"Hey?"

As soon as Chen Mo added some oil to the pot and turned on the heat, he felt the temperature rising. When he reached out to sense the heat in the air, he saw smoke coming from the oil.

"This heating speed is something else!"

He swirled the pan to let the hot oil coat the surface, then poured it out and added fresh oil. He quickly added all the chopped pork belly into the pan.

After a couple of gentle stirs with the spatula, Chen Mo gazed at the scattered bits of meat, lost in thought.

This pan seems to have some extraordinary qualities.

Once the meat was in the pan, both the bottom and the sides cooked evenly at almost the same time.

No matter how he stirred, no meat bits stuck to the pan's surface.

Even the cooking time was significantly shorter. The most noticeable change was the speed of the progress bar flashing in front of Chen Mo's eyes.

If it used to be jittery, now it was twitching.

Chen Mo held back the urge to jitter at those critical points, worrying that people would think he had epilepsy if he did it while selling food at night.

Once the fat from the minced meat was rendered, he added the chopped lean meat, gradually mixing in different seasonings.

Chen Mo noticed that he had put some seasonings into a special container that seemed to regenerate them. Using it now felt... odd.

Clearly, he had scooped some out, yet when he checked, the level was still the same!

The same happened with the oil bottle; although he poured some out into the pan, when he put it back, it was as full as before.

"That's pretty awesome!"

This would significantly reduce Chen Mo's trips to the supermarket. He always found shopping for seasonings a headache, with so many brands to choose from.

Next, it was time to boil the eggs. His trusty black pot retained its heat so well that he didn't even need to put it in the cupboard to keep the eggs warm.

With everything done, it was still early, and Chen Mo's stomach was growling.

"That meal was so satisfying! Too bad I didn't get to try the Ma Po Tofu."

Chen Mo recalled a tofu maker he visited back in Ning County. He wondered how good their tofu was, remembering the line of people waiting to buy it.

Eating noodles every day just wasn't feasible.

After pondering, he realized driving the food truck to buy tofu wasn't practical, so he decided to hire someone to get it for him. The cost was high, but if it proved worthwhile, the investment would quickly pay off.

Fortune favors the bold!

Chen Mo ended up spending 100 yuan to have someone deliver 10 pounds of tofu from Ning County, just in time for him to start his food stall.

Unlike supermarket tofu, the tofu he got was silken, which is rare in the north, often called Southern tofu.

Chen Mo had some background knowledge from his cooking truck's menu.

Southern tofu is made with gypsum as a coagulant, resulting in a soft and silky texture with a mild fragrance.

Northern tofu, or firm tofu, uses brine as a coagulant, has lower water content, and tends to be firmer and coarse.

Notably, Northern tofu has a stronger bean flavor, but Sichuan restaurants in the north often use firm tofu for Ma Po Tofu. Since those chefs haven't truly grasped the essence of this Sichuan dish, it's often not as esteemed as a simple 'braised tofu' in northern eateries.

"This is the kind of tofu I need," Chen Mo thought, eyeing the smooth and tender tofu. "Boss Mu's place uses pretty much the same stuff. Unsurprisingly, Southern tofu is more common in Cantonese cuisine."

Of course, making Ma Po Tofu with Southern tofu is trickier, as keeping the tofu cubes intact is a challenge.

Tofu made with gluconic acid isn't even considered; it's meant for dishes like Wen Si Tofu. It crumbles at the slightest touch, not something an average person could handle.

With tofu in hand, Chen Mo began preparing the seasonings.

He finely minced the beef, using the knife blade to flatten it evenly. Observing closely, the granules were nearly uniform in size. The minced beef was then stored in the cupboard.

"Gotta make a portion for myself first, hehe!"

Chen Mo had been craving this all day, watching Mu Mu devour her meal and Fang Yuanyuan scooping tofu and rice together made him salivate!

With Hou Yao's guidance and the progress bar on the food truck, Chen Mo effortlessly whipped up a "Perfect" Ma Po Tofu.

"No rice, though..."

Never mind. He picked up the freshly made tofu, took a whiff, and spooned it into his mouth.

Spicy, numbing, aromatic, tangy, tender, and soft—the seven distinct features of Ma Po Tofu—all fused perfectly in that single bite.

"Delicious! If only I had a bowl of rice..."

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he noticed a subtle glow above the food truck's serving hatch.

[Since you have mastered the Perfect Level Ma Po Tofu, an advanced version is now available. Please check it out promptly]

[Note: The advanced version is exclusive to the signature dishes series]

Without needing to verify, the recipe promptly appeared in Chen Mo's mind.

"There's an advanced version?" he mused, incredulous after just one bite.

The tofu was already perfect; what could an advanced version be like?

As he finished his perfect tofu, savoring this elite dish of Sichuan cuisine, he studied the latest recipe in his mind.

Once the tofu was gone, Chen Mo took a deep breath, feeling as though even his soul was quivering.

Though he hadn't made or tasted it yet, he already felt its greatness just by looking at it.

"Is this the allure of Chinese cuisine?"

The advanced Ma Po Tofu isn't dramatically different from the regular version but involves more intricate steps in certain aspects.

The advanced recipe divides into two variations, though it only features one.

A broth version and a dry version.

Simply put, the broth version has more liquid, allowing you to enjoy both the tofu and the broth, leaving some soup in the bowl after the tofu is gone.

The dry version is almost identical to the one Chen Mo just made, with the sauce thickened three times to coat the silken tofu perfectly.

Once the tofu is eaten, there's nothing left in the bowl.

The advanced recipe showcased the broth version of Ma Po Tofu.

Chen Mo envisioned a sizzling bowl of red oil Ma Po Tofu paired with a bowl of rice, thinking, "This broth version is unbeatable!"

His eyes lit up with excitement, driven by a yearning for culinary excellence.

It's time to make it happen!

Tonight is the night!

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