novelhk Chapter 331 Food Playground
Chapter 331 Food Playground
My first experience at Zhanggong Bridge was just a fleeting glimpse; the vast ocean of Leshan cuisine can never be fully explored in a single day.
Holding her round belly, Aunt Ping returned to the "Sanjianghui" RV campsite, still feeling quite unsatisfied, and started the discussion:
"No way! This is just the tip of the iceberg! We only tried one place for tofu pudding, and we didn't get enough of the pot-boiled chicken. There's still Xiba tofu, Niuhua spicy hot pot, eel noodles, fried skewers... so many things we haven't tried yet. Are we leaving tomorrow? I don't agree!"
Her words immediately resonated strongly.
Even the usually composed Aunt Yuan nodded: "Yes, the flavors of Leshan are indeed unique, and it's worth staying a few more days to savor them properly."
My aunt laughed and chimed in, "When you're out having fun, you should enjoy yourself. This RV is nice, but after sleeping in it for so many days, my old back is starting to crave a more spacious bed."
Baoguo looked at Yuan Bao: "Yuan Bao, what do you think?"
Yuan Bao looked at the pure longing for food shining in his family's eyes, then looked down at the "pretending to sleep" baby in his arms.
But Little Nine, with its tail wagging happily, laughed and made the decision: "Okay! Then let's stay in Leshan for a few more days! Let's find a comfortable hotel, settle in, and eat our way through Leshan!"
She silently added in her mind: Little 9, is your database ready for expansion?
"Yay!" Xiao Zhi and Xiao Le Yi cheered. Although Xiao Le Yi might not fully understand, she was happy to see everyone happy.
The efficiency of the little 9 is as high as ever.
【My lady, we have selected three hotels in downtown Leshan that are riverside, close to the main food area, and pet-friendly.】
I recommend the 'Jiazhou River View Hotel'. The high-floor river view rooms offer great views. It's a 10-minute walk to Jiaxing Road and the food court near the Education Institute. Pet-specific bedding and tableware are provided.
Top-floor VIP family suites are available for booking.
Soon, the "Food Express" RV drove to the hotel. After parking in the parking lot, the family, with their simple luggage, checked into the spacious and comfortable top-floor VIP family river-view suite.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the magnificent view of the confluence of the Minjiang, Qingyi, and Dadu rivers is fully visible.
Little Nine seemed quite satisfied with its new environment, leisurely exploring every corner with its signature "rolling gait," finally sprawling out as a perfect "cat pancake" on the carpet by the window where the sunlight was best.
Aunt Ping rushed into Yuan Baohe's room immediately, spreading out her food map and mobile app guides on the bed, turning it into the "Leshan Food Sweep Operation Command Center".
"Sisters! The battle plan has been upgraded! We'll use the hotel as the center and expand outwards to the surrounding food scene! Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, late-night snacks... we can't miss a single one!"
"Little 9, come here and give Auntie some advice!" She casually scooped up Little 9, who was sunbathing, and placed her on the map.
Little 9 seemed a bit bewildered by this sudden "important task," but it quickly adjusted its posture, its furry little paws "unintentionally" pressing on the location of "Niu Hua Zhou Ji Mala Tang" on the map, and then it meowed.
"Look! Little 9 has chosen mala tang!" Aunt Ping excitedly explained.
Yuan Bao couldn't help but chuckle. Only she knew that Xiao 9 had just been performing geographic coordinate positioning and information scanning.
[My lord, Niu Hua Zhou Ji Mala Tang (Niu Hua Zhou Ji Spicy Hot Pot) has a broth made from beef bones and over thirty kinds of spices, offering distinct layers of spiciness, numbing sensation, and savory aroma. The ingredients are rated A+ for freshness. It's a 15-minute walk from the hotel.]
Over the next few days, Leshan completely became the Yuan family's playground for gourmet food.
And Xiao 9, this unassuming and all-powerful AI, has, for the first time ever, deeply integrated into this carnival as a "greedy cat."
Breakfast: Jiu Jiu Tofu Pudding (Education Institute Store) – This time, they ordered the deluxe upgraded version: Steamed Beef with Rice Flour and Tofu Pudding with Pork Intestine!
