The story begins in Food Wars, when Alice took him home.

The butler handed the keys to the guests and said in a gentle voice that this was part of their hotel's service, and that customers were always the priority.

"understood."

Bai Yuan nodded, then returned to his room, put down his luggage, took a shower in the bathroom, and then stood at the door to send a message to everyone to come out.

It was already evening.

The sun sets.

The area outside the hotel was becoming increasingly lively.

"You only have one task today, which is to eat and drink your fill. As the capital of Fujian Province, Fuzhou brings together the best of the province's cuisine."

You are free to choose whatever you like and learn about the stories behind the dishes. These dishes will likely be featured prominently in the Fujian Youth Chef Competition. Knowing your opponent is half the battle.

As the girls gathered in the corridor one after another, Bai Yuan clapped his hands to attract their attention and announced the plans for tonight.

Although they ate some bread and snacks on the plane, those things were only enough to fill their stomachs and were far from enough to make them full.

The real reason for leaving room in the stomach was to sample the local delicacies.

"it is good!"

The women responded excitedly; they had been eagerly anticipating it. Coming to Fuzhou and not tasting Fujian cuisine would be an absolute crime!

"Then we'll head this way."

Because of the large number of people, after leaving the hotel, everyone decided to split up. Before parting, Bai Yuan stopped, turned around and looked at them, his tone carrying a hint of concern:

"Be careful on the road. Your Chinese isn't very fluent yet, so if you get lost or encounter any trouble, remember to call me immediately. I'll come pick you up right away and help you with things."

His gaze swept over Erina Nakiri and Alice Nakiri standing to his left and right, then looked at Yuuki Yoshino and the others who had split into several small groups, his expression serious.

"Okay, see you later!"

Yoshino Yuuki waved, then grabbed Tadokoro Megumi and Sakaki Ryoko and strode off in the direction of the dense crowd, disappearing into the bustling street in no time.

"I've heard that fish balls are very famous in Fuzhou. Let's go try them tonight."

Bai Yuan watched their figures disappear, then turned to Nakiri Erina and Nakiri Alice beside him and made a suggestion.

"And there's satay noodles. I know a shop where both the satay noodles and the seven-star fish balls taste authentic. You must try it when you come to Fuzhou!"

A crisp voice suddenly broke in. The three looked in the direction of the sound and saw Chuan Linghua walking over with a box of snacks in her hand and a pair of chopsticks in her hand. There was still some oil on the corner of her mouth, which meant that she had just had a good meal.

"That must be an oyster omelet, right? When did you buy it? You're so quick!"

Erina Nakiri sniffed lightly, and a rich seafood aroma wafted towards her. It was the unique freshness of fresh oysters mixed with the caramelized scent of fried eggs. If you sniffed carefully, you could also catch the fresh aroma of scallions released during the frying process.

"I had already prepared this while you were exchanging pleasantries and saying goodbye. This oyster omelet is one I carefully selected; it's definitely the best quality on this street. I asked for a few extra pairs of chopsticks so you can try it too."

As Kawanoka spoke, she handed over the snack box. The rich aroma became even more intense, and Bai Yuan unceremoniously accepted the disposable chopsticks she offered and began to taste.

"Putting everything else aside, the ingredients are absolutely the freshest, all freshly caught oysters."

Moreover, the oysters are fried until the outer layer is golden and crispy, while the inside remains relatively soft. The contrast in texture between the oysters and the egg is particularly striking.

The fresh oysters were incredibly tender, melting in your mouth with a slight springiness. The fried egg was smooth and creamy, a perfect complement to the oysters' delicate flavor! It was truly excellent, comparable to large hotel restaurants.

As he took a bite of the oyster omelet, Bai Yuan closed his eyes and savored it.

This snack is simple to make; the only thing you need to master is controlling the heat. As long as the heat is right and the ingredients are fresh, it's hard to make it taste bad.

"I want some too! I want some too! Brother Bai Yuan, let me have a taste!"

Beside them, Alice Nakiri saw Shirabuchi and Kawaki Rinka eating with great relish, and a curious look appeared on her face. She then leaned forward and opened her mouth wide.

