Chapter 289: Nine Dragons Delicacy
"Pururu, I'm planning to go out later. Do you want to come with me?"
"Meow~"
Hearing this, Pururu, nestled in Qi Han's arms, gently nodded, indicating its interest in going along.
"Alright then, let's go together."
A smile appeared on Qi Han's face.
This wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment decision.
One of the reasons he had been looking forward to the Shrek Food Festival was precisely because it gave him the opportunity to try out dishes from other restaurants.
So, he had decided to take a break during the festival—after his lunch service ended and before the afternoon shift started, he would use the time to sample what other restaurants were offering.
After heading upstairs to the second floor, Qi Han changed out of his chef's uniform into casual attire before stepping out of the restaurant, still holding Pururu in his arms.
His first stop was the Culinary Association, where he picked up a list of all the participating dishes in the festival. With that in hand, he turned and walked toward Food Street.
Although not all the participating restaurants were there, the majority of them were.
Technically, the Shrek Food Festival was open to all restaurants across the continent, not just those within Shrek City.
However, despite its massive influence, not many restaurants from other cities actually joined.
There were two main reasons for this:
As the number one city on the continent, any restaurant that could survive in Shrek City was already superior to most other restaurants. Competing against them was an uphill battle for outsiders.
Running a restaurant isn't just about cooking—it also depends on location, ingredients, and supply chains. For an out-of-town restaurant, maintaining quality under these conditions was exceptionally difficult.
The moment Qi Han arrived at Food Street, he was stunned.
The sheer size of the crowd exceeded his expectations—it was so packed that it felt like the entire street was completely blocked.
The air was filled with an overwhelming blend of delicious aromas, and the streets were lined with all kinds of vendors, each calling out to attract customers.
Although no single restaurant here had more customers than Han Shi, the sheer number of restaurants made up for it.
Combined, they had created this massive crowd.
With an exasperated expression, Qi Han struggled to move forward, following the flow of people.
Several times, he spotted dishes that caught his eye, ones he really wanted to try—but before he could stop, the relentless crowd kept pushing him forward, leaving him no chance to get what he wanted.
Good grief, this is insane!
Forget it. I'll head straight to Nine Dragons Delicacy and Linlang House.
Yes, those were his main targets for the afternoon.
Although he had pretended not to care, Qi Han did, in fact, mind a little that his dish had been overtaken in the festival rankings.
So, he wanted to see for himself—what was so special about these two dishes that had surpassed his own?
It wasn't out of resentment—just curiosity.
Following the current of people, Qi Han soon spotted a large, eye-catching sign hanging in the distance—Nine Dragons Delicacy.
And just across from it, stood Linlang House.
Both restaurants had long lines of customers waiting outside, clearly enjoying a thriving business.
Unlike Qi Han's approach of taking a break, these restaurants were operating non-stop—especially during the food festival, where they opened from morning till night.
With patience, Qi Han waited in line at Nine Dragons Delicacy, and after some time, it was finally his turn.
"Welcome to Nine Drago—"
The young attendant at the entrance suddenly paused mid-sentence upon seeing Qi Han's face. A look of surprise flashed across his expression.
Boss Qi?!
Qi Han, however, didn't notice the reaction. He simply glanced around at the restaurant's interior décor and nodded approvingly.
As expected of the leading restaurant on the Food Street, Nine Dragons Delicacy had an elegant and luxurious interior.
"Where do I sit?" Qi Han turned to the young attendant and asked.
"Sir, please follow me this way."
The attendant immediately bowed slightly in respect before leading Qi Han to a private dining room.
The design of Nine Dragons Delicacy closely resembled the ancient architecture of Huaxia on his previous world's Earth.
It had curved green-tiled roofs and intricate woodwork, with elegant pavilions and private dining spaces. Unlike many stone-built structures, this restaurant was predominantly constructed from high-quality wood.
Of course, despite the similarities, there were still many differences—their approaches to fine dining and aesthetics were unique.
This style of décor actually originated from the Heaven Dou Empire.
It seemed highly likely that the owner of Nine Dragons Delicacy was a Heaven Dou native.
After leading Qi Han into a private dining room, the young attendant respectfully handed him a menu, instructing him to take his time and wait for a moment before quietly withdrawing from the room.
Not long after, a rhythmic knocking sounded on the door.
"Come in!" Qi Han set the menu down and responded in a clear voice.
Just now, he had skimmed through the menu and confirmed that, just as the rumors claimed, every dish in this restaurant was closely tied to dragon-type spirit beasts. Even their beverages included a house-made specialty wine called Dragon Blood Wine.
Focusing on a single culinary theme and developing a unique specialty was certainly a valid path to success.
And Nine Dragons Delicacy was a prime example of that.
A burly man pushed open the door and, upon seeing Qi Han seated inside, let out a hearty chuckle.
"Boss Qi is visiting my humble establishment? I can't afford to be negligent!" The man grinned. "My name is Long Hanyun, and I am the owner of Nine Dragons Delicacy."
The owner himself had come to greet him?
Qi Han thought for a moment and quickly understood—
The young attendant earlier had recognized him.
"I'd like to try your Dingyu Longzhen. Would that be possible?" Qi Han made his request.
He had seen it on the menu just now. While most dishes at Nine Dragons Delicacy were reasonably priced, ranging from one to ten gold coins, this Dingyu Longzhen was marked at a staggering two hundred gold coins.
It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, but it reminded him of Zhao Fenglai, who had once been overconfident and ended up ruining himself.
Could it be that Long Hanyun was making the same mistake?
That made Qi Han even more curious to taste this Dingyu Longzhen.
"Of course! I'll have the kitchen prepare it right away." Long Hanyun laughed heartily and casually took a seat across from Qi Han.
"To be honest, I ordered takeout from Han Shi this afternoon."
"Among the new dishes you introduced, there was one called Jade Dragon Tendon. Since it had 'Dragon' in the name, I was curious about what kind of dish it was. After all..." Long Hanyun winked playfully. "Our Nine Dragons Delicacy specializes in dragon-type ingredients."
"And I have to say—that Jade Dragon Tendon was absolutely delicious. But even more shocking..." Long Hanyun grinned widely.
"After eating it, my martial spirit's quality improved significantly!"
"Just for that, Nine Dragons Delicacy has to admit defeat. Boss Qi, your skills are truly extraordinary!"
Although he claimed defeat, Long Hanyun's expression remained cheerful and sincere.
After all, making money from the festival couldn't possibly compare to the enhancement of one's martial spirit!
Qi Han hadn't expected Long Hanyun to be so straightforward and good-natured. He was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered.
"Your martial spirit is dragon-type?"
"Boss Qi, how did you know?"
"Jade Dragon Tendon has only a mild effect on most martial spirits, but for dragon-type and fire-type spirits, its effects are greatly enhanced."
"So that's why..." Long Hanyun scratched his head. "Unfortunately, I'm not a Fire Dragon. I have a Light Dragon martial spirit."
"Hah, let's not dwell on that." Long Hanyun waved his hand dismissively.
"I just wanted to stop by and say hello. Aside from Dingyu Longzhen, how about a serving of Dragon Blood Wine?"
He gave a knowing grin, the kind that all men understood.
"This stuff is great for boosting your 'vitality'!"
Qi Han's expression turned serious.
"Please bring me one. Thank you."
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