Chapter 93

Chapter 93: The Oriental Express Plot... Oh no, Robbery...

Black bean spareribs is a very simple yet popular dish.

Tang Su chose this dish to teach Chen Ran, partly because he had a bit of an educational intention. After all, seeing how skilled this young cook was at tossing the wok, it was possible that she already had some experience working in the kitchen.

"Have you made black bean spareribs before?"

Chen Ran shook her head.

She really hadn’t.

Tang Su carefully explained step by step: "The seasoning mix is easy to get right. I watched your technique with fried rice, this shouldn't be too difficult for you."

"The most difficult part of this dish is making the ribs both crispy and tender. Some small restaurants use tenderizer powder or baking soda for marinating, but we don't go that route."

"So how do we make the meat more tender? We rely on technique to get the ribs to absorb more water..."

Getting the ribs to absorb water and kneading them to release gelatin isn’t easy. After adding the seasoning, Tang Su cautiously poured in a small amount of water and handed the ribs to Chen Ran, asking her to try.

"Feel the technique first, and then I'll teach you."

Chen Ran was undeterred!

Though she hadn't made black bean spareribs, she was Chen Ran, who had once made clear-braised lion’s head with only one egg white.

Anyone who has the patience to spend nearly half an hour kneading the lion’s head meat would certainly be capable of making ribs absorb water with ease.

Tang Su watched as Chen Ran took the bowl without hesitation, her movements devoid of any tentative testing. She kneaded and pinched while swirling in a clockwise motion.

Her technique was even more refined than his!

He glanced at Chen Ran’s expression.

She didn’t make any tentative movements, only showing casual confidence.

Tang Su carefully poured the remaining half of the water into the bowl, watching as Chen Ran became even more skilled. He cautiously asked her, "Have you ever... worked in a kitchen?"

He had seen Chen Ran's background, and she indeed had an entry-level chef's certificate.

In kitchens, where hierarchy is strict, anyone who has worked as a cook wouldn’t willingly return to being a dishwasher unless absolutely necessary.

That’s why he had assumed that Chen Ran’s refined technique with fried rice was simply because of her experience at that level.

But now... this technique made him reconsider.

"I have."

Chen Ran nodded, her movements becoming even more fluid. Soon, the ribs had become tender and pinkish, and there was no trace of water left at the bottom of the bowl.

All the moisture had been kneaded into the pork. This kneading process also caused some of the pork fibers to break, giving it a crispy tenderness after steaming.

"Alright, it's ready to go into the steamer."

Tang Su took the bowl of ribs from her, unable to deny that her technique for adding water to the meat was even better than his own!

"You said you haven’t done this before?"

Chen Ran didn’t want to make a fuss but didn’t intentionally try to hide her expertise. She explained, "I’ve never made black bean spareribs, but I’ve made clear-braised crabmeat lion’s head. For lion’s head, you don’t add starch, just one egg white, and you knead it by hand to firm it up. The principle is pretty much the same as this, right?"In a brief sentence, Tang Su’s worldview was completely overturned multiple times.

She has made clear-braised crabmeat lion’s head?

Clear-braised lion’s head without starch?

Only one egg white added?

Tang Su’s movement of placing the black bean spareribs in the steamer slowed down a bit.

He had also made clear-braised lion’s head!

But that was clear-braised!

Even when making red-braised lion’s head, he had to add starch! That dish had to be deep-fried first to set.

Clear-braised lion’s head, with just one large meatball simmered in the soup for several hours, without any starch, only one egg white—wouldn’t that turn into a meatball soup?

Tang Su placed the black bean spareribs in the steamer, then, almost disbelieving, asked again, "Clear-braised lion’s head without starch? Just knead it? Won’t it fall apart?"

Recalling this, Chen Ran also felt a bit nostalgic. Compared to making lion’s head back then, kneading the ribs now was really not satisfying enough.

As she reminisced, she made a gesture with her hands to show Tang Su: "You need to knead and beat it more. Once you’ve kneaded the gelatin out of the meat, it will naturally stick together."

Tang Su thought back to the effort he put into making clear-braised lion’s head, wanted to ask another question, but restrained himself.

When he made clear-braised lion’s head, not only did he add three egg whites, but also a handful of starch!

Still, he had the courage to ask another question: "So how did you end up as a dishwasher..."

Chen Ran blushed: "I came in late, and the chefs had already been hired. Besides, my certificate is for an entry-level chef."

An entry-level chef certificate is still a chef’s certificate, but it’s very hard to find a job where one can start immediately as the head chef.

There are also strict regulations for the level of a chef’s certification. It’s not just about taking a specialized exam; significant work experience is required as well.

