CHAPTER 253: CHAPTER 253: NATIONWIDE ATTENTION - IS BOSS JIANG’S WEST LAKE SWEET AND SOUR FISH DELICIOUS?

"What did you say? Boss Jiang is selling West Lake Vinegar Fish at West Lake? Isn’t that a bit too challenging?"

Inside Alibaba Technology Park, Liu Yao was chatting leisurely with Lin Qiaoqiao. Both were particularly gossipy and loyal fans of Jiang Feng. Previously, Jiang Feng had sold pottery chicken in the company, and the delicious dish had caused a sensation, with colleagues from many departments swarming to grab some. This time, Jiang Feng didn’t hide his whereabouts and openly sold West Lake Vinegar Fish right by the lake, which was quite unexpected.

Liu Yao nodded earnestly. "That’s right, he’s selling West Lake Vinegar Fish right by the lake; it’s even trending on social media! To be honest, I’ve been in Hangzhou for so long, and I’ve never eaten West Lake Vinegar Fish. It seems like it’s just for tourists. Boss Jiang really is bold and skilled, actually challenging himself to set up a stall selling West Lake Vinegar Fish. So impressive!"

Hearing Liu Yao’s words, Lin Qiaoqiao couldn’t help but worry. "He won’t mess it up, will he? Boss Jiang has maintained an unbeaten record; it seems like nothing he makes is anything short of delicious."

It was no wonder Lin Qiaoqiao thought this way; the reputation of West Lake Vinegar Fish was just so great. Moreover, it wasn’t just one person saying this; many people were. In reality, it wasn’t that West Lake Vinegar Fish wasn’t tasty, but that the ones sold in tourist areas weren’t. If it were the state banquet version of West Lake Vinegar Fish, it would taste exceptionally fresh and delicious.

Things heated up unexpectedly. The related topic attracted a lot of gawkers.

#Executive Chef Jiang Challenges West Lake Vinegar Fish at West Lake#

This hashtag’s popularity soared rapidly. Netizens were already idle anyway. Seeing that there was excitement to witness, they clicked to join in.

"Someone is challenging West Lake Vinegar Fish, right by West Lake?"

"I originally thought Lü Bu was invincible under the heavens, but it turns out there is someone even braver than Lü Bu. Who’s this warlord?"

"Boss Jiang is really brave!"

"You’re making me want to go taste the flavor of West Lake Vinegar Fish!"

"Haha, I’m planning a trip to Hangzhou and I intend to try it."

People left comment after comment. This matter indeed became a phenomenon. The entire internet was abuzz with excitement.

Meanwhile, food vloggers, who always follow food trends, quickly followed the scent. Someone was setting up a stall to make West Lake Vinegar Fish by the lake? Well, they absolutely had to try it out!

Netizens were curious about the flavor of the West Lake Vinegar Fish cooked by Jiang Feng. If anyone could taste it first and provide a fair review, their traffic would undoubtedly skyrocket.

At that moment, Zhang Qiu, a chef who ran the account "Uncle Qiu’s Kitchen," was visiting West Lake. He was a formidable chef who shared food videos online, making a living from ads and culinary training. He boasted over 1.2 million followers on his platform, which made him fairly impressive.

Zhang Qiu had a capable strategist full of ideas on his team. This person immediately called Zhang Qiu, urging him to shoot a video reviewing West Lake Vinegar Fish and to be very detailed about it. The sooner, the better. Currently, Jiang Feng’s popularity was enormous. Seizing the opportunity at a time like this would guarantee a viral video.

Hearing the strategist’s suggestion, Zhang Qiu immediately acted. He didn’t even stick around to enjoy the scenery of West Lake but headed straight for the food street.

Upon arriving at the food street, he happened to see that Jiang Feng’s stall was surrounded by a crowd. Jiang Feng had already begun preparing the sauce for West Lake Vinegar Fish. Zhang Qiu promptly took out his phone to record a video of Jiang Feng preparing the sauce.

