The Flower City lives up to its name, with fluttering vines everywhere you look and the fragrance of flowers overflowing when you smell it. Walking on this street is like savoring the unique flavor of this nation, lazy and long.
"There are many old shops with a long history on this street. That one, the one with the brown awning hanging at the door, their coffee would make celebrities come here to drink it." Fang Zilu pointed not far away, talking to Yu Jian
Introduction, "There is also that restaurant, which is said to have been open for more than 50 years. The country roast chicken is particularly delicious..."
Yu Jian looked at his hand with a smile, and her interest was aroused: "You know these things very well."
"That's not true! My wife married me because my family owns a restaurant, and I'm telling you secretly, she is a foodie!" Fang Zilu thought of the scene when he was in love with his wife, not just the taste, but she spent more time focusing on food than him.
For a long time, it seriously hurt his self-esteem.
Yu Jian listened to him mumbling with a smile, and her eyes were attracted by an inconspicuous little shop in the corner.
Among the many shops surrounded by canals and flowers, this small shop looks so quaint. The whole shop is gray and black, and the vines spreading over the wall add a touch of color to it. It attracts Yu Jian's attention.
, not only is it ordinary, but also because——
Its signboard is written in Chinese characters - Malatang.
Fang Zilu talked for a long time and found that no one responded to him. He closed his mouth and looked back, and found that Yu Jian was looking fixedly somewhere. When he saw the sign, he narrowed his eyes: "Huh? When did a Malatang restaurant open?
"
It seems like there wasn't one when he came last time, right? No, no, no, definitely not! Although he is sometimes aloof, when it comes to professional knowledge, he is very keen.
He's sure! This must be a new store!
"Let's go and take a look!" Yu Jian stopped him, and the two of them walked into the store together.
When they walked in, the two of them couldn't help but be slightly stunned.
I originally thought that the interior would be decorated in the same style as the outside, but I didn't expect it to be something special. The whole place is in the festive red color that Chinese people like, and the walls are painted to depict scenes of urban life, which is eye-catching.
There were a lot of customers inside, most of them were Asians with yellow skin and black hair, and they were eating mouthfuls of food.
"Welcome! You can choose your own dishes in our store. After choosing, you can pay at the cashier!" A familiar Chinese voice came from inside, which made Yu Jian feel more friendly. Even the process of eating Malatang is exactly the same as in China, Yu Jian
He raised his eyebrows, picked up the shelf from the cabinet on the side, and started picking up the dishes in the freezer.
Fang Zilu pulled her and looked embarrassed: "We have come to Huacheng, do you want to eat some local specialties?"
Yu Jian shook his head: "Try it and see if it's any different from the ones in China."
One sentence rejected his thoughts.
Soon, the hot spicy hotpot with red oil and sesame sauce floating on the soup was delivered to the two of them. The strong aroma of onions and garlic, accompanied by the wonderful aroma of sesame and peanuts, shocked Yu Jian's whole body
, and instantly integrated into it.
In a large porcelain white bowl, clear bean skins, pleated yuba, red meat slices, and vegetable stems are rippling in the rippling soup.
She picked up her chopsticks, picked up a piece of bean skin dipped in spicy oil and put it into her mouth. In just a moment, the dense texture mixed with onion and garlic exploded in her mouth, and the heat surged, scalding the tip of her tongue.
It numbed her lips.
But after the initial overbearing, the spiciness quickly turned into a layered texture. The tofu skin was light and slightly chewy, soft but not rotten, slightly hot, but not sticky at all.
There is still rich soup hanging on the bean skin. Chew it and it will be fragrant in your mouth.
Take another bite of the tender marinated beef slices. As soon as your teeth bite down, the juices burst out from the seams of the meat. The aroma of sesame oil and the aroma of meat fat blend together, making people want to swallow their tongues.
The essence of Malatang is in this thick soup. Yu Jian tasted it carefully. It was pork bone. It only used onion, ginger cooking wine, and water of life. It was cooked for at least five hours, until the bones and flesh were separated.
The bone marrow overflows. This bowl of soup has three flavors: bone, meat and bone marrow. It is plump and rich.
The chili oil is probably hand-made, using red chili peppers from Sichuan Province as the base, mixed with slightly spicier Xiangxi chili peppers, fried in hot oil, then cooled, layered, wrapped in fried white sesame seeds, and sprinkled with
Some chopped peanuts, fragrant.
She couldn't help but take one bite after another, until she finished all the ingredients in the bowl, and finally drank the spicy red oil soup together. Only then did she feel extremely satisfied, and even beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Fang Zilu fanned the wind with one hand and held the chopsticks tightly with the other. He quickly stuffed slices of meat and vegetables into his mouth. In his spare time, he muttered a few words: "It's so spicy, so spicy..."
It was indeed spicy. As a Jiangnan native who likes sweets, he was so excited by the spiciness that he couldn't stop. Every bite made him feel like he was in this mural, holding a long sword, drinking wine and eating meat.
, Chivalry travels all over the world...
This may be the most common food on the street in China, but at this moment, it seemed that he realized a different true meaning of life.
"Are you from China?" At this time, the meal was almost over, and the guests were leaving in droves. The little girl who had just served them spicy hotpot walked up to them curiously and asked.
Fang Zilu nodded desperately: "Yes, yes!"
The little girl's eyes lit up and she waved to the kitchen: "Hey, you are really Chinese!"
The kitchen door opened, and a tall young man walked out. He looked to be in his early twenties. He wore an apron and looked surprisingly delicate.
Fang Zilu looked straight at this...if it weren't for the huge height difference, he would have thought it was a girl just by looking at her appearance, right?
As soon as the man opened his mouth, he was completely given up. The low and hoarse voice said: "Hello, I am also Chinese."
Through conversation, Yu Jian learned that the two were a young couple. The boy's name was Li Bai, from Sichuan Province. His girlfriend was studying fashion design in Huacheng. In order to accompany her, Li Bai came here to open a small shop.
"Your name... is so high..." Fang Zilu was in awe. Speaking of ancient people, the one he admired most in his life was Li Bai's song "About to Enter the Wine". Every time he read it, he always felt like he was that incredible person.
An ambitious poet.
Li Bai smiled shyly, and the subwoofer said: "My mother is a lover of ancient poetry, and my father's surname is Li, so he simply gave me this name."
Yu Jian observed this seemingly ordinary but unusual small shop, and a sentence suddenly came to his mind.