Chapter 191: Imperceptible Influence

Translator: Xiong Guoqi Editor: DesTheSloth

Despite the big size, the steamed bun was nevertheless very easy to pick up. Lee Yanyi only used a little strength to loosely pick up the steamed bun using chopsticks. The brownish red chopsticks and the white steamed bun formed a marked contrast, making the steamed bun seem even whiter and plumper, looking better.

With a bite, Lee Yanyi found the inside of the bun was surprisingly very dry and had no broth at all. He felt greatly astounded.

Normally, there were two different ways to make the stuffing of vegetable buns. One was to squeeze out the water content contained in the vegetables and added the sesame oil inside to increase the taste and texture.

The other way was to add no sesame oil and preserve the moisture. That way, there would be broth in the vegetable buns after steaming. In spite of that, the broth would be scattered all over the stuffing and hence had a disorderly texture. If the chef didn’t master the craftsmans.h.i.+p properly, the steamed buns would be inferior to those cooked in the first way.

After biting open the vegetable bun, however, it surprisingly had neither redundant broth at all nor the particular strong scent of the sesame oil.

With the sound of "Ka Cha, Ka Cha", the vegetable leaves and stalks, as well as crisp and tender diced lotus roots in his mouth, allowed the vegetable bun to create a very extraordinary texture.

Only when Lee Yanyi started to chew did the broth contained inside of the stuffing burst out. Instantly, the boiling hot broth burst out along with the strong and refres.h.i.+ng taste in the mouth.

"It’s really a terrific idea. Good, very good." A satisfactory smile appeared on the face of Lee Yanyi.

Because of the soft dough wrapping, the crisp vegetables, a little white tofu of medium hardness with fragrance and the delicious broth, Lee Yanyi was reluctant to put down the chopsticks and just carefully nibbled the steamed bun.

In the end, Lee Yanyi straightforwardly placed his chopsticks down and took up the steamed bun with his two hands and then began to savor it meticulously. For every bite, there was definitely a full circle of dough wrapping and the perfect amount of good stuffing as if their amount had been precisely calculated. In one word, the dough wrapping and the stuffing were exactly well matched.

For a while, almost all customers basically made a sound of "Gee" when they bit open the steamed bun. At the next moment, however, they gasped in admiration with a satisfactory and clear expression.

"So delicious!"

As the broth was perfectly wrapped inside of the vegetables, the stuffing and dough wrapping merged well together, interacting with each other, yet, staying independent. It skillfully combined the fantastic taste of the two ingredients.

The result was that the customers became used to it. Every time they ate Yuan Zhou’s dishes, there were surprises concerning the taste. A mere steamed bun could actually have such a nice taste.

Having eaten the steamed bun, Lee Yanyi was still lingering in the aftertaste of the delicacy and no longer wanted to eat the Lotus Root Starch when he saw it. In his impression, if the brewed Lotus Root Starch hadn’t been eaten up soon, it would change into a state in which the starch and water would separate and become extremely distasteful.

This was the opinion of Lee Yanyi toward Lotus Root Starch that had untouched for a long time. He didn’t have any appet.i.te to eat it.

With a tight frown on his forehead, Lee Yanyi habitually reached his hands out and stirred the spoon. He then found a problem. Just like how it looked when it was just served, this bowl of Lotus Root Starch was still viscous and transparent with a slightly pink color and some fragrance as well as the steam curling upward.

"Is it still good after such a long time?" Lee Yanyi looked at the inside of the bowl with puzzlement.

After that, he found the bowl of Lotus Root Starch was still as same as how it looked when it had been just served. Of course, it made sense that he should eat it up. And again, it was unexpectedly palatable.

"This boss really cooks well despite his bad temperament," Lee Yanyi surprisingly dared to comment on another's temperament to be bad.

As he felt he had stuffed himself, Lee Yanyi rested for 5 minutes in the seat before he stood up.

Lee Yanyi had already stopped eating so much due to his constant dish tasting. As he was getting older, he ate much less.

Feeling quite satisfied now, however, he touched his belly without a trace and stood up, preparing to leave.

"Old grandpa, didn’t you say yesterday that you wouldn’t come again?" Mu Xiaoyun said with a smile.

It was, naturally, because she didn’t like Lee Yanyi that Mu Xiaoyun uttered that in the moment. When she was here the day before, Lee Yanyi kept scolding and cursing at the end. Of course she didn’t like him, not to mention that he spoke such bad words.

