Chapter 333: Chapter 333

Charleson came to Sicily Island for tourism. He wanted to experience the charm of Sicily and see the setting where Aquaman and Mera fell in love. Unexpectedly, at the enthusiastic invitation of a Chinese person, he arrived at a Chinese restaurant. The dishes here weren’t expensive. Following the recommendation of the Chinese waiter, Charleson ordered Kung Pao chicken, crispy fried pork, and a pot of abalone and chicken soup. With that, he felt like he had opened the door to a new world.

When he mixed the Kung Pao chicken with rice, scooped up a spoonful, and put both chicken and rice into his mouth at the same time, he realized he had never imagined chicken could be this incredible! The chicken was very tender and fragrant. It practically melted with a gentle bite. A wonderful flavor burst from the chicken. It was as if something had electrified his taste buds. This sensation was one he would never forget.

"My God, is this chicken?" Charleson exclaimed.

He had originally thought New Orleans-style grilled chicken drumsticks were unrivaled. He’d never expected chicken could taste this delightful! Who made this chicken?

"Fantastic!" Charleson’s friend also cried out in amazement.

"What’s this dish called? Kung Pao Chicken."

"I’ll remember that!" Charleson said earnestly.

He had never eaten Chinese food before. Although Chinese food was popular, that popularity was often contingent on a country having a Chinatown. Generally speaking, Chinese restaurants were typically located in Chinatowns. Consequently, many people in various countries had never eaten, tasted, or even heard of Chinese food. Yet now, in a Chinese restaurant on a small tourist island, Charleson had discovered a flavor he would remember for a lifetime.

Next, he tried a piece of the crispy fried pork. The pork had been deep-fried, making the outer layer crispy, with an overall salt-and-pepper flavor. Though crispy on the outside, the meat inside was tender. Because it was well-marinated and the batter was perfectly applied, the meat was thoroughly flavorful. It was delicious on its own, no dipping sauces needed. Of course, those who preferred stronger tastes could dip it in some cumin or pepper powder.

Charleson picked up a piece of the crispy pork with his fingers and popped it into his mouth. His first impression was that it was like fried chicken cutlet, but the taste was very different. The crispy fried pork was incredibly brittle; with a light chew, the coating seemed to shatter, emitting a soft CRUNCH. The salt-and-pepper flavor was released at the same time. After chewing a few more times, he found the meat grew softer and the texture improved with each bite. It went down very smoothly. Simply perfect.

"How is this fried? Why does it taste so good?" Charleson wondered aloud again.

In fact, making this crispy fried pork involved more than just frying. First, the cut pork belly had to be marinated in ingredients including salt, sugar, ginger, green onions, the white parts of leeks, vinegar, rice wine, cooking wine, and scallion-infused oil. This alone made it fragrant. Then, after being coated in batter, minced garlic, chopped green onions, Sichuan peppercorns, and more were added. Finally, it was deep-fried in oil at medium-high heat until crispy all over and golden brown. Only then was it considered a success. Chinese cuisine involves so many details; that’s why the food is so delicious.

Charleson and his friend couldn’t stop praising the meal. Perhaps because their reactions were so conspicuous, the production crew noticed them and called Wang Junkai over to explain something to him. Before long, Wang Junkai approached their table with a cameraman and asked, "Hello, we’re servers from *Chinese Restaurant*, which is a Chinese food TV show. May I interview you about your thoughts on today’s cuisine?"

Hearing Wang Junkai, Charleson was very excited. He gave a thumbs-up to the camera and exclaimed, "Extremely delicious, simply the best!"

Then, as if remembering something, he added emphatically, "Chinese food, awesome!"

When Charleson uttered the word "awesome," Wang Junkai’s mind blanked for a moment. Is that something you can say on TV? he thought. But since it’s a foreign guest saying it, it should be fine. It was clear Charleson genuinely loved the food.

"Thank you," Wang Junkai quickly recovered and said with a smile.

This footage was hilarious, and the post-production team planned to edit this clip into the main broadcast; it would definitely make for great television.

The number of customers on the first day wasn’t particularly high. This was understandable; there had never been a Chinese restaurant on Sicily Island before, so many people weren’t familiar with it. Only adventurous locals or tourists tended to walk in. The restaurant’s ambiance was very pleasant.

Just then, another young couple walked in. They owned a gift shop on the same street. Having heard that the morning’s savory pancakes were delicious, they decided to come at lunchtime to see what Chinese food was really like. After sitting down, they quickly placed their order. They started with braised pork and a pot of the abalone and chicken soup. The abalone and chicken soup was the only soup available today; after all, with limited staff, they could only manage one kind.

