They say you don’t have to worry about being late for a good meal, but in fact, you don’t have to worry about a good meal far away either.
It was indeed a good thing that Hong Yanwu and Chen Liquan had been thinking about it for several days. It was also a good thing that they followed "Zhang Dashao" all the way from the South Second Ring Road to the North Second Ring Road.
This meal was truly unique, informative, delicious, and dignified.
According to "Zhang Dashao", the special thing about this restaurant is that it is jointly run by four couples and run by two female chefs. The dishes are friendly to the people and naturally have a simple taste of home cooking.
Second, because these people are from all over the world, they were able to combine the flavors of Jiangsu and Zhejiang with the characteristics of Fujian, Yunnan, Sichuan and other places to create their own unique flavor.
It can be said that their eight signature dishes are both traditional and innovative, and are quite unique.
For this reason, he has been patronizing it intermittently for decades, starting from its earliest opening location at No. 25, Xinkai Road, until it moved to Chun Shu Hutong.
Last year, "Kangle" moved again, and they even notified the new address.
It's just that he thinks it's a long way and has never been there.
So this time I have fulfilled my contract, I just happened to go to meet old friends, and also take Hong Yanwu and Chen Liquan to try something new.
Just like that, I listened to "Zhang Dashao"'s casual introduction along the way.
In Hong Yanwu and Chen Liquan's minds, they had a general impression of a small flavor restaurant that started with three tables and maintained a good reputation for decades by relying on low prices, high quality, fine workmanship, and hard work on innovation.
But it was really unexpected. That day, the three of them asked around here and there, and they were dumbfounded when they arrived.
Because the size and atmosphere of the restaurant were completely different from what they imagined.
Facing us was a brand new three-story brick building.
There are high steps in front of the door, with green cypress bonsai on them, and a horizontal plaque hanging on the upper room of the four magnificent doors.
There is also an eye-catching neon sign "Jiangnan Flavor" hanging on the one-meter-high red three-dimensional artistic characters on the eaves.
What's even more amazing is that when you go in, dozens of tables upstairs and downstairs are all full, and there are dozens of busy waiters.
There are even many foreigners among the people waiting in line, which shows how popular it is.
How does this look like a small restaurant? It is completely a big restaurant, and its scale has already caught up with "Judequan".
Not to mention Hong Yanwu and Chen Liquan, even "Zhang Dashao" took the initiative to inquire with the waiter again, fearing that he was looking for the wrong place.
But this is the question. When I talk about what's going on, I ask whoever I'm looking for, and the treatment is different.
The waiter immediately went to inform them. Soon, an old lady in a gabardine uniform came down from upstairs and came to greet them personally.
There was no need to wait, they went directly to the private seats upstairs, and a private room reserved for the leaders was given to them.
After further polite exchanges between the two people, Hong Yanwu and Chen Liquan were honored to know that this was Chang Jing, one of the two female chefs of "Kangle Restaurant".
But to be honest, the one who was most surprised was "Zhang Dashao".
Because even though it's only been two years, "Happiness Restaurant" is indeed no longer what it used to be.
First, "Zhang Dashao" learned that the restaurant's old manager and another female chef from Fujian, Luo Hui, had both retired due to illness.
Secondly, he also learned that the British and Hong Kong newspapers had published relevant reports and recommended this "Three Tables Hotel" to overseas.
In addition, Chang Jing participated in a cooking competition held by "Ajinomoto" in Japan last year and won a gold medal.
The government intends to support "Kangle" as a first-class restaurant to share the task of receiving leaders and foreign guests.
In the past year, not only has the entire building been designated for "recreational" use, but also by drawing support from other restaurants, the manpower has been expanded several times, and Chang Jing has been promoted to the manager of the restaurant technical department.
This means that today's "Kangle" has really become a new star in the catering industry in Beijing.
But at the same time, things are different and people are different.
Almost all of the old friends that "Zhang Dashao" recognized back then are no longer here. This can't help but make people a little sad.
Fortunately, Master Chang Jingchang has not left yet, so their visit this time was not in vain.
No, "Zhang Dashao" casually mentioned four dishes and one soup. Without even looking at the menu, the chef, who had not been cooking for a long time, took the initiative to go to the kitchen to take care of the dishes.
