Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

　"I'd do anything for just one bite!"

　This was the thought of everyone present. Just smelling the aroma from the plate made them unable to resist fantasizing about it. If the judges hadn't intervened in time, and some strong-willed people hadn't stopped them, many people would probably have rushed up just to have a bite.

　The three judges sat in their seats with satisfied expressions, continuously offering high praise in professional terms.

Chapter 230 Mountain and Sea Tempura - Ultimate VS Golden Broth and Jade-Infused Cabbage

　"this..."

　Seeing her opponent receive overwhelming praise, Mieko Tadokoro couldn't help but show a worried expression, and even tightened her grip on Megumi Tadokoro's hand.

　"Don't worry, Mom, trust Teacher Bai Yuan."

　In contrast, Tadokoro Megumi remained very calm, having absolute trust in Shirobuchi.

　Although Wang Zhi's cooking is impressive, it is ultimately just luminous cooking, a far cry from flowing light cooking, and there is no possibility of surpassing it in the slightest.

　"That's all it can do now."

　Although Mieko Tadokoro was extremely worried, she could only trust Shirayuki, since he had already represented Shohokuen in the competition.

　Whether she wins or loses, she has no choice but to accept it.

　"So, I've brought out a luminous dish. How will you deal with that?"

　Ignoring the praise from those around him, he turned his gaze to Bai Yuan, who was frying tempura.

　After he finished making the tempura, Wang Zhi's previously serious expression instantly returned to relaxation.

　How could a simple Japanese dish possibly compare to his painstakingly crafted Golden Broth and Jade-Stuffed Cabbage?

　As the judges finished tasting Wang Zhi's dishes and put down their chopsticks, they all turned their attention to Bai Yuan.

　Then he saw the tempura being made in Baiyuan's pot and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

　Although tempura is very famous and highly regarded in Japan, it is at best a snack and not particularly outstanding as a dish for a competition.

　However, the moment the ingredients came out of the oil, a pale golden sheen surrounded them, making the already golden tempura even more shiny.

　Though not dazzling, it is enduring and powerful, its golden luster captivating all who look away.

　"This is... an unfinished version of a glowing dish? The golden light on top is so pale..."

　Clearly, not everyone knows about the Flowing Light Cuisine; the old town mayor in front of us is one of them.

　For him, even the glowing-level dish was something he had never seen before in his life, let alone the flowing-light-level dish that was even higher.

　"It is indeed very faint, and I can't feel it very clearly, but it lasts for far too long!"

　The surrounding crowd was also discussing it. Although the golden light on the dish was faint, it had not dissipated even after two minutes, and its persistence was amazing.

　"It is indeed ridiculously long."

　Master Quanye frowned slightly, tapping his fingers on the table. He thought of a possibility, but felt it was unrealistic. How old was Bai Yuan?

　Moreover, good dishes are all about color, aroma, and taste.

　Although the tempura in front of me looked great, golden and crispy, it had a very faint aroma, only a faint taste of fried batter.

　Normally, whatever you fry will have its own flavor. Fried shrimp should have a rich shrimp flavor, fried fish should have a mellow fish flavor, and even fried potatoes should have flavor!

　"Locking in the flavor: Only by locking all the flavor of the ingredients under such a thin tempura coating can the flavor not be revealed at all."

　This is undoubtedly a masterpiece of culinary artistry! To find such a young, top-tier (Seven-Star) chef in this small town is unbelievable!

　Looking at the food in front of her, and thinking of Bai Yuan's age, the girl cried out in surprise.

　However, because she was in a hurry, she spoke in Chinese, which surprised the surrounding audience, who didn't know why she was so shocked.

　The only one who reacted was Wang Zhi. He had already suspected something was wrong, and upon hearing the girl's words, he immediately replied in Chinese: "How could that be? How old is he?! Do you know what a top-tier seven-star chef is? That's a level only state banquet chefs can achieve!"

　"Of course I know. I grew up eating this kind of food. No one knows better than me how a 'Radiant' level dish performs and what its condition is!"

　Upon hearing Wang Zhi's questioning, the pink-clad girl immediately became displeased and began to argue vehemently.

