"800 copper coins? That's enough for four bowls of tofu pudding! It's a bit pricey, indeed." a young woman said softly.
"Yes, the prices of the first two dishes were decreasing, and I thought the price of this new dish would be reduced too. I finally managed to secretly save up 500 copper coins to try the new dish, but it's not enough at all." a young man dressed in shorts sighed.
"Boss Mai's tactics are indeed beyond the comprehension of ordinary people like us. It's not that I can't bear to spend 800 copper coins, but at least I should see if it's worth the price first." Harrison pulled out a chair and sat down, not in a hurry to order this time.
A faint aroma of chicken soup wafted from the kitchen, sparking the imagination. However, given the price of 800 copper coins per serving, many people ordered other dishes, and no one tried ordering a serving of Braised Chicken Rice.
"Boss, I'd like to try something new. Give me a serving of Braised Chicken Rice, please." Karl pulled out a chair, sat down, and looked at Mai Ge.
"Okay, please wait a moment." Mai Ge smiled and nodded, giving Sally an encouraging nod before hurrying towards the kitchen.
"Come on, don't be nervous, I'll help you." Yabemia said softly to Sally, smiling as she began taking orders from the customers.
"Old man Karl, you're really generous. You ordered 800 copper coins for a serving of Braised Chicken Rice without hesitation." Jimmy said to Karl, who was also a big fan of Karl. His family owned a small shop with the Peace Emblem right in front of the shop. He grew up in Aden Square and had heard Karl tell many stories, which he found fascinating.
Everyone watched Karl with great interest. Those who originally wanted to order food were no longer in a hurry and decided to wait and see. After all, eight hundred copper coins could buy a serving of Yang Zhou Fried Rice and a serving of tofu pudding.
"I trust Boss Mai's cooking skills. He wouldn't dare to charge 800 copper coins if he didn't use some real ingredients. That would be ruining his own reputation." Karl said leisurely, without any worry.
"That's right, Boss Mai has never let us down." Jimmy nodded in agreement, but he was still helping out at his own shop and only earned a few thousand a month for living expenses, so he couldn't afford to order a serving of Braised Chicken Rice that cost eight hundred.
Mai Ge wasn't worried at all. In any case, he could only make three pots of Braised Chicken Rice in the morning, sixteen servings per pot. With the deliciousness of the braised chicken, he estimated that it would be sold out in no time.
After all, most customers who can afford a 600 copper coins serving of Yang Zhou Fried Rice wouldn't mind spending an extra 200 copper coins for a serving of Braised Chicken Rice, those who are hesitant are mostly just not willing to waste money.
Everyone took their seats. Some of the people in the group started whispering among themselves, while those who were bored could admire the beautiful manners of Yabemia and Sally as they entertained the guests. The two factions, the savory and sweet factions, had now reached a tacit understanding not to bring their factions disputes into the restaurant and to finish their gossip outside, which made everyone's meal much more pleasant.
Customers who ordered tofu pudding and Rou Jia Mo were served quickly, while many others waited for Grandpa Karl's Braised Chicken Rice to arrive after ordering a serving of tofu pudding.
"Jergi, do you think this braised chicken will be delicious?" Harrison asked softly, looking towards the kitchen.
"Of course I trust Boss Mai's cooking skills. I've heard that chicken soup is very nourishing. Recently, Miranda's appetite and health have been getting better and better after eating Boss Mai's Yang Zhou Fried Rice, and her belly is getting bigger and bigger. So I was planning to buy her some Flaming Chicken to make chicken soup. If Boss Mai's Braised Chicken Rice also has chicken soup, then I might as well buy that. If the female chef at home makes it, she'll probably only eat a couple of bites and then stop." Jergi nodded with a smile.
"You two have such a great relationship, it's really enviable. I can't help but want to find a wife myself." Harrison said with a slightly sour tone. He was out for a meal when he was suddenly forced to eat a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), and he couldn't refuse it.
As they were talking, Yabemia came out of the door carrying a tray with a brown clay pot bowl and a bowl of rice on it, and walked briskly toward Karl's table.
The rich aroma of mushroom and chicken soup wafted past everyone, instantly drawing their attention.
"This chicken soup smells so good!"
"Yes, the chicken soup I make at home doesn't have this strong aroma. This is a delicious flavor you can smell."
"It's not just the chicken, there seems to be a special aroma inside, an intoxicating aroma."
The crowd couldn't help but let out soft exclamations of admiration, their eyes still fixed on the bowl of Braised Chicken Rice in Yabemia's hand.
"Your Braised Chicken Rice." Yabemia walked to Karl's table, gently placed the Braised Chicken Rice on the tray in front of Karl, and said with a smile.
Karl's gaze was completely drawn to the braised chicken in front of him. The surface was covered with golden chicken pieces and various side dishes, and a spoonful of thick, golden-red chicken soup was poured over it. The rich and tempting aroma wafted over him, making him unable to resist closing his eyes and taking a deep sniff.
"These are shiitake mushrooms?" Karl's gaze fixed on the strips of shiitake mushrooms in the bowl, and he said with some surprise.
"Shiitake mushrooms?" The guests all looked puzzled, clearly not knowing what they were.
"Grandpa Karl, what are these shiitake mushrooms?" Jimmy asked curiously from the side.
"Shiitake mushrooms are a rare and precious ingredient, with a smooth texture and delicious flavor. I only tasted them once in the Wind Forest, and that delicious flavor is still unforgettable. Later, I asked many people to buy them among the elves, but I could only occasionally buy one or two. I would only tear off a little bit to add to the soup for flavor. Considering the manpower and resources spent, each one cost at least a hundred gold coins." Karl looked at the bowl with shining eyes, picked up a strip of shiitake mushroom with the chopsticks, and exclaimed, "They were both dried and sent, but the quality is worlds apart from this one. The rich aroma is far superior to what I got. It's truly top quality!"
"About a hundred gold coins!"
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but gasp. Just what kind of identity did this Grandpa Karl have that he would expend so much manpower and resources just to eat such a small shiitake mushroom?
Of course, what surprised everyone even more was that the delicious food that Grandpa Karl had spent so much money to eat was simply put into the new dish as a side dish by Boss Mai!
Shiitake Mushrooms cost over a hundred gold coins each! Although the shiitake mushrooms in the bowl are cut into thin strips, but there must be more than one. And according to Grandpa Karl, these are practically priceless, let alone several bottles of them!
Ordinary people can't even see them, let alone eat them.
In the kitchen, Mai Ge listened to Karl's words with a slight smile. This was the first customer to recognize shiitake mushrooms, so he must be a gourmet. He just hadn't expected shiitake mushrooms to be so precious in this world. In that case, the price was too low.
"Let me taste it." Karl picked up the shiitake mushroom and brought it to his mouth, and everyone's eyes widened as they stared at him.