He then slowly pulled the ring of sugar open to its maximum extent.
Next, he formed a double loop and continued to stretch it...
But upon encountering this type of street snack, often seen in scenic areas or food streets, for the first time, they found it somewhat difficult to handle.
Either they pulled too hard and broke the ring, or they forgot to pass it through the heated glutinous rice flour, causing the slightly stretched sugar to cool and harden.
"You need to pull along with the give of the sugar; don't just yank it hard."
"If the temperature drops, bury it in the glutinous rice flour for a moment to warm it up. Don't keep pulling if it's not stretching."
"The temperature drops faster as you go on. After each pull, you need to pass it through the glutinous rice flour to keep the sugar warm. This will make it easier."
Seeing everyone's keen interest, Lin Xu began to guide them seriously.
Dragon Beard Candy is quite an interesting snack. Those who know how to make it maintain the sugar at the right temperature, keeping it soft, so pulling it is effortless from start to finish.
But those who didn't know either broke it early or exerted all their might, sweating profusely.
While everyone was busy, Wei Qian from Building One next door heard Lin Xu was at work and came over for a visit. As he stepped into the kitchen, he saw a group of chefs gathered around Lin Xu, pulling at something white.
He was momentarily baffled:
"Are you guys presenting Khata scarves here?"
As he walked closer, he saw it was Dragon Beard Candy.
He casually picked up a nearby order slip and saw that, sure enough, someone had ordered Lin Xu's original dish.
He'd just started work and already had orders coming in. No wonder everyone was learning from him.
Wei Qian was about to greet him.
Not far away, the head chef shouted to Lin Xu, "Add two more orders of *Home*. One for twelve o'clock sharp, and the other for twelve-twenty. Thanks for your hard work, Chef Lin!"
Lin Xu: "..."
Just three orders and it's considered hard work? Your kitchen really doesn't have much pressure, huh.
If this were Lin Ji's Food, three dishes would be nothing. It wouldn't even be worth shouting about; the quantity is too small. Announcing it would be demeaning.
"Wow, three orders already! Chef Lin is amazing."
"Yeah, it's rare for this type of dessert dish to get three orders so quickly."
"It must be because they heard Chef Lin was coming today; everyone wanted to taste it."
"..."
The chefs whispered among themselves while busy making Dragon Beard Candy. Hearing them filled Lin Xu with quiet joy. With Dundun around, there will definitely be more than three orders today.
As expected, while he was chatting with Wei Qian over a cup of tea, two more orders came in.
Aside from the *Home* dish made by Lin Xu, other chefs' signature dishes were also ordered by customers.
After everyone finished the Dragon Beard Candy, Lin Xu made Caramelized Pumpkin Strips and egg yolk baked pumpkin balls. Once those were done, he started teaching everyone how to plate.
For the chefs at Fishing Platform, neither Caramelized Pumpkin Strips nor egg yolk baked pumpkin balls were particularly challenging, as they had made similar dishes before.
But plating was another matter, requiring careful consideration. Even from the moment of cutting the pumpkin strips, the entire plating design had to be conceived. Some pumpkin strips needed to be cut curved, and some longer. Those used for support needed to be slightly thicker. All these details had to be taken into account.
Lin Xu deftly arranged the caramel-coated pumpkin strips with chopsticks, and a delicate Bird's Nest began to take shape on the plate.
He then arranged the slightly set Dragon Beard Candy, added the egg yolk baked pumpkin balls, and the dish was officially complete.
"My goodness, it's just beautiful!"
"Chef Lin's skills are truly unmatched!"
"It's both exquisite and beautiful, and the key is that each component has a different flavor. Impressive!"
As they admired the beautiful dish, everyone reviewed the method afterward and then returned to their stoves to practice.
They took advantage of the lull before the lunch rush to practice a couple more times.
The most challenging parts of this dish were the nest lining made from Dragon Beard Candy and the Bird's Nest structure built from Caramelized Pumpkin Strips. One could even say the entire dish relied on its presentation for success.
So they needed to practice repeatedly and try to create their own style.
Wei Qian had to get back to work, so he returned after a brief visit. Meanwhile, Lin Xu began preparing ingredients for lunch.
「Eleven in the morning.」
The Pork Skin in the chicken soup was ready.
He removed the Pork Skin from the chicken soup and picked out the Scallion and Ginger.
After cooling the Pork Skin, he minced it, then returned it to the chicken soup. He brought it to a boil over high heat, skimming off any scum and stray oil droplets.
When no more scum surfaced, he turned off the heat and poured it into a basin.
Then he carried it to the cold storage to cool.
「Noon.」
After Lin Xu finished the dishes he was responsible for, he found himself with some free time. He went to the seafood section, netted a few crabs, and then carried them to the steaming room.
The assistant chef inside greeted him as soon as he saw Lin Xu, "Chef Lin, are you using crabs?"
"Yes, I'm planning to try making some Crab Buns. Is it alright to leave them here with you?"
"Leave them here. I'll steam them and bring them over to you later."
Lin Xu was growing increasingly fond of this place.
He only needed to give an order for what he required and focus on the key steps himself. The rest of the time, he could attend to other matters.
Even when making the chicken soup and Pork Skin aspic earlier, he could have just instructed the assistant chefs in the boiling station to do it.
Tsk, no wonder people strive to move up in the world. This kind of workflow is something you'd never experience in a small diner in a lifetime.
Back at his own stove, he was just about to take a break.
The head chef who had previously announced the orders came over, "Chef Lin, the customers were very satisfied with your dishes. They would like to have a photo with you. Are you available now?"
A photo?
Lin Xu hadn't expected these high-end clientele to have such a custom when dining.
He shook his head and said,
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