black bean. It also contained the aroma of beef.
Even the Sichuan pepper sprinkled on the surface of the tofu came out to join in the fun, making his mouth feel as if a dance party was going on, wonderful and colorful.
The numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, tender, and fresh sensations all rushed into Zhang Yan's senses, making him dizzy with the wonderful taste.
"Delicious," Zhang Yan couldn't help muttering in a low voice. Only then did he chew the tofu when the taste was at its peak.
When the tofu was picked up by the chopsticks, it felt tough, but as soon as he bit it, the tofu in his mouth broke. He felt like he was eating tofu pudding, it was so tender that he didn't know where to start.
However, it was precisely this kind of tofu that could be crushed with a single sip that perfectly combined with the spicy and fragrant taste in his mouth, instantly giving him a feeling of completeness.
"This is the real Mapo Tofu. It's like the flavor of the Mapo Tofu is alive," Zhang Yan couldn't help but comment.
"That is indeed the case. However, I feel that it would be more appropriate to add in the crispy beef mince," Hu Yue said.
"Let me try." At this moment, Zhang Yan was not in the mood to think about whether he was talented or not. He only wanted to explore the extreme delicacy in front of him.
This time, Zhang Yan picked up a piece of minced beef and ate it with the tofu.
"As expected," As soon as the tofu entered his mouth, Zhang Yan understood what Hu Yue meant.
That was not the case. The tenderness and freshness of the tofu, the spiciness of the sauce, and the crispness of the beef mince, when these flavors fused together, gave off a feeling like the finishing touch.
It was as if all the flavors had come alive in his mouth, allowing his taste buds to enjoy the most perfect feast.
Just like that, the few of them unknowingly finished the entire plate of tofu. As they savored the taste in their mouths, they still felt somewhat unsatisfied.
"A Mapo Tofu with all eight flavors. It's really not bad," Lee Yanyi said.
"As expected of Boss Yuan, Boss Yuan. Even this home-cooked dish gives me the feeling of eating a gluttonous feast," Ma Cheng said sincerely.
"Ma, spicy, and scalding hot. It's indeed delicious," compared to the praises of others, Zhao Xin's description was much simpler.
It wasn't that Zhao Xin didn't want to describe it, but the taste was too delicious. He didn't know what to say.
"How is it? This old man is right, right?" Zhou Shijie said.
"The taste is indeed extraordinary," Hu Yue nodded as he looked at the empty plate.
"Young," Zhang Yan snorted. He was still unwilling to praise Yuan Zhou even after he finished eating.
"What? Do you have any objections? Although this Brat Yuan's dish is not perfect, he has already mastered the art of making Mapo Tofu, "Lee Yanyi said.
"Back then, the art of making Mapo Tofu was reflected in the inch-long garlic sprouts. When served, the garlic sprouts had to stand upright in the bowl and have a bright green color, as if they had just been picked up and chopped. But when you pick them up and eat them, you will realize that they are already fully cooked, without the slightest bit of jerkiness," Zhang Yan clearly understood Sichuan Cuisine very well and was able to point out the difference between Yuan Zhou's dish and others.
"Chairman Zhang is right. However, the art of making Mapo Tofu is reflected in the entire dish. In my opinion, there is no difference between the two dishes," Zhou Shijie nodded and said after confirming Zhang Yan's words.
"Let's not talk about the art of making Mapo Tofu, but there is one thing that I am dissatisfied with," Hu Yue said.
"Oh?" Lee Yanyi looked at Hu Yue with a stern expression.
Lee Yanyi's expression made it seem as if he would pounce on Hu Yue if he said something bad. One must know that to him, the Yuanzhou shop was a reserved project.
To put it bluntly, even if he could criticize others, others would have to be qualified to do so. Clearly, Hu Yue was not qualified in his eyes.
"We have been here for so long, but we haven't even had a cup of tea. Moreover, we haven't even had a mouthful of rice for the three dishes. I haven't even had my fill yet," Hu Yue said, feeling somewhat wronged.
Was it easy for a middle-aged man like him to come all the way here for the evaluation without even pouring a cup of water? It was fine if he didn't pour a cup of water, but why didn't he even have a bowl of rice?
Just now, Hu Yue had seen a customer order plain white rice. The rice grains were sparkling and translucent, and one look and one could tell that it was very fragrant. If it was used to pair with the dishes just now, it would be perfect.
However, the current situation was that there wasn't any rice. Moreover, from the looks of it, Yuan Zhou didn't seem to have any intention of serving it.
Therefore, after Hu Yue said that, not only did Lee Yanyi become silent, even Zhou Shijie looked at Yuan Zhou.
Coincidentally, Yuan Zhou had just carried the dishes to the side and was waiting for Zhou Jia to take them away.
At this moment, Yuan Zhou, who was being stared at by the strong resentment, turned his head around and saw Dadada walking over.
"Everyone from the evaluation team, I'm sorry, but according to the rules, we only need to prepare three dishes. It doesn't include tea and rice. Therefore, our restaurant didn't prepare these dishes," Yuan Zhou stood in front of them and said seriously.
The moment he said that, the resentment of the several people immediately stopped. It seemed that the official website really didn't state that they needed to prepare these dishes.
However, no matter which restaurant they went to, they all hoped that the evaluation team could eat more. Not to mention tea and rice, even other side dishes would be served during the evaluation period. Who would be so straightforward as to prepare only three dishes like Yuan Zhou?
"Who the f * ck set the rules? Why didn't they write it down clearly?" The several people roared in their hearts.
Zhang Yan wanted to change the rules when he got back. He wanted to clearly state that there must be tea and rice at the back of the list.
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