Cooking System: Street Food Rules

When Jiang Feng emerged from the restaurant, many streamers and tourists were still milling about outside Jiangyue Terrace.

Jiang Feng's online presence had indeed grown substantially.

Moreover, that day Jiang Feng had prepared one hundred servings of "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix," an event that shot to the top of internet hot searches.

Countless netizens witnessed the splendor of Chinese cuisine.

What they didn't know was that for Jiang Feng, this was merely the beginning.

The dishes he planned to make next were all true culinary treasures.

These recipes were extra rewards Jiang Feng had received for outstandingly completing past missions.

The dishes themselves were exceedingly rare.

Seeing Jiang Feng appear, a crowd quickly gathered, and people began to ask:

"Boss Jiang, what dish will you be making tomorrow? Can you give us a hint?"

"What's on the menu for tomorrow?"

Clearly, this was the question on everyone's mind.

After all, the opening of the Jiangyue Terrace Zhejiang Cuisine Restaurant was still trending, and its popularity meant the Shandong Cuisine Restaurant and Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant were also booming, with tables at a premium.

These social media personalities were eager to ride this wave of popularity and get advance notice of the next day's special.

Jiang Feng didn't hide anything and announced openly, "The dish I'll be making tomorrow is called 'Phoenix Egg.'"

"The preparation is quite complex, so it might also be limited in quantity. Depending on the situation, we may need to hold a lottery."

"I hope you can understand."

Hearing Jiang Feng's words, the crowd was momentarily stunned.

What did Boss Jiang say he was going to make?

Phoenix Egg?

Wait, do phoenixes even lay eggs?

Is he set on challenging the phoenix itself?

Good grief! Today he made "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix," and tomorrow he was going to make Phoenix Eggs.

Jiang Feng remained as enigmatic as ever.

The video швидко spread online.

Netizens were instantly intrigued.

"What is a Phoenix Egg?"

"What kind of dish is this?"

"Why have I never even heard of this dish before?"

"Don't even ask. If you have to ask, it's because it's a state banquet dish!"

"Wow, Boss Jiang really knows how to broaden our horizons!"

"Where's Jiangyue Terrace's video channel? They need to hurry up and post Boss Jiang's cooking videos!"

The comment section was quickly overwhelmed.

Everyone was intensely curious about the dish Jiang Feng was planning to make.

What exactly was a Phoenix Egg?

「Meanwhile, in a courtyard somewhere in Hangzhou.」

Wang Shuran, slightly excited, went to find her grandfather, Wang Shulin.

Wang Shulin was a man of vast experience and knowledge, a truly formidable figure in China's culinary world.

Yet, he was typically very low-key and never flaunted his expertise.

"Grandpa, Boss Jiang announced the dish he's making tomorrow."

"He said it's called Phoenix Egg."

"What is a Phoenix Egg? How come I've never heard of it?"

Wang Shuran's eyes were full of confusion; she looked very eager to know the answer.

Hearing Wang Shuran's words, Wang Shulin also paused for a moment.

"Phoenix Egg? Did he say he's going to make Phoenix Eggs?"

"Yes, he said it during a media interview. There's a video; he definitely said Phoenix Egg."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shulin also grew somewhat excited.

"This is a renowned Chinese dish, and it's very difficult to make."

"The specific method involves pouring the egg whites of twelve different types of fowl into a pig's stomach, tying it shut, and then spinning it rapidly in a rich broth."

"Under the high temperature of the broth, the egg whites solidify. However, due to centrifugal force, a hollow space forms inside the pig's stomach."

"Next, shrimp meat and crab roe are injected into this central hollow space."

"This round, plump pig's stomach is the Phoenix Egg," Wang Shulin explained to Wang Shuran.

Wang Shuran looked completely bewildered.

She hadn't understood a thing.

Pig's stomach, spinning, centrifugal force, a hollow center…

What on earth was all this about?

Can dishes really be made this way?

Wang Shulin, however, became increasingly pleased.

"Don't underestimate this dish. It demands not only exceptional skill but also superior ingredients."

"I haven't eaten this dish in a very, very long time. Thinking back, it must have been ten years."

"This Boss Jiang is truly impressive to attempt the Phoenix Egg!"

"I must go and try it tomorrow!" Wang Shulin declared.

Hearing Wang Shulin's words, Wang Shuran immediately replied, "Grandpa, there's no guarantee we'll get to eat it. It seems that because the dish is so limited, they'll have to draw lots."

"After all, there will be too many people, at least a thousand, but there are only about 100 servings of the dish."

"So Jiangyue Terrace is also trying to figure out a fair method."

Wang Shulin was surprised but found it reasonable.

After all, expecting to casually eat such a famous dish wasn't very realistic.

So, it would all come down to luck and fate.

"Then let's try our luck tomorrow. Remember to get in line for a number," Wang Shulin proactively reminded her.

"Don't worry, I'll send Boss Jiang a WeChat message in a bit and see if I can reserve a small private room," Wang Shuran said with a smile.

"He knows you?" Wang Shulin asked curiously.

"I don't know him personally," Wang Shuran said, chuckling again, "but I'll tell him my grandpa can introduce him to an amazing Jiangsu cuisine chef and even helped him buy that restaurant. Then I'll ask him for a small favor. For Boss Jiang, something like this is a trivial matter, so of course, it won't be a problem."

It turned out she was relying on Wang Shulin's reputation.

But truth be told, Jiang Feng did indeed look into Wang Shulin's background later on. After all, it concerned the purchase of his restaurant, a deal worth tens of millions, so he had to be cautious.

Wang Shulin was genuinely impressive.

After reading his story, Jiang Feng felt deep respect for the seventy-year-old retired state banquet chef.

