Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
“What is your signature dish, Boss Yuan?” Xing Min solemnly asked.
By the side, Lee Yanyii sneered, “I told you, everything on the menu.”
Even the other diners who heard the question laughed and waited for Yuan Zhou to tell him that everything on the menu were signature dishes.
“Boss Yuan is so narcissistic. He will definitely say everything on the menu,” Wu Hai rubbed his mustaches and confidently said.
“I think so as well. Shouldn’t that be the case? Everything on the menu is good.” Man Man nodded in agreement.
“Yeah. I have never tried a single dish made by Boss Yuan that I feel doesn’t taste nice. Even the cheapest on the menu, the Honey Tremella, has a unique taste to it and is fresh and springy to bite,” said another customer while nodding repeatedly in agreement.
“This is the first time I hear someone asking Boss Yuan what his signature dish is. Interesting,” Ling Hong said, a nosy expression on his face.
“True that. I feel like Boss Yuan is good at everything. Anything he makes tastes delicious,” naturally, these were the words of Tang Xi, Yuan Zhou’s little fan girl.
Wu Hai concluded, “The next dish he cooks will be his signature dish.”
When Lee Yanyi heard the conversation, he threw Xing Min a sideways glance with a “Hear that? Everyone agrees with me. Your theory is outdated.” look on his face.
As his arch-enemy, Lee Yanyi would never give up on a chance to put Xing Min down.
Despite all that, Xing Min still remained calm. Just like that, he gazed at Yuan Zhou, waiting for his answer.
Yuan Zhou was slightly stunned before answering,” Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork. That’s my signature dish.”
Yuan Zhou was as nonchalant as usual, yet there was a solemness to his tone.
“Get me one Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork then. I want a bowl of rice as well. That’s all,” Xing Min nodded in satisfaction and placed his order.
The pride currently welling on Xing Min’s face was so apparent Lee Yanyi did not even need to look at him to feel the smugness. However, he couldn’t be bothered about this anymore. Rather, he was looking at Yuan Zhou in astonishment.
Even the other customers were looking at Yuan Zhou with their eyes opened wide. Each one of them had a look of astonishment.
How could they be not astonished? The Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork had been released for a few months yet they had never heard that it was actually Yuan Zhou’s signature dish.
“Boss Yuan actually has a signature dish?” Tang Xi couldn’t helped herself and cried out.
“When had Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork became your signature dish?” Lee Yanyi immediately asked.
“Yeah. The Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork does taste nice. But when had it become a signature dish?” Wu Hai turned around and looked at the huge menu on the wall behind him, trying to see if there were any changes on the menu.
“Holy sh*t. That is a surprise,” Ling Hong couldn’t help but curse.
Man Man remained silent, yet she was looking Yuan Zhou from top to bottom.
“Maybe none of us know because none of us have ever asked? This dish might really be Boss Yuan’s signature dish,” Tang Xi said after thinking about it for a while.
What she said seemed logical. Therefore, all the customers were hit by a realization. Because everything had tasted so good, nobody had ever bothered to ask Yuan Zhou this question.
“A signature dish is something essential for each chef. What’s so weird about that?” Xing Min proudly said.
“You are like a blind cat that had caught a dead mouse, being able to feel proud over something like this,” Lee Yanyi immediately said in disdain.
“Still better than a certain someone who has been eating here for several months yet still doesn’t know what the boss’s signature dish is, right?” Xing Min was never willing to lose up and immediately countered.
“Hehe, you say that because you know nothing, too lacking in knowledge,” Lee Yanyi was also not one to give up.
“I dare say his signature dish will taste at least 20% than his other dishes. This is how a signature dish should be,” Xing Min said, filled with confidence.
“If you can make something that really tastes 20% better, I will personally write you calligraphy.” Lee Yanyi’s voice was filled with mockery.
Unsatisfied, Lee Yanyi further added, “Even if you are able to find someone else to cook that dish, I will still write calligraphy for you.”
“No problem. I’ll tell you the taste after eating,” Xing Min agreed.
Lee Yanyi looked at Xing Min with pity, an “idiotic commoner” look on his face.
Yuan Zhou did not waste much time standing around. He returned to the kitchen and started cooking.
Therefore, not a single one of those questions were actually answered by Yuan Zhou.
But because of this incident, the Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork became extremely popular.
“I want a Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork, a dish the boss himself claims is his signature dish.” Regardless of whether they were customers that just came or customers who were actually present earlier, nearly everyone ordered this dish.
This dish had average popularity in the past. With the signature dish label on it, it’s popularity started rising.
Of course, even more people were asking Yuan Zhou the reason for this dish being his signature.
However, Yuan Zhou still focused on cooking and had nothing else in his mind.
Cooking a Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork would not require much time. Before long, Yuan Zhou was done.
“Serve the food,” Yuan Zhou placed the dish down and said to Mu Xiaoyun who was standing by the side.
“Ok boss.” Mu Xiaoyun nodded and walked over.
Yuan Zhou stood in the kitchen and watched on as the dish was carried away. When he heard the diners discussing this dish, he recalled why he made this dish his signature.
About a year ago, Yuan Zhou was still working in the kitchen of that three-star hotel. For many reasons, even though he was a university student, he was relegated to doing odd jobs in the kitchen.
As someone doing the odd jobs, he had to do everything. When the business got busy, he would have the rare chance to touch the spatula and cook a dish. Of course, the dishes he cooked would only be for the consumption of the hotel’s employees. These would also be considered as one of the meals provided by the hotel to its employees.
Most of the time though, he would be washing the vegetables, plucking the leaves off the vegetables, or in charge of other cleaning tasks. Back then, Yuan Zhou hadn’t gotten the system. Nobody thought that he had any talent in cooking.
One afternoon, he was cleaning the kitchen alone. He then found out that the meals provided to employees were already finished. Therefore, he returned to the kitchen and cooked a simple dish for himself.
That dish was precisely the Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork. The ingredients of this dish were quite common and the kitchen was well-stocked with them. Therefore, it did not matter if he used some.
The best part about this dish was the fact that it was both a main course and a side dish. Therefore, making this dish made things easier.
“Looks like the dish I cook is pretty decent.” Yuan Zhou looked at the Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork in satisfaction.
He then picked up the chopsticks and ate two mouthfuls of it.
“What are you eating, Little Yuan?” At this moment, someone walked in. This was the head chef of the kitchen, a chef certified as a senior chef.
“Hello, head chef,” Yuan Zhou placed the chopsticks down and greeted the head chef, feeling somewhat anxious.
“It’s Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork? Not bad,” the head chef walked forward, gave the dish a look, and casually gave it a test before saying.
“Thank you, head chef,” Yuan Zhou sincerely thanked.
“Ok. Finish it and go prepare the ingredients,” said the head chef while walking towards the lobby. He did not say anything else.
“Ok. Yuan Zhou quickly nodded.
“This is the first dish I have been praised for.” Yuan Zhou smiled and sighed.
Although even Master Cheng who was learning from him currently was far superior to the head chef back then, although the “not bad” had been mumbled out with no clarity, as far as Yuan Zhou was concerned, that praise was still good to have.
Even now, the praise was still fresh in Yuan Zhou’s mind. Therefore, his signature dish had to be Sautéed Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork.
