Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 252 Two-Colored Yellow Croaker Jelly, This Lemonade Actually Contains... a Starry Sky? (First Update)
[Chef's Hall Reception Competition]

Round: Round Two

[Diners: 100 college couples selected from all over the country (volunteers)]

[Voucher Amount: 200 yuan]

The specific description of this round was clearly displayed outside the live stream room.

However, this is a special feature for netizens, and the contestants in the kitchen cannot see it.

However, having learned from the previous round, the contestants began to make their own summaries about the diners who came this time.

Several older, less well-informed veteran workers' first reaction was...

"I wonder how much money this college couple got together, but most students this age probably eat in the cafeteria, right?"

“I remember that my daughter’s living expenses at that age in college were 1000 yuan. Sometimes she also had to buy clothes, so she probably couldn’t afford to eat very well.”

Younger chefs have a different perspective.

"Group buying, fast delivery, Jingxi delivery, coupons keep coming, college students are getting fat from drinking milk tea."

"If they really are a college student couple, it's a bit tricky. They spend a lot of time surfing the internet. They've seen and eaten all kinds of food, and some of them might even prefer watching food bloggers."

"Although life isn't exactly comfortable, many college students do odd jobs or try to find part-time work. It's a bit of an exaggeration to say that every meal is a gourmet meal, but once every one or two weeks, they can easily get a coupon and treat a few friends to a meal."

"Judging from their clothes and appearance, most of the boys come from relatively well-off families. That makes sense, dating does cost a bit of money."

"It seems that many college students have lost their fascination with Western food. If the price doesn't match the taste and appearance, I'm afraid it will be hard for anyone to pay for it."

The contestants come from all over the country and have different backgrounds, which to some extent leads to their different understandings of the term "college student".

After all, the standards of universities in different regions and the students' spending levels are different, so it is indeed difficult to balance them.

Just like when you choose a college student from Beijing and compare them with a college student from Jingzhou, there will be certain differences in terms of consumption level and prices.

Since it was impossible to determine the diners' preferences at the moment, Xia Ming could only make a rough classification of these diners.

"Personal attire cannot represent dining preferences, but it can indirectly reveal a diner's pursuit of 'refinement.'"

"Based on the number of diners who just entered, the first wave consisted of 40 groups, or 80 diners."

"Among them, 31 girls were dressed relatively 'exquisitely,' while the remaining 9 maintained basic neatness. Most of the boys were clean and tidy."

"But apart from a few boys who carry electronic devices and whose family backgrounds seem to be quite good, the preferences of the others cannot be determined at the moment."

Xia Ming didn't need to speculate whether these few boys earned their money themselves or received it from their families.

All he needs to know is that their willingness to spend may be higher.

After judging their basic pursuit of "refinement", Xia Ming still needs to make another basic judgment on them.

That is the "balance ratio" that only occurs between "lovers".

"Whether a relationship is led by the male, led by the female, or based on mutual respect, the power dynamics in deciding who gets to order will ultimately be affected."

"The culinary association's question setter was a bit tricky; the question was ostensibly 'the amount of money the girl is holding' + 'the amount of money the boy is holding.'"

"However, in reality, it will most likely be a 'combined amount from both sides,' and the allocation of that amount will depend on the attitudes of both parties."

If all that was needed was to supply food, Xia Ming wouldn't have to worry about all this at all.

When dealing with college students like this, you only need to perfect the first two aspects of "color," "aroma," and "taste."
They will most likely experience automatic human-to-human transmission that spreads beyond their initial reach.

This is like going to a famous restaurant, but you haven't looked into it beforehand. Looking at the menu and unable to choose your favorite dishes, without a waiter to introduce the dishes, you'll most likely first look at what the other diners are eating.

This phenomenon is not limited to college students, but college students are often the type of students who are easier to communicate with.

As long as they share some common interests, most students are enthusiastic about their peers.

"Therefore, this places high demands on the 'appearance,' 'aroma,' and 'value for money' of the dishes."

"Especially in terms of 'appearance' and 'value for money,' the former satisfies the college students' need for taking photos, while the latter allows them to choose as many dishes as possible."

"Eating well isn't the primary concern for these college students. Those who came here have likely taken time off work specifically for this purpose. Even if they don't eat their fill, they can easily find a small stall to grab a snack later."

Unlike factory workers who are likely to have to work in the afternoon, college students with plenty of free time crave a "special" experience on this trip.

"The photos of the dishes will become their memories, and social media platforms can satisfy their desire to show off. After all, cooking at a 'Level 4 Chinese' chef is already expensive, and it's unlikely they'll have another chance to choose like this."

After looking at his menu, Xia Ming quickly determined the direction for targeted modifications.

"According to the rules, the order of the dishes on the menu has been shuffled, and as 'TOP1,' my menu is placed at the very front."

"My menu is still playing on the most prominent screen. For most college students who have difficulty making choices, choosing my reputable menu is obviously more suitable."

"This means that getting initial orders won't be a problem. The rest is about giving these college students a visual shock."

Unlike last time, Xia Ming didn't receive as many "drinking water orders" at the beginning this time.

He knew that it was because he was no longer the only supplier of "boiled water"; other companies might have also launched beverages priced under 4 yuan to boost their sales.

This is actually a bit like "price wars," but Xia Ming got there early and doesn't care about their own internal competition.

Just as he was pondering, "Little Bean" behind him delivered the latest report.

【5号桌1号座位，双色黄鱼冻（188元）1份，柠檬水（3元）2份。】

Upon hearing this announcement, Xia Ming's lips unconsciously curled into a slight smile.

"It's here! This is our first big order!"

"Banquet Hall, Table 5, Seats 1 and 2"

Gu Xiaorui and Deng Yu from Huaxia Academy of Fine Arts are having a happy discussion right now.

