The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

”Xiaofu, come along with me.” Liu Yunong took two steps forward, suddenly remembered Fu Yu, and turned to instruct.

Turning around, she realized Fu Yu was already following her.

Liu Yunong raised her eyebrows slightly, giving Fu Yu a satisfied glance.

The kitchen of Shangshi Private Kitchen was very spacious and bright, but there were only two chefs.

One is surnamed Wang, Wang Yulong.

The other is surnamed Liu, Liu Zhangpeng.

Chef Wang looked to be in his mid-forties, unsmiling, and his eyes narrowed slightly when looking at people, appearing particularly serious.

Chef Liu seemed just over thirty, naturally with a smiling face, appearing very kind and approachable.

There were a total of four kitchen assistants: two sous-chefs and two general helpers.

Two of the three kitchen stations were occupied, with Chef Wang and Chef Liu busily tossing their woks.

The young man Fu Yu encountered earlier was the only food runner in the restaurant.

Customers at the revolving bar could take food directly, while those by the window required help from the food runner to serve their dishes.

Going around from the front hall to the kitchen was akin to touring the entire restaurant.

Liu Yunong introduced Fu Yu to the two chefs.

Both Wang Yulong and Liu Zhangpeng were brought over by Liu Yunong from the main branch.

They are highly skilled in cooking, especially specializing in Liu Family Cuisine.

Wang Yulong had been apprenticed to Liu Yunong’s grandfather, mastering the essence of Liu Family Cuisine.

Liu Zhangpeng was Wang Yulong’s young apprentice, brought along this time to Bei’an for training and development.

After all, Shangshi Private Kitchen was thriving, and branches were opening nationwide one after another.

In terms of staffing, trustworthy and reliable people who were well-acquainted were essential.

Upon hearing Fu Yu was Liu Yunong’s new apprentice, Wang Yulong and Liu Zhangpeng were surprised and exchanged glances.

This apprentice is quite handsome!

Nice features, smooth demeanor.

No wonder the boss suddenly wanted to take on an apprentice.

Is it because he’s attracted by the looks?

Perhaps there’s a bit of natural talent involved as well.

Judging by the looks alone, considerations regarding his culinary foundation might not be many.

For a moment, the master and apprentice shared a rare tacit understanding and thought a lot...

After a brief introduction, Liu Yunong said nothing further and directly took Fu Yu over to her cooking station.

The kitchen assistants quickly prepared the ingredients upon instruction.

Liu Yunong pointed to the freshly caught fillets, explaining: ”Drunken Fish and Celery with Cured Meat are the most private dishes in Liu Family Cuisine. From ingredient selection to the preparation process, our family has passed down the recipes.”

”I don’t know if you’ve heard, ’No aria without Qu; no praise without Liu in gastronomy’—Liu Family Cuisine.”

Fu Yu froze.

Forgive my ignorance.

I’ve really never heard of it.

Lack of culture is truly frightening.

Liu Yunong probably didn’t expect someone in the culinary circles to be unaware of such a famous saying, so she continued: ”In my grandfather’s generation, Liu Family Cuisine was already very famous. Many prominent figures took pride in tasting dishes personally cooked by the head of the Liu family.”

”Back then, Liu Family Cuisine had only one main branch, but later in my hands, from the city of the main branch, I slowly opened branches in other cities. As for the menu, we added our family’s ’upgrades’ because modern people dining in private kitchens are not just tasting status but also culture.”

”For Liu Family Cuisine to operate properly, it must integrate the culture and art that modern people enjoy. The resulting Qing dynasty court cuisine undoubtedly became the biggest selling point, so at all Shangshi Private Kitchens, Drunken Fish and Celery with Cured Meat are made only one day a month, and the specific day depends entirely on the diners’ luck.”

”Aristocracy is not the characteristic of private dishes, but sometimes heritage is one of its features.”

”So the idea of rarity marketing applies particularly well.”

Fu Yu nodded, gaining an initial understanding of the mysterious Liu Family Cuisine.

Liu Yunong checked the prepared ingredients by the kitchen assistants and suddenly said to Fu Yu: ”Xiaofu, can you make Drunken Fish? Try this dish!”

Drunken Fish is the signature dish of Qianlima, and it’s usually very popular due to its good taste.

However, marinating Drunken Fish has always been done by Yao Shi personally, and Fu Yu and others just directly steam it.

Qianlima’s Drunken Fish uses Shaoxing wine, while Liu Family Cuisine uses Shaoxing wine refined with pure herbal secret spices.

Fu Yu donned a temporary chef uniform, put on a hat and mask, and the unique aroma of Drunken Fish was immediately elevated to the highest point.

The rich fragrance was strong; even without tasting, Fu Yu knew that this Drunken Fish was marinated just right, and the ratio of the marinade was perfect.

The Drunken Fish Liu Yunong handed to Fu Yu was also marinated, and when she asked him to cook it, it was simply for steaming directly.

Although his steaming skills were still basic, with absolute tactile skills and advanced heat control skills, plus a keen sense of smell mask, steaming fish for Fu Yu was an effortless task.

He was precise in knowing how long the fish should be steamed and the desired texture.

At this moment, Fu Yu stood at the cooking station, quickly familiarizing himself with the exact placement of all kitchen utensils and seasonings.

Then he expertly measured water into the pot, preparing for steaming.

Meanwhile, Liu Yunong stood quietly beside him, observing Fu Yu’s operation closely.

Steaming fish seems simple, but whether and how well it can be steamed presents much knowledge.

Especially during the process of steaming dishes, the ingredients are in sealed steam, where the heat is high, resulting in shorter cooking times and minimal water evaporation.

This ensures the original flavor of the final dish remains while keeping the texture neither too greasy nor succulent.

However, achieving such a balanced taste and texture is not easy.

It requires control over the heat during steaming, managing steam heat, timing ingredient marination, etc.

These directly affect the dish’s color, aroma, taste, appearance, and texture.

To achieve the perfect steaming effect demands extensive practical experience and attentive observation to master gradually.

Fu Yu realized that Liu Yunong intended to evaluate his culinary skills, so during the cooking process, he aimed to execute every operation as perfectly as possible.

Adjusting water levels.

Score: 100.

Placing fish fillets.

Score: 100.

Controlling the heat.

Score: 100.

Once the lid was finally placed on the pot, within minutes, a very special aroma unique to Drunken Fish wafted forth.

Beyond the distinctive spicy and mellow notes of Shaoxing wine, there was a faint but lingering herbal scent.

The fish was already steaming, and as Fu Yu prepared to turn and seek Liu Yunong’s opinion, he suddenly paused!

This smell... it’s quite unique!