Jiang Feng poured fragrant vinegar, salt, MSG, a touch of pepper powder, and some sugar into a pot. He then continuously stirred the sauce with the bottom of a spoon. During the process, he also adjusted the color with dark soy sauce and finally added a cornstarch slurry to thicken it. The spoon moved non-stop. Jiang Feng occasionally adjusted the heat, then slowly added more seasoning. With his actions, the originally thin sauce in the pot became somewhat thick, taking on a reddish-brown color resembling hawthorn strips, yet it was clear and shiny with a lustrous gleam. This was the sauce for West Lake Vinegar Fish.

Jiang Feng was very focused on his work. A circle of onlookers had gathered around. Sun Zhuangfei was also watching; since there wasn’t much he could help with cooking, he just joined the crowd.

When the sauce was almost ready, Jiang Feng asked Sun Zhuangfei to prepare two disposable plates. Then, he used a slotted spoon to lift the stewed, well-flavored grass carp from the pot and placed it onto the plates. Next, he ladled the clear and lustrous sauce over the fish from head to tail. The grass carp had been scored by Jiang Feng, its body marked with many long cuts. The sauce flowed along these incisions right into the flesh of the fish, ensuring that every part would be flavorful.

The first two customers at the front were already impatient, eager to taste the West Lake Vinegar Fish. Everyone else was craning their necks to see. It wasn’t just the customers. The vendor selling starch sausages at a neighboring stall also stopped minding his own business and joined the onlookers. Although he didn’t know what everyone was looking at, he just felt it looked interesting.

Jiang Feng finished preparing the two plates of West Lake Vinegar Fish and handed them to the customers.

As the first customer received their West Lake Vinegar Fish, Zhang Qiu happened to arrive. He immediately asked the customer, "Bro, can we make a deal? I’ll pay double the price for your portion of West Lake Vinegar Fish."

Upon hearing this, the customer was slightly stunned. Double the price. A serving of West Lake Vinegar Fish costs 48 yuan; double would be 96 yuan—an easy 48 yuan profit.

But the customer was unwilling. Do I look like someone who’s short of 48 yuan?

Seeing the customer’s reluctance, Zhang Qiu added, "How about this? I’ll give you 200 yuan for it, and you can still line up and buy another."

Upon hearing this, the customer immediately responded, "Deal. Scan to pay, and the fish is yours."

I wouldn’t bother for 48 yuan, but 152 yuan? That’s pure profit I shouldn’t pass up. To sell and earn over 150 yuan just like that. How comfortable.

"Okay." Zhang Qiu paid without hesitation. He was well aware that putting up the video sooner would bring in much more traffic. Two hundred yuan wasn’t really anything.

Next, Zhang Qiu, holding the West Lake Vinegar Fish, found a spot and sat down. His friend held up a cell phone and recorded a video for him.

The people around all looked over.

"Holy shit! Can you even scalp West Lake Vinegar Fish?!"

"Talk about perfect timing!"

"Man, the first order and someone actually paid a high price to snatch it up!"

"I also find it ridiculous!"

Then, everyone focused on whether the West Lake Vinegar Fish made by Jiang Feng was tasty. This seemed to be the question people cared about the most.

Zhang Qiu placed the West Lake Vinegar Fish in front of him and said to the cell phone camera, "I’m sitting right now at Boss Jiang’s stall. This one is the first West Lake Vinegar Fish made by Boss Jiang! West Lake Vinegar Fish is a signature dish of Zhejiang cuisine. I’ve eaten it at Lou Wai Lou and at state banquets as well, so I’m quite familiar with the taste of West Lake Vinegar Fish. Today, I’m going to taste and see what the flavor of this West Lake Vinegar Fish really is."

With his explanation, the surrounding patrons became even more curious. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on him, their curiosity growing more intense. What does it really taste like?

At this moment, Zhang Qiu was also curious. He had long heard about Jiang Feng’s great cooking skills but had never tried it himself. His own culinary skills were not bad, and he had indeed tasted West Lake Vinegar Fish several times, possessing a deep understanding of its flavor.