Witty as Mu Xiaoyun was, she asked that purposely after Lee Yanyi finished the meal. Anyway, he had already paid for it.

"When? This old man doesn’t have a good memory," Lee Yanyi grunted and then denied.

"You said yesterday that this was a clip joint and you would never come again." While speaking of that, Mu Xiaoyun was still of grievance.

"Little girl, you must have misheard my words," Lee Yanyi denied bluntly. Seeing Mu Xiaoyun intend to say something more, he immediately continued to talk, "I don’t want to talk with a person who can’t even afford a meal."

It was truly a critical strike to her. Instantly, Mu Xiaoyun was rendered speechless and didn’t know what to answer.

It was indeed as he said. Recently, Mu Xiaoyun had frequently drooled while smelling the fragrance of the delicacies, secretly of course. As a thin-skinned little girl, she would still feel bashful.

"Never mind. Let me treat you to a bowl of Lotus Root Starch," Wu Hai suddenly uttered.

"Thank you, Uncle Wu. But it’s not necessary. I will be able to come to eat soon," Mu Xiaoyun said with a blush on her face.

"You are welcome," Wu Hai didn’t insist when he saw Mu Xiaoyun refuse his proposal.

Lee Yanyi cared little about that. While walking out of the restaurant with vigorous strides, he thought rascally, "I come today and will come tomorrow. I’m rich and hence capricious."

Consequently, Lee Yanyi came as long as he had time. With the thought that he would never come again after he had savored all the new dishes here, he started to try every dish of the restaurant slowly.

"Talented culinary skills, but inapt EQ," at last, Lee Yanyi concluded his remarks about Yuan Zhou.

As for the thing of EQ, Lee Yanyi was probably unqualified to comment Yuan Zhou. He was no better than Yuan Zhou at all.

Last time, the boss of Lotus Restaurant almost fainted when he saw Lee Yanyi’s remarks. On the first opening day, he always felt that the customers were less than expected and the number couldn’t compare with those of other restaurants, not knowing if it was his own psychological effect or if Lee Yanyi’s comments had taken effect.

Only after more than half a month until now did the boss finally witness the power of Lee Yanyi’s remarks. Public praise turned out to be both an intangible and visible publicity. Due to Lee Yanyi’s unfavorable remarks, not one of the Gourmet Reviewer had recommended his restaurant. Therefore, his business had been affected to some extent.

"This stupid stubborn fellow, Yan Viper. He’s so vicious," standing upstairs, the boss looked at the spa.r.s.e customers below in the main hall worriedly and scolded Lee Yanyi bitterly, not revealing any manner of a big boss.

The slang of "Whoever got benefits from others should speak highly of them" didn’t apply to Lee Yanyi at all.

Luckily, it was not so exaggerated as to lose income by a decent percentage. Otherwise, he would probably go to battle with Lee Yanyi. Manager Gou, who was counting the business downstairs, thought that with a headache.

For the past more than half a month, Lee Yanyi had not accepted any other restaurant’s invitation to go and savor their dishes until his a.s.sistant called him.

"Professor, are you busy now?" The voice of Yan Jia came from the other end of the phone.

"What’s the matter?" Lee Yanyi was eating the last bite of a dish and only spoke after swallowing it and savoring the aftertaste for a while.

It lasted at least two minutes. Yan Jia, nevertheless, just waited for him and didn’t urge him at all.

This was just the temperament of Lee Yanyi. Answering the phone meant that he would talk with you. With the pause like that, he was either savoring tasty dishes or having some important affairs. He answering the phone at that time indicated that they must have an intimate relations.h.i.+p.

"At noon tomorrow, we need to go to Caihe Restaurant to savor their dishes, which you have promised to go one month ago. I’m going to pick you up at 10:30 in the morning. What do you think?" Yan Jia told him briefly and to the point.

"Humm, got it," Lee Yanyi answered.

"The menu will be sent to you immediately," Yan Jia sent the menu to him while speaking.

Eight hot dishes and six cold dishes with three servings of soup and five servings of snacks, all with simple names.

Creamed Asparagus Stir-fried with Beef and Rice Chilli, Coffee Yogurt and Hot Watermelon and Pitaya. Lee Yanyi immediately got irritated with the weird names.

"I simply don’t know what they are talking about. They bring forth new ideas without logic and don’t even have better names." Having complained for a while, he went out of Yuan Zhou’s restaurant.