The Top Fishing

In the private room, the group had not ordered dishes; instead, they let the local waiters carefully match some regional specialties for them.

While everyone was chatting and waiting, dish after dish was brought to the table, and the waiter, with a smile, introduced, "Honored guests, this first dish is called ’Longjing Shrimp’."

The group looked on and saw in the porcelain plate tender and translucent shrimp that were so plump they might burst, paired with the tender green Longjing tea leaves, presenting a fresh and tender appearance.

The waiter continued, "Speaking of Longjing Shrimp, I must tell the story behind this dish. It is said that Emperor Qianlong once visited Hang City in disguise and tasted a cup of freshly brewed Longjing tea at a tea farmer’s house, finding it remarkably fragrant and delicious. Hence, he spent a substantial amount of money to buy some tea leaves and left. Later, Emperor Qianlong visited a restaurant and asked the waiter to brew some tea with the leaves. The waiter saw a corner of the dragon robe under Qianlong’s outer garment, was greatly shocked, and hurriedly told the owner, who was cooking boiled shrimp. Hearing that the Emperor was eating at his restaurant, the owner was so frightened that he accidentally knocked the tea leaves from the waiter’s hand into the pot. Initially, it was a mistake, but unexpectedly, when this dish was presented to Qianlong, he was impressed by its elegant appearance and unique flavor. He nodded in approval, and since then, this dish has become a famous dish in Hang City, passed down to this day..."

Listening to the waiter’s introduction, everyone started to pick up their chopsticks. With a bite of shrimp, everyone found the texture tender and bouncy, juicy, and simultaneously filled with the freshness of the Longjing tea, making it very unique.

Lin Yang nodded, "Indeed, it’s delicious."

Xiao Zhang said, "Hmm, the shrimp is secondary, but I think the Longjing tea in it must be of top quality."

The waiter smiled and said, "The Longjing tea we use in our restaurant is the top-quality Mingqian Longjing from Longjing Village."

Everyone nodded while indulging in the feast.

The second dish brought out was a fish with vibrant colors that whetted the appetite.

The waiter then introduced, "This dish is called ’West Lake Vinegar Fish.’ I believe everyone has heard of it, and there is also a legend associated with it. It is said that in ancient times, there was a talented scholar who was full of knowledge but disliked fame, so he chose to live in seclusion by West Lake and made a living by fishing. At the time, there was a bully who coveted his brother’s wife, so he oppressed and killed his brother and took his sister-in-law. To avenge his brother, the scholar filed numerous complaints, but to no avail, and was repeatedly oppressed by the authorities. Knowing the bully’s power was too great, his sister-in-law persuaded the scholar to leave Hang City and hide. The scholar realized that he couldn’t seek revenge while still in Hang City but needed to go to Beijing to find a way. So, he decided to leave, and before leaving, his sister-in-law specifically cooked a West Lake fish in sweet and sour sauce as a farewell meal."