Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country

Chapter 595 - 567: Epiphany—Golden Legend Level Yubei Boiled Fish!

The previous "lv" was no longer visible, leaving only the sparkle of the Half-Step Master’s reputation.

But this reputation is something only I need to know. It’s sure not to be spread around, just like back in the day Little Chef didn’t go everywhere saying he was a Special Chef—it was always his little circle saying it.

Besides, when Little Chef said "Special Chef," it was impressive, but when Wang Fan says "Half-Step Master," it’s a bit...

"Boss Wang, stop dazing off. My stomach is squeezing my neck, and if I don’t eat in the next five seconds, it threatens to kill me."

A wail pulled Wang Fan back to reality, and hearing the content made him laugh and cry simultaneously.

It seems like his customers, mostly social outlaws, are drawn to him, firing off all sorts of witty lines on the spot.

"Lunch is served, lunch is served."

Boiled Fish is a dish to be eaten hot; if it cools down, the lard will solidify, and then it won’t be edible.

The locals apparently understood this point too. After getting their food, they didn’t leave but instead found places to start eating directly.

With Wang Fan’s Boiled Fish, he didn’t pour all the oil at once but did it in waves. Two pots, one pot continued to boil water to quickly cook the fish slices, another pot opened to stir-fry peppers and chilies, making sure the Boiled Fish always remained at its optimal serving time.

Even though the customers were all interested in Boiled Fish, not everyone ordered just that. Some felt embarrassed to do so, and others didn’t want to miss Boss Wang’s other dishes, as that would definitely be regrettable—after all, everything from Boss Wang is top-notch, and the combination of meat and vegetables is what truly tantalizes the taste buds.

There were five or six kinds of leafy greens as well, although their preparations were pretty much the same and didn’t take more than a minute to cook, so Wang Fan didn’t have to spend too much thought on them.

Yet, a variety of fresh, vibrant greens also drew people in to get some, undoubtedly reducing Wang Fan’s costs.

After buying their meals, those who knew each other gathered together and eagerly started enjoying today’s lunch.

The first thing to enter their mouths had to be the undisputed star of the day—Boiled Fish.

The food at the office cafeteria wasn’t bad. The cafeteria chef’s skills were much better than those at ordinary small restaurants, and there were no issues with raw materials, but the taste gap was indeed significant.

The simpler the ingredients, the more they reflect the chef’s skill. With the same Boiled Fish, Wang Fan’s was obviously fresher and tender such that it melts in your mouth, and its flavor is absolutely rich.

The strong aroma of the spices and the fresh taste of the fish blended yet stood separate, such that not even the ample chilies and peppercorns covered the intrinsic taste of the fish.

Moreover, the fish slices were incredibly smooth to the taste, and there was no sense of a starchy coating on the outside of the fish slices—all these just-right-details combined in this pot of Boiled Fish created a significant gap, several floors high, in quality.

"Wow, these fish slices, despite all these chilies, aren’t actually that spicy, but their aroma has been completely released and absorbed by the fish slices. Eating it feels like spraying a mouthful of chili perfume—it’s so satisfying!"

"And it’s shockingly tender; the moment it touches the tongue, the whole fish melts."

"Did you guys notice? There’s no fishbone in Boss Wang’s fish!"

"Holy crap? Really? Synthetic meat?"

Shen Bowen looked disdainfully at the guy, "You dunce, didn’t you see Boss Wang was using live, freshly killed fish? How could you make synthetic meat from freshly killed fish?"

"Uh... wasn’t I just following the conversation?"

Jing Chuan chuckled and chimed in, "It’s not synthetic meat. When handling the grass carp, he removed that layer of small bones too. That generally takes a professional fish shop owner with many years of experience, and it’s time-consuming and labor-intensive."

Shen Bowen raised his thumb, "Uncle knows a lot, but this is just Boss Wang—what other shop would bother removing fishbones?"

Jing Chuan nodded in admiration, "These days, I’ve discovered that eating his food basically emphasizes satisfaction. In nearly every dish, besides essential seasonings, there’s not even a trace of them—everything can be chewed with closed eyes, and somehow the appetite has increased significantly."

Shen Bowen’s eyes lit up, "Uncle, you have a good eye. This is Boss Wang’s old tradition—eliminating anything affecting the texture. He said it himself before."

Through the conversation about Wang Fan, Jing Chuan quickly integrated with Shen Bowen’s group of young people. As they ate and chatted, the atmosphere was quite good, and as the chat pivoted, Jing Chuan suddenly asked, "Young man, do you know about the market opening in the air-raid shelter tomorrow?"

Shen Bowen replied, "Of course I know. Not only do I know, but I also haven’t let my mom buy groceries these past two days, just waiting to fill up the fridge tomorrow. I’ll also tag along to support this community project."

Jing Chuan looked at the others, and they also nodded, "We know. Boss Wang not only posted about it on Weibo but also promotes it whenever he has time while selling meals. I guess no one’s missed the market these past few days."

Jing Chuan’s smile suddenly brightened, "Good, as long as everyone knows. If you have time tomorrow, drop by. Boss Wang is planning to sell Northeast breakfast there, and you won’t get many chances to have authentic Northeast breakfast outside of Wudu."

This was the only condition Wang Fan set when negotiating with Jing Chuan.

As for the endorsement fees and other things mentioned, Wang Fan didn’t take any of them.

Jing Chuan agreed cheerfully, since Wang Fan wanted no money at all, he decided to use the money intended for Wang Fan to buy ingredients and provide free breakfast on Saturday.

Jing Chuan originally thought Wang Fan would readily agree but didn’t expect Wang Fan to refuse.

"Nothing can be given for free. Except for people over 70, everyone else must pay. The money can supplement the venue’s maintenance costs and also ease the burden on charitable companies."

Recalling the conversation, Jing Chuan felt a bit blushed. He’s someone who does these things all the time, yet a young man thought ahead more.

But he made a comeback, "Young bro Wang, this is a great idea. I’ll bring this up at the next meeting. If foot traffic stabilizes here, I’ll set up a reasonably priced breakfast. While this breakfast might not match your craftsmanship, at least it ensures the farmers here get a warm meal."

...

At two in the morning, Wang Fan got up.

Making breakfast is like this, unless everything is pre-made, otherwise, you have to wake up early.

For today’s breakfast, he plans to prepare pure Northeast flavors. However, with limited time and being just one person, there won’t be that much variety.

Leek boxes, leek and egg steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and oil-seeping big buns are today’s highlights.

Millet porridge and savory tofu pudding are today’s main courses.

This is quite a lot, but the filling for leek boxes can be used in leek and egg steamed buns as well, just adding some vermicelli to the leek boxes.

The dough for leek boxes, leek egg, and big buns can be kneaded together, and after resting, separately ferment with different ingredients at different times—it’s not that troublesome.

Truly skilled chefs don’t need too many people assisting them, as many things can be done simultaneously; he even has spare energy to wipe the kitchenware and cutting boards while preparing food.

After four hours of working, Wang Fan finally had everything mostly prepared.

These were still just the ingredients. They needed to be made on-site; otherwise, what’s made wouldn’t last long in the crowd he knew was coming tomorrow—it would be an undoubtedly terrifying number.

The biggest advantage of the air-raid shelter is its convenient transportation. Aside from the nearby subway, there’s a wide expanse of space outside. Wang Fan parked his RV at the entrance yesterday, so he saved the trouble of moving it today.

The place only opens at 8, giving Wang Fan a chance to relax with a closed eye, preparing himself for what would be the last tough battle in Wudu.