Due to the special channels, the dishes started to arrive on the table in a short time.
The dish that came first was particularly interesting.
In front of me is a plate of fried crispy rice and a bowl of steaming tomato-colored soup.
When I quickly poured the hot soup into the plate, I saw bubbles floating in the bowl, and there was a "sizzling" sound in my ears. Suddenly, the aroma was fragrant and the color was overflowing...
It is simply a multiple enjoyment for the eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
It was so beautiful that Chen Liquan opened his eyes wide, and Hong Yanwu was so fragrant that he shouted "Crispy Squid".
But when he moved his chopsticks, he was stunned.
Because there is only the deliciousness of fresh shrimps, the crispiness of fruits, and the sweetness and sourness of tomatoes...where is the squid?
At this time, "Zhang Dashao" said unhurriedly, "Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand. This is Master Chang's work based on the traditional dish 'A Sound of Thunder', which won an award in Japan. It uses green shrimps, stir-fry and stir-fry."
"Rodine, diced apples, diced lychees, tomato sauce, egg whites, and cooked lard are used to make gravy. The dish is called 'Peach Blossom Pan'."
In a word, Hong Yanwu couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
But at the same time, I also feel that the dish "Peach Blossom Pan" is simply amazing.
Not only does it sound elegant and noble, but it also has the feeling of seeing a ten-mile peach blossom with flying petals.
In the art of cooking, the ingredients, techniques, and meanings are all cleverly integrated into the poetic and picturesque atmosphere of peach blossoms, adding to the beauty of the dishes.
It is pleasing to the eye and moves the index finger at the same time, leaving a deep impression.
But having said that, he remembered that "a thunder on the ground" was also called "bombing Tokyo".
Winning an award in Japan with this anti-Japanese dish is... really interesting.
And while Hong Yanwu was thinking about it, the second dish "Pork with Distillery Grains" was served again.
Red glutinous rice, a specialty of Fujian Province, is made from glutinous rice. It is made by fermenting steamed glutinous rice and then filtering it. It has a bright red color, a certain amount of alcohol and a unique aroma.
Therefore, the use of red lees for seasoning is a characteristic of Fujian cuisine.
This dish requires that when cooking, the red glutinous rice grains can fully penetrate into the diced meat to increase the flavor, and it should not discolor and have a red luster.
The red diced meat and green fried cucumbers look very eye-catching, and they are also the perfect dishes to accompany wine.
The third dish is called "Shiitake Mushroom Patties", and the beauty lies in the extraordinary skill.
The meat stuffing is wrapped in shiitake mushroom wrappers, just like eggplant boxes and lotus roots. It is fried first and then stewed.
After the dish is served, you can see at a glance that the surface of the brown mushrooms is golden, and they are paired with magnolia slices next to them.
Obviously, this dish originated from "Shao Erdong", but it is even better. It is really unimaginable and ingenious.
The fourth dish is "Wild Rice Noodles".
Wild rice is a thin vegetable, and the bite strips are scooped out with wide sauce. When paired together, it feels a bit like a halal restaurant. It is smooth and tender, with a rich flavor, and is best served with rice.
As for the end, there is another "Emerald Soup" created by Master Chang to finish the meal.
This dish is made by boiling finely chopped spinach leaves with chicken stock into a green soup.
At the same time, add chicken puree and egg white to make a white soup.
Then put the two kinds of soup into one basin.
When it was served, Master Chang arranged it in a "Tai Chi" shape.
The green and white complement each other, which is not only beautiful, but also brings out the beauty of the deep green jade, and the taste is also distinct.
If you add seasoning, you have three flavors to choose from.
Of course, it would be even more interesting if you compare it with the first dish "Peach Blossom Pan".
Think about it, one is hard, one is soft, one is red and one is green. The most rare thing is that they are both so elegant and romantic.
If it hadn't been created by a female chef, it would be difficult to have such a wonderful dish in the world.
Let alone others, at least Hong Yanwu was convinced by the "Peach Blossom Pan" and "Emerald Soup" after trying it once.
At least in his opinion, these two dishes are already top-notch dishes that are complete in color, flavor, and image.