　It's not hard to tell from her words that she must either be born into a family of chefs or be very wealthy, otherwise she wouldn't be able to eat light-colored dishes as a meal.

　Compared to the latter, the former is significantly more likely. Even with immense wealth, it's impossible to hire a top-tier seven-star chef to cook at home.

　Chefs who reach this level are already a national treasure.

　Even in the culinary world, they can be considered a kind of nuclear deterrent, an absolute voice!

　Wang Zhi also thought of this and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. He carefully examined the girl's figure in front of him and felt that she looked somewhat familiar. The next moment, he couldn't help but blurt out: "You are Chuan Linghua, who won the Sichuan Cuisine Competition two years ago?!"

　"Actually, I prefer you to call me by my chef's name, Chuan Lingyun, because my ambition is to reach the heavens, climb to the pinnacle of culinary arts, and become the world's top chef!"

　Two years ago, a youth chef competition was held in Sichuan. A girl dressed in pink, with a lollipop in her mouth, who looked adorable, won the championship.

　The final victory was won with a Sichuan-style spicy noodle soup. The soup used over a dozen types of chili peppers, resulting in a fragrant and subtly spicy flavor that was incredibly refreshing. Its layered flavors were captivating and enduring, truly breathtaking!

　It's astonishing that the champion, who was once a hot favorite but suddenly disappeared after the competition, would now appear here and become a judge in this food battle involving a hotel.

　"No matter what, this is a Radiant-level dish, and a Radiant-level dish with an extremely high degree of completion. There is absolutely no other possibility!"

　Kawanoka's voice was firm. Then she looked at the sauce next to her, dipped her white finger in it, and put it in her mouth.

　As the sauce entered her mouth, its delicate and mellow flavor left her speechless, a look of disbelief appearing on her face.

　Nearby, the mayor and Master Izumi saw this scene and picked up their tempura pieces, putting them into their mouths. The next moment, a crisp sound rang out.

　"How...how can there be such a rich aroma in the world?! I can't take it anymore! Give me a bite! Give me a bite!"

　The moment you bite into it, the rich aroma spreads rapidly in all directions from the bite mark, instantly igniting excitement in the room.

　Countless people who had previously remained calm have now turned into hungry wolves, frantically pushing and shoving through the crowd, wanting to get a bite of the food on the table.

　Fortunately, the judges ahead of them sensed something was wrong and quickly ate the rest of their dishes, but

　I was still pushed and shoved quite a bit from behind, and the tempura on my plate was completely snatched away.

　In order to eat it as soon as possible, they didn't even dip it in sauce. After chewing, they looked satisfied, and the confusion in their eyes disappeared, becoming clear.

　The old mayor had anticipated the situation, but he hadn't expected it to involve Bai Yuan. Seeing the crowd, he immediately ordered his staff to move forward, preventing the situation from escalating further.

　Of course, the main reason is that the food in front of them has already been snatched up, and even if these audience members really want to eat it, they can't possibly take it from other people's mouths.

　In fact, some people have done this, but they only learned their lesson after being beaten up.

　"The outer skin is crispy, and the inside is rich in layers, with the soft and glutinous pumpkin, the crisp and tender burdock, the sweet radish and the fresh and tender monkfish intertwined."

　"It's just a plate of tempura, but how can I taste so many different flavors?!"

　Master Izumino's eyes were filled with shock and bewilderment. He was taken aback the moment the fries entered his mouth. What a rich flavor it was!

　But why is that? The tempura in front of me looks so ordinary...

　Ordinary yet extraordinary, with such a magical flavor, no one would dare treat it as just an ordinary tempura.

　"I understand. You wrapped the vegetables and monkfish together and then used the tempura method to perfectly lock in the flavor."

　Kawanobi opened her closed eyes and looked at Shirayuki with excitement, explaining the mystery behind the dish in front of her, saying it was a truly ingenious idea.

　Cut the monkfish meat into thin slices, then layer it with thinly sliced ​​kiwi squash, Tachikawa burdock, red radish and other vegetables.

　This method allows the dish to possess the flavors of all these ingredients simultaneously, and Bai Yuan has mastered the proportions perfectly, resulting in a very harmonious taste.

