The dish of Mapo Tofu originated in the early twentieth century and was created by Liu, the owner of a small restaurant in Chengdu. Because Liu had pockmarks on her face, she was known as Chen Mapo, so the braised tofu she created was called "Chen Mapo Tofu", which gradually evolved into Mapo Tofu.
Many people think that Mapo Tofu is a vegetarian dish, but in fact, the original recipe of this dish requires beef.
Mapo Tofu is mainly spicy and numbing, with the numbing taste coming from Sichuan peppercorns and the spicy taste coming from chili peppers. It is a typical Sichuan dish with a great reputation. Because this dish appeared in the late Qing Dynasty, it had no chance to be included in the luxurious Manchu-Han Banquet. However, as far as Ye Chu is concerned, this dish is definitely qualified to be included in the Manchu-Han Banquet, and is not inferior to the famous seven types of tofu in the Manchu-Han Banquet.
In addition to being spicy, the characteristics of this dish are also "hot, fragrant, crispy, tender, fresh and lively". In addition to being spicy and numbing, these eight flavors are indispensable to the authentic Mapo Tofu, and the crispy one refers to the crispy beef filling.
When making this dish, beef filling is used as the ingredient. After cooking, the beef becomes golden in color, red and crispy but not hard, with distinct grains. It is crispy when you put it in your mouth and melts in your mouth as soon as you touch it.
However, in this world, due to the vegetarian movement, no beef is added to Mapo Tofu. Even though beef only accounts for a very small part of the whole dish, the crispy and fragrant taste it brings is indispensable. The addition of beef elevates the taste of Mapo Tofu in this world.
Lin Zhengdao's eyes lit up when he saw the Mapo Tofu served by Su Xin, and he couldn't wait to take a bite, because he had eaten this dish made by Ye Chui before - Ye Chui made it for the old Buddha at that time, and the old Buddha ate some more because it was so delicious.
The vegetarian movement has caused animals to become poisonous for eighty years, and the authentic method of making Mapo Tofu has been lost. Lin Zhengdao calls Ye Chu's Mapo Tofu a rare delicacy that only comes once in a century, and it is well deserved.
Lin Zhengdao's three confidants, Xiao Zhang, Xiao Liu, and Xiao Chen, naturally became very curious when they heard Lin Zhengdao praising this dish so much, and hurriedly took a bite and ate it. They had eaten Mapo Tofu in various restaurants, but Ye Chui's dish completely brought them a new sense, and the three of them couldn't help but have an expression of "This dish is really delicious" on their faces.
As subordinates, they naturally don't mind sucking up to their boss occasionally, but the praise they showed at this moment is well-deserved.
"This mapo tofu seems different from what I've had before. Is it a new way of making it?"
"It tastes much better than before. It seems there's beef in it?"
“This dish looks greasy, but it tastes fresh and delicious.”
The three of them praised eagerly.
"The authentic Mapo Tofu is not made like this at all. It looks like it was made randomly. How can it be delicious?" Lu Bing got anxious when he saw this and couldn't help but criticize, "There's beef in it? Ha, this is the first time I've heard of putting beef in Mapo Tofu..."
"Master Lu!" Lin Zhengdao's face was already slightly angry. "Do I need you to tell me whether the food is delicious or not?"
Lu Bing was slightly shocked and said hurriedly: "Of course not, Mr. Lin, please enjoy your meal..."
Lin Zhengdao snorted, his expression slightly relaxed, and then he thought of something, looked at Lu Bing and said: "You said, this dish was made by a teenager?"
"That's right." Lu Bing thought Lin Zhengdao was unhappy about this, so he hurriedly continued, "He's only seventeen or eighteen years old, and he just came to the hotel yesterday, and he brought his girlfriend with him... What does he think this place is?"
Hearing Lu Bing's words, Lin Zhengdao's face froze for a moment. This kind of mapo tofu, a young man, with his girlfriend... Lin Zhengdao suddenly realized something and smiled bitterly: "This little bastard... Ha!"
Lu Bing was a little confused about Lin Zhengdao's reaction and looked at him strangely.
"Boss, what's wrong?" Xiao Zhang next to him asked curiously.
"You are in for a treat today." Lin Zhengdao said with a rather mysterious smile, "Look forward to the delicious food you are about to eat. I promise you will not be disappointed."
Lin Zhengdao's reaction made Lu Bing's face turn ugly. He felt that Lin Zhengdao's words were deliberately directed at him. Just now he accused Honglou's current chef of being a young man with poor cooking skills, but Lin Zhengdao said that the dish was delicious and he was in for a treat - in fact, Lu Bing was overthinking it. Lin Zhengdao was a person who liked or disliked something. If he hated Lu Bing, he would just say it directly. Why would he use the dish as an excuse to attack Lu Bing
To Lin Zhengdao, Lu Bing was just a small figure, the kind he didn't need to care about at all.