Chen Ran’s work experience, when all was said and done, amounted to less than half a year, so she could only obtain an entry-level chef’s certificate.

Tang Su suddenly remembered something.

The famous Chef Chen who had been trending all year and had just skyrocketed into the spotlight, even making it to the "Famous Chefs" list—didn’t he also have the surname Chen?

He instinctively pulled out his phone to search, getting excited as he picked up Chen Ran’s name tag, comparing the letters one by one.

Chen Ran… The radical 草 at the beginning, indeed the same Ran!

This year, Chen Ran had become the hottest topic in the culinary world.

Ordinary people followed her because they wanted to taste great food, but these chefs—when they saw the buzz—didn’t they imagine themselves having the same skills as Chen Ran?

However, Chen Ran’s signature high ponytail had already been cut, and with her wearing a mask, no one had made the connection.

"You..." Tang Su said a word, then quickly changed his tone, "How did you come here to apply?"

Now, Chen Ran was a chef who truly deserved the "you" title in the culinary world!

"Chef Tang, there’s no need for that. I’m still a dishwasher... You continue cooking, there are still four more sets of meals to prepare."

Tang Su was still deep in gossip!Chen Ran, the chef from Famous Chefs Record, still only has an entry-level chef certificate?

After hearing Chen Ran mention the four sets of meals, Tang Su immediately thought back to the first three sets of meals. It became clear to him.

These repeat customers were coming for his black bean spareribs? No, they were coming for the golden egg fried rice that Chen Ran made!

"How about... you make the egg fried rice instead? I can watch and learn!"

When he first joined the food truck, Tang Su wasn’t too happy with this job.

It was just a temporary position!

If his previous employer hadn’t moved to a new location, and if he hadn’t been sidelined by the new chef manager, Tang Su wouldn’t have applied for this job.

Just look at Chef Liu — you could tell that as a temporary worker in a chef role, you'd only get to the skill level of someone like that.

But now, Tang Su felt that this decision was the wisest choice he had made all year... no, scratch that, it was the best decision of his entire life!

Chen Ran was neither here nor there about it. Although this trip was a compensation from the system after the pyramid scheme incident, just the egg fried rice earlier had reignited her culinary craving.

"I'll be the dishwasher!"

The kitchen was actually quite noisy, and most of the time, they had to shout to communicate.

After realizing that Chen Ran was the runaway culinary genius, Tang Su felt like every instinct in him was fired up!

When handing Chen Ran the eggs, he quickly pulled out her name tag, pretending casually to drop it into her chest pocket...

He even felt like the knife skills he had honed over the years reached their peak in that very moment!

The fact that this dishwasher was a runaway culinary genius, only he knew!

Chen Ran didn’t pay much attention to it. Her name tag hung around her neck, and it did swing around during movements. Several others had simply stuffed it into their pockets.

She smiled and thanked Tang Su: "This thing is really a bother."

Tang Su nodded seriously: "It really is uncomfortable when it swings around. I noticed everyone else tucks it into their chest pockets. Don’t worry about it. By the way, did you only put egg yolks in the fried rice?"

"Yes..." Chen Ran’s attention immediately shifted to the fried rice, following Tang Su’s question, "Yes, fried rice made with egg yolks is drier and more fragrant. If you want to add egg whites, it’s possible, but not at this stage."

To demonstrate for Tang Su, Chen Ran even used the leftover egg whites in today’s golden egg fried rice.

The egg yolk mixture was mixed with the rice at the start, while the egg whites were added after the egg yolk had already set.

This way, the fried rice wasn't just golden egg fried rice anymore. The delicate egg whites added a touch of decoration, like small pieces of silver to the dish.

"This fried rice must be tossed in the pan, you can’t just use a spoon to press it down. It will ruin the shape of the egg mixture."

Another batch of golden egg fried rice was ready!

Tang Su quickly grabbed the pan and took over the plating duties.

Soon, four new servings of fried rice were ready, and the new set of meals was brought to Huang Renshou's table.

"Huh, this fried rice looks a bit different from the first one."

Yan Guangrao was the first to notice the change in the fried rice’s appearance. He wasn’t entirely pleased, but when he saw Huang Renshou’s serious expression, he wondered.

"Why, with the changes, is there some special trick? Did you switch chefs?"Huang Renshou sighed, letting out a faint feeling of melancholy in his heart.

It wasn’t clear whether he was lamenting his own culinary skills, or if he was shocked by the craftsmanship of the egg fried rice.

"It shouldn't be that the chef was switched."

When he first tasted the golden egg fried rice, Huang Renshou was a bit impatient. This time, however, with a plate of fried rice as a base, he could take his time and savor it.

