During the days since Feng Yifan came back, although Su Ji has resumed business and starts cooking every evening as before, it has not actually held any banquets.
What is a banquet
It is not like just going into a small restaurant and ordering a table of dishes with a few friends and then calling it a banquet.
A banquet really has a complete set of processes. There must be a fixed number of dishes to be served, including the order in which each dish is served. All of this has to be carefully considered to ensure a sense of layering, with transitions and echoes between the beginning and the end.
Today, Zhuang Daozhong ordered twelve dishes, which were a combination of meat and vegetables, and also divided into cold and hot dishes. This was a proper banquet.
As a banquet, there must be a protagonist.
The main dish among the twelve dishes ordered by Zhuang Daozhong was four fresh river dishes.
Although these four river dishes are the main characters, the order of serving them is very particular. Otherwise, serving them haphazardly will ruin the entire banquet.
Feng Yifan was working leisurely in the kitchen, preparing tonight's banquet alone with Lin Ruifeng, a newbie, and Zhuang Zhebin, a young man who was not very experienced.
After a busy period, Feng Yifan first served two cold dishes, crystal braised pork and cold-mixed shredded vegetables.
Feng Yifan uses the following three types of cold shredded vegetables: shredded chicken, shredded cucumber, and dried shredded vegetables.
Shredded chicken is cooked chicken breast that is shredded by hand into strands.
Cut the cucumber into thin strips with the skin on, blanch it in salt water, and then rinse it with ice water.
The dried shredded bean curd is made by cutting the white tofu used in the dish into thin strips, blanching it in the same way as the dish, and simmering it in broth.
Place the three shreds on a plate and pour the prepared sauce in four circles along the edge of the plate. Place the minced garlic on top, heat the peanut oil and sesame oil, pour it on the minced garlic, and garnish with some coriander after the aroma comes out.
Lin Ruifeng and Zhuang Zhebin, who were standing aside and watching, were genuinely surprised.
Of the two cold dishes, the crystal braised pork had originally been the center of attention, but Feng Yifan's seemingly simple dish of three cold shredded vegetables actually stole some of the limelight and made the dish evenly matched.
After Feng Yifan finished, he said to Lin Ruifeng, "Okay, Xiaolin, serve the food first."
Lin Ruifeng came back to his senses and responded, then placed two cold dishes on a tray and quickly went out to serve the two cold dishes.
In the restaurant, Zhuang Daozhong had already asked everyone to sit down. Several children were sitting around the table, and the parents were also sitting in a circle.
Li Feier, who rushed over, was still complaining to her husband: "What's wrong with you? How many times have you come to Su Ji to eat? You eat here every day, but I haven't seen you learn a few dishes and cook them at home."
Yang Zhiyi said to his wife helplessly: "My dear, today is really an accident. It was Grandpa Zhuang who wanted to invite our Xixi."
Li Feier pinched her husband secretly and complained in a low voice: "You only know how to use our daughter as an excuse. Since you invited Xixi, didn't you say that you would go home and cook for me, and then come to pick up our daughter after we eat?"
Yang Zhiyi was completely speechless and could only whisper: "Okay, my dear wife, I promise to find time to learn a few home-cooked dishes."
Zhang Zhuangzhuang, who stayed for the first time, felt a little embarrassed to sit with three little girls.
Zhang Zhuangzhuang's father was also a little reserved: "I've heard that Su Ji's food tastes good. Today, I really owe it to my son. I also want to thank Mr. Zhuang for spending the money."
When Yang Zhiyi heard Zhang Zhuangzhuang's father speak, he immediately escaped from his wife's hands and said to him with a smile: "Zhuangzhuang's father, if you try Ruoruo's father's food, you will know that it is really delicious."
As for Chen Yaofei's grandparents, they were naturally chatting with Zhuang Daozhong, Su Jinrong, and Lu Cuiling.
Upon learning of Zhuang Daozhong's identity, Chen Yaofei's grandmother was a little surprised and said, "So you are the one from Zhuang's Restaurant. I am so sorry. I ate Zhuang's food once with my parents when I was young."
This memory of the past also allows everyone to have a better understanding of Zhuang Daozhong and the Zhuang's Restaurant behind him.
Yang Zhiyi secretly smacked his lips when he heard this, and whispered to his wife, "I never expected that the head of such a famous private restaurant in Beijing would be Uncle Su Ji, and he was only the assistant to the chef back then."
Li Feier whispered to her husband: "The chef at Su Ji was really good. I have looked up a lot of information recently for the Old Street program. It is said that two generations of chefs at Su Ji have participated in state banquets."
Zhang Zhuangzhuang's father, who was sitting on the other side of Yang Zhiyi, heard it and couldn't help but come over and say, "Is it that amazing?"
Just at this moment, Lin Ruifeng came out with a tray and served two cold dishes.
"Here it is. Braised pork with crystal sauce and three shredded vegetables in cold salad."
Seeing Lin Ruifeng coming to serve the dishes, Su Ruoxi also came over and helped arrange the two dishes symmetrically.
The crystal braised pork was placed on the table, and the cold-mixed shredded vegetables were placed on the lower side.
After the two dishes were served, naturally everyone's eyes were first attracted by the crystal clear, bright red, and crystal-like crystal braised pork.
Yang Zhiyi and Zhang Zhuangzhuang's father said almost in unison: "It's really beautiful."
Li Feier naturally took out her cell phone to take a picture of the beautiful crystal braised pork.
Zhuang Daozhong waited for Li Feier to finish taking the photos, then said with a smile, "Okay, the dishes are served, let's try them. The children can't wait any longer. This is not a formal banquet, so don't be too reserved."
As he spoke, Zhuang Daozhong had already picked up some crystal braised pork for the children.
The four children each had a piece, and naturally they all said thank you to their great-grandfather obediently.
Zhuang Daozhong did not eat the crystal braised pork. Instead, he waited for another dish of cold shredded vegetables to be brought over, then picked up a piece of it with chopsticks to taste it.
After taking a bite, Zhuang Daozhong immediately tasted the uniqueness of this dish.
The dried shredded silk cooked in the big boiled style is paired with shredded chicken and cucumber, which tastes very crisp and refreshing.
Especially the seasoning, which has a slightly sweet and sour taste and is very appetizing. It does not have that heavy muzzle feeling, but instead makes people look forward to the following dishes.
Just this seemingly simple cold dish made Zhuang Daozhong instantly taste Feng Yifan's style.
This is the work of a truly capable and independent private banquet chef.
Zhuang Daozhong put down his chopsticks and let the others continue to taste the food. He whispered to Su Jinrong, "Jinrong, your son-in-law is incredible. He is a man of great generosity."
Su Jinrong was also fed by his daughter, and naturally tasted the unique flavor of the cold-mixed shredded vegetables.
Hearing the praise from his uncle, Su Jinrong smiled and nodded.
While the two cold dishes were served, Feng Yifan was also busy in the kitchen. Next, two stir-fried vegetarian dishes would be served, and between them would be stir-fried river shrimps, and a strong meat dish.
In order to serve the dishes, Feng Yifan first prepared a strong meat dish, crispy chicken with pine nuts.