The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Chapter 36: Chapter 35: Keen Eyes for Hidden Gems

Fu Yu carefully recalled his recent actions.

Oh no, he trusted the green line too much and didn’t actually count how many cuts he made or how many pieces he laid out.

Fu Yu looked at Yao Shi, somewhat apprehensive: ”Chef Yao, is there anything wrong with how I cut this duck?”

Yao Shi didn’t say a word, staring intently at the plated duck, as if faced with an unsolvable complex problem.

Fu Yu’s heart immediately hung in suspense.

Was there really a problem?

But the task reward was already handed out, indicating he did quite well?

What exactly happened?

Chen Cang diligently held up his phone to record a video.

He finished filming Yao Shi and then Fu Yu.

He recorded it from start to finish, carefully checked it, and made sure to save it properly.

Only then did he admiringly praise: ”Chef Fu, you’re amazing; you deboned the duck twenty seconds faster than Chef Yao just now!”

Chen Cang had the video with a precise record of the timing.

Fu Yu was initially stunned, then realized.

Was Chef Yao feeling overshadowed?

Couldn’t let it go?

Oh gosh, this damn hand speed and unparalleled plating skills, really... leaves no room for anyone.

If the person in front of him was Zhao Meng, Fu Yu would definitely cheekily brag a little.

But now, the person was Yao Shi.

Fu Yu immediately tucked his tail and decided to be humble.

So, he earnestly retorted: ”That’s because Chef Yao was working and teaching me at the same time, so that delayed the time.”

Chen Cang was stunned for a moment, thought about it, and realized that seemed to be the case.

But Fu Yu’s previous deboning skills were indeed very skillful.

At least Chen Cang couldn’t do it; he’d been a kitchen helper for more than two years, and though his own cooking skills weren’t great, by assisting beside the chef every day, he absorbed a lot and could understand some of the intricacies.

This deboning is a meticulous job, especially testing one’s knife skills and plating techniques.

He thought Fu Yu was being modest, and thus developed an even deeper fondness for this chef who came from Qianlima Restaurant to help in the kitchen.

From start to finish, no one in the music restaurant kitchen knew that Fu Yu was merely a kitchen helper.

After all, in the past, the person Yao Shi would bring over to help was always Zhao Meng.

He was the head chef at Qianlima.

Now replaced by Fu Yu, and despite his young appearance, no one dared underestimate him; in their minds, they quietly classified him as on par with Zhao Meng.

Yao Shi didn’t pay any attention to what the other two were saying, instead focusing on the plating Fu Yu had done and comparing it to his previous effort.

Both plates of duck, whether in terms of cutting techniques or plating positioning and skills, were almost identical.

Yao Shi thoughtfully turned his head to look at Fu Yu, sincerely saying: ”Your deboning technique is really quite good, particularly in paying attention to the details; it’s quite commendable. But in some areas, you still need more practice, like the segmentation near the ribs and controlling the length of the duck neck, you need to...”

Halfway through his sentence, Yao Shi really couldn’t continue.

He knew Fu Yu’s situation all too well.

He had only been employed for less than a year.

Even if Zhao Meng privately gave him opportunities to hold the ladle, the customers ordering marinated duck at the restaurant were limited, and usually, it was handled by Gu Yunwu’s team, so even with many practice opportunities, one could count them on one hand.

The demands he was making would be overly picky for a novice who had deconstructed and plated less than five times.

Even for himself, when he first started practicing this segment, he wouldn’t have reached Fu Yu’s current level even after fifty attempts.

Thinking about this, Yao Shi abruptly changed his tone, saying: ”Hmm, these aren’t really issues either. It’s mainly the knife skills that need improvement, like the angle of your cuts. Also, I noticed that when you wield the knife, your wrist’s flexibility and strength control need to improve. You should find an opportunity to practice more when you go back.”

He then turned to look at Chen Cang beside him and continued, ”Didn’t you record a video just now? Watch it several times for yourself afterward to scrutinize your deboning method and identify any issues.”

Fu Yu humbly accepted Chef Yao’s guidance.

For the problems pointed out by Chef Yao, he carefully recalled them in his mind and realized he indeed had been somewhat lax in his knife skills, relying too much on hand speed and the green line’s guidance.

Yao Shi’s advice was quite pertinent.

If he could pay attention to the angle of his cuts, the separation between the duck meat and bones would be more precise, enhancing the visual effect.

Fu Yu carefully examined the One-Piece Duck both he and Chef Yao had just completed.

At first glance, they appeared almost identical, with no difference.

But on closer observation, he noticed that the cuts in Chef Yao’s duck were more precise, and the cross-section of the duck meat was smoother.

Realizing his shortcomings, Fu Yu’s previous slight pride quickly subsided.

Yao Shi handed the subsequent One-Piece Duck completely to Fu Yu for deboning.

He didn’t intervene or instruct further.

He just stood silently beside, closely observing Fu Yu’s operations, trying to spot any shortcomings.

Yao Shi watched for a while, more and more amazed.

He had previously been a bit surprised at Zhao Meng’s favor and nurturing of Fu Yu.

After all, compared to the ordinary potential Fu Yu, Yao Yihang from Gu Yunwu’s side was evidently more outstanding.

When this batch of newcomers joined, Zhao Meng observed for a few days and then first mentioned wanting to mentor Fu Yu.

Until now, he suddenly felt fortunate that Zhao Meng had the keen eye to discover a talent like Fu Yu.

Fu Yu indeed had quite a talent in culinary skills.

Previously, he just hadn’t had the opportunity to wield the ladle, no chance to showcase his skills.

Moreover, Yao Shi found that Fu Yu had a strong learning ability.

He excelled in drawing inferences and quickly made judgments during practice, constantly adjusting his deficiencies for improvement.

Fu Yu went on to prepare three One-Piece Ducks consecutively.

Yao Shi noticed that Fu Yu’s deboning technique and plating skills were gradually improving.

This was truly a rare thing.

The more Yao Shi watched Fu Yu, the more he admired him.

He assessed in his mind that with proper cultivation, Fu Yu could potentially surpass him in the future.

Of course, surpassing him would still be challenging.

At least ten years? Twenty years?

Anyway, it wouldn’t happen any time soon.

Besides, when Fu Yu is later rotated to the music restaurant, there might be opportunities to send him out for advanced training.

After all, in the chef industry, experience accumulation is essential, but so is innovation in inspiration and expanding one’s horizons.

Traveling more and observing others’ culinary displays would certainly provide inspiration.

After observing for a while, Yao Shi completely set his mind at ease with Fu Yu, stopped watching, and instructed him to finish according to the required quantity, then turned and went to the storeroom.

He intended to check on the condition of the pickled vegetables.

Just as he entered the storeroom, his phone rang.

It was a new message notification.

Yao Shi opened it to check.

The message came from a WeChat friend, whose profile picture was a silly rabbit, with the nickname ”Dear.”

[Everything is sorted out; come over and pick it up when you have time. The day for the divorce procedure is set for next Monday; don’t forget to show up on time.]

The easy expression on Yao Shi’s face slowly faded away.

He gave a bitter smile and replied: [Okay, I understand.]

He put away his phone.

Sighed helplessly.

This time, it really felt like he was losing his home.