Zhang Qiu picked up a piece of belly meat from the fish. This part of the fish was the most succulent and bone-free. Just from the first piece he picked up with his chopsticks, he could tell that this grass carp was not your average feed-raised grass carp. It was an exceptionally high-quality one from a lake or freshwater farm.

Zhang Qiu exclaimed in surprise, "This grass carp isn’t feed-raised; it’s lake-farmed! Grass carp raised in such environments hardly have any muddy taste! The fishy taste is inherently low, and with deft methods to remove any remaining fishiness, the fresh taste of the fish can really shine through."

While talking, Zhang Qiu placed the piece of fish into his mouth. Before the fish even reached his mouth, Zhang Qiu could smell a very appetizing aroma. It was the freshness of scallions and ginger that had been simmered in water and had infused into the fish, emanating from the flesh. It was a unique freshness characteristic of river delicacies, the flavor that seafood develops after cooking. Cleaned and steamed river shrimp and crabs also have this kind of taste.

Then, the fish entered his mouth. Zhang Qiu chewed it gently. The texture of the fish was incredibly fine and soft, yet not at all mushy. The carefully balanced sweet and sour sauce tasted both sweet and tangy at first bite. Once he bit into the fish, the savory flavor from within was released. He savored the fish meticulously, becoming more and more amazed as he ate.

The spectators were almost dying of impatience. Just tell us if it’s tasty or not! His expression was a mix of shock, confusion, and bewilderment, with an enigmatic touch that made it hard to read. Is he constipated or what?!

After swallowing the fish, Zhang Qiu faced the camera and exclaimed in admiration, "Really good, delicious! Without any exaggeration, this fish is incredibly fresh, completely devoid of any fishy smell. You can try it for yourself, or listen to what others have to say. The thing West Lake Vinegar Fish fears the most is a fishy smell. A fishy smell affects the taste. But his grass carp, I don’t know how it’s been processed, has not a trace of fishiness from the inside out; it’s all fresh and fragrant. Really tasty!"

Zhang Qiu kept exclaiming in astonishment. He then picked up another piece of fish to taste. Indeed, the fish was good, the seasoning was spot on, and the culinary skills were simply exquisite. The flavor and doneness were just perfect! This is even better than the West Lake Vinegar Fish at the state banquet! Incredible! To think that you could eat such fish at a small stall! Who would believe that!

Seeing this, Zhang Qiu’s friend also picked up chopsticks to take a bite. As the fish entered his mouth, his friend instantly showed a surprised and delighted expression, a smile playing on his lips.

"Hmm?" Zhang Qiu’s friend found it very tasty and was surprised.

"How is it? The flavor is good, right?" Zhang Qiu asked.

"Really good," the other person nodded and exclaimed in admiration.

The onlooking customers, witnessing the two men’s reactions, became even more curious about Jiang Feng’s West Lake Vinegar Fish.

After Zhang Qiu finished recording the video, someone beside him asked, "Buddy, honestly, is it really that good?"

Hearing this, Zhang Qiu responded with a smile, "Absolutely delicious, truly authentic! Let me put it this way: for his fish, you won’t find anything this good all around West Lake. I myself am a blogger with over a million followers. I stand by what I say."

Upon hearing Zhang Qiu’s high praise, everyone was somewhat astonished. Is it really that amazing?

Sun Zhuangfei was also watching Zhang Qiu at this very moment. After all, he hadn’t yet tasted the West Lake Vinegar Fish made by Jiang Feng and was unclear about its flavor. He had only eaten it once at Lou Wai Lou, which had left him with a bad memory. Now, seeing West Lake Vinegar Fish, he was still somewhat apprehensive. He was also worried that Jiang Feng’s version of the dish might spark controversy this time. Only after hearing Zhang Qiu’s comments did Sun Zhuangfei feel relieved. Thinking about it, it made sense; how could the fish made by the boss not be tasty?