He took out a small knife from his pocket and carefully cut open a grain of rice with it, showing Yan Guangrao.

"Do you see this? The egg coating on the rice is so even!"

To an outsider like Yan Guangrao, the fried rice looked fine on the surface, but once he saw the rice cut open, he noticed the difference.

The layer of yellow egg liquid surrounding the grain of rice was uniformly thick!

"But why does this fried rice look different from the one last time?" Yan Guangrao asked.

Huang Renshou had no idea that the kitchen had actually been giving lessons! The perfect egg fried rice he was served was just a teaching tool!

He could only guess from his own perspective: "I initially thought that this chef probably only knew how to make this one dish, and that the skill came from years of practice."

Huang Renshou, being a chef himself, was quite familiar with the chef market: "After all, such food trucks can’t usually attract high-level chefs. The pay looks good, but they travel all over the place. Experienced chefs are usually settled down with families, they don’t have time for this kind of job."

"But now, it seems that this amazing egg fried rice isn’t the result of years of practice... it seems to be something done effortlessly..."

Unable to resist, he scooped up a mouthful of the slightly changed golden egg fried rice.

With the addition of some delicate egg whites, the flavor of the fried rice was now slightly different from before.

In the otherwise dry and fragrant fried rice, the soft egg whites added a tender texture, as if it was just a casual use of available ingredients. But this small change made the entire dish’s texture more layered and rich.

Huang Renshou took three more bites of the fried rice, each time looking like he wanted to say something but stopped himself, which made Yan Guangrao anxious.

"If you want to say something, just say it!"

Huang Renshou couldn't help but guess: "Do you think the chef could be Chen Ran?"

Master Huang was older now, and didn’t have the energy or stamina to chase Chen Ran around like others did. However, he kept up with her latest news online.

That thrilling martial arts dish-stealing competition had even gotten him fired up, and he had looked up some stances suitable for seniors to practice in his free time.

"It’s a bit similar..."

Yan Guangrao, being an outsider, was less anxious and more straightforward. He pressed the bell and called the server, "Do you have a chef with the last name Chen?"

The server smiled sweetly: "Sorry, none of our three chefs have the last name Chen. Is there something wrong with this set meal?"

Huang Renshou wasn’t giving up: "Could it be a pseudonym...?"

The server smiled even more sweetly: "Sir, we are a state-owned enterprise."

Watching the server leave, Huang Renshou, still not convinced, took another bite of the fried rice. As he chewed, he sighed in regret: "Why are there suddenly so many chefs with such great skills in the world?"

He didn’t finish the sentence, but the unspoken thought was: Why can’t there be one more chef with great skills, like him?

Yan Guangrao, being an outsider, couldn’t bear to see his old friend so upset. He reminded him: "Try the other dishes, maybe this chef only knows how to make egg fried rice? I think the heart of this dish is rather average."

Huang Renshou tasted the black bean spareribs. The first bite that went into his mouth was just as disappointing.But after chewing... his eyes lit up!

The meat of the spareribs was not only tender but also crispy!

The black bean spareribs from last time had left him feeling that the chef’s skills were lacking in heat control, but this time, the dish actually satisfied him, even as an experienced chef.

“There’s something strange about this food truck!”

Huang Renshou had also been pulled into the food enthusiasts’ group by He Xin, where he shared the previously cut open egg fried rice grains.

“Look at this egg fried rice! Isn’t it amazing?”

There were always food lovers waiting for delicious dishes in the group, especially after they discovered Chen Ran. Since then, the group had never missed an opportunity to find any trace of Chen Ran!

“Where? Send the address! I’ll go right away!”

“Egg fried rice? You wouldn’t believe it, after eating all the fine delicacies, there’s someone who can make egg fried rice this good…”

“Chen Ran! I’m not following the usual process, I’m guessing directly! It has to be Chen Ran!”

There weren’t many chefs who paid such attention to small details, especially since Chen Ran had already disappeared for a while!

“I’m on the sightseeing train, I’ll send you the ticket.”

Huang Renshou sent out his ticket, and the group was silent for a full minute.

“I’ve booked my ticket…”

“Wow, how fast are your hands! I couldn’t book the next one. I booked for early January—do you think Chen Ran will run away by then?”

Huang Renshou was stunned. He hadn’t finished speaking yet! How did everyone already book their tickets?

“I asked, and they said there’s no chef named Chen in the kitchen.”

The group sent a long string of ellipses.

“Even if it’s not Chen Ran, a chef who can make egg fried rice to this level should be good at other dishes too, right?”

“That’s fine, the sightseeing train looks pretty high-end. Let’s treat it as a team-building trip, shall we?”