“Xiao Rui, look at this ‘Stargazing Pie’! I don’t know what the chef was thinking.” Gu Xiao Rui, a girl with big eyes and a quiet demeanor, smiled and pointed to another menu in front of her when she heard her boyfriend’s words.

"My situation isn't bad either. We had this 'stinky mandarin fish' last time, didn't we? It was really bad."

Deng Yu has a youthful appearance. Although he is not particularly handsome, he dresses quite well. When he heard his girlfriend's words, he thought for a moment and then quickly responded.

"Yes, I felt there was an odd taste when I ate it, but the shop insisted that that's how it's supposed to taste, and we argued about it for a long time."

Gu Xiaorui nodded

"Yeah, it's a popular spot for online influencers. I gave it a bad review as soon as I got back, and I'm still angry about it. If you gave me my phone, I'd give it another bad review."

Deng Yu smiled and waved his hand upon hearing this.

"Forget it, Xiao Rui, we're streaming right now, let's go downstairs and play privately first, let's calculate how much money we've spent so far."

After hearing this, Gu Xiaorui composed herself and picked up her phone from the side.

"Let me see~ You ordered a recommended dish, 'Two-Color Yellow Croaker Jelly,' and two glasses of 'Lemonade,' which cost a total of 194 yuan. You have 6 yuan left."

"I ordered a 'Dazzling Napoleon' which cost 55 yuan, and a 'Mont Blanc' which cost 40 yuan, leaving me with 105 yuan."

Seeing that his girlfriend had ordered two desserts, Deng Yu smiled.

"Eat less dessert, or you'll get a toothache again."

Gu Xiaorui blinked.

"Oh, you've come all this way, so you definitely have to eat your fill. Don't worry, I'll brush my teeth as soon as I get back. By the way, would you like a main dish?"

Deng Yu affectionately patted his girlfriend's head.

"You order first, I'll look at my stuff last. Oh, by the way, I just saw a 6-yuan 'chicken cake,' and I'll run out of money if I order now. Do you want some chicken cake?"

"Okay~"

The two seemed to have a very sweet relationship, and their calculations were quite precise.

Deng Yu isn't particular about food; he just wants something with plenty of food and drink. Trusting the "good reviews" list, he recommended his girlfriend order the "two-color yellow croaker jelly".

Gu Xiaorui ordered two desserts first, then a pasta dish, and a "pig's blood curd set meal" from Xia Ming's menu, leaving her with 46 yuan.

I originally had my eye on a restaurant's menu called "Xiao Dudu Pot," which cost exactly 46 yuan.

However, Deng Yu offered a different suggestion.

"Let's save what we have for now, and eat what we have. If we don't have enough to drink, we'll get more."

"If you're still not full, we'll order another main dish. If you're full, we'll use the last of our money to order a dessert."

Gu Xiaorui blinked, saying that eating too many desserts would make her fat, but her hand obediently closed the menu.

It was clear that she had accepted Deng Yu's proposal.

While the two were chatting, "Mont Blanc" was served first.

There are three hazelnut pieces, paired with three classic creams, and a delicate little ball of crispy shredded cheese on a chestnut crisp roll in the middle.

The overall design is unique and artistic, attracting the attention of the girl sitting next to me the moment it was served.

At the same time, Gu Xiaorui's eyes lit up instantly when she saw the "Mont Blanc" design.

Wow, this is so beautiful!

Deng Yugang, who was standing to the side, was about to chime in when he suddenly frowned.

"Hmm, I feel like I've seen this somewhere before."

Just as he looked puzzled, some viewers in the live stream had already noticed the problem.

The food looks beautiful, but there's one problem: isn't the presentation a direct copy of the Mont Blanc dish from "The Grand Hi-Lai Hotel"?

It's not a direct copy, but it's highly likely it borrowed from other works, since they really do look very similar at first glance.

Is this produced by Luo Hui? He seems to enjoy recreating cooking scenes from variety shows and anime.

[It seems not. I remember Luo Hui was number 37, and he usually remakes anime, not TV dramas, because it's uncertain whether the TV drama has the copyright. You know, food-themed TV dramas sometimes need to hire chefs as consultants.]

I found the image. To be honest, it's about 80% a high-quality replica. It definitely won't be classified as plagiarism, but it's certainly borrowed from other works.

[I found out. Contestant number 18, "Du Jian," is a Level 4 Chinese Chef and a senior pastry chef. He currently runs a fusion restaurant. I heard he recently had a fight with Chen Xiaodong and won, then went to fight Zheng Zeqian and got soundly thrashed.]

[I remember now, Zheng Zeqian bluntly said back then that next time he should do something of his own. It seems he's a repeat offender.]

[Doesn't Luo Hui also make high-quality counterfeits? Why call him a repeat offender?]

[They're different. Luo Hui's only looks like it, but it's actually all modified. And I heard that he has to buy the copyright for the dishes on his menu.]

[It's probably just a coincidence. After all, it's a serious exam; they wouldn't risk their future like that.]

Although netizens were somewhat disgusted by this behavior, Deng Yu also clearly sensed something was wrong, since they weren't exactly the same, so the two of them didn't say much.

As is customary, the phone eats first.
After taking a few photos, Gu Xiaorui put it aside, planning to eat it after taking the group photo later.

Just as she set the plate aside, Xia Ming's two dishes were served at the same time.

Because dry ice and a cover were used, Gu Xiaorui couldn't see the "two-color yellow croaker jelly" very clearly.

But the lemonade on the other side still made her eyes widen.

"Didn't we only spend 3 yuan? How come there's a starry sky in this lemonade?"

(End of this chapter)