11. Silken Tofu with Tender Beef Slices-Pequeno Restaurante do Multiverso [Gastronomia](Acariciar as estrelas e o tempo)

Jiangyao No. 1 High School.

During the break, several girls pulled Pan Yueyi aside to discuss where they should go for dinner to celebrate a close friend’s birthday. With final exams approaching, everyone’s schedule was tight, yet they were determined to carve out two hours during their lunch break to celebrate Liu Yi’s birthday.

They had grown tired of all the small eateries near the school; the menus felt repetitive. By putting their heads together, they hoped someone might come up with a fresh suggestion.

"There’s a dry-pot shrimp place on Huaihai Road that’s really popular lately. I’ve been there twice, and it’s quite good."

Someone quickly dismissed the idea: "That won't work, I'm afraid. They always have a line, and we don't have enough time."

"What about that hot pot place?"

"We had hot pot for Lily’s birthday last time. Can we go somewhere else this time?"

"I have a recommendation," Pan Yueyi said, chin slightly raised, not without a hint of pride. "I know a place that tastes amazing, doesn't require waiting in line, and isn't too far from school!"

***

On the day of Liu Yi’s birthday, the five girls rushed into Nanlai Restaurant.

As soon as they sat down, Bao Lili urged everyone to order quickly. "We only have two hours, and we have to account for the travel time. Besides, Yueyi said they don’t use pre-prepared meals here, so the food takes a while. We need to decide fast."

The girls passed the menu around. Bao Lili ordered a refreshing-looking lemon shredded chicken, while the birthday girl, Liu Yi, chose the beef with bean curd. When the menu reached Pan Yueyi, she scanned it, feeling a pang of regret that the tomato-sauce salted egg yolk tofu she had raved about wasn't there. However, her eyes drifted downward, and a charming dish name caught her attention.

"Yam Peach—I want to order this!" Was it a dessert made of yam and peaches? It sounded intriguing.

Xin Huan took down the order and hurried into the kitchen.

The girls sat at their table, bored, looking around. There were quite a few customers, some alone and some in groups, yet everyone was remarkably quiet, rarely speaking.

Even the boisterous Bao Lili noticed the unusual atmosphere and lowered her voice to ask Pan Yueyi, "Are there any special rules here? Why is it so quiet?"

Pan Yueyi found it strange. "No, I’ve been here several times and have never heard of any rules."

She glanced at the neighboring table. Two young diners were sitting opposite each other, picking at their food with their phones set far aside, untouched. Their chopsticks were held firmly in hand, moving with a rhythm so precise it was as if they had been programmed: pick up food—open mouth—eat. Only when the food hit their palates did their eyes light up, their expressions visibly intoxicated, proving they were still conscious.

Pan Yueyi felt she understood a little, but said nothing.

The lemon shredded chicken was the first to arrive.

No one touched their chopsticks. Since it was a birthday celebration rather than a casual meal, it felt polite to wait for all the dishes to be served.

Seeing this, the birthday girl Liu Yi said, "Eat up! We’re on such a tight schedule; if we wait, we won't have time to eat much." She added, "I’m already so happy that everyone could come out to celebrate with me, so let’s skip the formalities."

With that, she reached out and took a few shreds of chicken. Once Liu Yi took the lead, everyone laughed and dived in.

"Mmm!" Liu Yi let out a surprised hum, looking at the plate in disbelief to confirm it really was just lemon shredded chicken.

Liu Yi had only picked up her chopsticks to encourage the others; she didn't actually care for chicken, especially lemon shredded chicken, which usually used dry, stringy chicken breast that only tasted like the sauce it was soaked in. To her, soaked fiber was still fiber.

But this piece of chicken she just tasted was not only zesty and delicious, but also incredibly tender. Her teeth cut through the fibers with no resistance at all, leaving behind a smooth, springy texture. A bit of chicken skin she bit into had a subtle chewiness that lingered, making her want to experience it all over again.

"Delicious!" the others chimed in. "This chicken is so tender!" "No wonder it’s expensive; this is black-bone chicken, and they definitely didn't use the cheapest breast meat."

Those who couldn't handle spicy food were sticking their tongues out. "The heat is kicking in—it's so spicy! But it feels so good!" The lingering heat in their mouths was palpable, yet their hands holding the chopsticks reached out involuntarily for more.

Within three minutes, the plate was wiped clean, leaving only a bit of sauce and fine chili bits; even the cucumber garnish was gone.

"Hahaha," Liu Yi laughed happily. "It tastes even better when you’re competing for it, right? Yueyi was right—this restaurant really has a magic that makes you want to lick the plate clean."

Not long after the plate was cleared, the piping-hot beef with bean curd was brought to the table.

A bold, intense aroma swept across their little corner, instantly driving away the faint scent of lemon left in the air. The beef was piled high in the clay pot, sprinkled with red and green peppers. The sauce, fresh from the fire, was still bubbling, releasing a rich, mouth-watering fragrance. The delicate, silky-white bean curd lay hidden underneath, inviting discovery.

*Gulp.*

Even after sharing the lemon chicken, the girls didn't feel full; instead, the spicy, appetizing chicken had made them even hungrier. Seeing such a large, fragrant pot of beef and bean curd, they couldn't help but swallow hard.

They exchanged glances—why wait? Let's eat!

