Li Xiao organized his thoughts for a moment before giving his review:
"If we’re just talking about the taste of the food itself,"
"the fish skin salad they make here is actually quite good."
"Other than getting a bit too salty after you’ve had a few bites, there aren’t any other obvious problems."
"While it doesn’t reach the level of ’Excellent,’ giving it a ’Good’ score of 80 is no problem at all."
"The fish skin is crisp and refreshing, and the quality is very good. It must have come from a large fish, over nine pounds."
"Usually, only two types of fish are used to make fish skin: one is Grass Carp, and the other is Dace."
"If I’m not mistaken, Chen Tian Records uses Grass Carp, and a large one at that—over nine pounds."
"Only the skin from a fish this large would have such a thick, meaty texture."
"A fish this big wouldn’t be cheap. Even if you only use the skin and process the rest of the meat into other dishes, you can’t get that much skin from a single fish. Therefore, the actual cost of the skin itself can’t be too low."
"So, at 26 yuan a serving, while the price is a tiny bit steep, it’s still barely acceptable."
In the livestream chat, hearing Li Xiao praise the fish skin so highly, many people immediately voiced different opinions.
"If I weren’t a long-time fan of the streamer, I’d suspect he was paid to promote them!"
"Did I go to a fake Chen Tian Records?? When I ate there last time, it was completely average!"
"To the person above, you might be on to something. There are at least seven or eight different Chen Tian Records shops near that street, so it’s totally normal for you to have eaten at a fake one."
"If it’s really that good, I’ll have to try it next time!"
"Streamer, are you kidding? The fish skin doesn’t even look that good."
...
Seeing so many viewers express their doubts, Li Xiao began to explain:
"Honestly, I was a bit prejudiced against this place at first."
"But judging purely by the taste of the food, this shop really isn’t as bad as people online say it is."
"But... the service here really is pretty bad, and the portion size is neither too big nor too small."
"If you happen to be in the area, you could come give it a try. But it’s not worth making a special trip for."
"It’s a little bit tastier than your average fish skin, but not by much."
After his brief review, Li Xiao quickly finished the fish skin in front of him.
Of course, he ate it so quickly not because it was exceptionally delicious, but mainly because the portion was small to begin with—just a few bites.
Pushing aside the now-empty disposable container, his gaze fell upon the zhuchangfen and boat congee next to it.
Zhuchangfen is an authentic, traditional snack from Zhanjiang City in Guangdong Province.
The process for making zhuchangfen is similar to that of shahe fen. A thin rice slurry is poured into a bamboo tray and steamed into a thin sheet, which is then rolled up into a long tube. It gets its name, which literally means "pig intestine noodle," from its resemblance to a pig’s intestine. It is also known as "rolled noodles" and is famed for being as white as snow, as thin as paper, and exceptionally smooth and tender.
The portion of zhuchangfen in front of him was served with a mixed sauce. The so-called "mixed sauce" consisted of three types of sauces added on top: peanut sauce, sweet bean sauce, and chu hou paste.
Normally, the ratio of the mixed sauces is 1:1:1. Of course, some shops have their own special recipes, but the ratios are generally more or less the same.
The mixed-sauce zhuchangfen in front of Li Xiao was made with the most traditional recipe.
To be fair, even though Chen Tian Records is famous for its fish skin, the presentation of this zhuchangfen was far better than the fish skin salad’s.
Inside a disposable takeout container of the same size, lay the smooth and delicate zhuchangfen.
Each roll was cut into pieces about half the size of a thumb. Three different-colored sauces were drizzled evenly over them, and the surface was sprinkled with a layer of toasted sesame seeds.
The noodles themselves were slightly translucent. The distinct, layered colors of the sauces intertwined, adding a certain visual appeal.
Li Xiao gently picked up his chopsticks and took a careful bite.
First, he felt the texture of the zhuchangfen—soft yet springy. With a light bite, the noodle slid smoothly into his mouth, carrying a faint aroma of rice and creating a pleasant mouthfeel.
The zhuchangfen itself had no flavor, which made it the perfect vessel for the sauces.
Next came the flavor of the sauces.
The mixed sauces provided a complex and rich tasting experience.
The sweetness of the sweet bean sauce, the creaminess of the peanut sauce, and the savory saltiness of the chu hou paste all blended together, giving the seemingly simple zhuchangfen a multi-layered flavor.
The peanut sauce, in particular, with its richness and smoothness, added a unique texture and flavor to the noodle rolls.
As he swallowed the mixed-sauce zhuchangfen, the system’s notification sound echoed in his ears.
[Congratulations, you have lit up the 32nd entry in your Collection.]
[The food entry you have lit up is: Mixed-Sauce Zhuchangfen]
[Food Rating: 90/100 (Excellent)]
[Due to the ’Excellent’ food rating, you have received 4 rewards.]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Zhuchangfen Recipe]
[Congratulations, you have received a special reward: Taste +1]
...
Li Xiao was quite pleased to see he had gained another point in Taste.
’One point in Taste might not have a huge impact overall, but every little bit adds up. Eventually, a quantitative change will lead to a qualitative one.’
Looking at the mixed-sauce zhuchangfen before him, Li Xiao was a bit surprised.
He had originally come here mainly to taste the fish skin salad; the mixed-sauce zhuchangfen and the small bowl of boat congee were just side orders.
He hadn’t expected the mixed-sauce zhuchangfen to actually score ’Excellent’. Even if it was just barely scraping by into the ’Excellent’ category, it was still a whole lot better than ’Good’.
Li Xiao picked up another piece of zhuchangfen coated in sauce, tossed it into his mouth, and began to speak slowly.
"This bowl of mixed-sauce zhuchangfen may look simple, but every bite is a surprise.
The zhuchangfen itself is soft, and the combination with the various sauces is just right.
The blend of sauces, in particular, preserves the character of each one while creating a perfect harmony of flavors."
"It’s excellent. This mixed-sauce zhuchangfen is unexpectedly amazing, even better than the fish skin salad. If any of you are interested, you should come and give it a try."
After finishing his review of the mixed-sauce zhuchangfen, Li Xiao suddenly found himself very interested in the small bowl of boat congee beside it.
The mixed-sauce zhuchangfen had been such a pleasant surprise that it raised his expectations for the boat congee, which he had also ordered on a whim.
The congee itself was an elegant, off-white color, with various toppings like fish slices, squid, peanuts, and chopped scallions floating on the surface.
However, the overall appearance wasn’t particularly appealing. It lacked that visual punch that makes you fall in love at first sight.
The surface of the congee looked a bit messy and disorganized, so the first impression wasn’t exactly outstanding.
Still, thanks to the goodwill earned by the mixed-sauce zhuchangfen, he picked up the disposable spoon and scooped up a spoonful.