Chapter 73

Cheng Xiaoyu ordered two vegetarian dishes and one meat dish in the cafeteria, not filling his plate too much. He had recently lost a bit of weight and needed to stick to his diet.

Many people find it a bit awkward to eat alone in a crowded place, but he didn’t. He always cherished the time he spent alone.

He slowly savored the delicious food, with soothing music in his ears and many beautiful girls to admire. Such a simple life occasionally made him feel nostalgic.

This made him start to look forward to his college life.

At this moment, Wang Dongliang was a bit nervous at the entrance of Chang'an Club. Having worked in the capital for many years, he naturally knew the four top clubs renowned in the city.

The "Four Great Clubs of the Capital" — Chang'an Club at No. 10 Chang'an Street, the ancient architectural club Huaxia Club frequented by many national leaders, and the so-called "First Rich Man's Club of China" Capital Club, as well as the global chain American Club.

Chang'an Club is located on the prestigious Chang'an Street, just a stone's throw away from Tiananmen Square.

The reputation of Chang'an Club was too great, and the threshold too high. As a young white-collar worker from a small county, Wang Dongliang was really a bit nervous. His heart raced as he walked through the gate, feeling as if he was back to the moment when his college entrance exam results were announced.

When the doorman pushed open the door for him, the magnificent imitation Golden Hall came into view, with expensive zitan wood screens and decorations, exuding a grand and luxurious atmosphere. The first impression Chang'an Club gave Wang Dongliang was one of opulence, grandeur, and magnificence.

A row of models with celebrity faces bowed to him together, making him want to turn back and leave, if it weren't for the girl he brought. He started to worry whether Cheng Xiaoyu had arranged a seat for them and whether the black membership card would be useful.

However, the first manager on the left, dressed in a burgundy blazer, white shirt, and black skirt, with a tall and beautiful appearance, called out Wang Dongliang's name. "Hello, Mr. Wang, your seat has been arranged. Would you like to dine now or go to the coffee lounge first?"

Wang Dongliang felt as if a gentle breeze was blowing over him, thinking that Cheng Xiaoyu's arrangement was reliable. All his nervousness instantly disappeared, and he pretended to be familiar with the place, saying, "Let's go straight to the dining area; we're in a hurry."

The manager had a round metal badge on the collar of her white shirt and a name tag on her chest. Su Dongliang didn't dare to look closely and didn't want to ask how she recognized him.

As a top club, luxury is always the eternal theme. However, the best service is their core. Arranging non-members to dine here is also an excellent opportunity to showcase the club's image.

As long as a member reports the name of the person they are entertaining, the club will naturally arrange everything. Knowing each member's name and dietary preferences is part of their daily work. They will also try to investigate the background, appearance, and interests of the people the member arranges to dine with, striving for everyone's approval and praise.

The beautiful female manager led them to the elevator and pressed the button for the ninth floor. In the elevator, Wang Dongliang and Yang Siqi were too nervous to chat, so the manager took the initiative to introduce the newly renovated eighth floor.

There, "Qingzun Hongzhu" will be one of the best Chinese restaurants in the capital, and also the largest and most lavishly decorated area in the club.

The hall not only has a large oil painting of "Drunken Concubine" but also various classical furniture and lighting. The precious zitan wood screens further elevate the royal grandeur and elegant atmosphere. The Chinese restaurant serves exquisite Cantonese cuisine and local specialties. Additionally, it has dozens of VIP private rooms with interesting names: First Class, Double Happiness, Three Yuan, all the way to Nine Ru, Ten Complete.

They went to the ninth floor, which houses the "Nihonbashi" Japanese restaurant and the "Naples" Italian restaurant. The Japanese restaurant not only has a "sushi bar" and a barbecue house but also two authentic "tatami" rooms.

The head chef from Japan was once a royal chef, and the Italian restaurant offers authentic Italian cuisine and drinks.

Cheng Xiaoyu had booked a Japanese meal for them. The manager led them to the ninth floor, Nihonbashi, where a young girl named Sakai Mai, dressed in a kimono, served them with a distinct Japanese accent.

Although this is the ninth floor of a building in China, once you enter, you feel as if you are in a classic Japanese courtyard, filled with an ancient and serene atmosphere. However, the solemn Tiananmen Square visible through the large windows on the right creates a stark contrast.