Several pairs of chopsticks reached out in unison, each grabbing a thin, trembling slice of beef.

The impatient ones shoved it directly into their mouths. The marbled beef, coated in rich juices, filled their palates, and the savory, spicy, and umami flavors instantly took over.

Bao Lili, who believed a meal wasn't complete without rice, spread the beef over her bowl. The savory sauce seeped into the glistening grains. With a quick roll of her chopsticks, she took a bite of beef and rice together.

As she chewed, the thin slices of beef, having soaked up all the flavor of the broth, were far from dry; they generously released a hearty, robust taste, with a faint, delicate hint of bean curd that paired perfectly with the rice.

For a rice-lover like her, this beef and bean curd earned the highest praise: "It’s so perfect with rice!"

After putting down her chopsticks, Bao Lili immediately picked up a spoon to ladle a large portion of sauce into her bowl before happily rejoining the battle for the beef.

Now she understood why the other customers were so quiet. With such delicious food in front of them, who had the leisure to talk?

In the blink of an eye, the rice in their bowls had noticeably vanished, and the beef slices on top of the clay pot were gone, revealing the snowy bean curd beneath.

Bean curd could only be scooped with a spoon. As she pressed down, her ordinary spoon suddenly became a legendary weapon; feeling almost no resistance, she successfully scooped up a piece of quivering bean curd.

The bean curd looked simple and plain, but it was surprisingly flavorful. It was so delicate and soft that it seemed to melt on the tongue instantly, releasing the savory richness of the broth while contributing its own faint, gentle bean aroma.

"This, this..." Pan Yueyi pointed at the bean curd in the pot, too excited to find words.

How could it be this good?

To make bean curd—which doesn't cook easily—so flavorful required serious skill in the cooking method and the broth.

Nan Tu had sautéed nearly ten kinds of spices to build the base, added stock to simmer and season, and only then did the base take shape. The bean curd was added, the heat kept low, and it was cooked for just the right amount of time. After turning off the heat, she let it sit, allowing the residual heat to infuse the flavor. That was the secret to the taste they were enjoying now.

Aside from the beef with bean curd, the remaining dishes were also quickly finished by the girls.

"How are we supposed to eat in the school cafeteria after this?" Bao Lili lamented.

Just then, the Yam Peach arrived, though as a dessert, it was perfectly timed for the end of the meal.

Pan Yueyi had misunderstood; the Yam Peach wasn't a sweet soup of yam and peach, but a peach sculpted from yam paste.

The yam was steamed until soft, peeled, and mashed, then mixed with glutinous rice flour. It was molded into the shape of a dainty, exquisite peach, with a groove pressed into the side with the back of a knife and the top pinched to a point. The tip was lightly brushed with amaranth red juice, making the pink, tender little peach look incredibly lifelike.

The girls were delighted, and although they were already quite full, they insisted on finishing the plate of Yam Peaches.

As they walked out the door, they all turned back to look at the sign above: Nanlai Restaurant. They would remember this place!

***

After the busy lunch rush, Xin Huan wiped every table until it shone. She looked toward the door and suddenly straightened her back, a hint of confusion flashing across her face.

"Xin Huan." Nan Tu was calling her.

Xin Huan quickly answered and walked over. She saw Nan Tu pointing to two pink peaches on a white porcelain plate. "Yam Peaches are tedious to make. I happened to make a few extra, so you try some too."

"For me?" Xin Huan beamed. The Yam Peaches were truly beautiful; she had been staring at them while serving customers and was surprised Nan Tu had noticed.

She didn't believe in hypocritical refusals. Nan Tu told her to eat, and she wanted to eat, so she did. Good food eaten was good food remembered—she would never forget it.

"Which flavor do you like, candied osmanthus or cherry jam?" Nan Tu asked.

"Cherry jam!" Xin Huan answered without hesitation.

A spoonful of cherry jam was drizzled over the peach, flowing slowly along its rounded curves, making the Yam Peach look even more glistening and vibrant.

Xin Huan picked up her spoon and shaved off a piece of the peach’s tip.

The first taste was the sweet-and-sour cherry jam. After it briefly captivated her attention, the powdery sweetness of the yam and glutinous rice emerged. The texture was soft and glutinous, with absolutely no graininess; it was like caressing velvet with her tongue.

As she marveled at it, Nan Tu just smiled and said, "That’s because your yam paste was sifted very finely."

*No, no, no!* Xin Huan thought, shaking her head frantically inside while her mouth was busy. Only Nan Tu could achieve such a stunning transformation from plain yam paste and glutinous rice flour.

She ate two Yam Peaches in one go. She felt that in these few days at Nanlai Restaurant, she had eaten more good food than in her entire life.

Sister Nan Tu was so kind to her. As long as Sister Nan Tu was willing to keep her, she would truly want to work here for the rest of her life!

"By the way, Sister Nan Tu, I’ve seen an old lady standing across the street staring at our shop for a few days now. She never comes in to eat, and I don’t know what she’s up to." Although the woman hadn't done anything besides sneakily peeking, Xin Huan felt an inexplicable sense of caution and quickly alerted Nan Tu.

"Just staring? That’s nothing, then." Though it was strange, looking around wasn't a crime. Even if the woman walked in and just looked without ordering, Nan Tu would still treat her with courtesy.

She simply said, "Let me know if it happens again next time."