The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Chapter 73: Chapter 72: A Sensational Surprise

Yao Shi had arranged the private room in advance and led the judges there.

Fu Yu and the other three followed with the dishes in their hands.

Fu Yu made the Great Harvest Stew.

Yao Yihang made Russian King Crab.

Sun Qingning made Sichuan Boiled Fish.

Zhang Jiaxin made Sweet and Sour Pork.

The judges began tasting the dishes in the order they were served.

The first dish was Sun Qingning’s Sichuan Boiled Fish.

Yao Shi introduced, ”This is Sun Qingning, he joined the kitchen last July, and has been working for about a year. He usually works under Chef Zhao. The young man is quite diligent.”

Dong Jun Tian, the boss, nodded gently at Sun Qingning as a gesture of encouragement.

Five people started tasting it.

After a while, Dong Jun Tian looked at the others and asked, ”How is it? Let’s hear it.”

Li He was the oldest among them and highly respected.

So he was the first to comment.

Li He smiled at Sun Qingning and said, ”Sichuan Boiled Fish can be considered a signature dish at your restaurant. If done well, it should be ’oily but not greasy, spicy but not dry, numbing but not bitter, and the meat should be tender.’”

”What you did is actually not bad, the fish is very tender, and the flavor is also well-balanced, likely prepared according to a secret recipe.”

”By the way, there’s something else. Previously, when you were cooking, I noticed you meticulously weighed the ingredients. This shows that you are very meticulous and serious about your work, which is a strength that you must maintain.”

”However, apart from that, your shortcomings are also quite evident. Firstly, your control over the heat is lacking. It seems you rarely get the chance to cook at the stove, right? Actually, when you stir-fry chili and garlic mildly, you should immediately add the head, tail, and fish fillet and then switch to high heat to stir evenly. But you chose medium heat, probably worried about burning, right? However, you also need to know that without enough heat, the flavor is lacking! Overall, it’s okay, and you seem stable, which is suitable for this line of work.”

Sun Qingning’s face flushed with excitement; he didn’t expect to gain the approval of the judges.

Despite the shortcomings, Principal Li’s words gave him a sense of recognition and satisfaction.

Sun Qingning repeatedly thanked him, looking at Li He with bright eyes, as if a steed had met a wise master, excited and grateful.

Then they tasted the Russian King Crab made by Yao Yihang.

This time, Wang Jingrui did the evaluation. Although he was the boss and not a chef, his barbecue buffet included various Chinese and Western dishes, which gave him some insights into cooking.

Wang Jingrui praised, ”This Russian King Crab is really quite good! Actually, this dish is not difficult to cook; the main challenge lies in the process of shelling and meat removal, and in the presentation.”

Wang Jingrui looked at Yao Yihang and asked, ”You don’t look like a novice. Have you worked in the kitchen for a few years?”

Yao Yihang smiled, ”Yes, I used to work in a small restaurant.”

Wang Jingrui nodded and didn’t ask further, continuing the evaluation, ”Your shell removal is also done well, very skillful, and the plating is quite beautiful. Anyway, I can’t find any faults, well done!”

Yao Yihang was internally proud but maintained composure and thanked them humbly.

Dong Jun Tian and Yao Shi were insiders, and this time they specially invited three judges from outside, ensuring not to overshadow the guests.

Thus, the next dish, Sweet and Sour Pork, was left to Gao Chongbo to evaluate.

Gao Chongbo was indeed a bit embarrassed.

This time he came with the boss because his cooking skills were the best in the restaurant as the head chef of the Chinese cuisine section.

But he also knew he was just there to make up the numbers.

Now he had to evaluate the cooking skills of the personnel in Qianlima Restaurant’s kitchen in front of the boss.

Speaking too harshly might offend people, but speaking too lightly might not seem sincere about this matter.

Gao Chongbo deliberated for a while before saying, ”Hello, Zhang Jiaxin.”

Zhang Jiaxin hurriedly greeted him back.

Gao Chongbo smiled and said, ”I can tell that you are actually familiar with the cooking process, and the entire operation process had no issues, even the control of heat during frying was pretty good. The only shortcoming, maybe due to the lack of opportunities to cook at the stove, your technique was a bit rusty, and the proportioning of the seasoning was not accurate enough. But these aren’t big problems; with more practice at the stove in the future, you’ll gradually become more proficient. Keep it up!”

Zhang Jiaxin was a bit embarrassed, and he didn’t look spirited enough.

He knew he messed up this time, as the biggest feature of Sweet and Sour Pork is the tangy, nose-tingling sour sensation.

However, he didn’t master the vinegar amount, and by the time he tried to fix it, it was too late.

Now looking at the dishes made by others, he knew he definitely wasn’t getting it.

In his disappointment, he couldn’t help but waver about working in the kitchen.

The judge wasn’t wrong; what he lacked most was the opportunity to cook at the stove, but here, it seemed he’d never rise to prominence.

Having low talent and not being valued, there was no chance for conversion.

Earning so little a month.

Working one more year would be one more year wasted.

Zhang Jiaxin couldn’t help but look at Yao Yihang beside him.

Thinking he might as well work odd jobs at a small restaurant like Yao Yihang.

Small business, the kitchen has fewer things to manage, and more opportunities to cook.

After training up in the future, see if he could find a big restaurant for better prospects.

Zhang Jiaxin was somewhat absent-minded, so he didn’t notice the room becoming awkwardly quiet after his evaluation.

There was only the last dish left.

The Great Harvest Stew.

At this time, after each judge tried it, they collectively fell silent.

It’s not that they didn’t want to comment, but they didn’t know what to say at the moment.

The characteristic of stew is usually a rich variety of vegetables.

Diverse ingredients, each with its own taste, very hearty and genuine.

Under normal circumstances, the texture of stew is characterized by being rich and heavy.

But now, after Fu Yu’s improvement.

Thin as paper and chewy thin pancakes wrapped with aromatic green beans and corn.

Coupled with soft-textured, richly flavored potatoes and pumpkin puree, a mixture of various ingredients.

They have already absorbed the essence of each other, refreshing their own taste, truly complementing each other.

Especially the ribs in the center.

Full of aromatic and salty flavors, the meat is tender and fall-apart, with a golden-red hue, a single bite left a lingering aroma, heavy in flavor, yet infinitely memorable.

From tasting the thin pancake to the ribs, savoring the richly flavored and appropriately seasoned taste, the entire palate started to bloom with excitement, making one’s appetite expand tremendously.

Faced with such a dish that was impeccable from presentation to taste.

The judges at that moment looked at each other.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to comment, but they didn’t really know what to say.