Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe

For this week’s dishes, he spent several hours meticulously planning, and even revisited and learned from Lin Chen’s flavor profile from last week.

Achieving the current results, though not surprising, still made him feel a bit excited.

As long as it doesn’t end up like last week where nobody showed up an hour into the service, it’s definitely a significant improvement!

He had always worked in the restaurant kitchen and never done a buffet-style before, nor operated a food stall, so he wasn’t clear on the differences between buffet and à la carte.

Now, he’s slowly getting the hang of it.

A buffet emphasizes large quantity, good taste, and fast preparation, while presentation is secondary, or even unnecessary—after all, diners scoop from here and there, and any appealing presentation doesn’t last long.

Additionally, Lin Chen’s shift to a food stall mode meant that he didn’t need to use the kitchen during serving times, so the whole kitchen was at his disposal, using multiple ovens simultaneously greatly improved service efficiency.

He also made changes to the salads, keeping the basic DIY lettuce salad, but adding two mixed salads, not using vinaigrette but a mixed dressing learned from Lin Chen.

With a sweet and sour taste based on light soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar, then drizzled with Lin Chen’s homemade chili oil for extra aroma, complemented with Western salad ingredients, it could be considered a Great Xia-style salad.

However, due to limited manpower, he could only prepare a certain amount of dishes alone, so the buffet price was lowered compared to last week, which the diners found reasonable, without any complaints.

After all, this is a high-end restaurant under the Seaside Hotel, where having a buffet meal here is not only not more expensive than ordinary buffet places outside, but even a few euros cheaper, with guaranteed taste and quality of the dishes—what’s there to complain about?

Here, you can enjoy food while breathing in the sea breeze and enjoying the beachfront views, a leisurely feeling unmatched by any other buffet restaurant, creating a comfortable atmosphere.

Wilson, who was on his morning run along the coastal road by the beach, glanced over at the Radisson Hotel’s restaurant area as usual when he ran past.

As expected, there was still a long queue today, even longer than usual at this time.

He checked his watch—it was 7:30.

He couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement.

"Interesting, I’ve been living here for three months, and I’ve never seen so many people on the street before nine in the morning. What exactly is this restaurant selling that’s so good?"

Every morning he’s out for a run at this time, rain or shine, and he could run back home along this beach road with his eyes closed.

Since the restaurant opened last week, every time he passed by, there was a lively scene inside.

Saying he’s not curious would be a lie, but he’s out to exercise and lose weight, so there’s no way he would alter his route mid-run to eat something, as it goes against his original intention.

But seeing more and more diners each day, his curiosity also grew.

"Why not take a detour to see what’s being sold here?"

"Just look, definitely won’t buy anything!"

Wilson had great confidence in his self-discipline, being a retired Marine who had undergone countless rigorous tests.

Even if his favorite creamy spinach pizza topped with various tempting seafood were placed in front of him, he could resist eating it.

Such willpower is not something everyone has; it belongs to those who are strict enough with themselves.

He chose to settle in Dieppe because of the natural scenery and relaxed lifestyle here.

Recently retired for half a year, he wasn’t planning on finding a job but wanted to enjoy a leisurely and comfortable life first.

After all, his various subsidies are more than what ordinary citizens receive, so there’s nothing to worry about.

Thinking this, his feet automatically changed direction, turning at the intersection along the parking lot, and running towards the restaurant side.

Getting closer, he realized that the end of the line of diners was actually a red food truck!

A stall at the restaurant entrance?

And so many people buying?!

His eyes were full of confusion, feeling that his perceptions had been strongly challenged.

It didn’t seem like the ones setting up here could be ordinary people—could it be the restaurant’s Head Chef?

While he was puzzled, his nose suddenly caught a faint aroma of wheat, which grew stronger as he approached.

Turning his head, he discovered that there was also a dining area on the other side of the queue on the beach, connected to the inside of the restaurant, with each table accompanied by an umbrella, similar to public dining tables on the beach.

Around a dozen tables were already fully occupied, with each table having at least two people, yet they seemed unfamiliar with each other, like they were sharing tables.

Shared tables are almost unseen abroad; foreigners aren’t like the Great Xia People who enjoy excitement—in public dining places, even if it’s a four-person table, once someone sits, others typically won’t join.

Unless there are absolutely no empty seats around, that’s a different story.

But from the scene, it seemed every table was shared, with as many as six people squeezing around one, elbows touching each other, yet it didn’t affect their dining.

