JESSICA shrugged. "I don't want to be biased against Chinese food, but I went to Ming House a few days ago. It did not meet my expectations at all."
Eileen felt helpless. "I told you that it was not the best Chinese food in Jingzhou."
JESSICA: "But you were disappointed too, weren't you?"
Jia Nuo smiled and did not participate too much in their conversation. Instead, he followed his previous plan and served the dishes one by one according to the time schedule.
The first dish was a small appetizer, the Four Seasons Cold Plate.
The Four Seasons Cold Plate included four types of appetizers: pickled cucumber, vegetarian goose, braised bamboo shoots, and candied plums. There were sour, sweet, salty, and fragrant flavors.
Next was the lettuce wrapped shrimp floss. Fresh shrimp, onions, celery, and other ingredients were diced and stir-fried. Finally, golden and crispy fried dough sticks were mixed with lettuce.
Next was a very famous traditional dish, the Braised Pork Pagoda.
Eileen was very familiar with chopsticks. jESSICA was slightly clumsy, but that did not stop her from enjoying the food.
Before the dishes were served, Jia Nuo introduced the characteristics and details of the dishes in English.
All the introductions had been prepared long ago and were very concise.
If it was too short, he would not be able to explain the details of the dish; if it was too long, it might affect the customer's appetite.
After all, most Chinese food was served with a mouthful of hot air. If it was too long, it would not taste good. Moreover, customers would not be able to divert their attention to these complicated processes and steps when they were enjoying the food.
The result of multitasking was that they would not be able to taste the food and remember the details.
Therefore, Jia Nuo's introductions had been deliberated many times. The timing was very accurate. He ensured that the customers could understand the characteristics of the dishes without affecting their taste.
As Elena listened, she quietly touched the edge of the plate.
For high-end restaurants, the details would directly determine the experience.
Some high-end restaurants that did not pay attention to details would not even pay attention to whether all the water stains were wiped off after washing the goblets.
If the water stains were not wiped off, even if there was only a small amount of dust around, the water stains would leave marks on the goblets after they dried.
Of course, there weren't many high-end restaurants that would make such a mistake.
Another common problem was the temperature of the plate.
Cold dishes should be served on cold plates, and hot dishes should be served on hot plates. Once the dishes were served too slowly, the hot dishes would turn cold, and they would have to be remade.
Elena gently touched the edge of the plate on which the three dishes were placed. She could immediately feel that the temperature of the dishes was within the most suitable range. Everything was just right.
Apart from that, Elena also paid attention to the plate presentation.
The combination of shapes, the harmony of colors, the types of cutlery … Just like painting, the chef gave the dishes artistic conception and soul through plate presentation. The plate presentation of these dishes could be considered works of art, and Elena was very satisfied.
As for jESSICA, she didn't know so many things. She just felt that the Chinese food she ate today was completely different from what she had eaten in the past.
The appearance was not much different, but the feeling of mystery was hard to describe with words.
JESSICA said in surprise as she ate, "This so-called Braised Meat Pagoda should be one of the two most complicated dishes we ordered, right?"
Elena shook her head. "Of course not."
She looked at Jia Nuo. "Lucas, although the first few dishes are also very outstanding, I've eaten them in other high-end private kitchens. For example, I've eaten the Four Seasons Cold Plate at a top-notch Chinese restaurant in Silicon Valley. As for the Braised Meat Pagoda, I've eaten it in a top-notch private kitchen in Egret Island. In terms of taste, each has its own merits. Although the food here doesn't lose to the first two places, I'm still not completely convinced. "
Jia Nuo smiled. "In that case, you should have tried this Western dessert before. It's called verjus.
egg。”
Elena and jESSICA looked at the new dish in front of them.
It was … an egg.
JESSICA was a little confused. "So, you're using Verjus to boil an egg? Lucas, I remember you saying that this is a dessert. "
Verjus was a kind of thick, sour juice made from raw grapes. It was not commonly seen outside of England and did not suit the tastes of ordinary people. However, jESSICA and Elena were very surprised.
To use an inappropriate example, it was probably similar to the feeling of people in the capital drinking Arctic Ocean soda in Silicon Valley.
Elena, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised. "Yes, it's a dessert. Everything on this plate is edible."
Jia Nuo smiled and introduced, "Miss Elena, you should be familiar with this dish. It has close to a hundred processes and more than 70 types of ingredients. Finally, this small 'egg' is made. "
"jESSICA, you'd better eat its' eggshell ',' egg yolk ', and' egg white 'together. The taste will be perfect." Elena reminded.
JESSICA tried a small spoonful, and her eyes lit up.
