Because I'm the God of Cooking

The diners really had been subjected to his showing off. The lively atmosphere paused for a second, but then, as the aroma of scallion pancakes began drifting from the pan, they went back to chatting as though nothing had happened.

"Boss Shen is great in every other way, but could he do something about that showing-off habit?"

"Why don't you tell him, then?"

"No, no. It's not like I can't put up with it. I still want to eat!"

"Keep it down. Don't let Boss Shen hear you!"

Old Master Zhao and the others had arrived a little late today and were standing farther back. Having already tried the chive pockets, they were used to Shen Chuan making everything fresh to order.

To be fair, although the wait was long, the entire preparation process was out in the open, which was very reassuring.

At their age, they disliked eating at snack stalls partly because they worried the food would be unhygienic and affect their health.

With everything made on the spot like this, they could eat without worrying. And with food that tasted so good, standing in line was no big deal.

At the stall, the scallion pancakes in the pan had turned from jade white to golden yellow, a perfect amber gold that made for a perfect visual impact.

Just looking at that color brought the word "crispy" to mind.

An overbearing aroma surged out of the pan without asking permission and lunged fiercely at the waiting crowd.

It was not simply the scent of scallions. There was also the flour's natural wheat fragrance, brought out by the hot oil, with a thread of sweet, fresh scallion scent running through it, like a hook that caught people straight in the stomach.

The diners who smelled it could hardly wait to taste the scallion pancakes.

By the time Shen Chuan took the pancakes out, the first diner in line could not even wait for his to cool and began urging him on.

"Bag it up for me. I've trained these hands into iron. I'm not afraid of heat, only of getting my food late."

Jiang Wenyan picked up a paper bag and put the scallion pancake inside. Since it was too hot, he added a plastic bag and held it by the handles before he could get a proper grip. Just as he was about to remind the diner to pay, he suddenly remembered that he did not know the price either and turned to ask.

"Boss Shen, how much is a scallion pancake?"

Shen Chuan lowered fresh pancake dough into the pan and answered without looking up. "Crispy flying scallion pancakes, fifteen each."

"What? Fifteen each?"

Although the ten-yuan chive pockets had already prepared them somewhat, the diners still felt it was a little expensive when they heard the scallion pancakes cost another five yuan.

"Boss, isn't that a bit expensive?"

"Last time I went to North City, even with prices so high there, scallion pancakes were only eight or ten yuan each."

"Boss, how about making them cheaper? I'll buy a few more."

Some new diners tried to bargain. After all, they had never tried them and had only heard they might be good. If they got the price down first, they would not feel they had lost too much if the food turned out bad.

Shen Chuan glanced at the old man haggling with him, at a loss. Older men and women would bargain over anything they bought.

But lowering the price was out of the question. Scallion pancakes were more complicated to make than chive pockets and took more time and effort. Although the price was on the high side, the taste was absolutely worth it.

"For scallion pancakes made by me, even fifteen is selling them short. No bargaining."

"Why?" the new diner asked, obligingly playing along.

Shen Chuan declared with complete confidence, "Because I'm the God of Cooking."

The new diner's mind went blank for a moment. Looking at the words "God of Cooking's signature crispy flying scallion pancakes" in front of the stall, he was speechless. Did that even count as a reason?

Was something wrong with this guy?

[Ding, Show-off Points +50!]

[Ding, ...]

Wrapped in that aroma, the first diner had long since been drooling. He had no attention to spare for whether fifteen was expensive and shouted:

"Fifteen it is! I want the ten-yuan chive pockets, and I want the fifteen-yuan flying scallion pancakes just as much!"

With that, he took out his phone and paid fifteen yuan, snatched the scallion pancake from Jiang Wenyan, and stepped out of line. He hurried to the large tree beside them and began tasting it.

The warm pancake smelled even richer in his hand, that distinctive toasted fragrance from frying in oil rushing toward his face with the heat.

The scallions tucked inside had been seared by hot oil and had long since lost their raw pungency. All that remained was a bright, sweet fragrance, aromatic without being sharp, darting into his nose and circling back, making his mouth water.

As he lifted it to his mouth, the tingling fragrance of seasoned pepper salt and Sichuan pepper powder also emerged. It was neither overpowering nor dominant; instead, it highlighted the scallion aroma even more, telling him in no uncertain terms why this pancake was called a scallion pancake.

"Wow, the more I smell it, the better it smells!"

The diner hurriedly brought the pancake to his mouth. His teeth met the outer crust first, and with a gentle bite, that crisp layer shattered cleanly between them. With a crunch, countless tiny flakes spread across his mouth.

The savory saltiness and fragrant oil reached his taste buds first, followed by the faint, mild tingle of the seasoned pepper salt.

His tongue pressed farther down and suddenly sank into the next layer of soft dough. The crisp exterior and soft interior reached his mouth together, crisp first and then soft as he chewed.

As he chewed again, the softness and crispness blended perfectly into a texture both crunchy and tender, an absolute delight in mouthfeel.

The chopped scallions embedded in the pancake naturally reached his mouth then, too. Those in the outer layer had fried longer and carried a slightly toasted cooked-scallion fragrance, while the inner layer was juicy and freshly fragrant.

Every so often, he bit into a piece, and that pungent fragrance burst across his mouth without the slightest harshness. Despite being fried food, it was not greasy at all, leaving only a sweet, fresh savoriness and an endless aftertaste.

The diners behind him were all curious about how the scallion pancake tasted. Seeing him take it into his mouth and chew in small bites without saying a word for ages, they grew even more impatient than he was.

"Is it good or not? Say something!"

"Bro, how does it taste? Give us a squeak already. That one sound will decide whether I buy one or two."

"Squeak!"

The diner was already so dazed by the scallion pancake's fragrance that when someone asked him for a squeak, he actually squeaked. Then he lowered his head and began taking great mouthfuls of the delicious pancake.

The scallion pancake was fairly large. He opened his mouth wide and took a huge bite, stuffing it completely full. As he chewed, his eyes shone, his expression unmistakably that of someone especially excited to have found something delicious.

When crumbs fell, he swiftly reached out to catch them, afraid of wasting even a little. After catching them, he carefully tipped them into his mouth, eating until his cheeks bulged, not even caring that they were smeared with oil.

Hearing the diners' questions, he even rolled his eyes. What are you asking for? Can't you see my mouth is full of scallion pancake? How am I supposed to answer? My mouth's busy. I haven't got time to answer.

The diners who had asked were still waiting, only for him to bury his head in his food. They immediately blurted out, "Holy shit."

"Well, damn, he really did just give us one 'squeak'!"

"Look how greedily he's eating. It has to be good. Boss, I'll take two."

"These scallion pancakes are pretty big. I probably can't eat that many, so just three for me."

"Damn, three counts as not eating much to you? You'd better buy fewer. I'm at the very back of the line and only came over to watch."

The diners standing nearby watching Shen Chuan toss the pancakes began to worry when they saw everyone buying two or three at a time, afraid there would be none left by the time their turn came.