Huayu Chef

080 Happy Twist comedy

"Glug glug".

The reddish-brown, glossy broth was gently bubbling and churning, with pieces of cooked meat floating and sinking in the soup, sometimes visible and sometimes not.

The rich and enticing aroma rose with the steam, spreading in all directions and instantly filling every corner of the private room.

Huang Mengying and Jingjing were practically drooling with envy. They couldn't wait to scoop the meat out of the pot, dip it in the sauce, and quickly put it in their mouths, soon making happy "mmm" sounds, their faces showing surprise and enjoyment.

"It smells amazing, it's absolutely incredible!" Jingjing gave two thumbs up.

The performance was exaggerated and perfunctory, which is considered an invalid positive review.

Huang Mengying was much more professional. "It has both the aroma of beef tallow and the spiciness, with a hint of sweetness. The flavor is rich and mellow, not strong or pungent. Brother Xuan, your beef tallow hot pot base is amazing. It's the best hot pot base I've ever had. You should open a hot pot restaurant soon, and I'll definitely come to support you every day."

Zhang Jinxuan picked up a few pieces of beef tripe and some enoki mushrooms and put them in the hot pot to cook, chuckling, "If you come here to eat every day, you'll go bankrupt."

Huang Mengying retorted, "How could that be? Although I'm not famous, I've acted in a few movies and have some savings. My parents send me living expenses every month, so I can afford to eat hot pot."

"Wow, what a little rich girl."

"I'm not some rich woman, just an ordinary person. So, any plans to open a hot pot restaurant?"

"no."

Huang Mengying asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Zhang Jinxuan put down his chopsticks and asked, "Do you know how many kinds of spices I used to make this beef tallow hot pot broth?"

Jingjing interjected, "Xuan and I bought the spices. There were dozens of kinds, most of which I didn't recognize, and some I'd never even heard of."

Huang Mengying suddenly realized, "No wonder it smells so good! It must be very expensive to make!"

"There's no point in making it if the price is less than 100 yuan per kilogram. The cost of the base ingredients alone is that high. Just do the math and you'll see how much a hot pot meal costs. It's definitely more than 100 yuan more expensive than other similar hot pot restaurants. Without a price advantage, relying solely on taste and current popularity, it's very difficult to imagine Wild Kitchen becoming as popular as it is."

A pound of hot pot base costs over a hundred yuan, which is indeed very expensive.

In the past, hot pot base costing over fifty yuan per kilogram would deter many people from buying it, let alone in 2013.

The restaurant doesn't just make money from the hot pot base; it also needs to make a profit on ingredients, dipping sauces, service fees, drinks, fruit platters, and so on. The total price can't be compared to that of a low-end hot pot restaurant.

Hot pot restaurants have low table turnover rates; setting prices too low means losing money, while setting them too high requires moving upmarket. Operating in the mid-to-high-end market demands significant investment and is not suitable for Zhang Jinxuan at this stage.

Let's consider it again when we have more capital.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; it's wise to start by building up the "wild kitchen" step by step.

Listen to what others say casually, but make your own decisions.

Huang Mengying looked regretful and sighed, "What a pity, I won't be able to eat such delicious hot pot again."

"It's not like you can eat hot pot all the time just because I own a hot pot restaurant. It's April now, and you'll graduate in two months. You'll be busy filming and traveling everywhere, so you won't have time to eat hot pot at all."

Huang Mengying nodded in agreement, "That's true."

"Making beef tallow hot pot base is troublesome, but you can make a lot at once and eat it for a long time. I'll make some for you when I have time, so you can eat hot pot every few days even when you're filming on set."

Huang Mengying said happily, "You said it! I'll come to you when I want to eat hot pot."

"no problem."

Jingjing's eyes darted around, glancing at Huang Mengying and then at Zhang Jinxuan, before she asked with a cheeky grin, "Brother Xuan, can I ask you if I want to eat this?"

Zhang Jinxuan readily agreed, "I'll recommend a few Sichuan hot pot restaurants to you. I guarantee they're good quality, reasonably priced, and authentic."

"Isn't this blatant discrimination on your part?"

"Just know it, don't say it out loud, I don't want you to feel embarrassed."

"Ha ha."

Huang Mengying was overjoyed. Her gentle gaze swept over Zhang Jinxuan's face as she happily showed off the hot pot.

Zhang Jinxuan scooped out the beef tripe he had cooked, submerged it in the dipping sauce, and put it directly into his mouth to taste the flavor of the beef tallow hot pot broth.

Yellow throat is a type of ingredient with little oil and a rather simple flavor. If the hot pot broth is not good, it will taste quite bad.

