章 44: Chapter 44
Ch44 – The Completed Dining Hall
Two days later, the military dining hall was officially completed. He Yun Chen and Ruan Tang agreed to conduct a trial run for the canteen. On the one hand, it was to let Wang Jun and the others adapt to the environment of the kitchen, and on the other hand, it was to check whether their preparations had been sufficient. If there weren't any problems, they were ready to formally open the dining hall to the entire army.
Ever since the soldiers and officers found out that the military was setting up a dining hall, they've all been looking forward to it every single day. So much so that the nutrient solutions in their mouths had become even more tasteless and unsatisfying. After all, it was Ruan Tang who had made the arrangements for this dining hall. Not only was he the youngest four-star chef in the empire, but he was also someone who had once won the highest distinction for an actor. In the eyes of the soldiers, he was like a legendary figure. Whether out of curiosity or for some other reason, most of them had already watched Ruan Tang's broadcasts. They fully understood how delicious Ruan Tang's dishes were and it made them anticipate this dining hall all the more.
For this important day, Ruan Tang got up early and cooked a pot of vegetables and pork ribs congee. After he finished eating, he also prepared portions for the He Brothers and his apprentices. After the express delivery was sent off to the He Brothers, he boarded the suspended car and headed to the military headquarters.
The canteen was located on the third floor of the Military Integrated building. The entire floor was occupied by the dining hall, with a total area of 4,000 square meters. It could accommodate up to 100,000 people at the same time. The entire canteen was simple in design, with white as the main color. It had bright windows and neatly arranged long tables and stools. It was very efficient. More than 100 smart service robots were on standby in the canteen. They were responsible for handing out dishes, receiving and washing plates, cleaning the canteen and other similar tasks, alleviating a large part of the burden from the back kitchen.
The back kitchen of the canteen was bright and spacious. All the kitchen utensils were available and there were no less than ten large kitchen stoves, allowing them to conveniently cook at the same time. There were also large pots and pans especially used to cook for large groups. The plates and trays for the dishes were all custom made according to Ruan Tang's specifications. They were similar to the stainless steel trays used in his university canteen. However, they were sturdier and lighter and also easier to clean. He nodded while observing, and he was quite satisfied with this canteen.
"Good morning." When he arrived at the dining hall, Wang Jun and the others were already expectantly waiting for him.
"Good morning, Teacher Ruan!" The six soldiers saluted him.
"I brought vegetables and pork ribs congee. Eat something first." He smiled and handed out preservation boxes.
"Thank you, Teacher Ruan!" After saying their thanks, they all began to wolf down the congee.
The congee used pork ribs that were cut into small, even pieces. Having been stewed for 30 whole minutes, the meat was falling off the bones tender. Cooked together with the vegetables in the rice cooker, the congee made with the bone broth was both thick and fragrant. It was so delicious, it made people unable to stop eating.
He Yun Chen waited until they were almost done before coming in.
"Chen Ge, good morning!" Ruan Tang gave him a slight smile.
"Good Morning." Seeing Ruan Tang's smile, He Yun Chen couldn't help his lips from curving up as well. "I received the congee, it was delicious."
"Alright then, I will inform them to come have their meal as scheduled."
"Ok."
After He Yun Chen left, Ruan immediately took his six apprentices to familiarize themselves with the layout of the kitchen and his specially designed stoves.
"Today we have to make a meal for a thousand people. Are you ready?" He looked at his apprentices.
"Ready!" Six people answered in unison.
He asked again, "We have to make at least two dishes and one soup today. Do you have a suitable dish in mind?"
Wen Zeyang took the lead to answer, "I think we should make scrambled eggs with tomatoes, it is easy to make, and it goes very well with rice."
"Good. What else?"
"Shredded pork and green peppers. This is also quick to make, but it also has vegetables. I'm sure everyone will like it." Zhao Guangming said.
"If you want to make soup, should we make the radish and pork bone soup that we learned yesterday?" Wang Jun added.
The radish and pork bone soup was a soup made from pork bones. After the radish is put in, it absorbs the savory taste of the pork bones. It might even be more savory than the meat itself. Using the 100-liter custom pot, it was very easy to cook for more than a hundred people.
"Okay, let's get started."
The canteen had ordered a large number of ingredients from the Academy of Sciences, all of which were placed in the large freshness cabinets. The smart robots were directed to take out the ingredients they would need. The smart robots would play a big role. They could help with the washing and cutting of ingredients, which could greatly save Wang Jun and the others' physical strength and energy.
"Xue Rui and Liu Haitao are responsible for tomato scrambled eggs, Zhao Guangming and Wang Jun are responsible for the shredded pork with green peppers, Wen Zeyang and Cui Liang are responsible for the radish and pork bone soup." Ruan Tang assigned them according to the difficulty of the dishes. Zhao Guangming and Wang Jun had the highest level, so they were assigned the slightly more complicated shredded pork with green peppers. After ample practice, Liu Haitao made great progress. Together with Xue Rui they would be able to make scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Wen Zeyang and Cui Liang were more attentive, their control of the heat was very good. They would be able to bring out the taste of the soup.
