How could this not surprise them?

"We came all the way from Beijing this time just to taste the dishes made by Master Xiaojiang, didn't we?"

The elderly man sitting at the head of the table had a kindly face. With a faint smile, he glanced around at the others and slowly said,

"Judging just from these few dishes, Master Xiaojiang indeed has impressive skills. His food tastes much better than many who claim to be master chefs."

"These dishes are indeed quite good, but what I'm most looking forward to is the Blessed Pork!"

Seated next to the kindly elderly man was a round, chubby old fellow, who said with a grin,

"This is a palace dish. If he can make this dish well, that would truly be remarkable!"

As they were talking, the door to the private room was gently knocked, and a waitress walked in carrying a dish.

After placing the dish on the dining table, she smiled brightly and said,

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Palace Blessed Pork. All your dishes have been served, please enjoy at your leisure!"

After saying this, she took two steps back, turned around, and left the room, making sure to close the door behind her.

At this moment, the attention of the elderly guests was all focused on the dish of Palace Blessed Pork. On the white round plate, fresh green lettuce was laid out, topped with pieces of Blessed Pork, resembling blossoming flowers, surrounded by lotus seeds, red dates, and chestnuts.

This dish seemed to have just come out of the pot, gently steaming. The rich aroma of the pork mixed with the fragrance of dates and chestnuts wafted around the room, irresistible to the appetite.

"This Blessed Pork has a bright red hue, paired with the green lettuce and the pure white porcelain plate, making for a striking presentation!"

"Indeed, and the aroma is pleasant too—it's not greasy at all but rather quite tempting."

"Master Xiao Jiang truly has a unique touch in presentation, and his knife skills are incredible. Look at the meat; every piece is cut uniformly and seamlessly."

"..."

While some of the other elderlies were busy critiquing the newly served dish of Palace Blessed Pork, the round, chubby old man couldn't contain himself. He picked up his chopsticks, gently tapped on his bowl, and said with a smile,

"You all make good points, but I believe that no matter how outstanding a dish looks or smells, what matters most is the taste. If the taste isn't good, no matter how visually appealing or fragrant it is, it's still a failed dish.

The Blessed Pork is still warm now, so if not tasting it now, then when? Once it cools down, it won't taste as good!

If you all aren't eating, then don't mind if I do!"

The other older folks were taken aback for a moment, then they laughed and teased, "Lao Zhu, your gluttony is no secret. If you want to eat, just eat—who's going to stop you? Do you need to come up with so many excuses?"

"Well then, I'll really eat it all. Don't regret it later!"

Seeing this, the rotund old man grinned at everyone and picked up a piece of Blessed Pork with his chopsticks, brought it to his mouth, and took a bite, savoring it. After just a moment, he exclaimed with delight,

"This Blessed Pork is rich but not greasy, tender and mellow, melts in your mouth, flavorful and delicious. With each bite, there's nothing but fragrance in your mouth! No wonder even Empress Dowager Cixi favored such a delicious dish back in the day!"

After speaking, he lowered his head again and, in just a few bites, finished the remaining half piece of Blessed Pork in his bowl!

Seeing this, the other elders couldn't help but feel a bit astonished as they each picked up a piece of Blessed Pork with their chopsticks, placed it into their own bowls, and began tasting it.

"Hmm, this Blessed Pork is actually pork belly, but after roasting and frying, not only is a lot of the fat rendered off, but it even retains a rich fried aroma. No wonder Lao Zhu said it's all fragrance!"

"Indeed, it's quite good. The Blessed Pork itself is rich in meat aroma, and when steamed with lotus seeds, red dates, and chestnuts, it gains additional layers of fragrance. It indeed grows more delicious the more you chew, and there's a sweet aftertaste that fills your mouth!"

"The fat has been rendered, making the Blessed Pork rich without being greasy; after braising and then steaming, the Blessed Pork becomes tender and mellow, melting in your mouth. Paired with red dates, chestnuts, and lotus seeds, not only does the Blessed Pork become more flavorful and delicious, but it also carries auspicious symbolism!

Impressive, impressive, Master Xiao Jiang has truly captured the essence of this palace dish. The taste is truly exceptional!"

"..."

After tasting the Blessed Pork, the elders couldn't help but praise it profusely, all giving a thumbs up, with faces full of amazement.

They genuinely did not expect that this time, just casually coming out for a stroll, they would be able to taste such wonderfully flavorful dishes in a university student cafeteria, which even rivaled the top private cuisines of Beijing.

In fact, if only considering the taste of traditional dishes, the food here might even be slightly better!

"I said this Blessed Pork must have a fantastic taste, didn't I? Was I wrong?"

The chubby old man beamed with a smile, eyes narrowed into lines, as he took a spoonful of lotus seeds, chestnuts, and red dates from the plate into his bowl, then picked them up with his chopsticks and brought them to his mouth, saying as he ate,

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