The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 463 A Striking Similarity

"How about it?"

Cao Dongdong asked nervously.

From the moment Qin Lang picked up his chopsticks, his gaze never left Qin Lang's face. Now, noticing the unusual expression on Qin Lang's face, he immediately revealed an excited look, "Is there something wrong with the ingredients?"

His posture suggested that if Qin Lang nodded, he would immediately slam the table, get up, and turn the Hai Sheng Banquet upside down.

"I'm not sure yet." Qin Lang frowned, silently picked up a second piece of clam meat and put it in his mouth. "Let's try a few more dishes before we decide."

"Unsure?" Cao Dongdong's eyes lit up even more.

Previously, Qin Lang could tell from a single bite that Hai Ba Wang's ingredients were of inferior quality, but now, after taking another bite, he was no longer certain.

This must be a huge problem, one that even Qin Lang doesn't dare to be sure about easily.
At this moment, Cao Dongdong felt that his chance to overthrow Hai Shengyan and avenge Hai Bawang was just around the corner.

Although he often showed filial piety and strength to his father, Cao Dongdong was clear that Hai Ba Wang was a business managed by his father.

"You rascal." Seeing Cao Dongdong's excited expression, Zhao Qian had a rough idea of ​​what he was thinking. "I'm reminding you, calm down. What if you get beaten up and thrown out later?"

"He dares!" Cao Dongdong's voice rose a few decibels, but seeing the surprised looks from the others, he immediately lowered his voice again.

"We're spirit chefs, so if they use force, we can protect ourselves. Even if we can't win, we can file a complaint..."

Before he could finish speaking, the waiter brought up the second dish, and Cao Dongdong immediately fell silent. He only continued to hurl threats in a low voice after the waiter left.

Qin Lang did not participate in the discussion between the two, but silently reached for the second dish that was served.

After tasting it, his brow furrowed even more deeply.

After tasting the third dish, Qin Lang slowly put down his chopsticks.

"So? Should I start?"

Cao Dongdong raised one hand high, ready to slam his fist on the table at any moment.

Even Zhao Qian, who was standing nearby, summoned her food spirit to avoid being affected.

"Start what?" Qin Lang shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with the ingredients in this restaurant."

"Huh?" Cao Dongdong blinked blankly, then reached up and scratched the back of his head. "What was that expression you were making just now?"

"The ingredients are fine, but the cooking is the problem." Qin Lang took a deep breath, his expression becoming serious.

"The dishes and cooking methods of Hai Ba Wang and Hai Sheng Yan are extremely similar."

"How is that possible?" Zhao Qian, who was standing next to her, immediately showed a surprised expression. "I specifically checked, and apart from some regular dishes, the signature dishes of Hai Sheng Yan and Hai Ba Wang are almost completely different."

"Especially their signature dishes, which are completely different from each other."

How could they be so similar?

“Yes.” Cao Dongdong nodded as well, a look of doubt on his face. “Qin Lang, did you eat the wrong thing?”

"I also thought I had eaten something wrong," Qin Lang shook his head. "So I didn't dare to make a conclusion until I tasted the third dish."

Seeing that Zhao Qian and Cao Dongdong were still confused, Qin Lang explained.

"Dishes are merely the outward appearance of cooking."

“Every chef has their own cooking habits, and these habits will permeate every dish they make. So even if you follow the same recipe strictly, the dishes cooked by different chefs will still be different and cannot be exactly the same.”

"Similarly, different dishes cooked by the same chef will also have some things in common."

At this point, Qin Lang's expression became slightly more serious.

"The signature dishes at Hai Ba Wang Restaurant and Hai Sheng Yan Restaurant are strikingly similar in terms of seasoning." "It's almost as if they were cooked by the same chef."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qian and Cao Dongdong both widened their eyes.

This…

"How is this possible?!" Cao Dongdong couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. "The restaurants' opening hours overlap. Does the same chef have the ability to be in two places at the same time?"

“Of course that’s impossible,” Zhao Qian rolled her eyes. “But without a doubt, the two chefs are definitely connected in some way.”

"Yes."

Qin Lang nodded. "That's what I wanted to say."

"By sheer chance, we seem to have found the key."

The two restaurants are competitors, and Hai Sheng Yan is likely the mastermind behind the scheme against Hai Ba Wang Restaurant. However, the head chefs of the two restaurants may have a deep connection and their cooking methods are very similar.

This situation is definitely not simple!
"Ugh…"

Cao Dongdong rested his chin on his hand, looking annoyed. "In other words, we can't cause trouble for Hai Shengyan now."

"Stop looking for trouble." Qin Lang shook his head, both amused and exasperated. "Once you've found the key to the problem, things will be simple from here on out."

As he spoke, Qin Lang pressed the call button.

A waiter quickly arrived and politely inquired, "Sir, how can I help you?"

"Hello, could I meet the person who cooked these three dishes?" Qin Lang asked with a smile, pointing to the three dishes on the table.

“This…” The waiter looked troubled. “Sir, all three dishes were cooked by our restaurant’s head chef, but this is the busiest time for him, and he probably won’t have time to meet with you.”

"What if I say I'm not satisfied with these dishes?" Qin Lang's tone became slightly stern.

"I'm sorry for the unpleasant dining experience, sir." The waiter smiled apologetically. "I'll pass it on to the manager and the head chef right away."

After saying that, the waiter turned and left.

"Will this allow me to meet their head chef?" Zhao Qian couldn't help but ask curiously.

“Under normal circumstances, it is possible.” Qin Lang nodded. “These high-end restaurants often place great importance on service quality and will try their best to satisfy diners if they are not satisfied.”

"As long as I can see the head chef, I can nitpick and find some minor flaws in the dishes, and that will get me through."

"Qin Lang, you seem to know a lot about the catering industry," Zhao Qian said with a sudden realization, unable to help but exclaim, "I never realized that before."

“Yes.” Cao Dongdong nodded in deep agreement. “No wonder my dad asked you for help.”

"Uh..." Qin Lang paused for a moment, but quickly came up with a reason, "I worked as a waiter in a restaurant before in order to learn how to cook."

This wasn't just something he made up; before entering Pang Long's culinary training class, the original owner of this body did indeed work as a restaurant waiter for a period of time.

Zhao Qian and Cao Dongdong looked enlightened and did not ask any further questions.

After a short wait, the waiter brought over a woman who looked decisive and efficient.

“Sir,” the woman said crisply, “I am Lan Xin, the manager of this restaurant. I sincerely apologize for the unpleasant experience you had and will offer you two complimentary dishes as compensation.”

"As for meeting the head chef..."

"I'm sorry, we cannot meet this requirement."

(End of this chapter)