Culinary Expert

Chapter 38: The Allure of the Supreme Beef Noodles

Enough thinking—there’s money beckoning him right below. Bai Xiaobai quickly got dressed, brushed his teeth, and washed his face, then rushed downstairs to open for business. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Wei Hai’s slightly mature face. “Boss Bai, why so late? I’m starving,” Wei Hai complained as soon as he walked in. “Exactly, Boss Bai. I’m dying of anxiety. You’re opening way too late—be careful or you’ll end up with no customers at all.” The young man with short hair said half-jokingly. Facing the customers’ minor complaints, Bai Xiaobai took them in stride and warmly said, “Welcome.” Seven or eight people trickled into the shop one after another, and everyone picked a table at random and sat down. “Boss Bai, I’ll have a Supreme Tea Egg.” “Me too.” “Me as well.” Once the customers who’d just walked in were seated, almost all of them ordered the Supreme Tea Egg right away. Although the side quest was urgent, the customers had their own preferences, so Bai Xiaobai didn’t keep pushing his new Supreme Beef Noodles. That would likely backfire and wouldn’t fit the upscale vibe of his restaurant. “Boss, I’ll have one Supreme Tea-Egg, one Supreme Beef Noodle Soup, and one medium-spicy chili sauce.” Wei Hai placed his order crisply and decisively, yet his choice stood out from the rest. The man in the suit—who hadn’t brought enough money yesterday—hesitated slightly before saying, “Well, I’ll give the new item a try. I’ll have a bowl of Supreme Beef Noodle Soup.” All the customers who’d entered the restaurant had placed their orders, leaving only Zhu Yufei, who was still reading the customer guidelines. She stared at Customer Guideline 2, her pupils dilating. She hadn’t been to Xiaobai Restaurant yesterday, so it was only today that she learned Bai Xiaobai had launched a new product: the Supreme Beef Noodles. But she had no idea what kind of beef noodles these were. At 399 per bowl, the price was truly staggering. Her mother had been a head chef at a luxury hotel before she passed away, so Zhu Yufei had naturally eaten her fair share of expensive delicacies. But she had never, ever had a bowl of beef noodle soup costing more than 100 yuan—let alone one priced at 399 yuan… “Owner, I’ll start with a Supreme Tea-Egg, please.” After reading the customer guidelines, Zhu Yufei chose a seat in the corner. Although she has no resistance to good food, Zhu Yufei wasn’t about to act on impulse and immediately shell out for a bowl of sky-high-priced beef noodle soup she’d never even seen before. Since someone else had already ordered the Supreme Beef Noodle Soup, she planned to wait and see what it looked like before making a decision. Once all the customers who’d entered the shop had placed their orders, Bai Xiaobai said, “Okay, the Supreme Tea Eggs and Supreme Beef Noodles aren’t ready yet, so everyone will have to wait a little while.” “Boss Bai, you’d better hurry up then.” The young man with short hair knew they’d have to wait, but he didn’t show any impatience—he just casually urged her on. Bai Xiaobai went into the glass-walled kitchen to start preparing the dishes. Outside, the customers were either scrolling on their phones or chatting. Bai Xiaobai started by making the Supreme Tea-Eggs. Using a method he knew by heart, combined with his lightning-fast hands and the incredible speed of his high-tech equipment. In less than four minutes, he had the fragrant Supreme Tea Eggs ready. Bai Xiaobai first brought out the white porcelain bowls containing the Supreme Tea Eggs and handed one to each of the eight customers waiting outside. Then he dashed back into the kitchen to continue making the Ultimate Beef Noodles. The middle-aged man was starving. He grabbed one of the Ultimate Tea Eggs without even caring that the liquid was scalding, peeled it in a few quick motions, and immediately bit into and swallowed more than half of it. “Delicious—that’s the flavor!” “It’s so good—seriously, when it comes to tea eggs, I’m a huge fan of Boss Bai’s.” The young man with short hair, a loyal fan, kept praising it as he ate. The tea eggs were gone in a flash—basically finished in just a few bites. But the customers who finished their tea eggs didn’t pay and leave right away. Instead, they patiently stayed in their seats—some scrolling on their phones, others continuing their conversations. Curiosity is human nature. They were all eager to see what the “Supreme Beef Noodles” actually looked like. What kind of beef noodles would dare to be priced so high? Among the customers waiting to see the “Supreme Beef Noodles” was Zhu Yufei. While she waited, she took out a piece of bread and a carton of milk, chewing slowly, bite by bite. With her busy work schedule, she naturally wouldn’t feel full on just a Supreme