　"The moment it enters your mouth, sweetness, freshness, and aroma intertwine, perfectly blending the sweetness of pumpkin, the crispness of radish, the fragrance of burdock, and the freshness of monkfish!"

　Kawanoka talked about her initial impressions, saying that she was increasingly surprised with each bite, finding it hard to believe that so many flavors could be gathered in a single serving of tempura.

　"Besides that, what's even more surprising is the sauce. If I'm not mistaken, it should contain monkfish liver."

　Master Izumi exhaled a soft breath, explaining that the sauce is the soul of tempura. The cod liver has a smooth, rich texture and a distinctive umami flavor with a subtle hint of the ocean. After preparation, the cod liver's oils and aroma become the core of the sauce, adding a touch of luxury.

　"More than that, it should be made with monkfish liver as a base, then stir-fried with spices such as ginger, garlic, chili, sansho pepper, and yuzu peel to bring out the aroma..."

　Kawanoka's voice rang out from the side. She had only used a few spices, yet she had created such a flavor. It was hard to imagine that they were blended so thoroughly that they were indistinguishable from one another. If she didn't have a super sense of taste, she would never have been able to taste the deeper flavors.

　From this, we can conclude one thing: the person in front of us must possess one of the five super senses, otherwise it would be impossible for them to make such top-notch dishes!

　"Ginger and garlic add spiciness, balancing the richness of the cod liver. Chili peppers bring a subtle spiciness, stimulating the taste buds. Grapefruit peel provides a refreshing citrus aroma, enhancing the sauce's lightness. Sansho peppers have a unique numbing aroma, adding complexity to the dish."

　After identifying the spices added to the sauce, and then muttering about their effects, Kawanahiko's shock grew stronger and stronger.

　The other person looks to be around her age, right? Why is their cooking on par with her grandfather's?! That doesn't make sense!

　"The initial bite is incredibly crispy, and the umami of the sauce blends perfectly with the sweetness, aroma, and freshness of the tempura. Furthermore, the richness of the fish liver and the layers of spices make the overall flavor even more profound."

　The flush on his old face deepened, and the old mayor's breathing became slightly rapid. The rich flavor made him unable to resist letting out a long howl.

　"For this dish, we chose local monkfish, and paired it with local ingredients such as kiwi squash, Tachikawa burdock, and red-rooted radish, allowing their flavors to blend together to create a new dish."

　These are the experiences Xiaohui had in town, and what she learned at Totsuki Culinary Academy. You can taste a young girl's painstaking efforts in cooking, trying to recreate the flavors of her hometown.

　Looking at the judges who gave the dish high praise, Bai Yuan's voice rang out, pulling Tadokoro Megumi, who had been hiding behind him, to the front, and began to tell her about the origin of the dish.

　He only played a role in perfecting the recipe; the person who truly developed this dish was Megumi Tadokoro.

　"Xiao Hui is a good girl!"

　Seeing Tadokoro Megumi, who was pushed forward by Bai Yuan and lowered her head slightly shyly in front of the public, the old mayor sighed from the bottom of his heart.

　"I have no objection to that."

　Beside him, Master Izumi nodded in agreement, clearly indicating that he had also had some interaction with Megumi Tadokoro.

　They tasted a young girl's coming-of-age story and her deep love for her hometown in the food, which was truly precious.

　The ingredients used were all given unconditionally by others, just to show their support. Only Tadokoro Megumi, the town's darling, could be so popular.

　"The outcome of this cooking competition is already quite obvious. I think both of you should have your answers by now."

　Looking back at the townspeople who had finally been appeased, it was hard to imagine that a single dish could turn the originally kind townspeople into such a vicious person.

　Even now, they still vividly remember what happened and are somewhat frightened.

　The townspeople who were normal a second ago have completely changed their appearance the next second.

　They turned into greedy zombies, desperately trying to rush forward and taste the food on the plate.

　This is only the smell of fragrance.

　"Zhuang Huiyuan, your dishes are excellent. Congratulations on winning this food battle."

　After exchanging glances with Kawabika and Master Izumi, the mayor stated their answer: the difference between glowing cuisine and flowing cuisine is too great, and there is no need to compare them at all.

　Even if I lose, I still want to try that tempura.