When we were almost done with a dish of Mapo Tofu, the next dishes were served one after another - bitter melon fried eggs, boiled lotus root, tiger white pepper...
Lin Zhengdao became more and more certain that the person cooking downstairs was Ye Chui. Although he was not a gourmet, he could still taste the difference between delicious and unpalatable food. He had already seen Ye Chui's cooking skills. Simple dishes could exude amazing charm in his hands. These dishes were definitely Ye Chui's works.
At the same time, Lin Zhengdao also quietly glanced at Lu Bing who was completely left aside by him.
Lu Bing watched Lin Zhengdao eat so sweetly, and stood aside awkwardly, not knowing whether to leave or not. When he met Lin Zhengdao's eyes, Lu Bing immediately said apologetically: "Boss Lin, since you are eating, I won't disturb you..."
"Haha, are we going to meet? Just wait here. I'll finish eating soon." Lin Zhengdao said with a smile.
He didn't know how Ye Cui and Lin Wei had offended Lu Bing, causing him to stir up trouble just now, but since he had come across this matter, he naturally had to help Ye Cui and Lin Wei.
"This..." Lu Bing couldn't guess what Lin Zhengdao was planning, so he nodded and said, "Okay then."
Dishes were served one after another, and Lin Zhengdao and his three subordinates ate with great relish. Before, when Lin Zhengdao told his three confidants that they had oral medicine, the three of them were a little confused, but now they completely understood why the boss said that.
Although these dishes are simple, the taste is extraordinary and leaves you with an endless appetite.
They chose to have dinner at Honglou originally to discuss some important matters, but now it seems that they have completely forgotten the important matters.
The dishes were served one by one, and soon it was the last one, which was also the simplest dish, scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
In the kitchen.
Su Xin saw Ye Chu pour the red and yellow tomato scrambled eggs into the plate and was about to serve the dish, but Lin Wei took the plate first: "Sister Su, let me serve this dish."
"Oh, okay." Su Xin nodded.
Ye Chui washed his hands, wiped them with a towel, and took off his apron: "I'll go up with you."
The two left the kitchen. Pan Qingguo and others were very interested in the relationship between Lin Wei, Ye Chui and Lin Zhengdao, and hurriedly followed them, wanting to go up and watch the fun.
All the way to the third floor.
Yu Yan stood outside the box, lighting a new cigarette and looking around vigilantly. When he saw Ye Chui and Lin Wei, he was stunned and rubbed his eyes involuntarily. After realizing that the girl walking in front was indeed Lin Wei, the cigarette butt in the mouth of this honest tall man fell directly to the ground: "Weiwei!?"
"Hey, hello Brother Yu." Lin Wei greeted with a bit of cunning.
Yu Yan stamped out the cigarette butt on the ground, thought for a moment, picked it up and threw it into his pocket. He scanned Lin Wei and Ye Chui's faces: "You... why are you two here?"
"I'm delivering food to my dad." Lin Wei proudly shook the plate in her hand and said with a smile.
Yu Yan: “…”
Not only Yu Yan was petrified, but Pan Qingguo and the others who came with him were also petrified: Dad
Ye Chui smiled bitterly, nodded to Yu Yan as a greeting, and went over to push open the door of the box. Lin Wei tried hard to pretend to be serious and walked in with a plate in her hand.
Lin Zhengdao was eating a bowl of rice in the private room, enjoying the meal. He didn't look at the person who came in, thinking it was the waiter delivering the food. But he saw the plate of fried tomato and eggs placed in front of him, and a clear voice said, "Sir, your fried tomato and eggs."
"Thank you..." Lin Zhengdao said, then froze for a moment, turned to look at the waiter beside him, and the expression on his face was quite interesting for a moment, "Weiwei... what are you doing?"
"Hehe, are you surprised?" Lin Wei said with a mischievous smile.
Lu Bing still didn't understand what was going on, but when he saw Ye Chui, he subconsciously showed some disgust on his face. He didn't seriously think about why Ye Chui and Lin Wei came here. He immediately accused Ye Chui in a serious voice: "What are you doing here? Do you know the rules? Do you think the third-floor box of Honglou is a place where you can come whenever you want? Can you afford to disturb the guests' meal?"
Ye Chui looked at Lu Bing as if he were an idiot, with a faint smile on his face. However, he did not say anything more to Lu Bing. Instead, he smiled at Lin Zhengdao and said, "Uncle, hello."
Lin Wei also hugged Lin Zhengdao's shoulders and said in a coquettish tone: "Dad, Ye Chui and I came to Yanjing to see you. Are you touched?"
Lin Zhengdao rolled his eyes at his daughter and said helplessly, "You two are really fooling around. Ye Chui, it's fine if Weiwei wants to fool around, but why are you, as her boyfriend, following her in her foolish ways?"
"This... This is..." Lu Bing's expression was already stiff. He looked at Lin Zhengdao and then at Ye Chui. The amount of information in that instant seemed too much. His brain was about to short-circuit... (~^~)