"Besides the pan-fried fish, let's also give the old lady a bowl of longevity noodles as a gift.
Add this sentence to the signboard at the door: anyone celebrating their birthday can receive a free bowl of longevity noodles at our shop. This meal will be on me."
Looking at the girl's receding figure, Dylan suddenly turned his head and said to Alice Nakiri.
"Okay, Master."
Alice Nakiri nodded emphatically and then trotted outside to modify the signboard.
At this moment, as time passed, more and more curious customers gathered at the restaurant entrance. They were very tempted by the content on the signboard but were also somewhat hesitant.
There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. The more something is free, the more expensive it is in the end. Without confirming its authenticity, no one dared to step forward to try.
"Little girl, excuse me, is it true that you process fish ingredients for free here and make them into fish dishes? Can you process any kind of fish?"
"That's right! As long as it's fish, we can process it into any dish you want! And it's free for the first three days. After that, there will be a charge."
"Good, good, good, of course!"
Seeing Alice Nakiri come out, someone immediately stepped forward to inquire. After receiving her affirmative answer, a delighted expression appeared on his face. Then he walked towards the fishmonger Mir, who was setting up a stall not far from the shop door, and started buying fish.
Alice Nakiri only glanced at this before returning to the kitchen. The old lady was about to arrive, and she had to hurry up and make the pan-fried sea bass.
Because it was the birthday star and the first order for the new shop opening, she needed to make a strong impression. Therefore, Alice Nakiri decided to put in 120% of her energy and spirit.
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"Grandma, it's here, be careful."
The simply dressed girl helped an old woman arrive at the restaurant. Just as they stepped onto the stairs, they were stunned by the sight of the restaurant packed with customers.
What was going on? Had she come to the wrong place? How could there be so many people! She remembered that just over ten minutes ago, there wasn't a single customer inside!
But in this situation... it seemed like there was no place for them to sit. What should they do?
The girl supported her grandmother, and a look of anxiety appeared on her face. They couldn't ask people to get up, but it wasn't right for them to just stand there either!
"You've arrived. Go sit at that spot over there. It's reserved especially for you. The pan-fried sea bass will be served in about three minutes."
Just as the girl was hesitating and her grandmother was about to say something to comfort her, Dylan's figure suddenly appeared in front of them. With a smile on his face, he led them to the prepared seats.
He would naturally not make such a low-level mistake as not having a seat for the birthday star. So he had asked someone to reserve seats early, just waiting for her to arrive.
Even he hadn't expected the restaurant to be so popular. It seemed that the word "free" was an absolute crowd-puller no matter which country you were in.
Plus, there was a fish stall right at the door, with good quality and low prices, which instantly created a smooth little combo, making the restaurant's business very prosperous.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Hearing Dylan's voice, the simply dressed girl immediately showed a look of ecstasy. Then she bowed deeply in his direction, sincerely expressing her gratitude, and then helped her grandmother sit down at the spot Dylan had indicated.
Dylan simply waved his hand and then entered the kitchen. At this moment, Alice Nakiri was busy working in front of several pots.
Although she looked a bit flustered, she didn't make any mistakes until the end.
"We should find a few more assistant chefs. With Alice's current strength, she can only control a maximum of four pots at the same time. It's still not enough..."
Although he had taught Alice Nakiri the dark art of the Silver Chopsticks Ten Pot Return, the child didn't have enough talent and had only learned the basics after two years.
Controlling four pots simultaneously was something he could do even before he learned from Flying Saint Zhu Qi. Controlling five pots was when a qualitative change occurred.
"Master, you're back."
Seeing Dylan return, Alice Nakiri continued her work without stopping her hands and greeted him.
"Just focus on what you're doing and don't get distracted. The birthday guest has arrived. I'm going to cook longevity noodles for her now. You speed up too."
"Understood."
After saying this, Dylan turned his gaze to the kneaded dough that had been proofed on the nearby cooking table and the boiling water bubbling in the pot.
The most basic requirement for so-called longevity noodles is to maintain a single unbroken strand.
Thinking of this, Dylan raised his hand and tossed the dough into the air, while simultaneously sprinkling flour on the cutting board. After stretching and pulling, he folded it in half and repeated this action three times.
Longevity noodles are different from ordinary thin noodles. The noodles need to be long, thin, and not easily broken, with a chewy and elastic texture. Therefore, three folds were enough.
The processed longevity noodles were placed into the boiling water, reaching exactly ten meters from start to finish, symbolizing perfection and a long life.
Salt, monosodium glutamate, light soy sauce, pepper, and chicken essence were placed in a bowl, followed by a sprinkle of chopped green onions. Finally, boiling noodle soup was poured over to release the aroma of the seasonings.
The cooked longevity noodles were directly poured into it, allowing the noodles to absorb the soup fully, and then a poached egg was placed on top.
Thus, a bowl of longevity noodles filled with blessings was completed. Dylan placed the dish on a tray and carried it with one hand to the old grandmother.
At this moment, she was chatting with her granddaughter, her rough big hand holding the girl's fair little hand. Although it was noisy around them, they weren't affected at all, and smiles remained on their faces.
"Hello, these noodles are a gift for the birthday star. In my country, these are called longevity noodles, symbolizing a long and healthy life."
Dylan said, placing the noodles on the table and explaining in fluent Danish. He also mentioned that this was a perk from the shop. The old grandmother clearly understood his meaning and a smile appeared on her face.
"Thank you, you are a very kind person."
"The pan-fried sea bass should be almost ready. I'll go get it. The noodles are a bit hot since they just came out of the pot, so be careful when you eat them."
After a brief explanation, Dylan didn't say much more and turned to leave. The girl and her grandmother then turned their attention to the longevity noodles in front of them.
"It looks really good! I heard that Eastern longevity noodles have only one strand, connected from beginning to end. I wonder if it's true. Grandma, hurry up and try it. The shop owner made this especially for you."
Handing the chopsticks to her grandmother, the girl couldn't help but swallow as she looked at the noodles in the bowl, because the aroma in the air was too tempting!
It was clearly just a bowl of ordinary noodles with an egg on top, so why did it have such a rich fragrance? It was unscientific!
"Good girl, you eat too."
"No, Grandma, the owner said that these noodles can't be shared, otherwise the good fortune will be reduced."
Hearing her grandmother's words, the girl's face flushed slightly, and she quickly looked away, then said in a muffled voice.
"Having you by my side is the greatest blessing. Watching you eat will also make me happy. That's enough for me, and it's my birthday wish. Let's each have half. Grandma will divide it for you."
The grandmother said lovingly, placing the chopsticks into the longevity noodles. She gently picked up a strand, and then dazzling golden light emerged from the gaps in the noodles, instantly filling the entire restaurant.
Everyone's gaze was drawn at this moment.
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