freenovelworld Chapter 105 Boiled Fish
Chapter 105 Boiled Fish
Upon hearing Li Mu's words, the guest became enraged: "What do you mean! Do you think there's something wrong with our mouths?"
Li Mu had never encountered anything unreasonable, but Zhou Li knew it all too well. She pulled Li Mu aside and whispered, "These people are here to cause trouble. Don't bother with them. Let's calm them down first."
Running a restaurant means encountering all sorts of people, some reasonable, others unreasonable. Today, Zhou Li had run into a tough one, she thought to herself, but she still had to put on a smile.
She gestured to the waiter to remove the plate of squirrel fish, then personally poured the guest a cup of tea, and said with a smile, "Brother, please don't be angry. It was our fault. Please calm down, we'll make you a new one right away."
"You're quite adept at handling things, woman." The guest sneered, looking at Zhou Li with disdain.
Zhou Li seemed not to hear her and continued to smile, "Brother, please wait a moment, the squirrel fish will be ready soon."
As she spoke, she turned around and instructed the waiter to quickly go to the kitchen and tell the chef to make a new squirrel fish dish.
"What's the point of eating! I'm not eating anymore! If you don't serve me a single dish that suits my taste, I'm not eating! I'm going to make you pay for this meal!"
The guest plopped down and immediately began listing all the restaurant's faults.
"The walls are painted bright red, it's so tacky! And this table, how can anyone sit down when it's so cramped?"
"And your waiters, they're all like wooden stakes, standing there without moving, not even bothering to pour water for the guests."
Zhou Li's smile became even more forced: "Brother, I'm really sorry, our waiters might not be in the best condition today. I'll have them improve their service right away to make sure you're satisfied."
The customer, however, remained unmoved and continued his rant: "Satisfied? I think your restaurant is all show and no substance, what a piece of trash! I'm going to teach you a lesson today!"
Although Zhou Li was annoyed, she didn't dare show it on her face. She continued to smile and said, "Brother, please don't be angry. We will definitely correct our mistakes and make you satisfied. How about this? I'll give you a discount as a small token of our appreciation."
The guest remained unmoved and continued to shout loudly, attracting the attention of other guests around him.
Zhou Li inwardly groaned; if this matter wasn't handled properly, it would likely have a significant impact on the restaurant's reputation.
Li Mu was furious. How could a grown man be so petty and unforgiving? He took a step forward, about to speak, but Zhou Li stopped him with a look. Zhou Li shook her head at him, signaling him not to act impulsively.
Li Mu had no choice but to swallow his anger and watch helplessly as the customer continued to cause trouble, before turning and going into the kitchen.
Jin Dachuan was getting ready to take matters into his own hands, rolling up his sleeves as if he was about to get down to business.
"Brother Jin, let's not make this squirrel fish dish for now."
Jin Dachuan was taken aback: "What do you mean? Did Sister Li say that?"
Li Mu shook his head: "No, it's because someone is coming to cause trouble. No matter how delicious the food is, it won't help. We need to resolve this matter first."
Upon hearing this, Jin Dachuan immediately frowned: "Disrupt the event? Who has the audacity to cause trouble at the Lijing Hotel?"
Li Mu briefly recounted what had happened. After listening, Jin Dachuan's face showed displeasure: "These people have gone too far. We can't just let this go."
As he spoke, Jin Dachuan was about to rush towards the front hall, but Li Mu stopped him: "Brother Jin, don't rush, let's think of a way to resolve this. Do you trust me, Brother Jin?"
Jin Dachuan stopped and looked at Li Mu: "I trust you. Whatever you say, we'll do."
Li Mu felt a warmth in his heart. He knew that Jin Dachuan was a straightforward person, and it was not easy to gain his trust.
"Brother Jin, do you know what boiled fish is?"
Jin Dachuan nodded: "I know, it's a Sichuan dish, spicy and fragrant, quite popular."
A sly glint flashed in Li Mu's eyes: "Then let's use this boiled fish to deal with those who are causing trouble."
Jin Dachuan was taken aback: "Boiled fish? How do you do that?"
Li Mu leaned close to Jin Dachuan's ear and whispered a few words. After listening, Jin Dachuan's face showed a look of sudden realization. He then patted Li Mu on the shoulder and said, "Good lad, you've got it! Let's do it this way! But I've never made boiled fish before, and I don't have the base sauce."
Li Mu smiled and said, "Brother Jin, don't worry about the base ingredients, I'll take care of that!"
In his past life, when he was a guide, he had led a master Sichuan chef. The master chef's boiled fish was absolutely amazing. Li Mu was fortunate enough to learn some basics of it at the time, and he was quite confident in his ability to make the broth for boiled fish.
Upon hearing this, Jin Dachuan immediately perked up: "That's great, that's great! Let's get moving then, don't keep those guys waiting too long."
Li Mu nodded and turned to walk towards the kitchen. He first took a fresh grass carp from the refrigerator, then asked if there were any...
Jin Dachuan quickly ordered bean sprouts and green vegetables to be prepared. Li Mu cleaned the grass carp, sliced it into fillets, and marinated it. He then found Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilies, ginger, garlic, and other seasonings to prepare the base for the boiled fish.
The preparation of the broth is quite meticulous. Various seasonings must first be stir-fried until fragrant, then an appropriate amount of water is added and simmered to create a rich aroma. Li Mu carefully followed the method from memory, and soon a pot of fragrant boiled fish broth was ready.
At the same time, Jin Dachuan had already blanched the soybean sprouts and green vegetables and laid them out on a large plate.
Li Mu quickly scooped out the cooked fish slices and placed them on top of the bean sprouts and greens. Then he scooped a spoonful of hot oil and poured it over the fish slices. With a sizzling sound, the aroma wafted out, making one's mouth water.
The boiled fish is ready!
Jin Dachuan also prepared a new squirrel fish dish, and both dishes were covered at the same time.
Li Mu and Jin Dachuan carried two dishes to the front hall.
The guests were still shouting and pointing fingers at the restaurant.
When Zhou Li saw Li Mu and Jin Dachuan carrying two dishes, she was slightly taken aback, wondering what they were up to.
But when she saw Li Mu wink at her, she understood and immediately instructed the waiter to draw the attention of those guests over here.
"Gentlemen, look, these are dishes specially prepared for you by our restaurant. Please try them and see how they taste?"
Zhou Li said with a smile, while gesturing to the waiter to lift the lids off the two dishes.
The guests were taken aback when they saw the two dishes that suddenly appeared in front of them, and then they all gathered around and looked at them curiously.
"What is this dish?" The leading guest pointed to the plate of boiled fish in bubbling red oil, its aroma irresistible.
Zhou Li didn't know what it was either, so Li Mu introduced it: "This dish is called boiled fish, it's a new item in our restaurant, and we prepared it especially for you. Look at the bubbling red oil, the aroma is so enticing, doesn't it look delicious?"