Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 290 - 243: Gourmet Food 2

Loki, free once more, couldn’t have cared less. It flapped its wings and flew to the other side of the table. Its beady black eyes were wide as it screeched at the waiter.

"Idiot, are you a pig?"

"A moron like you belongs in Hell."

"Bitch, come over and suck my..."

A stream of vile profanity spewed from Loki’s beak as it opened and closed, its insolent display a declaration of its displeasure to the entire world.

The lively atmosphere in the restaurant was shattered in an instant.

The eyes of many nearby diners were drawn over, staring at the foul-mouthed grey parrot with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

"..." The waiter was stunned for a moment. He quickly recovered and turned to Feng Mountain. "Sir, this is a public establishment. Please ask your parrot to be polite. If it continues to disturb the other guests, I will have to ask you to leave."

"I understand." Feng Mountain nodded, a headache forming. He turned to look at Loki. The grey parrot immediately tucked in its wings obediently. "Papa!"

"You’d better shut your beak, or I’ll send you back to the shelter right now. Or maybe I’ll just toss you in the fireplace." Feng Mountain’s eyes were full of warning; he wasn’t joking in the slightest.

Perhaps because the Beast Taming Technique was too effective, Loki’s intelligence had increased significantly. It could clearly sense the gravity in Feng Mountain’s words.

It immediately stood obediently on a corner of the table, as quiet as a normal pet bird. It would only occasionally sneak a glance at Feng Mountain, as if monitoring its papa’s mood.

Soon, the lively atmosphere returned to the restaurant.

After their brief surprise and attention, the other diners gradually looked away, returning to their own food and conversations.

Seeing the situation had calmed down, the waiter breathed a small sigh of relief. He shot Feng Mountain a look that clearly meant ’keep your parrot in line’ before turning to get the food ready.

Meanwhile, Feng Mountain sat by the window, quietly watching the endless stream of cars on the street below.

The dim yellow halos of the streetlights blurred into the swirling snowflakes, as if lighting countless tiny, warm flames against the cold night.

The snow fell harder and harder. What began as scattered flurries now looked like an overturned feather pillow, with great clumps pouring down from the pitch-black sky.

Before long, the waiter brought the first dish.

The reindeer hot dog platter.

The thick-cut fries on the plate were golden-brown and robust, glistening enticingly after being deep-fried.

Thick fries, a large hot dog, a long bun, and a reindeer sausage, all topped with a colorful drizzle of sauce.

The reindeer sausage was nestled in the long bun. Plump and firm, it was the centerpiece of the whole platter.

’To be honest, I’m not a fan of the local Alaskan cuisine.’

’In my opinion, the food here is basically the same old trio: fries, sourdough bread, and fried sausage. It seems to lack variety and surprise.’

However, this reindeer sausage today gave Feng Mountain a different impression.

The reindeer sausage tasted great. Aside from the bread, which still had that somewhat disappointing sour tang, the combination of the sausage and the spicy sauce was absolutely superb.

The rich heat of the sauce and the mellow flavor of the reindeer meat blended together. Each bite was an explosion of rich, intense flavor that danced on the tongue.

And the garlic fries made Feng Mountain’s eyes light up.

The fries were fried to a perfect, fragrant crispness. Minced garlic coated each and every fry, giving them a unique and pungent aroma.

As he bit into a fry, the crispy exterior shattered between his teeth with a satisfying CRUNCH. Then, the rich flavor of the garlic spread through his mouth, combining perfectly with the natural potato fragrance of the fry, leaving a wonderful aftertaste.

"Papa!" Loki carefully shuffled its claws, moving closer to the plate. Its little eyes were glued to the food, full of longing.

Seeing that it had been behaving, Feng Mountain cut up a small piece of the reindeer sausage and placed it in front of Loki, along with a fry that had no sauce on it.

"Go on, eat."

At the sight of this, Loki’s little eyes lit up, and it almost flapped its wings in excitement.