As for Wang Shuran wanting to book a small private room, that was indeed a minor affair.

The first day of Jiangyue Terrace's opening concluded just like that. Judging by the results, Jiang Feng's venture was extraordinarily successful.

It was a success that perhaps no one else could replicate.

The name Jiangyue Terrace was now known by a great many people, its fame gradually spreading.

「The next day.」

Early in the morning, people were already queuing up by West Lake.

The enthusiasm was palpable.

Regarding the Phoenix Egg, everyone's anticipation had grown even stronger.

It was, after all, a state banquet dish, a famous Chinese delicacy!

Only a top-tier chef could prepare it.

The name alone suggested an extraordinary dish.

Of course, a name doesn't always reflect a dish's quality; there had been instances of such wordplay before.

For instance, the dish 'Green Dragon Lying in Snow' was merely a cucumber placed on a bed of white sugar.

And 'Snow-Capped Fire Mountain' was just sliced tomatoes with sugar sprinkled on top, not even mixed in.

So, a name couldn't be the sole judge of a dish's merit.

Jiang Feng arrived at the kitchen early to begin his preparations.

The authentic Phoenix Egg requires the eggs of twelve kinds of fowl: chicken, duck, goose, peacock, pigeon, quail, turtle dove, partridge, pheasant, wild goose, swan, and brambling.

Of course, Jiang Feng couldn't use the eggs of all twelve historically cited fowl, as some are now protected animals, and their eggs cannot be consumed.

Therefore, he could only use the types of fowl eggs available on the market.

Some famous dishes couldn't be perfectly recreated precisely because many traditional ingredients were now from protected species, making it impossible to taste the truly authentic versions.

Jiang Feng had a dedicated cooking station. On the adjacent preparation counter, all the ingredients he needed were neatly arranged.

Several baskets were filled with various kinds of eggs, while bowls beside them held bird's nests.

Fresh crabs, all tied up, were arranged on another shelf.

All sorts of other seasonings and components were also prepared.

After all, he was the boss; his cooking setup was naturally different from others.

Moreover, Jiang Feng was the main draw of Jiangyue Terrace. As long as his reputation remained strong, Jiangyue Terrace would never lack customers.

Jiang Feng began his work.

For each type of bird egg, he had to separate the white from the yolk.

Then, he combined the egg whites with bird's nest, stirring them until evenly mixed.

The original egg yolks, in fact, were not needed for this dish.

The 'yolk' of the Phoenix Egg, however, was a mixture of crab roe and pumpkin.

This was because actual bird egg yolks can have a rather heavy taste. Some people, when eating boiled eggs, prefer the whites as they find the yolks a bit too rich.

Therefore, the 'yolk' in the Phoenix Egg contained no actual bird egg yolks.

The aim was a light, delicate flavor.

This made the dish especially refreshing.

Everything was ready.

In a container, the whites from several types of eggs were thoroughly blended with raw bird's nest, forming a clear, shimmering liquid.

Jiang Feng took out a highly elastic pig's stomach and poured all the egg white mixture into it.

This preparation was somewhat similar to the Grassland's famous 'Stomach-Stuffed Meat,' where various meats are stuffed into a pig's stomach and then boiled.

Then, Jiang Feng tied the opening of the pig's stomach securely with string and hung it on a rotating machine positioned above.

He prepared eight such pig stomachs in this manner.

All of them were hung on the rotating machine.

The pig stomachs hung down, just submerged in the hot, rich broth.

Next, the machine began to spin rapidly. This machine was somewhat similar to those rotating devices street vendors use to keep flies away.

As the machine whirled, the pig stomachs in the broth also spun quickly.

The chefs in the back kitchen all peered over, watching intently.

Jiang Feng's culinary skills were truly eye-opening for them.

They had all previously worked in large, reputable restaurants and considered themselves to be at a high level in the culinary field. But after encountering Jiang Feng, they all felt like country folk visiting the city for the first time—everything seemed new and exciting.

"I've never seen any of the dishes the boss makes!"

"Yesterday he was sculpting little birds, and today he's using machines!"

"It looks like Stomach-Stuffed Meat, but who knows what's actually inside."

"I'd really love to learn this dish! It uses several kinds of eggs, bird's nest, and crab—it must be incredible!"

They all murmured amongst themselves.

Jiang Feng used the machine for rotation because the process needed to continue for an hour.

If he were to do it by hand, he could only manage one at a time, which would be far too labor-intensive.

The machine, however, could spin ten at once.

This would also make the later stages of preparation more convenient.

What followed was relatively simple.

An assistant chef, responsible for ingredient preparation, carefully extracted all the crab roe into a bowl and placed it beside Jiang Feng for his use.

Jiang Feng then began to prepare the 'yolk' for the Phoenix Egg.

This 'yolk' consisted of shrimp mince, pumpkin purée, crab roe, and a little tapioca flour, all mixed thoroughly.

The thoroughly mixed paste was a sticky, golden-yellow.

Once the egg whites inside the spinning pig stomachs had cooked and solidified, a hollow would naturally form in the center. The 'yolk' mixture would then be piped into this cavity, and the entire 'egg' simmered in the rich broth until cooked through. A Phoenix Egg would then be complete.

It was only 8:30 AM; he estimated he could make over twenty Phoenix Eggs before the restaurant opened.

With some time on his hands, Jiang Feng strolled through the kitchen, observing the operations.

With the boss conducting an inspection, the head chefs were naturally on their best behavior, working with extra diligence.

The prepped ingredients were arranged with precision, even the chili peppers were washed spotless. The kitchen's hygiene was also exceptional, without the slightest greasy residue from oil stains.

Jiang Feng was quite satisfied with what he saw.

A new day was about to begin.