The corridor is not a place for conversation.
Zhao Meng instructed, "We'll talk about it later."
Fu Yu followed the three leaders back to the kitchen.
All the way, Zhao Meng's face was sullen, as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he breathed heavily.
Fu Yu, on the other hand, was full of anxiety.
Eager with the resolution earlier, he now realized belatedly that there was really no reasonable way to explain this matter.
He couldn't claim he saw the customer's memories, nor that his current noodle-making skills had reached a basic level where he could make dumplings and knead dough with no problem.
Now... Oh no!
How should he explain it later?
Back in the kitchen.
Only then did Zhao Meng shut the door to begin disciplining his apprentice.
"Tell me, what kind of noodles did you make that satisfied the customer?"
Zhao Meng was somewhat doubting himself.
He knew his own skills well.
He's been making this seafood noodle dish for over ten years. Both the ingredients and timing have reached a level that can be called precise.
It's no exaggeration to say that given enough time, he could promise that he could make ten bowls of seafood noodles, all with identical taste and without the slightest deviation.
Even so, there were times when the customer returned a dish due to taste differences.
What kind of noodles did Fu Yu make to move such a picky customer?
Not to mention Zhao Meng.
Even Yao Shi and Gu Yunwu were filled with curiosity.
Fu Yu confessed honestly, "I just cooked a bowl of noodles according to the customer's description."
Zhao Meng and Yao Shi exchanged a glance, and Yao Shi asked, "What did the customer describe?"
Being able to reproduce the same taste from just the customer's verbal description was certainly not easy.
Fu Yu said truthfully, "The customer said that the noodles she had eaten didn't have shrimp, didn't have crab, had scallions, and tasted delicious..."
Zhao Meng nodded, "And then?"
Fu Yu replied, "That's it."
Zhao Meng: "..."
After saying it aloud, Fu Yu himself lacked confidence in his heart.
With just this single sentence, no one could possibly deduce the customer's needs.
Zhao Meng was about to ask more, but Yao Shi interrupted him, "How about this? Anyway, we haven't had dinner yet, so Xiaofu, could you trouble yourself to make two bowls of seafood noodles? Chef Zhao and I will eat here."
After speaking, he also asked Gu Yunwu, "Chef Gu, would you like a bowl?"
Gu Yunwu had just finished eating, and after all this fuss, he was close to indigestion, so he quickly waved his hand, "No, thank you."
Zhao Meng nodded, "Alright, Fu Yu, go ahead and make it."
Food, relying solely on verbal descriptions, doesn't compare to having the actual thing in front of you; seeing it, tasting it, brings a more direct understanding.
Fu Yu stood there motionless, constantly thinking of strategies in his mind!
Zhao Meng urged, "What are you standing there for, get moving!"
Fu Yu made a last-ditch struggle, "I just made a very ordinary bowl of noodles."
Zhao Meng widened his eyes: How ordinary can seafood noodles be?
The purchasing staff at the shop bought live shrimp, live crab, live scallops; even if you cook these good ingredients with insoles, the soup would be savory.
Having no way out, Fu Yu could only brace himself and go to the stove.
About to cook the noodles.
Everyone concentrated intently, watching.
Zhao Meng signaled with his eyes to Yao Shi and Gu Yunwu: help watch and see if anything is done wrong, and give some pointers!
Yao Shi and Gu Yunwu nodded silently.
But when they saw Fu Yu directly pouring oil into the pot, they simultaneously frowned unconsciously.
The most taboo thing in seafood noodles is having an oily surface in the soup; only a thick milky white broth would make the whole noodle soup appear particularly delicious and appetizing.
Initially a bit anxious, now that he was really cooking, Fu Yu instead calmed down.
The head chef asked him to make noodles; he made the taste the customer wanted. Whether it suited the tastes of the two chefs didn't concern him.
Thinking that he also hadn't eaten yet, after exploding the scallions, Fu Yu simply added an extra portion worth of water to the pot.
Half a pot of water slowly came to a boil.
Zhao Meng couldn't help but sigh.
He knew this kid was just messing around!
The method for making seafood noodles is different from other noodles.
The noodles need to be prepared separately.
The noodles are first cooked until they're 70–80% done, then, in a separate pot, oil is heated. Scallions and ginger are sautéed for fragrance, and the seafood is stir-fried a bit; the essence is in this stir-fried fresh taste.
Zhao Meng had previously made that bowl of noodles according to the traditional method of making seafood noodles.
Zhao Meng opened his mouth, then closed it again.
His method was indeed authentic, but it wasn't the flavor the customer wanted.
The water boiled, and Fu Yu began to add noodles.
A previous opened pack of dried noodles was still quite full, and estimating the appetite of three people, Fu Yu simply added all the noodles to the pot.
Zhao Meng: "!"
Yao Shi: "!!"
Gu Yunwu: "..."
The three of them stared in shock at the scene before them.
Since becoming chefs, it had been some years since they last cooked dried noodles seriously.
This stuff, while very household-friendly, was precisely because it was too cheap and convenient that it was discarded in the kitchens of all major restaurants.
Even the birthday noodles for guests were hand-stretched dragon beard noodles, made by the noodle chefs in the kitchen.
But now, at this moment.
Fu Yu was picking up the package, preparing to pour in the dried noodles.
Cooking dried noodles isn't much of a skill.
Just frequently stir it with chopsticks to keep it from sticking, and when it's almost done, add some dried shrimp, sprinkle a little salt, and MSG, then it's ready to be served.
His operation was smooth and skillful.
The dried noodles were poured from the bag, gathered in his hand, his wrist made a twist, and the noodles spread on the water surface like a peacock spreading its feathers.
Zhao Meng was dumbfounded watching from the side.
This rascal...
He actually had the face to flaunt his skills!
Intolerable.
"You cooked seafood noodles like this and served it to the customer?"
Zhao Meng, while speaking, clearly heard the sound of his own teeth grinding.
Fu Yu, while stirring the noodles, answered, "Yes, mainly because the customer said she wanted seafood noodles like her grandmother used to make, requiring no shrimp, no crab. Without seafood, what would you call it seafood noodles?"
Fu Yu casually fabricated, "I thought, if it's made at home and has no seafood, maybe this so-called seafood noodle is just a name, actually having nothing to do with seafood."
"The noodle chefs were off-duty, and there were no ready-made hand-pulled noodles in the kitchen, so I had no choice but to go get some dried noodles."
"Unexpectedly, it was a fluke. The customer took a bite of the seafood noodles I made, and was moved to tears, saying it tasted just like her grandmother's."
Zhao Meng was dumbfounded for a moment, what the... is that possible?
His words left the three chefs present speechless!
Zhao Meng's inner thoughts: I almost believed him!
Seeing that Zhao Meng was about to scold him, Fu Yu quickly added, "Chef Zhao, after this incident, I've profoundly recognized my shortcomings. From now on, I've decided to spend an hour every day improving my noodle-making skills. Chef Zhao, you're so skilled, please make sure to guide me and give me this opportunity to improve!"
The situation was awkwardly frozen for a moment!
Fu Yu could humble himself, instantly turning into a bootlicker, not blushing or skipping a beat, with a face full of sincerity, appearing to genuinely admire Chef Zhao!
Zhao Meng opened his mouth; everything he wanted to say was completely stolen.
Oh hell, since you've said it all, what else am I supposed to say!!!