Siheyuan: Tanjia Cuisine He Daqing, destroying Yi Zhonghai

He Daqing and He Yuzhu were overjoyed and thanked him immediately. Led by Chef Liu, they walked into the kitchen of the restaurant. The kitchen was larger than they had imagined, with complete facilities, a clean environment, and all kinds of high-end equipment. Several chefs were busy preparing ingredients, their movements were skillful and orderly.

He Daqing followed Chef Liu around the hotel's kitchen and was filled with emotion. He was amazed by every detail here, especially the professional attitude and meticulous operation procedures of the chefs, which were completely different from their casual practices in the cafeteria. He Daqing realized that he still had a lot to learn, and that these skills needed not only time to figure out, but also practice to verify.

After leaving the restaurant, He Daqing and He Yuzhu were silent all the way, digesting everything they had just seen. He Daqing thought about the exquisite plating, complex seasonings, and the smooth operation of the chefs, and a fighting spirit of not admitting defeat ignited in his heart. He secretly made up his mind to take what he learned back and integrate it into his own dishes to improve the level of their canteen.

When he returned to the courtyard, it was already late. He Daqing did not go to rest immediately, but sat in the courtyard to think. He kept recalling every detail he saw today, especially the complicated seasonings. He knew that the use of seasonings was one of the essences of cooking and the key to determining the taste of a dish. However, the ordinary seasonings he usually used seemed much more monotonous compared to the rich and varied seasonings in the restaurant.

He Yuzhu saw that He Daqing was worried, so he walked over and patted his shoulder: "Daqing, you learned a lot today, right?"

He Daqing nodded, hesitated for a moment, and finally said what he was thinking: "Brother Zhuzi, I think the seasonings we usually use are too simple, which may make our dishes taste less outstanding. I was thinking, should we also try a combination of multiple seasonings?"

He Yuzhu nodded in agreement: "You are right. Seasoning is the key, but you can't just pile it on. Too much seasoning will easily make the dish lose its original flavor. The key is to strike a good balance, enriching the flavor without overpowering it."

He Daqing listened carefully, thinking about how to find this balance. He suddenly came up with an idea and decided to cook a few dishes with different flavors the next day for his family to taste, especially for his son He Xiaohu.

He Xiaohu, nine years old this year, is at the peak of his curiosity. Although he is young, he particularly likes to eat and has a keen sense of taste. He Daqing often thinks that this child may become a good chef in the future. So he decided to bring He Xiaohu into this "taste experiment" as well.

The next morning, He Daqing was busy in the kitchen. He bought some rarely used seasonings from the market and planned to try different combinations. He chose several home-cooked dishes, such as braised pork, steamed fish and stir-fried vegetables, but he planned to add some new elements to the seasonings, such as star anise, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, etc., to give these home-cooked dishes a new taste.

When He Xiaohu got home from school, He Daqing had already prepared several new dishes. He placed the dishes on the small table and said to He Xiaohu with a smile, "Xiaohu, Daddy has prepared several new dishes today. Can you help Daddy taste them and see which one is the most delicious?"

When He Xiaohu heard this, his eyes lit up immediately. He loved his father's cooking the most, especially when he was the first to taste a new dish. It felt like he had discovered some great secret. He quickly put down his schoolbag, ran to the table, picked up his chopsticks, and was eager to try.

"Okay, Dad, let me try it!" He Xiaohu looked excited and picked up a piece of braised pork first.

He Daqing stood by, looking at his son nervously. He knew that children have the most sensitive sense of taste and can often distinguish subtle differences that adults cannot detect. He Xiaohu chewed the braised pork with a puzzled look on his face, then nodded slowly: "Well, this meat is so fragrant, a little stronger than usual, but I seem to have tasted a new taste, a little sweet and a little spicy."

He Daqing was delighted when he heard this. His son had indeed tasted it. He quickly asked, "Xiao Hu, what do you think of this taste? Do you like it or not?"

He Xiaohu thought about it seriously and said, "I like it! However, the taste is a bit complicated. I need to eat a few more bites before I can tell clearly."

Then, He Xiaohu tried the steamed fish and stir-fried vegetables. He ate with gusto, frowning from time to time, as if thinking about something. Every time He Daqing asked him how he felt, He Xiaohu could accurately describe the changes in taste he felt. He Daqing became more and more excited, and he found that his son's taste was so sharp that he could even catch every tiny change he made in the seasoning.

After tasting all the dishes, He Xiaohu came to his own conclusion: "Dad, I like the braised pork best. It has a fragrant and rich flavor. The steamed fish is also good. It tastes lighter and is very comfortable to eat. As for the stir-fried vegetables, they seem a bit bitter. I don't like them very much."

He Daqing nodded and kept all these opinions in mind. He realized that everyone has different tastes, and although children are sensitive, they also have preferences. Although this attempt is just the beginning, it has given him a deeper understanding of the use of seasonings.

He Yuzhu walked in at this time, and seeing He Xiaohu's satisfied look, he couldn't help but smile: "Xiaohu, you are so lucky! Our Daqing is cooking for you with all our heart."

He Xiaohu smiled brightly: "Thank you, Dad! Dad's cooking is the best!"

He Daqing felt warm in his heart. Seeing his son's satisfied smile, he felt that all his efforts were worth it. Although he knew that he still had a long way to go to reach the high level of dishes in the restaurant, this attempt gave him confidence. He decided to make some new dishes every week and constantly try new seasoning combinations to improve his cooking skills.

As time went by, He Daqing's "taste experiment" gradually spread throughout the courtyard. Whenever he made a new dish, he would invite his neighbors to taste it, and everyone gradually became his "experimental subjects." He Daqing learned a lot from their feedback, and slowly, he began to apply these new seasoning combinations to the dishes in the cafeteria, which really received praise from his co-workers.

Although He Daqing doesn't dare to say that he has reached the level of a grand hotel, he knows that he is working hard towards that goal.