"promise."

Seeing this, Bai Yuan naturally picked up a piece of oyster omelet and put it in his mouth. Nakiri Alice also closed her eyes and savored it.

"Erina, this is for you."

As they spoke, Bai Yuan picked up another piece and brought it to Erina Nakiri's lips, pretending to feed her. Upon seeing this, Erina blushed, but after hesitating for a moment, she opened her mouth and gently took a bite.

"The sweetness of oysters, the caramelized aroma of fried eggs, the freshness of scallions, the sweet and sour taste of the sauce..."

Almost the instant she took a bite of the food, a vast blue ocean suddenly appeared before Erina Nakiri's eyes, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The waves gently lapped against the rocks, and seagulls soared in the sky. Fresh oysters were just pulled from the sea, carrying the freshness of the sea breeze and the warmth of the sun.

The golden-brown egg crepe transforms into a golden wheat field before my eyes, with waves of wheat rippling in the breeze.

The scallions transformed into a group of green sprites, dancing lightly across the golden fields.

At this moment, these little elves held emerald green feathers in their hands, flying around her in all directions, while gently brushing her body with the feathers, bringing a ticklish sensation and a faint, strange feeling.

"This is really good! I didn't expect that even the street food in Fuzhou could be so delicious!"

Erina Nakiri opened her eyes and exclaimed from the bottom of her heart.

"No one buys anything that doesn't taste good, especially classic snacks like these. Most of the vendors are older chefs who have been in the business for over a decade or two and are highly skilled in their respective fields. How could they possibly make something that doesn't taste good?"

Kawano finished the remaining oyster omelet and scanned the entire street. Most of the vendors were chefs over thirty, with very few young people.

"Most teenagers and young adults in their twenties work as apprentices in restaurants. Even those who come from untrained backgrounds find no customers when they set up stalls. After a while, they naturally switch to other jobs because they're losing money."

Bai Yuan's voice slowly rose as well. In this world that places great importance on food, being a chef has become the profession with the best employment prospects.

This has led to a large influx of people into the culinary industry. Some rely on family backgrounds and rise rapidly with the help of their families; while others invest a lot of time and energy, but due to a lack of talent and connections, they end up achieving nothing and have no choice but to change careers.

If one can become a first-class chef before the age of thirty, one can be called a genius; with extreme effort, one may become a master chef.

Nowadays, most of the street vendors are former employees of major restaurants. They may not be highly skilled chefs, but they certainly have their own unique expertise, which is the foundation of their livelihood.

"Is it possible to create dishes that far surpass the level of a chef by dedicating one's entire life to mastering only one dish?"

Erina Nakiri seemed stunned, muttering to herself. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to cook only one dish for a lifetime—how boring would that be?

"In fact, many people try to create innovative dishes after accumulating enough experience. However, due to the lack of mature technology, very few people succeed."

See that shop over there? It's been open for decades. It used to serve Hong Kong-style roast meats, and the authentic flavor was highly praised.

Later, when the old man who was in charge of the business passed away, his son took over as the new owner and insisted on changing the original recipe, resulting in the business plummeting.

Don't be fooled by the fact that there are still quite a few customers; most of them come because of its reputation, and the original loyal customers are almost gone. This shop is only keeping going thanks to its founders' fame; it won't last more than a few years before it goes out of business.

Kawanoka pointed to a shop not far away and said, "This is actually quite a sad thing. The legacy of the older generation is gradually fading away, and the younger generation is not keeping up. More and more famous old shops are closing down."

"Yes, there is no such thing as an immortal legacy. If a rebellious person comes out after three or five generations, all the foundation built up by our ancestors will be destroyed."

"We'll still need to establish a family line, with generations to come. Even if some descendants don't want to be chefs, there will be many more willing to take their place."

After listening to Kawahira's story, Nakiri Erina spoke with some emotion. In that instant, she suddenly understood why her ancestors had founded the family.

Even if the Nakiri family falls into poverty, they will still have top-tier chefs in the family, and as long as the root doesn't have any problems, they can continue to pass on their skills.

