Chapter 162: That’s the Taste

The color and smell of the Chopped Chili Fish Head most caught Rock’s eye. The flat fish head, covered with finely chopped chili peppers, was so vibrant.

For the Squirrel Mandarin Fish, the focus was on its ‘shape’. Was the knife work for scoring so easy to master? Liu Heming had put in a lot of hard work back in the day. He had seen the entire cooking process with his own eyes, and he just found it amazing.

Finally, he noticed the big bowl of Boiled Fish in Chili Oil. There was a layer of red oil on top, with small chili peppers floating on it. A few pieces of fish, not wanting to be left out, quietly peeked out from under the oil, letting off a little steam.

“Rock, these three dishes are all very distinctive dishes in China,” Liu Heming said with a smile.

“There’s also some Morel Mushroom soup cooking on the stove, but let’s not rush. First, try the taste of these three dishes. Be a little careful when eating, as some fish pieces might still have bones.”

After saying this, Liu Heming fished out a piece of Boiled Fish in Chili Oil from the bowl for him, picked a piece from the Squirrel Mandarin Fish, and also took some from the Chopped Chili Fish Head, placing them all on his plate.

Once he was done serving Rock, Liu Heming had no time to attend to him anymore; it was time to take care of his daughter. He picked all the meat off the Chopped Chili Fish Head, then added some from the Squirrel Mandarin Fish to his daughter’s plate. The sweet and sour sauce was tangy and sweet, and the fish meat was incredibly tender—his daughter was sure to love it.

Seeing everyone start eating, Rock also began to eat.

His first bite was actually the meat from the Squirrel Mandarin Fish. After tasting it carefully, he thought it was very good. The outside of the fish was crispy, while the inside was very tender. Combined with the sweet and sour sauce, the flavor was excellent. The fish wasn’t as scary as he had imagined.

Then he took a bite of the Chopped Chili Fish Head. He loved spicy food. Liu Heming hadn’t used too much chopped chili on the fish head to suit his daughter’s taste, but Rock still found it very much to his liking. Most importantly, he actually tasted two different flavors from the two styles of fish.

He wanted to eat more, but it was too late. One of the fish heads was taken by Liu Heming and shared with his daughter and wife, who were now sucking on the bones. The other one was taken by the restaurant boss Lewis and the big guy, so he had no chance.

Finally, he speared that big piece of Boiled Fish in Chili Oil with his fork and took a big bite.

“Hmm…”

Rock made a sound.

“Wow… amazing, amazing, this is the taste, this is the taste, it’s fantastic.” Rock forgot his table manners and shouted out loud.

“The characteristic of Boiled Fish in Chili Oil is that it locks in the rich numbing and spicy flavor and the tenderness of the fish. When you eat it, it’s savory and delicious, oily but not greasy. Eat without worry, we often have it, so you can have more,” Liu Heming said with a smile.

Rock nodded eagerly. For some who love spicy food, the taste of Boiled Fish in Chili Oil has a deadly appeal.

Actually, at first, Rock was a bit resistant to eating with two bears and an Owl standing across from him, occasionally snatching a piece of chicken from the plates on the table.

After all, even though the bears looked quite well-behaved, they seemed a bit too hospitable. During the meal, they kept looking over at him, which made him a little nervous. As for the four Pallas’s Cats, they were fine; watching them eat was actually kind of cute.

But once he tasted the Boiled Fish in Chili Oil, his attention instantly focused on that bowl. He ate piece after piece. Even though his lips were numb and almost without sensation, and it was quite spicy, he still couldn’t stop.

That bowl of Boiled Fish in Chili Oil had completely brought out his inner foodie, with not even a bit left hidden.

As for Alex, she preferred the Chopped Chili Fish Head and the Squirrel Mandarin Fish. She had Boiled Fish in Chili Oil often and was a bit tired of it. This fish was delicious, and her little mouth kept eating nonstop.

Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Liu Heming went to the pot and served the Morel Mushroom soup. He also added some to the Bear Kids’ food bowls; they had already finished their food and were waiting for the soup.

“Dexter, I really didn’t expect authentic Chinese food to be so delicious,” Rock said emotionally after finishing a bowl of soup.

He actually wanted more, but his stomach was really full. Now he understood why Liu Heming had served the soup later; otherwise, everyone would probably have drunk the soup first. It was so fresh, and after drinking it, the slight greasiness he felt earlier was completely gone.

“Our cuisine is quite different from yours. Compared to yours, ours uses more oil, salt, and has stronger flavors. So, some chefs adjust the dishes to suit your tastes,” Liu Heming said with a smile.

“But with less oil and salt, the essence of Chinese cuisine is lost, making you feel like all the dishes in Chinese Restaurants taste similar.”

Rock nodded. “Mr. Dexter, your cooking is so good, why don’t you open a Restaurant in a big city? I think even if you only sold simple dishes, you’d have many customers.”

“I have a Ranch here. Cooking is actually just a small hobby of mine. Nowadays, when I cook, I mostly do it according to my daughter’s preferences. Maybe I’ll open a Restaurant in the future, but I don’t have the energy for it now.”

“Mr. Dexter, what about your Pancakes and Chinese-style Burgers? Why not make them into a chain? If you have financial difficulties, I can help you find some investors,” Rock continued.

“If there’s a chance in the future, I will promote this kind of fast food, but I won’t seek outside investment,” Liu Heming said with a smile.

“Outside investment may be good, but it comes with all sorts of demands. I’m a lazy person, and I don’t want to hand over my future ventures to others.”

Rock glanced at Liu Heming with some surprise and nodded.

Now, just like Sasha, he felt a contradictory vibe from Liu Heming.

Liu Heming personally made Pancakes and worked so hard he was exhausted, surely for money. But now, with investment right in front of him, he could easily refuse.

Although what he said was true—investment always comes with specific requirements—Rock thought these Pancakes would definitely become a popular street food in the United States. He just couldn’t understand it.

How could he know about Liu Heming’s complicated situation? His foundation was in this Ranch, with the System. The Pancakes and Rougamo were just side things.