Chapter 472: The Princess Completely Loses Face
"Meow~"
The princess hadn't waited long before a soft sound pulled her back to her senses.
Turning her head, she saw a large cat with interwoven silver-gray and dark-gray fur lightly leap onto the table with a tray balanced on its head. It carefully set the tray down before her and gave two soft calls.
"Wow!" The girl couldn't help but exclaim.
She had, of course, seen pet cats before, but one this beautiful that could carry serving trays? That was entirely new. Moreover, the faint spirit power fluctuations emanating from the cat proved it wasn't an ordinary pet, but a genuine spirit beast.
Using a spirit beast cat to serve dishes in the restaurant?
It was the first time she had seen something so interesting. For a moment, even the freshly delivered Dongpo Pork Knuckle failed to draw her full attention.
"Kitty, can I hold you?" Seeing that Pururu sat by the table instead of leaving, the girl cautiously leaned closer. When she noticed the cat showed no resistance to her approach, she carefully reached out her hand.
Pururu had grown noticeably larger and heavier than before, but its long fur—like that of a plush doll—had become even softer and silkier as it grew. Holding it felt wonderful.
Cradling Pururu gently and stroking it, a smile couldn't help but spread across the girl's face.
So comfortable!
After quite some time, when Pururu finally wriggled free and hopped away, she reluctantly shifted her attention back to the dish it had delivered.
With just one glance, she couldn't stop herself from swallowing.
Back in the palace, faced with countless exquisite dishes, she hadn't taken a single bite because she was in a bad mood. After leaving the palace, she had wandered the streets for most of the day without eating anything. She was already starving. Now, confronted with this Dongpo Pork Knuckle that looked irresistibly delicious, tears of longing nearly streamed from the corners of her mouth.
It smelled incredible!
The rich and pure aroma of meat, infused with subtle spices, charged wildly into her nose. Her already empty stomach began to churn uncontrollably, emitting a series of unmistakable "gurgle gurgle" sounds.
Her face instantly flushed red.
She was a princess! When has she ever gone hungry in her life, let alone made such indecorous noises?
After glancing around and confirming that no one else was present—the only other person was still cooking in the kitchen—she finally let out a sigh of relief. Then she focused intently on the culprit responsible for her embarrassing stomach growls.
Although she had seen an image of Dongpo Pork Knuckle in the menu, no matter how exquisite a picture might be, it couldn't compare to the sheen and texture of the real thing.
At the bottom of the plate lay a shallow pool of reddish-brown sauce, within which rested a plump pork knuckle.
Yes, plump.
She couldn't think of a more fitting word. The smooth skin, utterly free of bristles, had tightened during cooking, wrapping snugly around the meat within. Its slightly contracted surface bore a delicate granular texture that reflected a tantalizing sheen of oil under the lights.
The color of the skin matched the reddish-brown sauce beneath it, yet it also possessed a jade-like luster and softness, making one's heart leap at the sight and crave an immediate taste.
Peering through a cut that had gradually opened during cooking, she examined the interior. Beneath the skin, the most eye-catching part was the tendon—soft, glossy, and almost translucent. The reddish-brown sauce had lightly infused it, not staining it as deeply as the skin, but adding a faint amber hue to its crystalline texture.
Below the tendon lay the pale gray pork meat. Unlike the skin, it hadn't been fully dyed by the sauce, retaining the natural color of cooked meat. Yet this did nothing to diminish its appeal. Along the fine grain of the meat, now braised until meltingly tender, tiny fissures had opened, each filled with that enticing reddish-brown sauce. It looked as if one bite would cause a burst of savory juices to spill forth.
This was not a dish to examine too closely, the longer she stared, the hungrier she became.
"Mm." Wiping the drool that was nearly reaching her chin, the girl grabbed the pair of chopsticks beside the plate without hesitation.
On the page following the menu directory, there was a thoughtful introduction to the restaurant's unique tableware: a detailed explanation and illustrated guide on how to use chopsticks. After matching the diagrams with the actual chopsticks and practicing twice, she had basically mastered how to use them.
Holding the chopsticks, she decisively picked up a large chunk of the plump, tempting pork knuckle. Starving as she was, the girl completely forgot all the refined table manners she had learned in the palace. Supporting it slightly with a small bowl, she stuffed the entire piece—skin, tendon, and meat—straight into her mouth.
"Mm!"
Her small mouth was instantly filled to the brim with pork. Only then did she realize she had gotten a little too excited—she had picked up far too much in one bite.
After struggling to chew twice, she felt the marvelous flavor of the pork exploding across her mouth and nose like fireworks. Gradually, she relaxed a little, her eyes narrowing slightly as she began to savor it carefully.
So delicious!
The reddish-brown sauce carried a subtle sweetness. In her past impressions, sweetness in a meat dish should have felt strange. But here, that unusual hint of sweetness blended seamlessly into the pork knuckle. Mixed with the juices bursting from the meat as she chewed, it felt as though some wondrous chemical reaction had occurred. Not only did it cut through any trace of greasiness, it elevated the natural savoriness of the pork to an entirely new level.
Along with the rich and concentrated meaty flavor that slowly unfolded between her lips and teeth came an addictive texture that one would crave after just a single taste. The pork skin was so soft and sticky that it nearly melted with a gentle press of the tongue. The tendon was tender yet resilient, pleasantly chewy. And on top of that was the pork itself—soft and delicate without lacking bite.
The meat held no trace of dryness. It seemed to conceal endless juices within, bursting forth with every chew. It had all the succulence and tenderness one expected from meat, yet without feeling mushy. Chewy yet harmonious with the skin and tendon, it created an incomparable mouthfeel.
With just one bite, she felt as though she had opened the door to an entirely new world.
How could such a dish exist in this world?
Compared to this, the dishes prepared by the imperial chefs in the palace seemed like pig feed.
Why would such an extraordinary restaurant be opened on such a remote street, with no reputation at all?
She couldn't understand it. In the end, she could only conclude that she was simply lucky to have discovered this hidden treasure on Mingke Street.
She had come here merely to hide so her Third Brother wouldn't find her, yet she had stumbled upon such an unexpected delight.
"Your Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish and Bodhi Vegetarian Dish are ready…"
This time, it was Qi Han who brought the dishes over. Carrying the last two plates in both hands, he gently set them down on the table. Seeing the girl devouring the food so voraciously, he couldn't help but remind her, "Um… the shop won't be closing anytime soon. You don't have to eat so quickly…"
"Mm…" The girl, who had just stuffed another large piece of pork into her mouth, turned even redder at his words.
It was over.
She had completely lost all her dignity as a princess today.
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Latest Chapter: Chapter 505: Qi Han's Choice[1]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-155496005
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-155496005