Then, the young man saw a dish name on the menu and asked, his face full of surprise, "Cola chicken? Coca-Cola chicken wings? Is that the Coca-Cola chicken wings I’m thinking of?" He racked his brains but couldn’t fathom how those two things could be combined. Coca-Cola and chicken wings? Sure, when eating at KFC or McDonald’s, you could drink Coca-Cola while munching on chicken wings, but the Coca-Cola chicken wings on this menu clearly didn’t mean that.

Seeing his confusion, Wang Junkai, their server, patiently explained, "Coca-Cola is an ingredient in this dish. It’s a very popular Chinese recipe, and it tastes excellent. I suggest you try it."

Hearing this, the young man made up his mind. "Alright, I’ll have an order of Coca-Cola chicken wings too!" he declared.

"No problem," Wang Junkai replied.

Once the order was placed, it was quickly sent to the kitchen. Jiang Feng looked at the order ticket and immediately got busy. The braised pork must be stewed until fragrant and tender. The Coca-Cola chicken wings have to be perfectly savory and delicious.

Zhao Liying took out a tureen and ladled out some abalone and chicken soup. She was very meticulous, ensuring each serving contained only three slices of abalone, strictly controlling the quantity. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough to go around. Soon, the abalone and chicken soup was served at the couple’s table.

Seeing that their other dishes hadn’t arrived yet, the young couple picked up their bowls and ladled some of the abalone and chicken soup for themselves. The young woman whispered to her partner, "It’s because of them that my favorite Italian restaurant closed. They’re just here to film a show; they’re all celebrities. How could they possibly cook well?"

As she spoke, she took a spoonful of the chicken soup. After that one sip, she completely forgot what she had just said. "WOW!" she exclaimed. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel✶fire.net

China’s culture of slow-cooked soups is truly exceptional, especially Cantonese broths, which are internationally renowned. After all, such exquisitely flavorful soups are rarely found elsewhere. That rich, deep flavor, emanating from within, is unique to Chinese slow-cooked soups. This particular pot of chicken soup had been meticulously simmered by Jiang Feng, built on the umami of fresh chicken and abalone, enhanced by various other ingredients. The taste was incredibly savory and aromatic! One might even say it was purer than the broth of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. This soup was truly top-tier.

"So delicious! It’s amazing!" The young woman, her earlier skepticism forgotten, couldn’t stop praising the abalone and chicken soup. She hadn’t even tried other Chinese dishes yet and had gone straight to tasting chicken soup made by a top chef like Jiang Feng. Encountering such a high-caliber soup right from the start, it was no wonder she was a bit overwhelmed.

The young man also drank a bowl of soup. After finishing, he felt a bit warm and invigorated. "This is very good! How was it made? Can abalone be prepared ? Could I learn how?" he asked.

Actually, some foreigners had indeed tried to learn Chinese cooking. One such person gave up after watching a single, supposedly simple video tutorial on stir-frying shredded cabbage.

Chinese Chef: "Step one, prepare a head of round cabbage."

The foreigner took out a head of round cabbage.

Chinese Chef: "Step two, cut the cabbage in half."

The Chinese chef sliced the cabbage and continued.

The foreigner imitated, cutting the cabbage in half.

Chinese Chef: "Step three, shred the cabbage."

The Chinese chef picked up a cleaver and, with a rapid series of CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! sounds, expertly shredded the cabbage into a pile on the cutting board.

The foreigner: "What the heck?!"

What is this? How on earth are you supposed to learn that? How did a perfectly good head of cabbage end up like that so quickly?

It was hopeless. If one didn’t even possess basic knife skills, attempting other dishes was out of the question.

The young couple from the gift shop were eagerly drinking the chicken soup. Wang Junkai and Yeang Zi noticed this. They considered reminding them about Chinese dining customs—eating the main dishes first and having soup last to "fill in the gaps"—but decided against it. Foreign customs are probably different, they reasoned, so they let it be.

"That soup smells so good!" Yeang Zi said quietly, eyeing the tureen of chicken soup.

Wang Junkai, noticing her expression, grinned and teased, "Should I ask Chef Jiang to save some for you?"

He was joking, but Yeang Zi didn’t dismiss the idea. Instead, she said earnestly, "I think he should save some for everyone. I bet everyone wants to try it."

Hearing her, Wang Junkai glanced at the abalone and chicken soup on the couple’s table. Truth be told, he really wanted some too.