"Oh, this is a familiar taste! What are these things that look like eggs? "
Jia Nuo replied, "The egg white is actually coconut-flavored custard, the egg yolk is Verjus that has been cooked with spices, and the eggshell is chocolate. The 'bird's nest' at the base is a dessert made of honey and syrup. The decorations around it are kabosu jelly, which is a citrus fruit that is a specialty of the East Asian islands.
"This is a very complicated dish. Every process is like a chemical experiment. From the preparation of the ingredients to the preparation of the ingredients, it requires precision. Many details, such as the ratio of the ingredients, the temperature, the heating time, and so on, have to be carried out carefully according to laboratory standards. Otherwise, a small mistake, such as the temperature being one or two degrees higher or the ingredients being one or two grams more, will lead to failure."
Elena added, "Even in England, it is extremely rare to find a restaurant that can make this dish."
This dessert had obviously exceeded jESSICA's expectations. She said in surprise, "It's so delicious. Thank you for bringing me such a surprise! However … this dish has also made me more determined to support Western cuisine. "
If Chinese people ate this dish, they might not find it very delicious. They would only be surprised by the complexity of the craftsmanship and the exquisite appearance.
The eggshell, egg white, and egg yolk of this' egg 'were completely fake. The eggshell was especially thin, and it was no different from an eggshell in reality.
However, Chinese people could not adapt to its taste very well. Verjus would seem too sour, and most people could not adapt to it.
However, this taste had a taste of home to jESSICA.
There were originally two more complicated dishes at the end, but the first dish had already raised the threshold of jESSICA's taste. Elena could not help but worry if the next dish would be able to hold the fort.
If it could not, then it would not be of any help in changing jESSICA's impression of Chinese food. Although she had eaten a very good meal, in jESSICA's heart, it was obvious that she still liked this verjus.
Egg's Western cuisine left a deep impression on her.
The waiter brought a flat basin and placed it in the middle of the dining table.
Elena's eyes widened slightly.
In the flat basin, four to five leaves were spread out to form a large … Chinese cabbage?
The stems and leaves did not show any signs of being cooked. It looked like raw Chinese cabbage.
There was a clear broth in the basin. There was no oil or color, but one could see that it was giving off steam. It seemed no different from ordinary boiling water.
At first glance, this dish gave one the impression that a raw Chinese cabbage had been peeled into the shape of a water lily and placed in a basin. Then, boiling water had been poured over it.
Elena was a little surprised. She knew that Chinese cabbage was one of the cheapest ingredients. Hence, to describe something very cheap, it had to be called 'cabbage price'.
Jia Nuo was not in a hurry to introduce the cooking method. Instead, he raised his hand and gestured. "This dish is called 'Boiled Chinese Cabbage'. Please try it first. I'll explain it later."
Elena picked up a small piece of Chinese cabbage with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth doubtfully.
However, the refreshing and crisp texture that he had imagined did not appear. Instead, there was a kind of softness that stuck to his mouth. It was clearly fully cooked, yet it was unexpectedly tender. This refreshing and fresh fragrance was completely different from any taste that he had ever tasted before!
Elena scooped up another spoonful of broth. An indescribably wonderful taste stimulated her taste buds. It was so captivating.
JESSICA's expression froze. Obviously, she had not expected the taste of this dish to be so outstanding.
Jia Nuo smiled and explained, "This dish was originally meant to be made at the end of autumn, when the ground has started to frost. Cabbage that had just been rolled up and removed from the soil on the same day. Although it is not the right season now, this effect can be achieved through precise control of the environment's temperature.
"You have to remove at least two layers of the outer layer, leaving only the tender white stems and the size of a fist. Soak the roots in the prepared broth to soften the stems. Peel off four to five pieces and place them on top of the net. Then, use a silver needle to repeatedly prick the stems so that the cabbage is filled with pores that are invisible to the naked eye.
"For the broth, you have to choose a chicken that is neither fat nor tender. It cannot be oily or overcooked. Remove the belly of the whole chicken and wash the blood repeatedly. Blanch it in boiling water before adding ingredients such as abalone slices and shredded white mushrooms. Simmer it for four to five hours. When the broth is fresh and thick, take out the whole chicken. Then, use chicken slices to absorb the oil in the broth. Add the minced chicken breasts into the broth and blanch it. Finally, strain the broth with a thin gauze.
"The combination of soup and cabbage is the most important step. One pot with cabbage in it, and the other pot with the prepared broth under the pot with the net leakage. The fire for the broth had to be even smaller, and the broth had to be maintained at 70-80 degrees Celsius. There couldn't be any mistakes. Then, use a large spoon to pour the warm broth over the cabbage. When the broth was almost finished, change the pot and pour it again until the outer layer of the cabbage was completely cooked and soft. Then, put the cabbage into a flat basin, and slowly ladle the hot broth into it. Only in this way can it be called a real cabbage in hot water. "
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