Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe

Chapter 489 - 401: It’s Easier with Acquaintances—Affordable, Delicious, and Satisfying

Everyone here knows how to make sandwiches, even the lovely waitresses have made them countless times at home.

Especially those with children; it’s almost a daily routine.

They’ve watched the process many times, which is simply layering the ingredients. There’s no technical difficulty involved.

With little time left before opening, they quickly wash their hands to prepare breakfast for themselves.

Lin Chen is busy slicing toast beside them, like a precision machine, each cut yielding perfectly uniform slices.

The ovens beneath the stove emit sweet aromas through the vents, from the toasts gradually baking.

Today’s breakfast procedure is straightforward, with burgers entirely handled by Zhao Shun and Old Chen.

Elsa and Dais are helping with the toast, while Su and Nicole manage guest reception and billing; Lin himself focuses on slicing and baking the toast.

If there’s time, he can also help with the sandwich making.

As for Lucas... let him relax for now; call him for assistance if they’re really swamped.

Compared to purple sweet potato sandwiches, the chefs are more intrigued by Orléans chicken fillets.

They personally fried three fillets, making sandwiches identical to the finished products, even mimicking the packaging process.

Without any communication, they display the instinctive synergy chefs have.

When Marchello picks up the skillet, Nagishiro Sho quietly lays three grease papers on the table.

As soon as they’re laid down, Raphael arranges the toast slices.

The two take turns applying sauces and layering ingredients, needing no discussion, as if it was pre-planned.

They each carry two sandwiches outside to avoid hindering the kitchen activities.

Bulk production requires filling the whole counter, optimizing efficiency.

Having learned almost all they need, there’s no reason to linger; now they just wait for the fruit pizza for lunch.

"This chicken is indeed well-marinated."

The three move to the beach area outside, grabbing a coffee as well.

A bite of sandwich, a sip of coffee, basking in the warm morning sun, with the cool sea breeze—pure bliss.

The Orléans marinade flavor thoroughly imbues the chicken, perfectly balanced between salty and sweet.

Its reddish-orange hue disguises any real spiciness, even children could enjoy it.

This marinade’s sweet-salty profile, based on American Orléans flavor, is subtly adjusted to suit Western guests.

Pair this with its popularity in Great Xia, and it seems universally palatable, leaving no worries about taste preferences.

Except for vegetarians.

Fresh chicken thigh fillets are juicy and tender, devoid of the frozen meat’s fishy smell, releasing juices with every soft bite—key to a delicious sandwich.

Moreover, it’s vital that the thigh fillet retains its skin.

Many foreigners can’t stomach animal skin unless it’s fried or roasted, as these preparations eliminate greasiness, or the melted fats crisp up completely.

Keeping the chicken skin while roasting or frying preserves moisture and, as the fats render down, concentrates flavor, adding a rich aroma.

With various anti-greasy vegetables in the sandwich, there’s no trace of oily chicken skin—just sheer delight.

Chicken and beef burgers need a while longer before serving; staff currently rolling meatballs and breading thighs aren’t rushed.

"The sandwich portions are well-balanced, cut in halves to satisfy guests’ curiosity wanting to try more."

"Plus, the cross-section looks lovely, with matching colors, great taste, and likely affordable—a hit if Lin sells these regularly, monopolizing the local sandwich market."

"I think pan-frying them with butter would enhance the flavor, but that wouldn’t suit packaging; they’d be served cut and skewered, best for dine-in."

They enjoy their tasty breakfast while chatting, casually exchanging ideas related to the business without holding back.

Talk is just talk—who knows how things will work back in their kitchens.

For Raphael and Marchello, it’s easier since they manage different branches of the same restaurant, but Nagishiro Sho is their direct competitor.

While indulging in breakfast, Meng Qi on patrol nearby spots them.

Or rather, he notices the sandwiches they’re eating.

Exquisite look, vibrant colors—not the typical rugged sandwich style.

Great Xia sandwiches?!

Having skipped breakfast for some time, he’s stunned; his feet seem leaded, unable to move, eyes fixed on the untouched half sandwich on their nearby table.

It’s work time; buying breakfast openly could risk others or bosses catching him...