It first tilted its head and carefully pecked at the reindeer sausage with its sharp beak, as if to confirm the delicious treat was really its own. Then, it eagerly opened its mouth and swallowed the sausage in one gulp.

Next, it quickly turned to the fry, nimbly picking it up and eating with great relish. It was like a completely different bird from the one that had been spewing profanities just moments before.

Just as Feng Mountain finished his reindeer hot dog platter, the waiter returned.

"Sir, here is your Texas-style beef brisket." The waiter, accompanied by another server, brought the rest of the meal to the table.

As he spoke, he turned and took a tray covered with a cloche from his colleague, placed it on the table, and lifted the cover.

SZZZLE! SZZLE!

As the cloche was lifted, an enticing sound filled the air.

A large piece of brisket lay on the black plate, sizzling and rendering fat that glistened tantalizingly under the restaurant’s warm yellow lights.

The outside of the brisket was coated in a thick, rich, and mellow layer of black pepper sauce.

During the roasting process, some parts had become slightly charred, creating a unique flavor. This char did not detract from the overall taste; instead, it added a distinct, smoky quality to the dish.

The waiter then produced an exquisite carving knife and, with a professional touch, gently sliced into the brisket.

As the blade passed through, the tender, juicy meat of the brisket was revealed in all its glory. The pink center was parted by the knife, its fine grain clearly visible.

After deftly carving a few slices of brisket, the waiter gently set down the knife. He then turned and took a second, carefully covered tray from his colleague and brought it to the table.

He lifted the cloche.

The cloche was slowly lifted with a soft SIZZLE.

In an instant, an even more intense aroma of roasted meat rushed out like a powerful wave, sweeping over the entire table. Feng Mountain couldn’t help but take a deep breath as the tempting fragrance burrowed straight into his soul.

The Texas-style beef ribs on the tray made a stunning appearance.

Temptingly colored beef ribs were arranged neatly on the plate.

The surface of the ribs was also covered in black pepper sauce, gleaming with a glossy sheen as the fat still sizzled.

Seeing Feng Mountain’s expression of enjoyment, the waiter’s face showed a hint of pride as he began to explain the history of the restaurant’s signature dish.

"Sir, Smokehouse BBQ is the only place in all of Anchorage that sells Texas-style beef ribs. That’s because our restaurant hired the top pitmaster from Texas."

"First, we select the prime cut of the beef ribs, usually from the 6th to the 10th rib. We then trim off the excess fat and any parts with a less desirable texture. After that, we coat it in a generous amount of black pepper and other seasonings and let it marinate for a day. We then place it in a custom-built smoker, much larger than standard size, to ensure each rack of ribs has enough space to develop a deep, smoky flavor."

"It’s then slow-smoked for several hours. During this time, we place a pan of water inside the smoker to keep the meat tender and juicy and to preserve its natural flavors. And our Texas-style beef ribs are limited to just three orders per day."

"I recommend you try the beef ribs first, then the brisket. You’ll discover the difference between them."

After listening to the explanation, Feng Mountain nodded slightly with an understanding expression on his face.

He didn’t mind the hint of pride in the waiter’s words. As a fellow chef, he knew all too well how much heart and effort went into making a single dish perfectly.

It all starts with the meticulous selection of ingredients, which requires a great deal of thought.

You have to consider the freshness and quality of the ingredients. Take these Texas-style beef ribs, for example. You must select top-grade ribs with tender meat and even marbling to achieve the perfect texture after roasting.

Then there’s the research and refinement of the cooking technique.

Every cooking technique has its subtleties, and controlling the heat during roasting is particularly crucial.

Do you use a high heat to quickly sear it and lock in the juices, or a low-and-slow roast to let the spices fully penetrate? These things require repeated experimentation to find the most appropriate choice based on the characteristics of the ingredients.

And the ratio of seasonings is an even more profound science.

The amount and combination of each spice can make the same dish taste a thousand different ways.

So, when Feng Mountain saw the pride the waiter showed while introducing the dish, what he felt more than anything was a sense of shared experience.

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