Cooking System: Street Food Rules

Jiangyue Terrace Zhejiang Cuisine Restaurant's second day of opening was no less bustling than the day before.

After all, it's located by the West Lake, which never lacks for business.

Catching the surge of online buzz, people were even more eager to come here.

Many were tourists from out of town who arrived early to line up at Jiangyue Terrace, ready to get their numbered tickets.

Of course, what everyone was most interested in was whether they could all taste the dishes that Jiang Feng had made that day.

Or more to the point, how they could get a taste.

In the kitchen of Jiangyue Terrace, Jiang Feng was busy preparing the Phoenix Egg, when he suddenly had an idea.

The preparation of the Phoenix Egg wasn't difficult, but it did require centrifugal spinning for an hour, which was somewhat troublesome.

However, if he heated the broth, spinning it for half an hour could also solidify the egg white and bird's nest inside the pork stomach.

After steaming it with crab roe, the dish would be complete.

If that was the case, could this dish be promoted to the other two Jiangyue Terraces? He could teach the head chefs at the three Jiangyue Terraces, and when the time came, they would all be ready to cook it. No matter which Jiangyue Terrace the guests dined at, they would be able to taste this unique dish. Only then could he really carry on the legacy of China's famous dishes. Actually, "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" could be done the same way. If the restaurants of the eight major cuisines not only had the eight major cuisines but also additional rare dishes, only then could Jiangyue Terrace truly be called unique, Jiang Feng thought.

As he mused, he stopped the machine and took the pork stomach out of the hot broth.

Then he used a special small funnel to squeeze the mixture of crab roe, shrimp paste, sweet potato powder, and pumpkin that formed the yolk into the hollow inside the pork stomach.

When it felt about right, he sealed the opening of the pork stomach and let it cook in the broth for a while.

After making more than twenty Phoenix Eggs in this way, the restaurant finally opened for business.

People quickly flocked to the place.

Undoubtedly, most of them came here to taste the dishes made by Jiang Feng.

After all, a chef capable of cooking state banquet dishes wasn't someone they usually had access to.

The restaurant still adopted the method of supplying as much as possible early on and then queuing up according to preparation time later.

Every time a customer came in, they were informed in advance how long it would take for the Phoenix Egg to be ready.

If it was more than two hours, they couldn't order the Phoenix Egg, or they had to join a new queue and come back in two hours to enjoy it.

The customers were very curious about this dish.

Netizens were also waiting online.

As the first wave of customers settled at their tables and ordered, the Phoenix Egg was quickly brought out.

All eyes turned toward the plate the server was carrying.

It was a beautifully plated dish with fresh green vegetables arranged neatly.

In the center of the plate was an oval-shaped item that wobbled slightly—a pork stomach pouch.

The pouch quivered softly, looking exceptionally springy.

After the server brought the Phoenix Egg to the table, she asked the guests, "Hello, this is the Phoenix Egg. Would you like me to cut it open for you now?"

Curiously eyeing the pork stomach, the guest nodded and said, "Yes, cut it open."

Upon hearing the guest's request, the server immediately took a knife and sliced the pork stomach pouch open vertically down the middle.

The pouch split into two halves.

Upon closer inspection, each half contained a shape resembling both egg white and yolk, similar to a boiled egg when cut.

Except that this Phoenix Egg was much larger and looked fresher.

"Oh my God, it really is like an egg!"

The guests were amazed.

Several tables of customers, unable to wait for their own Phoenix Eggs, gathered around this guest's table to watch.

The cut pork stomach pouch indeed resembled an egg when sliced open.

Inside was a layer of fine white egg white and the golden-yellow yolk emitting a tempting fragrance.

No wonder it was called the Phoenix Egg—it truly was a miraculous egg.

"How is this made?"

"An egg made inside the pork stomach!"

"Gosh, what kind of technique is this?"

"Is that even possible in cooking?"

The guests were both surprised and curious.

Such a method of cooking indeed seemed beyond belief.

Sometimes it's like that; if you know the answer, the method might not seem so special.

But they didn't know it was done by first cooking the egg white with centrifugal force, then injecting the yolk, and cooking it a second time. That would make this egg seem incredibly magical to them.

How was it stuffed into the pork stomach?

Or rather, aside from directly cooking eggs, could a chef really create an egg, separating the white and the yolk?

"How is this done?"

"It's really genius!"

"What on earth are the ingredients inside?"

The customers grew more excited and began to ask the server.

The server patiently explained, "The white of this Phoenix Egg is made of egg whites from a variety of birds' eggs, combined with bird's nest. The yolk is composed of crab roe, shrimp paste, pumpkin, and tapioca flour. The Phoenix Egg is long simmered in a rich broth, and the pork stomach has been infused with the flavorful broth. The dish is nutritious and delicious, suitable for all ages."

