A few teachers had already returned to the previously empty office, chatting over cups of tea. After greeting them, Xiao Lin walked over to his desk and sat down. Since the office allowed people to bring in takeout food, Xiao Lin opened the box directly.

Soon, a strange fragrance spread throughout the office.

The counselors nearby cast puzzled glances at him. “What smells so good?”

“What a strong meaty aroma.”

Xiao Lin scratched his head and said a little embarrassedly, “I bought some braised pork.”

After he finished speaking, he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite impatiently.

As the braised pork entered his mouth, Xiao Lin’s eyes were full of amazement. The taste of this braised pork was really amazing.

The braised pork was fat but not greasy, melted in the mouth, was sweet and soft, and left a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth after one bite.

Braised pork was made with the best pork belly, and because of its high fat content, the meat was particularly tender and elastic.

He poured the hot, braised sauce over the rice. He stuffed the rice coated with the rich, crystal clear sauce into his mouth. The more he chewed, the more he could feel the pure meat aroma, which made him feel very satisfied.

 Xiao Lin ate without even looking up and didn’t notice that the counselors next to him had stopped talking at some point and were staring at his food.

Chinese people deeply loved braised pork; one of the reasons for this was its special aroma.

The other counselors could get a glimpse of the excellence of the braised pork through its aroma alone, without having to taste it.

When making braised pork, the protein and amino acids in the pork react with the sugar, turning it into an attractive golden-brown color and emitting a unique aroma. This reaction was called the Maillard reaction. It could be said that the Maillard reaction was a sign of the delicious taste of food.

The aroma instantly whetted the appetites of the counselors nearby. As time passed, more and more counselors returned, and as soon as they entered, they noticed a different atmosphere.

After smelling the aroma of braised pork, they couldn’t help but sniff. “What smells so good?”

“Who ate delicious food without telling us?”

They followed the scent to its source and discovered that the culprit, Xiao Lin, was eating with great concentration. Pieces of brilliant red braised pork disappeared before their eyes and entered Xiaolin’s stomach.

When Xiao Lin finally finished eating the braised pork, he looked up with relief, only to find that he was surrounded by people.

Their eyes were full of eagerness. “Where did you buy the braised pork? Why does it smell so good?”

“I just finished my meal and you made me hungry again. If you don’t tell me, how could I get through the afternoon?”

Xiao Lin was rather shy, and many of these counselors were his seniors, which made him even more embarrassed. So he said frankly, “I bought this at the Eighth Cafeteria.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the counselors looked at each other in shock.

“I heard that the Eighth Cafeteria Eight has reopened and has changed operators.”

“I had some work discussions with the military training instructors, and I heard they’ve been drinking a type of mung bean soup lately. When I asked, I found out they bought it from there. There’s been a lot of buzz around the Eighth Cafeteria lately. It seems the new operator is quite capable.”

“Xiao Lin, let’s go there for dinner after we get off work tonight.”

Xiaolin took out shaved ice from a plastic bag and asked his colleague, “Aren’t you going to have dinner with your girlfriend?”

At this time, he was very glad to be single. If he had a partner, he probably would not go to the Eighth Cafeteria to eat, but would go out to restaurants like his colleague.

Finding a partner would really slow down his eating speed!

His girlfriend also worked in the office. Seeing this, she immediately said, “I want to go to the Eighth Cafeteria, too. Because for some reason, I feel like the braised pork you ate was even better than the one we had at Guanhailou.”

Everyone suggested having a meal together, and everyone in the office agreed. They decided to have a dinner together at the Eighth Cafeteria.

A female colleague took a sip of her milk tea and sighed happily, “But Guanhailou’s summer-cooling fruit tea is truly the best. It’s unmatched anywhere else. I heard it’s made by a master chef, and it’s so cool.”

However, at this moment, the female colleague suddenly saw the shaved ice in Xiaolin’s hand and her eyes widened. “Where did you buy this shaved ice? Why does it look so much like tiramisu? It’s looks so delicious.”

Xiao Lin smiled and said, “I bought this shaved ice from the Eighth Cafeteria, too. I never thought they could actually make it. The boss is amazing.”

This shaved ice was like a shaved ice version of tiramisu. Because Xiao Lin liked it a little bitter, she also added a bit of espresso.

Xiao Lin couldn’t wait to scoop a spoonful of shaved ice, turned the spoon around and put it in his mouth.

The cold shaved ice touched his tongue and hit his taste buds, instantly surprising him beyond words with the taste in his mouth.

Xiao Lin loved this kind of sweet and bitter taste with distinct layers of flavor. This cup of shaved ice was tailor-made for him.

The bitterness of espresso, the richness of chocolate, the mellowness of tiramisu, and a layer of delicate and sweet cocoa powder.

The most soulful part was the shaved ice that served as the base.

The soft ice was like cotton, with a soft and fluffy texture that melted in the mouth.

The flavor of the condiments was blended into the shaved ice, and the taste permeated it, like solidified sweet marshmallows, which was truly mouth-watering.

Xiao Lin even had an illusion that it shouldn’t be summer outside, but winter. Otherwise, how could they make shaved ice that looked like real snowflakes?

While Xiao Lin was slightly stunned, the female colleague next to him couldn’t help but swallow.

She looked at the tiramisu shaved ice, her heart pounding, and she suddenly felt that the fruit tea in her hand no longer had any fragrance.

Her fruit tea was not as delicious as this tiramisu shaved ice, and judging by Xiao Lin’s reaction, it was not as refreshing his shaved ice.

The female colleague couldn’t resist such exquisite shaved ice, and their other colleagues were not much better.

They couldn’t help but look down at their watches to calculate the time. They had never looked forward to getting off work so much as they did today.

Mythical Beast Cafeteria translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

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T/N: When they call Luo Huai’an ‘boss’, it’s a respectful title for the owner of a small-business—like a small shop or, in this case, a cafeteria. 

The Chinese don’t really call people by their names, unless they’re close to the person. It’s always title—Senior, Student, Teacher, Chancellor, Instructor, Class Monitor, ‘Small-shop Owner’.  

…

The featured photo is tiramisu shaved ice from HongKong.

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Chapter 19.3 — Crunchy Shaved Ice
Chapter 20.1 — Mount Everest Shaved Ice
Chapter 20.2 — Mount Everest Shaved Ice
Chapter 21.1 — Mount Everest Shaved Ice is Trending
Chapter 21.2 — Mount Everest Shaved Ice is Trending
Chapter 21.3 — Mount Everest Shaved Ice is Trending