“I totally agree.”

As an heir to a large family, Kawahiko nodded in agreement, but Alice had vanished at that moment.

Bai Yuan looked around for a while before realizing that she had actually run to the small roast meat shop that Chuan Linghua had pointed out earlier and bought a portion of roast meat from the shopkeeper.

"Go and try it."

Seeing that Alice Nakiri had already taken her seat, Bai Yuan and the others had no choice but to follow.

However, he also became somewhat curious about how badly it had been modified for Kawahira to consider it a disgrace to the family and think that it would soon go out of business.

"Are you going to eat here tonight?"

Kawano Rinka paused for a moment, then reluctantly followed, ordered a roast goose at the counter, and sat down opposite Shirai Ayumi to wait.

"Give it a try. Traditional Hong Kong-style roast meats are not only savory and rich, but also sweet and fresh."

After being roasted at high temperatures, its outer skin forms a golden, crispy crust. You can even clearly hear a "crunch" when you bite into it, creating a striking contrast between the crispy exterior and the tender, juicy interior!

Not long after Bai Yuan finished speaking, a waiter came over carrying several plates of different roast meats, including roast goose, roast duck, roast sausage, and char siu pork.

"These are the meals you ordered, please check them."

The waiter handed the menu to Bai Yuan, clearly recognizing him as the person in charge.

"no problem."

After a quick glance, Bai Yuan nodded to indicate that there was no problem. The waiter then put down the roast meat and served several bowls of rice as a complimentary dish.

"Rose petals..."

Looking at the rose petals scattered on the roast meat, Chuanlinghua couldn't help but murmur aloud.

"Judging from its appearance alone, this dish looks quite interesting and could be considered an innovative dish. However, a definitive evaluation can only be made after tasting it..."

Bai Yuan stroked his chin, carefully examining the dish in front of him. Judging from its appearance, it was indeed quite good, and the aroma was exceptionally rich, giving it a fresh feel.

"Although it looks quite creative, the flaws are also obvious. The roses are treated quite cleanly, but they have lost their original vibrant color under high temperatures."

Furthermore, the amount of rose petals used was excessive, resulting in an overly strong aroma that masked the natural saltiness and meatiness of the roast meat, leading to an unbalanced flavor.

Bai Yuan leaned in to smell it, savoring its flavor, and then pointed out the dish's shortcomings in front of everyone.

The innovative idea was certainly good, but the chef in charge of this dish was clearly not skilled enough to perfect it to the ideal state, resulting in a dish that was neither good nor bad.

"The aroma of the petals is too strong, which may cause the floral fragrance to overpower the original flavor of the roast meat."

Upon tasting, the first thing you notice is a strong rose aroma, which masks the salty and meaty flavors of the roast meat, causing it to lose its traditional roast meat taste.

Erina Nakiri picked up a piece of char siu and put it in her mouth. The aroma of roses instantly exploded in her mouth, bringing an unprecedented and novel experience.

However, as far as char siu is concerned, the aroma of roses is too strong, masking the original deliciousness of the char siu and making the dish no longer resemble char siu.

"The taste is okay, but it definitely doesn't qualify as char siu, and it doesn't deserve the name char siu."

Bai Yuan said in a cold tone.

To be fair, this dish may have reached the standard of a first-class dish in terms of taste, but it has deviated from the essence of char siu.

This explains why the shop, despite losing some old customers, can still attract new ones. Perhaps changing their sign from "Hong Kong Style Roast Meat" to "Rose Roast Pork" would be more appropriate.

"Waiter, could you please bring me a piece of paper and a pen?"

Bai Yuan waved to the waiter, then picked up another piece of roast duck and put it in his mouth.

The next moment, he shook his head. He tasted a slightly burnt, bitter flavor in the roast duck, most likely from the rose petals charring during the roasting process.

Not only was the recipe improvement less than ideal, but the chefs preparing the dishes weren't very dedicated either. No wonder its reputation among regular customers is getting worse and worse.

"Here's some paper and a pen, guest."