The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

The fish meat in the mouth is fresh and delicious, with a rich flavor, and its unique texture echoes in the mouth.

Lu Laining squinted her eyes, enjoying the delicious taste while nodding at Father Li and complimenting ambiguously: ”Uncle Li, what kind of fish is this? It smells amazing!”

Father Li chuckled and said, ”This is sturgeon stewed with potatoes. Not only is the fish tender, but you should try the potatoes; they are the essence!”

Lu Laining couldn’t wait to pick up a piece of potato, disregarding the heat as she tasted it while hissing.

The soft and tender potato melts in the mouth, coated with thick broth, which would be perfect paired with rice.

Lu Laining turned to call Li Yan: ”Hey, try it, really, it’s especially delicious!”

Li Yan frowned, watching Lu Laining chewing the fish, quickly picking up a piece of potato from the plate with her chopsticks, and her eyes searching for the next morsel to eat.

Geez, look at this greedy appearance!

He turned to look at his father, wearing an expression as if this dish was a heavenly delicacy, savoring the meal with a keen interest.

Is it really that good?

At that moment, the waiter brought a dish full of garlic cloves.

The plate was placed right in front of Li Yan.

Li Yan leaned over to take a look and was taken aback.

What is this?

Pickled garlic?

Is it cooked with... fish?

Doesn’t seem like it.

What kind of fish is this fatty?

Looks full of grease.

However, the aroma is quite pleasant, with the fresh scent of fish mixed with the faint and unique smell of pickled garlic.

The taste is quite unique.

Earlier, to lighten the mood, Lu Laining casually fibbed that Li Yan was car sick and in a bad mood.

The offhand remark hit the mark.

Having gotten up late and busy handling affairs with his father without breakfast, and missing out on lunch as well,

he also made a trip to the suburbs in the afternoon, with the air in the car being a bit stuffy. His empty stomach had been jostling for three hours, indeed making him feel a bit car sick.

The slightly sour and spicy flavor of the pickled garlic made his mouth water just by looking at it.

While indulging herself, Lu Laining didn’t forget to share the good stuff and turned to persuade, ”Li Yan, try it, really, the food here is indeed good! Especially the sturgeon stewed with potatoes, it’s just so fragrant!”

Li Yan had no interest in potatoes, but his eyes lingered on the pickled garlic in the plate.

Pressing his lips together, Li Yan picked up his chopsticks.

Oh well.

Only a fool would go against their own interests.

Li Yan tried to pick up a piece of pickled garlic with his chopsticks, but they were too slippery, and after two attempts, he couldn’t pick it up.

Geez!

On his next try, he scooped up a piece of pickled garlic stuck to fish, trying to pick up both.

But even the chopsticks lifted into the air, the pickled garlic slipped out like a nimble little fish.

Darn!

Li Yan simply put the piece of fish into his mouth.

Li Yan: ”!”

The fish is very tender, well-flavored, with the rich sauce locked into the meat, completely devoid of any fishiness, and its aroma is intense, with a rich and smooth texture unlike any ordinary fish.

It’s truly delicious!

With one bite swallowed, Li Yan eagerly took another piece, examining this piece more closely. The translucent white fish wrapped tightly in dark black skin, glazed with brownish-red sauce.

The taste is fresh and the flavor is rich.

Casually, Lu Laining asked, ”How is it? Tastes nice, right? Hey! What dish do you have there? Is that... pickled garlic?”

Seeing Li Yan move his chopsticks, Father Li’s tone grew more amiable: ”This is garlic burnt with worm fish.”

Lu Laining was stunned: ”Is this worm fish? It doesn’t look like it!”

Father Li displayed a slight smile: ”This is one of their signature dishes, using only the lips of the worm fish. The lips are the best part, cooked with appetizing pickled garlic, the taste is simply amazing!”

Intrigued, Lu Laining saw that the fish lips appeared tender and smooth, and as the pickled garlic was hard to pick up, she simply took the dish and scooped two spoons with a ladle.

After tasting it, she immediately opened the door to a new world.

Whoa!

How many worm fish does this dish require?

No wonder Father Li was keen on trying it, it’s definitely worth a taste!

Li Yan showed a slight change in expression, silently picking up more fish lips.

No wonder it’s so delicious!

He spooned two more garlic pieces with a ladle.

His appetite was invigorated, salivating as he savored the flavors.

At this time, the last dish, the featured fish head soup, was brought to the table.

A wide, large porcelain bowl housed milky white fish soup, with a whole fish head resting in the middle and evenly sliced fish pieces inside.

The waiter announced with a smile: ”The featured fish head soup is ready, the dishes for your table are complete.”

The trio of diners turned their six pairs of eyes toward it.

Father Li was the first to pick up a bowl, ladling soup and fish pieces as he spoke: ”Qianlima’s fish head soup is well-known, all Bei’an People know about it!”

”Once I had a meal here, coincidentally a friend knew the chef, and I had the fortune of visiting the kitchen. I saw the chef use a small iron plate, gathering a ball of fish paste, and with a small spoon, scrap strips of the paste into the pot. The fish paste flew directly from the chef’s hand into the pot, floating on the bubbling hot water. Soon enough, the pot bubbled up, releasing little puffs of steam, with a white frothy layer on the surface.”

Lu Laining asked with great interest: ”So these fish slices are made entirely of meat? I always thought they contained some flour.”

Father Li chuckled: ”No, the fish slices are made by deboning and carefully trimming the fresh fish, taking the pure meat, chopping it finely, and adding minced ginger to deodorize it. Salt, sugar, and MSG are added proportionately, and the fish meat is kneaded by hand until it becomes elastic. The fish paste is then added directly into the flavored broth, resulting in a steaming bowl of fish slices.”

Father Li was an amateur in culinary arts, with little understanding beyond what he saw and heard from the chef. He didn’t quite grasp that the quick moves were to keep the fish warm and prevent it from losing its original freshness.

This explains why Qianlima’s fish head soup is renowned.

Watching Father Li start eating, Lu Laining and Li Yan also rose to get themselves a bowl each.

The fish soup was hot, the fish head soft and tender, with the fish pieces having a fresh aroma, smooth and delectable.

With a table of six dishes, a soup, and two plates of special mackerel dumplings, the three were thoroughly satisfied.

Lu Laining, as he ate, sincerely remarked: ”Uncle Li, this place truly is a treasure of a restaurant! Every signature dish is a savory delight.”

Father Li chuckled: ”This is a century-old establishment. Next time, if we have a chance, we shall visit again.”

Lu Laining nodded, glancing at his friend beside him.

Despite Li Yan not uttering a word through the meal, his silent and diligent eating was just as impressive.

Lu Laining smiled inwardly, feeling that his friend’s demeanor resembled a ”delicious” meme.

He laughed silently, ensuring to remember this restaurant, with its astonishing taste, for the future.