Cooking System: Street Food Rules

The little shop had a new signboard, the two most eye-catching characters being:

Kung Fu!

Kung Fu Sizzling Claypot!

Jiang Feng really liked these two words; they could be found in many small eateries in Guangzhou.

They represented something special.

Sun Zhuangfei was dressed in a chef's uniform, his chef's hat covering his conspicuous buzz cut. He also wore a mask, making him hard to recognize at first glance.

He was in the back kitchen, patiently marinating chicken according to Jiang Feng's instructions.

The method for making sizzling claypots was simple: marinate the ingredients well, stir-fry them until cooked, then add the sizzling sauce and stew them in a claypot.

The soul of the sizzling claypot was its sizzling sauce.

The thick sauce fully penetrated the ingredients, and then the high-temperature stewing process reduced the sauce, concentrating its flavors as moisture evaporated.

Jiang Feng heated oil in a wok and explosively stir-fried minced ginger, minced garlic, and dried shallots. Then, according to a special ratio, he added satay sauce, seafood sauce, spare rib sauce, savory meat sauce, red fermented bean curd, and so on.

Upon adding a secret spice-infused liquid, it transformed into an exceedingly rich and viscous, mysterious sauce.

This was his expertise!

Jiang Feng's Kung Fu Sizzling Claypot was launched in three varieties:

Sizzling Chicken Claypot, Sizzling Beef Claypot, and Sizzling Three Delicacies, featuring shrimp, squid, and grass carp.

The method wasn't too difficult; for someone with Jiang Feng's skills, preparing several sizzling claypots was quite simple.

「Approaching noon, the small shop opened for business.」

Soon, the shop welcomed its first customer.

This middle-aged man wore a loose, dark-colored short-sleeved shirt, a pair of shorts, and flip-flops, presenting an overall relaxed and leisurely appearance.

He didn't approach the counter to order. Instead, he found a seat and sat down. He acted as if he were very familiar with Jiang Feng, carrying the casual air of a regular, and calmly said in Cantonese, "Boss, is today's chicken fine or not?"

Jiang Feng was a bit taken aback. Fine or not? Shouldn't it be "handsome" or "beautiful"? Can a chicken be described as fine?

However, Jiang Feng understood what the customer meant and replied, "It's fresh, slaughtered this morning."

"From out of town?"

The customer could tell at a glance that Jiang Feng wasn't a local.

"Yes, I came from another place to do some small business here," Jiang Feng replied promptly.

"An outsider coming to Guangzhou to sell Kung Fu Sizzling Claypots?" the customer, completely at ease, asked again.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Jiang Feng replied.

"No problem. Give me a pot of herbal tea, a chicken claypot, some appetizing peanuts, and a pineapple bun," the customer called out, waving his hand.

Jiang Feng paused for a moment. Doesn't this person even look at the menu when ordering? Where would I find a pineapple bun for him?

Some locals were like this, accustomed to this way of doing things; they ordered very casually.

However, Jiang Feng's establishment was a small shop, not prepared for so many items.

All Jiang Feng could say was, "Sorry, we don't have peanuts or pineapple buns, only the chicken claypot and a popular brand of herbal tea."

The customer was also visibly taken aback. A popular brand of herbal tea? Drink that here?

But he understood that Jiang Feng's small shop wasn't a well-established local eatery and therefore wouldn't have many things.

Such shops were more standardized, not much different from small shops in other places.

The customer initially thought about leaving, but feeling somewhat hungry, he then said, "Alright then, give me a chicken claypot."

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Once the customer ordered, Jiang Feng got busy.

The chicken was already well-marinated.

Jiang Feng placed a clean claypot on the stove, poured in oil and sesame oil, then added scallions, ginger, and garlic to stir-fry.

In an instant, the claypot emitted a sizzling sound as the oil popped.

The aroma of the spices immediately filled the air.

Next, he added the marinated chicken pieces and stir-fried them until they were half-cooked. Then he added coriander, scallion segments, and green vegetables, and covered the claypot with its lid.

He turned up the heat, and the entire claypot was engulfed in flames, looking as if it were on fire.

Only a few minutes were needed for the chicken to be fully infused with flavor from the stir-frying.

Finally, he added the secret sizzling sauce, stirred it in completely, and it was ready to be served.

Zhuangfei carried the claypot to the customer's table and casually lifted the lid.

Upon closer inspection, the chicken in the claypot was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, glistening with a sheen of oil. Green coriander and vegetables were scattered around as garnish, along with traces of various seasonings.

The chicken was completely enveloped in a thick, rich sauce, looking incredibly appetizing.

The rich aroma of fresh chicken wafted up, an instantly invigorating and pleasant scent.

The customer looked at the chicken in the claypot with slight surprise.

Say what you will, even though it's made by an outsider, this flavor is genuinely fragrant.

There's no strict definition of authenticity for sizzling claypots; it's all about the cooking method, and they can be made with any ingredient.

Examples included sizzling king prawns with salted egg yolk, sizzling perilla bullfrog, sizzling beef, and sizzling pork intestines.

The standard for judgment was simple: whether it tasted good or not.