"Yes!" Several people immediately began to get busy.
With the smart robots giving them a hand, they only needed to be responsible for the actual cooking. It was a huge load off their minds. At first, they might have had a little bit of trouble, but soon they mastered the rhythm, and the aroma of the food gradually spread throughout the kitchen.
The special large wok was very heavy, but for the genetically modified boron-based people, let alone specially trained soldier, it posed no difficulty at all. Their control over the pan was even more precise and after a short while, steaming hot dishes came out one after the other.
Ruan Tang led the smart robots to put the dishes into rectangular fresh-keeping trays and put them out to the window. Dining in the cafeteria was self-serve. The person who comes for a meal takes an empty plate and then goes to each window to get the dishes. Smart robots would fairly and evenly distribute the dishes, giving each one an equal portion by weight.
Everyone can quickly get two dishes, one portion of rice and one bowl of soup, and then find an empty seat in the cafeteria to eat. It was very convenient.
At eleven o'clock, the morning training ended, and the 1,000 pre-selected lucky soldiers were freed from the training grounds. They flew straight to the dining hall.
The first one to run over was a tall, thin young soldier. He had very long legs and ran very quickly. He hadn't yet entered through the door when he already smelled the delicious aroma wafting from the dining hall. It was completely different from the nutrient solutions. Natural ingredients had full and strong flavors. Almost as soon as the smell hit his nose, his mouth already started to water.
As he approached, the automatic door opened. Once inside, his eyes swept across the room and with large strides he headed towards the pick-up window.
The smart robot reminded him in a smooth mechanical voice: "First, take a plate and then go to the window to get the dishes. Today there are two dishes and one soup. You can get them in order."
"Ok!" He picked up a plate from the stack outside the window and hurried forward. The smart robot took a spoonful of scrambled eggs and put it to the left side of his plate. He moved to the next window and another smart robot filled the right side of the plate with green pepper and shredded pork. At the next window he took two heaping scoops of rice. His plate was now packed full. Finally, he took a bowl of radish and pork bone soup from the last window.
Holding the plate and the soup bowl, the long-legged soldiers sat down on at an empty table. On the table was a dispenser for cleaned and disinfected chopsticks and spoons. Diners were free to use them as they needed.
He picked up a pair of chopsticks and couldn't wait to taste the tomato scrambled egg. The color of this dish was very bright, and there was a faint sweet and sour smell. I already had him drooling. With one bite, it really was as delicious as he imagined! He scooped the scrambled eggs over the rice and ate them together, one spoonful after the over. In no time at all, he had eaten over half his rice portion!
After eating the tomato scrambled eggs, his chopsticks went to another dish. The shredded pork with green peppers weren't as brightly colored as the scrambled eggs with tomato, but because of the meat, the taste was even more savory, but the spicy taste was also very evident. The long-legged soldier licked his lips, with a bit of trepidation as well as anticipation, he took his first bite.
The first thing the tongue tasted was the spicy taste, which hurt almost instantly, but before he could spit out the food, the savory taste of the meat spread in his mouth. The long-legged soldier was suddenly reluctant to spit it out. He opened his mouth to let in air and then chewed it hard.
– Really tasty! !
When he chewed the ingredients, its juices burst forth. The green peppers actually carried a sweetness with its spiciness. The shredded pork was even more salty, savory and tender, full of meaty juices. The two complemented each other beautifully. The long-legged soldier suddenly felt that he was floating on air. The pain had already faded from his tongue and a tingling feeling was left. It increased his appetite all the more.
He ate like a wolf and tiger and in just a few mouthfuls, he had finished off his plate. However, he still wanted to continue.
After eating these dishes, he felt a little thirsty. He lifted up the soup bowl and took a sip. His eyes widened in surprise. What seemed like a bland and tasteless soup, actually had such fresh and rich flavor. Even the white radish had been boiled soft and tender, and it was full of meaty flavor. It might even be more delicious that eating the meat itself. When he returned to his senses, he had already drank the entire bowl.
While he had been engrossed in eating, more soldiers had come to the cafeteria, and after taking the meal, they also sat down at an empty table. The aroma of the food and the sounds of his comrades eating were everywhere. A lot of people were still lining up at the windows. The long-legged soldiers looked around and saw that everyone was eating with such relish. It made him feel even hungrier. He looked at the empty plate in front of him and actually wanted to cry.
Although he had already finished eating, he still couldn't bear to leave. Smelling all these aromas made him happy.
After sitting for a while, he still couldn't hold back his inner desires and ran to the window with his plate.
"Can- can I have seconds?"
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