Scalding hot tofu pudding, thick gravy, large chunks of steamed pork, crispy fried dough sticks, bright red chili oil... Little Leyi bravely tried a small bite of the chili oil, sticking out her tongue from the spiciness but reluctant to put down her spoon.
Yuan Bao specially asked the owner to make a small bowl of plain tofu pudding, without any seasoning, and placed it in Xiao Jiu's special little dish.
Little 9 leaned over and sniffed, seemingly appreciating the pure bean scent, and slowly began to lick it. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating its black and white fur, making it feel warm and cozy.
【My lady, the tofu pudding is 99.2% tender with a rich bean aroma. The steamed pork with rice flour is finely ground, and the spice ratio is perfect…】
The analysis report echoed in Yuan Bao's mind, accompanied by the soft sound of it licking the plate.
Lunch: Niu Hua Zhou Ji Mala Tang – A huge antimony pot bubbling with a bright red, tempting, and irresistibly fragrant broth.
Various skewers floated and sank in the pot.
Aunt Ping generously took two large baskets full!
Baoguo and Xiaozhi specialize in all kinds of beef skewers and gizzards; Aunt Yuan and Auntie Xiao prefer vegetables and bean products; and Aunt Ping is a loyal fan of boneless duck feet and pig brains.
Yuan Bao carefully selected several skewers of soft-cooked winter melon, potatoes, and quail eggs (peeled), rinsed them repeatedly in the clear broth to remove most of the oil and spiciness, and then placed them in a small dish after they cooled down.
Little Nine was even more "enthusiastic" this time, circling the plate twice. It cautiously tasted a piece of winter melon, seemingly finding the flavor mild but acceptable. Then it began to devour the quail eggs and potatoes in small but noticeably quick bites, its tail swaying leisurely behind it, as if to say: "These ordinary dishes are still edible."
【My dear, the old broth is rich and creamy, the ratio of chili peppers to Sichuan peppercorns is perfect, and the numbing aroma is long-lasting... The protein absorption rate of quail eggs...】 The analysis remains the same, but Yuan Bao finds Xiao 9's "mukbang" more interesting than the report.
Afternoon tea: Zhao Duck Sweet Skin Duck (takeout) + Xu Lianggao (a type of cold rice cake) - Back at the hotel to rest, how can we miss out on some sweet comfort?
The takeout sweet-skinned duck still had crispy and sweet skin.
Yuan Bao tore off a small piece of duck breast meat that had absolutely no fat and almost no sugar coating and gave it to Xiao 9.
Little 9 seemed to have fallen in love with this "snack." This time, without hesitation, it snatched it up, jumped onto the windowsill, and basked in the afternoon sun. While looking at the river view, it gnawed on the meat strip with relish, its little paws pressing down on the meat strip to prevent it from "escaping." It looked adorable.
"Master, the duck breast meat has become more tender and the flavor has penetrated..." The report was accompanied by a soft "smack" sound as it nibbled on it.
Dinner: Linjiang eel shreds + Xiba tofu feast - We tasted the famous Leshan dish, Linjiang eel shreds, at an old restaurant by the river.
Live eels are freshly prepared, and the eel shreds are tender and smooth. They are stir-fried with pickled peppers, pickled ginger, and mint, resulting in a sour, spicy, and appetizing dish with a rich eel flavor.
The Xiba Tofu Feast is truly eye-opening: lantern tofu, pocket tofu, hydrangea tofu, bear paw tofu... a piece of tofu is transformed into various forms, some tender, some fragrant, and some lifelike, leaving people in awe.
Yuan Bao prepared a small piece of steamed, unseasoned soft tofu for Xiao 9.
Little 9 was very interested in this "new toy," scratching at it a few times with its little paws before carefully licking it, leaving a small ring of cat tongue marks.
"My lady, the eel is S-grade fresh, with a unique flavor of patchouli... The tofu is made with exquisite craftsmanship, and the beany taste has been completely removed..." Amidst the analysis, it was "competing" with that piece of tender tofu.