Delicious meant authentic!

The middle-aged man took a pair of chopsticks from the sterilizer, picked up a piece of chicken, placed it on his plate, let it cool slightly, and then gently tasted it.

As a genuine Guangzhou native, he had eaten countless sizzling claypots.

The moment the chicken entered his mouth, the first thing he tasted was Jiang Feng's secret sizzling sauce.

The chicken was thoroughly coated with the thick, rich sauce, and the aroma of the sauce, intensified by the high heat, instantly stimulated his taste buds.

This was Jiang Feng's unique recipe; as soon as one's tongue touched the sauce, saliva would involuntarily flow due to the delightful taste.

That rich, savory sensation made his tongue feel wonderfully soft and tender.

The chicken meat was especially tender. Its skin, stir-fried until slightly crisp, was not overdone in the slightest.

The meat inside was exceptionally tender. With just a gentle bite, it yielded along the grain, revealing its smooth, succulent texture.

The aroma had been completely stir-fried into the chicken.

This Kung Fu Sizzling Chicken Claypot was, in terms of flavor, nothing short of perfect.

The middle-aged customer was amazed by this chicken claypot.

The flavor was exceptionally good! It had a very fresh, clean taste.

He had eaten delicious sizzling claypots before. While they were tasty, they often felt a bit too heavy or oily.

However, Jiang Feng's sizzling claypot had a taste that was just right.

The real magic lay in the secret sauce; with such a meticulously prepared sauce, any sizzling claypot Jiang Feng made was bound to taste good.

"Pretty authentic, eh!" the middle-aged man exclaimed in surprise.

Indeed, the flavor was excellent.

Once he started eating, he couldn't stop. He finished every piece of chicken in the claypot, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Summers in Guangzhou were indeed quite hot.

Jiang Feng was discussing with Sun Zhuangfei, "I'll go buy some tea leaves today, so we can serve tea to the customers later."

"I'll buy several kinds."

"Later on, you should also ask the customers, 'What tea would you like?'"

Hearing Jiang Feng's words, Sun Zhuangfei recalled their dim sum mornings and said excitedly, "Boss, can I use the Guangdong dialect to ask then? You know, that phrase, 'What tea?'"

Jiang Feng sighed. "Do as you please, just don't scare the customers away."

In the Guangdong dialect, the word that translates to "what" is quite remarkable. While its basic meaning is "what," it carries slight nuances.

Sometimes, when two people from Guangdong are conversing and one doesn't hear clearly, they will ask, "What?"

If the other person doesn't understand their question, they might respond, "What what?"

Even when girls are angry or being coquettish, they use different tones to say, "What?"

Two guys arguing would do the same, just a back-and-forth of "What? What?", similar to how people from the Northeast might say, "What are you looking at?" "So what if I'm looking?"

That's probably why Guangzhou is also known as the City of Bleating Sheep.

In any case, using this particular Cantonese word in conversation always seems to be appropriate.

Jiang Feng planned to follow local customs; tea had to be well-prepared.

Apart from hot-brewed tea, he also needed to stock plenty of chilled herbal tea drinks. Locals loved them, many having grown up drinking them.

The local food culture was quite distinctive. Preparing good food wasn't enough; appetizers and tea were necessary complements. No wonder they say the locals know how to live!

After finishing the Kung Fu Sizzling Chicken, the customer was completely satisfied. "Boss, your skills are impressive," he praised Jiang Feng, his attitude much friendlier this time.

Then, he glanced at the menu. Besides the three types of sizzling claypots, it only listed ginger milk curd and boat congee.

A bit simple, but understandable for a small shop, he thought. It wasn't a proper restaurant with a wide variety of dishes—just a small business. But the taste was truly good. Could it be some secret recipe from elsewhere?

The middle-aged man stood up and leisurely walked away.

Sun Zhuangfei began to clean up.

Before long, several more customers came in.

Sizzling claypots were indeed quite popular.

But the competition was also fierce.

These new customers, seeing the shop's modest setup and that the owner wasn't a local, turned and left immediately.

Jiang Feng wasn't bothered by this. After all, customers could decide where they wanted to dine.

However, as many people chose to stay, the number of customers in the shop gradually increased.

And as Jiang Feng started to make more sizzling claypots, the aroma began to waft out from the shop.

Quite a few people were actually lured in by the scent!

Although the shop was a bit modest on its opening day, it was fortunately located in a residential area where many people came out to eat daily.

Many just wanted a simple sizzling claypot.

Sizzling claypots from such small shops were reasonably priced, perfect for lunch.

"This sizzling claypot is delicious!" a customer exclaimed, his face full of enjoyment.

"Yes, it's really good!" another chimed in.

"I remember coming to this place before; the food was quite ordinary. How did it suddenly become so tasty!"

"That chef is pretty amazing!"

As people voiced their praise, they looked towards the bustling Jiang Feng in the kitchen.

Because it was a small, open-plan shop, the kitchen operations were clearly visible.

Jiang Feng wore a face mask, so his features weren't visible, but his tall stature and good bearing suggested he was likely handsome.

People from Eastern Shandong are indeed generally tall; there was no doubt about that.