Chapter 395 Persistence
Not long after, the second dish was placed on the table.

Ke Ling took a look and said in surprise, "It's pork with garlic."

There are two key points in making garlic pork: one is the knife skills, the other is the seasoning.

The meat slices should be cut as thin as possible to make it delicate and smooth, and melt in your mouth. Seasoning is even more important, not only to bring out the original flavor of the pork belly, but also to highlight the taste of garlic and spicy, adding freshness and spiciness to the dish, eliminating the greasy feeling of the meat, and blending the stimulating spicy taste with the mellow fragrance of the meat, making it fat but not greasy, refreshing and fragrant, and endless aftertaste.

Xu Qing was able to do this easily when he first learned cooking, and he even beat Shaoan.

The garlic pork dish now has no similarities with the one he made except for the name.

The meat slices are cut quite thickly, with solid meat texture and coarse fibers, which makes people feel like they are stuck in their teeth at first glance.

Perhaps because there were only two customers in the store, the portion of meat slices given was very generous, and a full plate was piled there, forming a mountain of meat slices.

The seasoning continues the store's traditional style, with seasonings sprinkled in as if they were free. The chili powder alone turns the garlic white meat into garlic red meat.

Putting aside the taste, the owner of the restaurant is really honest in cooking, and you can tell at first glance that he is a kind person.

The dishes were all served, and the shopkeeper came over with a smile on his face and said, "Please enjoy your meal, and call me if you need anything else."

Xu Qing nodded, "Okay."

The shopkeeper turned and left.

Ke Ling looked at the dish of mashed garlic pork in front of her and compared it with the one Xu Qing had made in her memory. She immediately felt that it was not pleasing to the eye.

Can this also be called garlic pork?
Alas, no wonder not many people come to this store.

Seeing that the shop owner was an honest person, Ke Ling couldn't help but say, "Shop owner, this garlic pork slices would taste better if they were cut thinner."

The shopkeeper scratched his head and said, "Customers often said this before."

Ke Ling was surprised and said, "Ah? Then why don't you change it? If the food is more delicious, more people will come to eat. It's not like now..."

Ke Ling finally muttered softly.

The store owner said as a matter of course: "I think since it is a meat dish, of course it needs big pieces of meat to be delicious and filling. I saw other stores making this garlic pork dish seem to be reluctant to put meat in. The meat is cut so thin that it is gone after two chews. What's the point of eating it? It's impossible to be full. I thought at the time, if I were to cook this, I would definitely cut the meat thick and in big pieces so that people can eat it happily! So I opened this store here."

After saying that, the store owner sighed, "Alas, there were more people eating here at the beginning, but then there were fewer and fewer. They have also mentioned many times that the slices of pork with garlic sauce were cut too thick. I didn't think so at the time, thinking that thick slices would make people eat more comfortably, right? Now that I think about it, the meat is probably cut too thick and it really doesn't taste good."

Ke Ling said: "Shopkeeper, it's not too late to change it now."

The shop owner sighed and said, "No, I won't change it. Today is the last day of business for my shop. I am already satisfied to have you two customers patronize me on the last day. It seems that I am not cut out to be a chef. I'd better go back to my hometown and farm."

When Ke Ling heard him say that, she asked, "You haven't even tried it yet, so you want to give up so easily?"

The store owner said, "Little girl, if I cut the meat thinner as you said, the dishes will taste better and more customers will come. Then maybe I can continue to run this store."

"Is not it good?"

The shop owner shook his head and said, "But when I first opened the shop, I wanted to make dishes with big pieces of meat for everyone to eat. If I change, then what's the difference between me and the chefs in those restaurants? I just don't want to be like them, so I opened my own shop. Even if this shop doesn't do well and closes, I will accept it. It's my own fault that I'm not as skilled as others, and I can't blame others."

Ke Ling was stunned and couldn't help asking, "Isn't it good to make more money and have a prosperous business?"

The shop owner immediately said, "Of course, who doesn't want to make money? I dream of making a lot of money. I hope that one day my small shop can become as magnificent as those big restaurants, with many customers. Who wouldn't want that? Alas, I am very stubborn. I don't want to be like them." Ke Ling was silent for a moment.

She felt very conflicted. To be honest, she really admired the store owner's persistence.

But persistence cannot be eaten. If you can’t make money, you can’t live on starvation.

She wanted to support him in his beliefs but also to persuade him to submit to reality.

But she couldn't say it, because even she herself couldn't tell which ending was better.

At this time, Xu Qing asked the store owner: "Store owner, have you ever eaten the dishes you cooked?"

"Of course I have. How could I not eat the food I cooked?"

"Do you think it tastes good?"

The shopkeeper shook his head and said, "It's not delicious."

Even though he is not good at cooking, he still knows his own limitations.

Xu Qing said softly: "Even if the dishes you make are not tasty, even if the restaurant closes down, you still have to stick to your beliefs?"

"Hey, that's about right."

The shop owner felt a little ashamed. He had worked so hard for a small obsession, but in the end, it was all in vain. Anyone who heard it would only laugh at his stupidity.

Xu Qing looked at the dish of pork with garlic in front of him. No matter how he looked at it, it didn't taste good.

But people’s beliefs are not just about making delicious food.

Everyone has different opinions on what tastes good. Some people like sweet food, some like sour food, some like spicy food, and some prefer light food.

This shop owner likes thicker slices of meat.

Even if the dishes cooked according to his preferences are not delicious, he still sticks to his beliefs and preferences.

To him, this is a good dish. Even if it is not delicious, it is definitely a dish that suits his taste.

People like him are not qualified chefs. A qualified chef should at least make delicious dishes, even if it does not suit the chef's own preferences, but he can only do it this way if it tastes good and diners like it.

The problem Xu Qing faced was not that he couldn't cook delicious dishes, but that he didn't know what his preferences were.

Does he like delicious food? Does he like the most extreme taste?

Is this really his own preference, or is he influenced by his extraordinary five senses?
He couldn't tell, at least when his extraordinary five senses were affecting him, he couldn't tell which one was his true self-feeling.

The dish in front of him gave him a clear answer.

What are your preferences?
It is the belief that must be carried out even if the dish is not tasty, and the persistence that cannot be let go.

　I will make up a chapter tomorrow

　　
　
(End of this chapter)