Enoki mushrooms have almost no flavor, and whether they taste good or not depends entirely on the hot pot broth, making them a true "litmus test" for hot pot broth.

After tasting the two ingredients, Zhang Jinxuan nodded slightly. "It's alright, no disasters, just average. It's just that the resting and refrigeration time was too short, so the aroma didn't fully develop, and the fragrance lacked subtlety. The taste of the dregs was too strong and not mellow enough."

Upon hearing this, Huang Mengying laughed and betrayed Jingjing: "When I first came to the store, Jingjing said you were going to have a disaster today."

Zhang Jinxuan glanced at the foodie and scoffed, "She doesn't know anything, she's a fake Chongqing native."

Jingjing, speaking in a Chongqing accent, said, "Brother Xuan, believe me or not, I'll take over your business!"

"Just kidding, just kidding, don't be impulsive, impulsiveness is the devil. Come on, eat more, grow taller."

"My height has reached its limit, and I won't grow any taller. Only height-increasing shoes can save my height now."

"Ha ha."

Huang Mengying was amused by them and giggled.

When you're eating hot pot, it's all about the atmosphere. If the atmosphere is good, you don't even feel the passage of time. Only the dwindling broth and ingredients leave their mark on time.

The hot pot meal lasted from evening until dark, and the number of people eating together decreased from three to two. Zhang Jinxuan and Huang Mengying had no idea when Jingjing slipped away.

After finishing their hot pot meal, Zhang Jinxuan and Huang Mengying tidied up the table and kitchen, preparing to turn off the lights and leave.

"I ate too much tonight, Mengying. Shall we take a walk to digest and go back to the Beijing Film Academy?" Zhang Jinxuan asked Huang Mengying for her opinion.

"Great idea." Huang Mengying readily agreed, then seemed to remember something and hurriedly asked, "Wait, where did I put the handbag I brought?"

Did you bring it?

"I brought it, I remember it clearly."

"I don't know, let's look around."

"I remember now, I put it in the kitchen." Huang Mengying hurriedly returned to the kitchen, then came out carrying a handbag and handed it to Zhang Jinxuan, "It's for you."

Zhang Jinxuan asked, somewhat surprised, "What is it?"

Huang Mengying smiled and said, "Congratulations on finding your new store, may your business prosper. Open it and take a look, I think you'll definitely like this gift."

"So confident?"

"hold head high."

Zhang Jinxuan placed the tote bag on the table, took out a package box from it, carefully opened it, and immediately smiled happily upon seeing what was inside.

Huang Mengying gave her a lucky cat figurine, the kind that brings good fortune. The cat has a kind smile, stands on a mountain of gold, sprinkles RMB with its right paw, holds a treasure bowl with its left paw, and its two eyes are shining with gold.

To put it simply, they're obsessed with money.

"How is it? Do you like it?" Huang Mengying asked with a playful smile.

Zhang Jinxuan nodded emphatically: "I love it! This is what a lucky cat should be! Placing it in the shop will definitely bring in wealth from all directions, making money hand over fist every day, and ensuring unparalleled fortune. You've spent a lot of money, it must be very expensive, right?"

"Would you believe me if I said it wasn't expensive?"

"letter."

Huang Mengying smiled and said generously, "I bought this lucky cat from a roadside stall. I liked it the moment I saw it. It will definitely look good in the shop. Let's find a place to put it."

Zhang Jinxuan restored the packaging box and shook his head, saying, "This store is going to be renovated in a while, and I'm afraid someone will damage it if I leave it here. I'll take it back first and put it out again when the store reopens."

When will it open?

"Probably in June."

"June... I should have graduated and gone home by then," Huang Mengying said wistfully, then suddenly asked, "Brother Xuan, are you free on the 18th of this month?"

Zhang Jinxuan looked at her and asked, "Is something the matter?"

Huang Mengying excitedly said, "Happy Twist's new play 'Goodbye Mr. Loser' will premiere at the Tianjin Theater on the 18th. I love Happy Twist's comedies. When I first entered university, I begged my senior to take me to see 'Earl of Mount Wulong,' and I laughed so hard. Come with me to Tianjin to see it, and we can visit Little Master on the way."

Meeting Huang Mengying's expectant gaze, Zhang Jinxuan smiled wryly and said, "Unfortunately, on the 17th I have to visit and sign a contract with Sister Mi at a company, and we also have to film a movie. I definitely won't be able to come back on the 18th."

"You're such a busy person." Huang Mengying showed an understanding look on her face and said casually, "Then let's make an appointment next time. Turn off the lights and close the door, let's go for a walk."