Hearing this, everyone found it even more remarkable.

"Let's give it a try."

"Wait a moment, let me take a photo first!"

"The culinary skills nowadays are really impressive, even being able to make an egg from scratch."

"Quick, taste it and see if it's good."

The guest picked up a spoon and first dug into the egg white, scooping up a piece.

The egg white was pristine white, resembling jelly.

Upon placing it in the mouth, one could detect a hint of sweetness.

The texture of the egg white was smooth and refreshing, tenderer and bouncier than that of an ordinary chicken egg white.

It was also lighter yet more delicious.

This dish was meant to be savored slowly.

The more one savored it, the more one could detect its uniqueness.

"The flavor is really good! It's like a chicken egg, but more tender, plus it has a sweet note. This egg white is very tasty. It's very similar to a chicken egg, yet you can feel the difference," the guest exclaimed in amazement. "It's an indescribable feeling, just very comforting."

Then, he scooped up some of the egg yolk and took a bite.

This bite made him exclaim even louder.

The egg yolk was delicious.

The rich flavor of crab roe mixed with the taste of pumpkin burst forth in the mouth, the overall texture tender like pork loin.

"It's actually crab roe and pumpkin!"

"Wow, that startled me. I thought it would be like chicken egg yolk, perhaps too fishy."

"Unexpectedly, there's not the slightest fishiness, only a fresh taste."

"The crab roe smells so fragrant!"

At the dining table, several people were eating and chatting leisurely.

Everyone appeared to be very happy.

Somebody had explained that this dish was an authentic court cuisine, specially prepared by Imperial Chefs for the emperor.

The preparation wasn't too difficult, but it was made with care.

However, it was quite challenging for an ordinary family to replicate this dish.

Because it required preparing a pot of broth and various kinds of bird eggs, as well as spinning a pork stomach rapidly, the cost was too high for the average person simply to create one egg.

Only large restaurants, by cooking many at once, could keep the cost from becoming too high.

In other words, this dish was likely only available in large restaurants.

Each person, holding a spoon, began to slowly enjoy the Phoenix Egg.

After mostly finishing the egg white and yolk, they used a small knife to cut off the pork stomach.

The pork stomach was another special feature of this dish.

Pork stomach, stewed in a rich broth for at least an hour, was thoroughly flavored.

With a bite, the texture was tender yet crisp, and one could even feel a slight bursting sensation.

The delicious broth spread out from the pork stomach, diffusing throughout the mouth, mixing with saliva, and then being swallowed down.

The rich sensation was thoroughly enjoyable.

"This dish is really good!"

"It's my first time eating something like this, quite an eye-opener!"

"It feels so comfortable after eating it, as if there are no additives at all."

"If a chef at a big restaurant used additives, it would ruin their reputation. Certainly, it's all natural ingredients cooked to perfection."

"What a bargain, to have a court dish. If a table was full of such dishes, one could almost experience what it's like to be royalty."

The guests were excitedly chatting at the dining table.

Happiness was evident in their expressions.

That afternoon, Wang Shulin and Wang Shuran also came to the restaurant.

Wang Shuran sent a WeChat message to Jiang Feng to say hello: "Boss Jiang, my grandfather and I have arrived. Thank you for the private room."

Then, she added a cute cat emoji.

Jiang Feng hadn't responded yet, but when he took a break while the Phoenix Egg was simmering, he replied on WeChat, "Welcome."

Upon seeing Jiang Feng's reply, Wang Shuran quickly sent back another cute cat emoji.

Wang Shulin had already started to order.

They were in line for Jiang Feng's dishes, so after coming in, they could directly order the Phoenix Egg.

Currently, the Phoenix Eggs for all time slots had been reserved, unavailable to anyone who wanted to try.

Before long, the Phoenix Egg was served.

Wang Shulin cut open the egg and began to slowly savor it.

A good dish must be enjoyed slowly.

He especially liked the egg white part.

Because the egg white was made by mixing multiple bird eggs with bird's nest and cooked without any additional seasoning—a natural ingredient that was the most delicious.

"It's very authentic, and the technique is flawless," Wang Shulin commented. "This is a legitimate court dish, once only made by the Imperial Chef. After all, such an elaborate method can only be conceived by an Imperial Chef."

He actually believed that Jiang Feng had a connection with the former Imperial Chefs of the palace. Former chefs valued intricate culinary methods, many detailed cooking techniques, which were becoming obsolete, but some essence had been passed down. If one could taste it, it would also be a fine experience.

Wang Shuran tasted the egg yolk with a spoon, "Hmm? It's the flavor of crab roe and pumpkin. It smells so good! How was this put inside? If they were both liquids, wouldn't they mix with the egg white?"

Wang Shuran was curious.

Clearly, she hadn't followed the explanation about centrifugal force and a second stewing that Wang Shulin had given her the day before.