A week ago, when Ye Chui was tasked with entertaining Han Lao in place of Tian Xiaodu, many chefs were dissatisfied, thinking Ye Chui was too arrogant. Even if he had some skills, did he have the qualifications to entertain a gourmet like Han Lao?
However, now that their dishes were removed without Han Lao tasting them, they could only rely on Ye Chui now to save their restaurant.
Hearing Yang Yong's words, all the chefs turned their gaze to the busy figure of the young man in the kitchen. Sensing everyone's eyes, Ye Chui turned around with a smile, "It's done."
The chefs rushed into the kitchen, and they saw four dishes arranged: one cold dish and three hot dishes.
These four dishes didn't have the rich aroma that made one's mouth water like the spicy chicken from before. Instead, they emitted a captivating fragrance. Tian Xiaodu, who had high expectations for Ye Chui's culinary skills, felt a bit disappointed after hearing Han Lao's evaluation of his dishes.
However, seeing Ye Chui's four dishes, a big smile appeared on his plump face. He asked Ye Chui, "Little brother, what are these four dishes?"
Ye Chui, wiping his hands with a towel, smiled and began the introduction. He pointed to the dish in a soup bowl and said, "This one is called Braised Chicken with Mushrooms, using the previously mentioned Tibetan chicken as the main ingredient."
Hearing Ye Chui mention the Tibetan chicken, the expression on Fang Jun's face changed slightly, still lamenting his car.
This Braised Chicken with Mushrooms emitted a clear fragrance of chicken. Besides the Tibetan chicken, another essential ingredient was wild hazel mushrooms that Ye Chui specially procured from a mountain farmer at the market. With slender stems and tender flesh, these mushrooms complemented the flavorful Tibetan chicken.
Following that, Ye Chui pointed to another dish that looked extremely simple but exuded waves of wine aroma, "This one is Shaoxing Drunken Chicken."
Then, he pointed to another dish, quite the opposite of Shaoxing Drunken Chicken, reaching its zenith in 'appearance' with vibrant colors of white, red, green, and yellow, making it irresistibly appealing, "This one is Dong'an Chicken."
These two dishes, one simple and the other elaborate, formed a harmonious pair, winning the admiration of the chefs.
Then, everyone looked at the last dish. In comparison to the previous three, this one seemed plain. It was a cold dish, seemingly made by shredding chicken skin and mixing it with cucumber. Placed next to the previous three dishes, it felt somewhat discordant.
Seeing the first three dishes Ye Chui created, even though they hadn't tasted them, the chefs understood the high level of these dishes. However, when they saw that one of the four dishes Ye Chui made was a cold dish, it seemed simple and unremarkable.
This triggered a sense of unease in their hearts.
They knew that while cold dishes might be simple, they required considerable skill. The Three Shredded Delicacies' dish that Fang Jun prepared for Han Lao before was a cold dish and his proud creation. Still, Han Lao withdrew it without taking a bite. Now, seeing Ye Chui creating a cold dish, they couldn't help feeling a bit unbalanced.
Yang Yong pointed at this cold dish and asked Ye Chui, "Mr. Ye, what is the specialty of this cold dish?"
"This dish is called 'Hongzi Chicken Shredded Cucumber,' one of the 328 dishes in the Manchu Han Imperial Feast, a royal cold dish," Ye Chui said with a faint smile. The Manchu Han Feast is divided into four levels: Ordinary dishes, Fine dishes, Royal dishes, and Imperial dishes.
The Imperial dishes are extremely luxurious, using rare and precious ingredients, while the Royal dishes, like the one in front of them, focus on culinary mastery rather than extravagant ingredients.
This 'Hongzi Chicken Shredded Cucumber' is a royal dish, seemingly simple but the most exquisite among the four dishes Ye Chui prepared today.
"What? Manchu Han Imperial Feast?"
"This seemingly simple cold dish is actually part of the Manchu Han Feast?"
"Does this dish have such a grand origin?"
All the chefs were greatly surprised. Everyone had heard of the Manchu Han Feast and knew it represented the pinnacle of Chinese cuisine. However, due to the 'Vegetarian Movement,' the recipes for the Manchu Han Feast were more incomplete in this world than in Ye Chui's previous world.
Still, the prestige of the Manchu Han Imperial Feast was undeniable. Hearing Ye Chui claim that this seemingly simple dish was part of the Manchu Han Feast astonished them.