A closer look showed each person had about the same items in front of them.

A bowl of something with soup, a drink containing lemon pieces, and a plump, white-looking baked item.

"Hmm? No way, the bread is filled with beef?"

Through the faint aroma of meat in the air, he instantly identified the main component of the meat filling.

Stuffing beef inside the dough?

Isn’t this just the improved version of Wellington?

Thinking carefully, it seems I’ve eaten something similar in the army, a flaky pastry stuffed with curry beef made by an Indian chef.

Remembering the taste, Wilson couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

The days before retirement were endless, often having to train endurance against hunger or survival challenges, eating foods that most would find inedible.

What kept them going was the one day a week of normal canteen meals.

Included among them was that curry beef-filled flaky pastry. Perhaps it was because they were too hungry, but every soldier who took a bite thought it was heavenly and wolfed it down, wishing they could have more. To eat it was to gain something.

Even now, post-discharge, he still can’t forget the taste of that thing.

Reason told him the thing in front of him looked different from the curry pastry he’d eaten before, and it surely tasted different, plus there wasn’t even the smell of curry, clearly a different food.

But...

Seeing all the diners around him devouring their food brought back memories.

"Ha! So hot, these fresh out-of-the-oven buns are so scalding, my tongue is completely numb!"

"Delicious, really delicious, fresh buns are indeed tastier than frozen ones. How can this dough be so soft and fluffy, even more so than bread, and the filling is so juicy!"

"No wonder Great Xia’s culinary culture is famous. I truly understand now. Every visit brings completely different but super delicious foods. This hotel stay is worth it!"

"Oh no, they say a normal man can fill up with four buns and a bowl of wontons. Why do I feel like I haven’t eaten after finishing them? Should’ve bought more, the line is more than twice as long as when I arrived!"

"Even though these buns are really tasty, I think the dipping sauce is lacking a bit. The spicy garlic crayfish sauce from Sunday was much better. If only I could soak it in that soup..."

"Wow, are you a genius, bro? That garlic sauce was indeed insanely delicious. I even licked the bottom of the bowl clean. My girlfriend said she’s never seen me eat so cleanly before."

All the talk of food around Wilson made him unintentionally stop and look towards the long line in front of the food cart.

"Great Xia’s food? Something different every day?"

"Does that mean if I don’t try it today, they won’t sell it tomorrow?"

The scales in his heart began to sway, reason and emotion waging a wild battle in his mind.

"Bread is premium carbs, beef is quality protein, with some fats, scallions add fiber, overall a very balanced nutrition, just right for a weight loss breakfast."

"And there’s lemon tea, Vitamin C plus caffeine and tea polyphenols can help me exercise better."

He quickly made up his mind to buy two and try them!

Just two, definitely not more, just a taste, really!

He’s in a weight loss period now, having indulged for a few months post-discharge, gaining over twenty pounds, even a small belly. He had to cut down, diet needed strict control.

"Please give me six buns!!"

"Eight buns, thanks, and three cups of lemon tea."

The line moved quickly, and with the environment relatively quiet, he could clearly hear the orders of the diners ahead.

Wilson curiously leaned half his body forward to peek ahead.

For food of this fist-sized portion, eating four or five was normal for men, six indicated good appetite, but eight would be a bit challenging even for someone with his level of physical activity.

Not to mention a bowl of soup noodles and two drinks. Consuming all that would weigh at least over 1.5kg.

It wasn’t just male diners, many women were ordering four, five, or six as well, making him question his life choices.

Could it be that he hasn’t exercised enough recently, and his appetite shrunk?

Why can everyone eat so much??

After lining up for over half an hour, his sweat had dried naturally, and it was finally his turn to order.

"How many buns for you, sir?"

"Two, and a cup of lemon tea, that’s it."

"Huh??"

Upon hearing the number he ordered, diners before and after looked at him in confusion.

"First time here, buddy?"

"No one orders so few. Those who’ve tasted Chef Lin’s handiwork wish they had four stomachs like a cow."

"Yeah, exactly, you’re only ordering two, they’ll be gone in no time, you’ll regret it. By the time you want to buy more, you’d have to line up again. Seeing the length of this line, you might not even get another chance."

"Chef Lin usually prepares as many as three to four hundred portions, but the more the people in front buy, the less there is for those behind, so those who know come early to queue. Look at all these people here, we’re definitely not lying to you."