This creates a sense of time travel, and Sakai Mai led Wang Dongliang and Yang Siqi through this magical place, softly introducing the water wheel house and other items on the left, which are from the Edo period, transported from Kanagawa without any changes. In front of the small house, there is a well filled with clear water, and green bamboo is scattered on both sides of the pebble-paved path. The silence is so profound that you can clearly hear the sound of the kimono-clad girl's wooden clogs.

All of this left Su Dongliang speechless. If these things were in Japan, it wouldn't be so impressive, but seeing Tiananmen Square outside while being in a quiet, ancient Japanese courtyard creates a huge impact.

Yang Siqi had already linked her arm with Su Dongliang. The luxurious and surreal environment made her feel as if she was in another time and space.

Sakai Mai led Wang Dongliang and Yang Siqi to a traditional Japanese tatami room.

Inside, there hangs a Tang Dynasty lacquer-inlaid zitan wood five-stringed lute presented to the Japanese emperor and a calligraphy piece "Leye Lun" by Empress Komyo (701-760). (Komyo was the daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito and Kuki no Sane, named Komyo and known as Fujiwara no Komyo. She was a devout Buddhist.)

Wang Dongliang, of course, didn't recognize these treasures, but he felt that everything today was full of wonder.

Sakai Mai brought the menu and asked Wang Dongliang to order. Wang Dongliang glanced at it, but there were no prices, and he didn't know if there were any rules, fearing he might embarrass himself. He passed the menu to Yang Siqi, asking her to take a look and see if she had any preferences.

Yang Siqi casually flipped through it, not understanding what the kaiseki ryori appetizers and bowl dishes meant, so she asked Wang Dongliang to decide.

So, Wang Dongliu smiled and asked Sakai Mai to arrange the meal for them.

Sakai Mai knelt on the tatami, using the gentle voice characteristic of Japanese women, and asked them to wait a moment. She then stood up, bowed, and left, closing the sliding door.

Soon, Sakai Mai returned with two other kimono-clad girls to serve Wang Dongliang and Yang Siqi, explaining each dish.

They were eating kaiseki ryori, which traditionally includes seven appetizers (seven intricate small dishes), a bowl dish (a handmade dish with broth), sashimi, fried dishes, boiled dishes, grilled dishes, and a main course (rice or soup).

Each dish is prepared only after the guests order, emphasizing the freshness and taste of the food. Since it is freshly prepared, guests usually need to wait for some time after ordering (typically 10-15 minutes from ordering to the first dish, and 5-10 minutes between each course).

(For those interested in a bit of trivia: There are many misconceptions about kaiseki ryori in China. Most domestic websites about kaiseki ryori are actually spreading misinformation: some claim it originated from monks holding stones to stave off hunger, while others describe it as the simple meals of monks. Some mistake kaiseki ryori for expensive sets of dishes made with exotic ingredients like foie gras and caviar, and others incorrectly classify Michelin three-star sushi and fugu restaurants as the pinnacle of kaiseki ryori.

The name "kaiseki ryori" actually comes from the phrase "被褐怀玉" (be he huai yu) in Chapter 70 of the "Tao Te Ching" by Laozi.

"被褐怀玉" means "wearing rough clothes but harboring jade." It emphasizes the value of inner beauty over external appearance, a concept that perfectly aligns with the "侘び寂び" (wabi-sabi) spirit of Japanese tea ceremony. (Wabi-sabi is a unique Japanese aesthetic that emphasizes the beauty of simplicity and the impermanence of things.)

Moreover, the spirit of Japanese cuisine is fundamentally different from Chinese cuisine: it avoids excessive seasoning and decoration, instead using meticulous ingredient selection and simple cooking methods to highlight the natural flavors of the ingredients. ("割主烹从" is a Japanese culinary philosophy that emphasizes the importance of knife skills over cooking techniques to bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients.)

Kaiseki ryori originated in the tea ceremony, where small dishes were served to guests to prevent them from getting "drunk" on tea. As the tea ceremony became more popular among the nobility, kaiseki ryori evolved into a more elaborate form, from small dishes to "一汤三菜" (one soup and three dishes): a Japanese soup, sashimi, a boiled dish, and a fried or grilled dish.)

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