Huang Renshou couldn’t help but send a long string of ellipses.

“I tried the other dishes from the same set. The quality is really unstable. It seems like the egg fried rice recipe changes too. The two times I’ve had it, it’s been different.”

“Oh, Lao Huang, why didn’t you say so earlier? If you had, I wouldn’t have booked this ticket!”

“Forget it, forget it, I’ll cancel the ticket. What if I find Chen Ran’s new trace and can’t get off the train?”

Although the sightseeing train ticket was a bit expensive, if it was really Chen Ran on the train, it would be worth it.

But if it wasn’t Chen Ran, then this seven-day, six-night trip would waste too much time.

Watching everyone else cancel their tickets, Huang Renshou felt too embarrassed to continue flaunting that golden egg fried rice in the group.

Moreover, in the next two days, he also realized that for some reason, the chef’s skill was indeed highly unstable.

Every day on the sightseeing train, he tried to order a set meal with egg fried rice. But only the first day’s egg fried rice left him impressed; the ones in the following days just weren’t as good.

Huang Renshou sighed, reluctantly admitting that perhaps that amazing egg fried rice was just a fleeting glimpse.After all, according to his common sense, such a job typically wouldn't attract top-tier chefs of that caliber.

Finally, when the sightseeing train reached its destination, he looked at the picturesque landscape of the southern clouds and the bird songs and flowers, changing into a single-layer short-sleeve shirt.

"Alright, stop thinking about Chen Ran. If you ask me, Chef Chen will definitely open a restaurant one day. When that happens, I’ll treat you to a meal, and we’ll eat two big tables worth!"

The two old colleagues were on this sightseeing train just to spend the winter in the south.

This sightseeing train, starting from the frozen north, all the way to the spring-like southern clouds, had transported countless passengers during its trial operations and eventually settled on this route.

The trial run lasted for a month, and now, the last week of the trial was here. This would be the last trial operation of the train.

After this, the temporary workers would be replaced by formally assigned staff from the headquarters.

During these three weeks, Tang Su followed Chen Ran and learned several dishes. Chef Liu, who had clashed with Chen Ran before, also resigned and left during this time.

On the final run of the train, after unanimous recommendation from the kitchen staff, Chen Ran temporarily replaced Chef Chen and became the head chef, moving from a kitchen assistant to the chef.

Once again, they departed in the familiar icy snow. Chen Ran took the order slip and skillfully prepared three servings of Guobaorou.

These three servings of Guobaorou were served to each diner’s table by the waitstaff. One of the servings was brought to a self-media blogger’s table.

The photographer had already set up the camera and looked at the Guobaorou on the table, feeling a little confused.

“Huh… this Guobaorou is made to the level of Chef Chen. Look, there’s not a drop of sauce on the plate; all the sauce is…”

The photographer couldn’t finish his sentence.

The "cooking man’s" gaze also focused on this serving of Guobaorou.

As everyone knows, capturing Chen Ran’s location requires two conditions: first, a strange and unique location; second, exceptionally delicious food.

He carefully took a bite of the Guobaorou, and with just that first bite, he was sure: this must be Chen Ran!

And this sightseeing train, no matter how you look at it, could definitely be considered a strange location, right?

The cooking man had already infiltrated the food enthusiast group through He Xin as an undercover, and as a professional food blogger, he was somewhat qualified to be in the group.

Thinking back to the ticket cancellation incident, he understood.

No matter the reason, Chen Ran had been on this train before, but she had just been slacking off!

The photographer had already quickly posted the Guobaorou in the group. After the familiar silence, a group of people screamed, "What the heck? Why does the train need half a month to fix before it officially runs again?"

"Did Chef Chen ever work in a place where they had mid-trip repairs?"

After finishing a large, crispy, and delicious serving of Guobaorou, the cooking man leisurely sent a message in the group.

"If I’m not mistaken, Chen Ran has been on the train for a while now. She’s just been making two dishes occasionally... that's why she hasn’t been exposed."

"Wait, how is Chef Chen getting better at counter-surveillance?"

“No wonder Chef Huang said that egg fried rice was sometimes good, sometimes bad…”

After tasting another fresh and delicious stir-fried seasonal vegetables, the cooking man slowly continued typing in the group.

As he typed, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear?”"The good news is, Chef Chen seems to have taken over the kitchen now. All the dishes on my table were made by her."

"The bad news is... based on her usual working schedule, this train ride is the last one she'll be working on. If you bought tickets for the next train, it’s useless."

There was a moment of silence in the group. After a long pause, someone finally spoke up.

"What’s this, the Oriental Express... What exactly has Chen Ran been learning lately? Is she locking herself away to cook?"