It’s mostly a matter of chance; few employees work this early and are indoors, likely unnoticed.

Just as he was in a mental tug-of-war, he suddenly saw a Black young man coming out of the delivery area at the back of the restaurant, also holding a bag of sandwiches, his bright white teeth gleaming in the sunlight, and a smile as radiant as can be.

!!!

In that instant, it was like a thunderbolt struck, and an ingenious plan popped into Meng Qi’s mind.

He hurriedly ran over.

"Hey! Daniel!"

"Hmm?" Daniel, who was munching on a sandwich, looked back in confusion and, upon seeing a familiar face, smiled and waved, "It’s Meng Qi, good morning, another night shift today?"

"Yeah, night shift again and again, no one wants to stay up late."

Meng Qi had so many night shifts that he often ran into Daniel while patrolling to make deliveries. Sometimes, when it’s too dark to see well, he’d even help guide the reverse parking.

"Is this a sandwich from Great Xia? Is it tasty?"

"Super, super delicious! I bet it’s the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten in my life!"

Saying this, Daniel tore open the outer layer of the toast in front of him, revealing the inner layers stacked like cotton.

"Look at this! Super high-end bread toast! I used to only see this in very expensive bakeries and couldn’t bring myself to buy it, but now I can eat it here!"

Seeing the texture of the toast, Meng Qi was stunned and instinctively swallowed.

"So, Daniel, can I discuss something with you?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Are you in a hurry?"

"Not in a hurry, why?"

"You know I’m at work now, and it’s inconvenient for me to go in and buy food. Could you buy some for me?"

"Of course, what flavor do you want? I have an Orléans chicken leg, there’s the purple one which is purple sweet potato with meat floss, also fried chicken burger and beef burger."

"Meat floss?"

The word didn’t exist in foreign languages, so Daniel used the Great Xia pronunciation, leaving Meng Qi puzzled.

"I can’t really explain what it is, anyway, it tastes a bit like jerky but the shape’s different."

"Purple sweet potato mixed with jerky? Made into a sandwich??"

Let alone eating it, such an explosive combination sounded unimaginable when just hearing about it.

"Yeah, I haven’t eaten it yet either. I heard it’s the most popular flavor among girls in Great Xia. Why don’t you try it first? If it doesn’t suit us guys, then don’t buy it."

Daniel opened the bag and let him try it without holding back at all.

These were bought with his own money.

Every time he snagged a free breakfast, Meng Qi felt uncomfortable, but Lin Chen didn’t force him to pay; instead, they each took a step back, and he sold it to him at cost price.

"No, I don’t really like sweet potatoes. Purple sweet potatoes probably taste similar? I’ll just stick to meat."

"That’s fine, I intended to take this back for my sister anyway, I’m not interested in sweet stuff either, haha."

"Then how about you buy one of each of the remaining three flavors for me? I’m afraid I won’t finish if I buy too much, and it wouldn’t be good if my colleagues saw."

"Sure, hang on a minute."

As Daniel returned to the restaurant, Meng Qi immediately wandered around again, pretending to organize the gradually forming line of diners at the restaurant entrance.

He fake-patrolled while frequently glancing toward the side door leading to the beach area.

At a certain moment, his eyes lit up, and he decisively turned and headed for the back door.

"Here you go, fresh out of the oven, still warm. This burger is made to order and baked, you’ll have to wait a couple of minutes, but the sandwich is ready."

"Thanks! How much in total?"

"The Orléans chicken fillet is ten euros, the fried chicken burger is also ten euros, and the beef one is twelve euros, totaling thirty-two euros."

"So cheap??"

Even though he was used to the low prices of the food at Lin Chen’s place, the fact that all three totaled just over thirty was still a bit shocking.

Previously, it was cheap because he sold it from a street stall, with little overhead.

But now, it’s being made in a hotel restaurant, with so many staff, the price should have been higher.

Yet Lin Chen had consistently priced the food at a regular level, some even lower than the market average, which seemed quite baffling.

Even if you just go to any sandwich chain, it would roughly be at this price, but what they sell are all semi-finished sliced meat types.

Even the bread is possibly pre-made, just cut and heated, yet they still dare to charge in the teens or twenties.