Fang Jun's expression changed, and he said in disbelief, "This...this dish belongs to the Manchu Han Imperial Feast? Mr. Ye, I heard that the Manchu Han Imperial Feast is a royal feast. Every dish is meticulously crafted. Is this seemingly simple dish really so prestigious?"
"Cooking is about mastery, not just showmanship."
Hearing Fang Jun's words, Ye Chui knew this young man was unconvinced. However, he didn't say much and turned to Yang Yong, saying, "Manager Yang, you can bring these dishes up. How they taste will ultimately be judged by Mr. Han."
Braised Chicken with Mushrooms, Shaoxing Drunken Chicken, Dong'an Chicken, Hongzi Chicken Shredded Cucumber —these were the four chicken dishes Ye Chui prepared for Han Lao's feast. In Ye Chui's eyes, Yang Yong was taking a big advantage even with the 100,000 yuan he was paying for these dishes.
Yang Yong came to his senses and quickly had a few agile waiters come over to take the four dishes away. The other chefs were extremely curious about the result of Han Lao's tasting, but at this moment, they could only wait with eager expressions.
On the other hand, Ye Chui remained calm and had already started packing his things. He knew that, at this level, a gourmet like Han Lao had tasted countless exquisite dishes in his life. There was no need for nervousness or urgency.
Not to exaggerate, if Han Lao was dissatisfied with his dishes, it would only mean that Han Lao had issues with his taste! After all, these dishes were made by the God of Food.
Yang Yong followed the waiters as they were about to leave. However, when they reached the entrance, he hesitated for a moment.
Han Lao had instructed him to bring the chef over but considering how Han Lao had reacted to the Spicy Chicken earlier, it might not be a good thing for the reputation of Wan Lai Fu if it was known that Ye Chui was the chef behind these dishes.
Yang Yong had learned Ye Chui's true identity over the past week —just a street vendor selling lamb skewers. What kind of background could he possibly have? And for him, this matter had also caused some unnecessary trouble with Cao Xiong and Cao Kang.
In this situation, Yang Yong had some doubts in his heart. He spoke to Tian Xiaodu, "Head Chef Tian, come with me. Han Lao wants to meet you."
"Han Lao wants to see me?" Tian Xiaodu was a little surprised. Wasn't Han Lao dissatisfied with his Spicy Chicken?
"Don't overthink it. Let's go quickly," Yang Yong urged, leaving the kitchen together with Tian Xiaodu.
Ye Chui continued to pack his things, calmly and without any concern about Han Lao's evaluation. He was already thinking about whether he could go back to marinating the lamb if he went back now.
When Yang Yong and Tian Xiaodu arrived at the private room on the second floor, the four dishes prepared by Ye Chui were already laid out. Han Lao was scrutinizing the dishes with a serious expression. Both Yang Yong and Tian Xiaodu dared not utter a word.
After observing for a while, Han Lao picked up his chopsticks, took a bite from the Shaoxing Drunken Chicken, and his aged face, usually showing dissatisfaction, suddenly revealed a hint of surprise. His eyes widened, and he seemed genuinely amazed.
Ignoring the other dishes, Han Lao lifted his head, glanced at Yang Yong, and then turned his gaze to Tian Xiaodu. "Did you make these dishes?"
Tian Xiaodu was about to speak, but Yang Yong hurriedly nodded and said, "Yes, this is our head chef, Tian Xiaodu. All these dishes are created by him."
Tian Xiaodu looked at Yang Yong in confusion, wondering why he was lying. Yang Yong urgently signaled Tian Xiaodu with his eyes and continued, "Even the Spicy Chicken earlier was also prepared by Head Chef Tian."
About to taste the next dish, Han Lao suddenly paused. He looked at Tian Xiaodu and asked, "The Spicy Chicken and these dishes, were they all made by you?"
"This..." Tian Xiaodu didn't want to lie and was about to explain.
Yang Yong hastily interjected, "Yes, that's correct. Head Chef Tian is our five-star chef."
"You, come here!" Han Lao abruptly interrupted Yang Yong and beckoned him over.
Yang Yong was stunned for a moment but quickly smiled and walked over to Han Lao. "Han Lao, do you have any instructions?"
"What do you see here?" Han Lao pointed to his mouth.
"It's a mouth," Yang Yong replied hesitantly, unsure of Han Lao's intention.
"Whose mouth?" Han Lao continued questioning.
"Your...your mouth," Yang Yong stammered.
*Smack!*
Han Lao slapped Yang Yong in the face with anger, shouting, "Since you acknowledge that it's my mouth that tastes the dishes, do you think I can't discern the difference in taste between the Spicy Chicken and these dishes?"
***
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