"Mom, do you think today's Western food is delicious?" Niu Ben looked at Niu Xiaoli with both eyes, and his little fat hand was on the table. It looks a bit like a fat Shiba Inu begging to eat cucumbers.

Niu Xiaoli was amused by Niu Ben's appearance, and burst out laughing. Then he nodded and said, "It's delicious." But this can't be considered Western food, right? Xiao Zhang, the eldest sister didn't say that you mean anything bad. The dishes you make are delicious. ”

Zhang Tong waved his hand: "It's okay, it's originally a pidgin soy sauce Western food." Let's not talk about the question of authenticity or inauthenticity. ”

Niu Xiaoli smiled when she heard Zhang Tong say this.

Niu Ben ignored the conversation between the two adults, he just continued to ask Niu Xiaoli in a hurry, "Mom, answer my question." Do you think this Western food is delicious?"

"Hmmm, delicious!" Niu Xiaoli replied sincerely. Zhang Tong's craftsmanship is speechless, and the difficult point is that Zhang Tong's cooking does not have a {restaurant taste}.

The so-called restaurant taste refers to the fact that people's tastes are getting heavier and heavier, the sense of taste is becoming more and more dull, and it is difficult to open the taste buds of ordinary diners with not very stimulating (irritating is not completely spicy) food. In order to attract business and repeat customers, restaurants use more and more spices, and the flavors are becoming more and more complex.

Regardless of any taste of the restaurant, whether it is Sichuan cuisine or Cantonese cuisine, the current restaurant cuisine pays attention to a kind of "preemptive" taste. The taste given to the guest must be stimulating and impactful. Obviously, some of the dishes that are moderate and peaceful are made by these restaurants very sharp, and you fight each other back and forth on the rivers and lakes on the tip of the tongue.

Zhang Tong's dishes don't have that kind of restaurant flavor and are delicious, but they are another genre and way. There is a feeling of washing away the lead and returning to the basics.

When all the bustle and excitement are gone, a scoop of food and a pot of drink, simple and pure enjoyment. It's not how good the chef is, it's the side that the chef shows the ingredients that should be shown to the diners.

This is another dimension after the colorful skills fade.

Niu Xiaoli is not a gourmet, so she can't tell a lot of big truths. But she felt that Zhang Tong's food was completely different from all the other restaurants she had ever seen and eaten.

It's obviously a simple Shanghai-style Western food, and it's a simple dish that almost every Huaihai aunt will make, and there's nothing dazzling. But it's delicious, and there's a rare sense of authenticity.

Niu Xiaoli said sincerely: "Xiao Zhang, you are really condescending to open this small shop." The food is simple, but the taste is really old (very good)! You can go to a big hotel and be an executive chef!"

Zhang Tong waved his hand: "Thank you for cheering, Sister Niu." But the executive chef still counts. When you go to a big restaurant, you have to be managed by others, and you can't cook according to your own heart, and you don't have the first line of communication with diners. That wasn't for me. ”

Niu Xiaoli smiled and didn't reply to Zhang Tong's words, she just said, "Xiao Zhang, how much is this meal?"

"Oh, Niu Ben has already given it. Zhang Tong pointed at Niu Ben: "He said, I want to invite my hard-working mother to have a good meal today." How do you think this meal is good?"

Niu Xiaoli glanced at Niu Ben, and her eyes were full of love. She nodded, "Yes, thank you, Mom." ”

"Then which one do you like to eat steak for?" Niu Ben continued to look at Niu Xiaoli like a fat Shiba Inu asking for a gherkin.

"Well, this. Niu Xiaoli thought for a while and said, "I still like the taste of this." You said you wanted to eat Western food or something, I thought you were going to go to Global Harbor to eat that kind of steak. I can't eat your mother, I don't like that kind of steak if my teeth are not good, and there is blood and water, I don't like it at all. ”

Niu Xiaoli was very sincere, Niu Ben nodded: "Yes, Mom." Actually, I just want to tell you that we may not be used to eating steak. ”

"Huh?" Niu Xiaoli glanced at Niu Ben in some surprise.

Niu Ben is a very smart child, Niu Xiaoli knows this very well. In addition, Niu Xiaoli and Niu Ben now have a disagreement on whether he will go to the United States, so when Niu Ben said this, Niu Xiaoli subconsciously thought of whether Niu Ben had something to say.

"Niu Ben, do you have anything to say?" Niu Xiaoli looked at Niu Ben.

Niu Ben didn't hide what he wanted to say, he said directly: "Yes, Mom." I just want to say that authentic Western food may not be very good. This pidgin soy sauce Western food is as bad as it gets. ”

Niu Ben was extremely serious, and his chubby face had another kind of persistence and seriousness that a young man of his age had, and there was a hint of brilliance.

"You don't have to go to a Western restaurant to eat Western food, it doesn't necessarily mean that we spend three or five hundred to eat steak. You also said that you don't like to eat steak, don't you? Compared to eating medium-rare steak, we actually eat pork cutlet with spicy soy sauce more comfortably, don't we?"

Niu Ben stood up, his hands propped up on the table: "It's like I went to the United States to study and communicate." Going to the United States for a month of study and exchange is indeed a long-term insight, but it is only a long-term insight. Missing out on this trip is just missing out on an exchange, and that doesn't mean I'm missing out on the whole world. ”

"My classmates are really envious and want to have the opportunity to go to the United States. It's not because of how important this opportunity is to learn and exchange, but because they can go to the United States for a month, and they can brag with others later. ”

Niu Ben said logically and clearly: "This world is very big, but it is also very small. I can't go to New York, but I can ask my friends to record it for me on their phones. This was just an exchange, not an admission to an Ivy League school in the United States. In fact, does this fifteen thousand dollars have a lot of meaning?"

Niu Ben shook his head: "I don't think so." The conditions of our family are average. Those students felt that it was meaningful to go to the United States for an exchange because their families could easily come up with the money. It's not a burden for them. ”

"But for us, I don't think it makes any sense. Can a trip to the United States change my life in a real way? The end result is not to go to New York for a month with everyone to have fun, and then go back to China to brag with your classmates. ”

"Actually, I don't want to compare my family situation with anyone. I am well aware of our conditions. Mom, in fact, some things are really not as important as you think. ”

Niu Xiaoli shook her head: "Niu Ben, my mother knows that you are very sensible, but this is an opportunity to perform in New York." How many people can't ask for it in their lifetime. ”

After Niu Ben heard Niu Xiaoli say this, he turned his head to look at Zhang Tong and nodded. Zhang Tong responded to Niu Ben and nodded lightly.

Niu Ben said to Niu Xiaoli: "Mom, I want to take you to a place. ”

Niu Xiaoli: "?"