Tea-Egg for breakfast. But after finishing the Supreme Tea-Egg, Zhu Yufei found her mouth filled with its delicate fragrance. Even the incredibly sweet coconut flake cream bread now seemed vastly diminished, tasting bland and unappealing. Bai Xiaobai had no idea what the customers outside were thinking; right now, inside the glass-walled kitchen, he seemed to have been possessed by the spirit of “Little Master Chef,” working with lightning speed to prepare the Supreme Beef Noodles. Every movement was fluid and seamless, without the slightest hesitation. Bai Xiaobai’s mind was racing; he had a precise grasp of exactly what to do at every step and how to do it to save as much time as possible. “That smells so good.” The young man with short hair stood up and craned his neck, trying to peer through the kitchen glass, but he couldn’t see a thing. “What seasonings and spices did the young chef use? That aroma is truly…” The elderly gentleman, having finished his tea-leaf egg, couldn’t help but stand up as well. Being elderly, he already had trouble controlling his drool, and now it was completely out of control. Every customer craned their neck, their faces filled with astonishment, eagerly awaiting the debut of the Supreme Beef Noodles. Zhu Yufei had completely lost her appetite for the coconut flake cream bread; she was eagerly looking forward to seeing the Supreme Beef Noodles. Bai Xiaobai finished the final step of preparing the Supreme Beef Noodles, placed the large bowl of noodles on a serving platter, and carried it out of the kitchen. The young man with short hair happened to be right outside the kitchen and nearly bumped into Bai Xiaobai. “Sorry, Mr. Bai. Your beef noodles smell so good—I just can’t resist the aroma.” Faced with the short-haired young man’s brusqueness, Bai Xiaobai remained unfazed, calmly placing two bowls of Supreme Beef Noodles—one in front of Wei Hai and one in front of the man in the suit. “Enjoy your meal.” As soon as the bowls were set down, everyone in the shop gathered around to watch. The man in the suit happened to be sitting at the same table as Wei Hai. Seeing that Wei Hai had been given an extra serving of chili sauce, he couldn’t help but complain, “Mr. Bai, that’s not fair. I like spicy food too—give me a serving of chili sauce as well.” “Sure. One serving of Supreme Chili Sauce is 66 yuan,” Bai Xiaobai said calmly. “66 yuan… You’re charging for chili sauce?” ” The man in the suit flinched, nearly dropping his disposable chopsticks. This… Charging 66 yuan for a dab of chili sauce the size of a copper coin? The customers around them were in an uproar after hearing Bai Xiaobai’s price. They found the higher price of the Supreme Beef Noodles somewhat justifiable—after all, it was a staple meal. Plus, the aroma was truly impeccable. But charging for a condiment like chili sauce? That was simply unreasonable. While everyone else was stunned, only Wei Hai remained oblivious to his surroundings, calmly slurping down his Supreme Beef Noodles. Delicious! So delicious! Wei Hai was convinced. Without the Supreme Chili Sauce, the Supreme Beef Noodles are still good. But it’s like a beautiful woman with a lovely face—though her features are stunning, she’s very short, which always leaves you feeling something is missing. That was Wei Hai’s thought, but the man in the suit had a completely different opinion. Mr. Bai, you really have a dark heart. I’m completely taken aback. You even charge for chili sauce. The man in the suit’s face turned as dark as night—he looked absolutely livid, as if he’d just been punched twice in the face. He muttered to himself, clearly feeling deeply hurt and annoyed. Hah, after I finish this bowl of beef noodle soup, I’ll never the hell come back here again… But the man in the suit’s pent-up frustration vanished without a trace the moment he slurped a mouthful of the Supreme Beef Noodles. These noodles. How can they be this delicious? Not too soft, not too hard—not chewy, not tough—just right. They’re truly bursting with the aroma of noodles. What kind of flour is this? What variety of wheat? And how come the broth is so rich and full-bodied? How on earth was it simmered? And how did they make the beef so juicy that every bite fills your mouth with delicious sauce? Even the seemingly ordinary Chinese mustard greens taste better than anywhere else. The man in the suit’s earlier frustration had completely vanished, replaced by nothing but admiration. Delicious, delicious—this is what real food is all about… The man in the suit buried his head in his bowl and ate voraciously, unable to stop. Watching Wei Hai and the man in the suit devour their food with such gusto, Bai Xiaobai couldn’t help but think to himself. Everyone’s appreciation for good food is the same. The appeal of Supreme Beef Noodles is truly irresistible.