It’s not live, but if it’s a wild large yellow croaker caught about two days ago and properly preserved, the taste won’t be that different from a fresh one.
Li Xiao:
"Alright, I’ll take a wild large yellow croaker. Give me the biggest one."
The manager hesitated for a moment before explaining:
"The largest wild large yellow croaker we have in the restaurant right now weighs 1.25 kilograms."
"A wild large yellow croaker of this size is quite rare. This one costs 22,000."
Hearing that one fish cost 22,000, Li Xiao wasn’t surprised. In fact, he was pleasantly surprised.
The larger a wild large yellow croaker is, the harder it is to catch, and the higher the price. They’re usually a little over half a kilogram, and it’s rare to find one that reaches a full kilogram. This one, being over a kilogram, was already considered quite large.
If you bought it directly from a fisherman, you could probably get it for a little over 10,000.
But this was a private kitchen, after all. It was only reasonable for them to mark up the price.
Unlike Li Xiao’s composure, the other three young women in the private room all gasped.
Even Wen Yaqian, who came from a relatively well-off family, was a little shocked.
They had indeed eaten here before, but they had never ordered such an expensive dish.
A single fish for over 20,000—that was beyond what most people could afford.
Just as the three of them were wondering if Li Xiao would order it, he spoke up directly:
"Alright, I’ll take it."
"You’re sure it’s fresh enough, right? It’s not something that’s been frozen for a long time?"
A live wild large yellow croaker, a chilled wild large yellow croaker, and a frozen wild large yellow croaker—although all three were large yellow croakers, their texture and flavor were completely different. Li Xiao had to be clear on this.
Hearing his question, the manager knew this customer was an expert. He puffed out his chest and guaranteed:
"It’s absolutely chilled, not frozen. It’s been no more than 36 hours since it was caught in Yangpu."
"If you feel the large yellow croaker isn’t fresh enough, we won’t charge you a single cent."
"How would you like it prepared, steamed or pan-fried?"
Li Xiao nodded slightly at the manager’s guarantee.
Wild large yellow croaker is incredibly delicious and best enjoyed in its most natural form.
However, since this wild large yellow croaker was chilled, not live, he only hesitated for a moment before choosing the latter preparation method.
"Just pan-fry it. What other good ingredients can you recommend?"
The manager was worldly and experienced. Seeing the customer order a fish worth over 20,000 without batting an eye, he knew this man was not short on cash.
So, he immediately listed several of their more expensive ingredients:
"Abalone, shark fin, sea cucumber, goose head, bird’s nest, sea snail..."
Li Xiao:
"Is the abalone dried or fresh?"
An apologetic look appeared on the manager’s face.
"We do have dried abalone, but it needs to be ordered in advance. For immediate preparation, we only have fresh abalone."
The preparation process for dried abalone is indeed quite complicated. Without a pre-order, there would be a significant loss from rehydrating it, which wouldn’t be worth it for the restaurant.
The manager then asked:
"Our pan-fried crispy Pocchong is very good. Would you like to try it?"
Li Xiao had eaten Pocchong many times, but this was the first time he’d heard of it being pan-fried.
"Alright, one for each of us then."
After a few more exchanges, the manager had a good grasp of Li Xiao’s preferences and quickly finalized the menu.
"So, in total you’ve ordered six dishes and one soup: Pan-fried Large Yellow Croaker, Pan-fried Pocchong, Marinated Goose Platter, Broiled Conch in Sauce, Shark Fin with Crab Roe, and M5 Wagyu Stir-fried with Yellow Chives. The soup is the Olive Sea Snail Soup."
"If our four guests would please wait a moment, the dishes will be out shortly."
Once the manager had closed the door, Wen Chu Ren, sitting across the table, spoke up hesitantly.
"Li Xiao, isn’t that a little too much food?"
"There are only four of us, and you ordered six dishes? Won’t it be a huge waste if we can’t finish it all?"
Li Xiao waved his hand dismissively.
"Don’t worry, we’ll definitely finish it."
Wen Yaqian, who was sitting next to Wen Chu Ren, nodded in agreement.
"Cousin, the last time we ate here, there were eight of us and we had 14 dishes. We basically cleaned our plates. The portions here aren’t very big."
The group chatted for a while, and the soup was soon brought out.
A waitress approached gracefully, carrying several bowls of steaming Olive Sea Snail Soup.
She reminded them gently, "The Olive Sea Snail Soup just came out of the steamer. Please be careful, everyone, it’s very hot."
With that, she carefully placed the soup bowls on the table one by one.
As the lids were lifted from the small tureens in front of each person, a delightful aroma wafted out, instantly refreshing the senses.
The broth was crystal clear, revealing immaculate white sea snail meat shimmering alongside a few slices of vibrant green fresh olives, creating a visually pleasing culinary picture.
Li Xiao gently stirred the surface of the soup with his spoon, watching the sea snail meat twirl gracefully in the warm broth.
The clarity of the broth, free from any cloudiness, was a testament to the chef’s meticulous skill during the simmering process.
Making soup might seem simple, but achieving such a clear result requires an exceptionally high level of technique.
He carefully took a sip of the soup and was immediately won over by its exquisite flavor.
The light fragrance of the olives and the sweet freshness of the sea snail blended perfectly in his mouth. Neither flavor overpowered the other; instead, they complemented each other, creating a unique taste.
The sea snail meat was firm and chewy, and when combined with the elegant broth, it offered a multi-layered textural experience.
He continued to savor it, appreciating the delicate balance and subtlety of the Olive Sea Snail Soup’s flavor profile.
The subtle sweetness of the olives enhanced the savory freshness of the sea snail. Each spoonful delivered not only the sweet taste of the snail but also a faint, lingering sweetness from the olives.
Li Xiao noticed that no pungent spices had been added to the soup, not even basic slivered ginger.
Yet, the soup had no fishy or gamey taste whatsoever, a feat achieved by the chef’s diligence in constantly skimming off the impurities released from the meat during cooking.
These impurities are proteins that precipitate from the meat, and removing them makes the broth clearer.
There was also a faint aroma of wine in the soup, clearly from a moderate amount of rice wine added during the cooking process.
This subtle hint of wine didn’t disrupt the overall flavor. On the contrary, it enriched the soup’s profile, adding another layer of complexity.
[Congratulations, you have unlocked the 44th entry in your Food Guide]
[The Food Guide entry you unlocked is: Olive Sea Snail Soup]
[Food Rating: 91 (Excellent)]
[As the food rating is Excellent, you receive a 4x reward multiplier.]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received an item reward: Porsche 911 Targa 4 in Racing Yellow]
[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Olive Sea Snail Soup Recipe]