Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

"Thank you. My name is Li Wanwan, and I am Chinese. This is Hojo Miyoko, and I am Japanese."

Since they were sitting right next door, and Bai Yuan had just helped them, Li Wanwan took the opportunity to introduce herself, along with the girl sitting next to her, Hojo Miyoko.

"Hello."

Hojo Miyoko nodded slightly to Bai Yuan, then turned her face away, looking around as if she had no intention of trying to build a good relationship with him.

"Hello, my name is Bai Yuan, and I am also Chinese, but due to some special reasons, my household registration is in Denmark."

Bai Yuan introduced himself in Chinese. He had actually noticed Hojo Miyoko long ago. As one of only two Totsuki Academy students in Food Wars! who were skilled in Chinese cuisine, she left a deep impression on him.

Although she was young, she was still recognizable by her facial features, a fact that Bai Yuan had already deeply felt in Nakiri Alice.

However, I had never felt this way before.

This feeling is especially strong now.

Girls develop really fast. A thirteen-year-old looks almost the same as a sixteen or seventeen-year-old, except for her slightly immature face.

"Have you lived in Denmark all your life? Your Chinese is really good."

Hearing Bai Yuan's standard Mandarin pronunciation, Li Wanwan was somewhat surprised. His Mandarin must be above Grade A, even better than hers.

"No, I came here later for some reasons. Now I'm going back to China to participate in the annual chef assessment in Guangzhou."

Since Hojo Miyoko is here, and flew from Denmark to Guangzhou at this time, it's highly likely that they are also going to participate in the chef assessment.

Wanting to travel together and ask about some precautions, but not wanting to ask directly, Bai Yuan came up with this indirect approach.

By proactively revealing his own information, he could lower Li Wanwan and Hojo Miyoko's guard, thus making it easier to extract information from them.

During his years in Denmark, in order to avoid being deceived in society, Bai Yuan taught himself a little psychology, and this trick was based on the book.

"Are you also going to Guangzhou for the chef assessment? Then we're on the same path! Because we're coming to Europe to source ingredients, the only country that can fly directly to Guangzhou is Denmark."

At this point, Li Wanwan couldn't help but sigh. Such a thing wouldn't normally happen.

However, due to the chef assessments being held recently, chefs from all over the world are flocking to Guangzhou, making the city exceptionally lively, with foreigners frequently seen on the streets and alleys.

“I see, what a coincidence! Could you tell me about the rules for the chef assessment in Guangzhou? Although I have some information online, Denmark is a long way from Guangzhou, so there are some discrepancies in the information.”

Bai Yuan humbly sought guidance and asked the question he most wanted to know.

Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. Although his skills are stronger than those of the judges from the Guangzhou Culinary Association, it's always safer to ask him for clarification.

He came to Guangzhou for two purposes: one was to obtain the title of Master Chef, and the other was to obtain the Master Chef armband.

The most practical way to obtain a master chef's armband is to wrap it with a white cloth. If a dispute arises with another chef, and both sides insist on their version of events and neither is willing to concede, he can casually remove the white cloth from his arm, revealing the master chef's armband underneath!

That way you can observe the stunned expression on the other person's face.

No, we should find a henchman to help us remove the white cloth while things are in chaos. It would be too unrefined to tear it off ourselves!

Moreover, if he were alone, he felt he wouldn't even have to wait until the part where the white cloth was torn off; he would just punch that troll to the ground.

"The chef assessment in Guangzhou has been the same for decades, so you don't need to worry too much."

"Among them, the third-level chef exam involves drawing a main ingredient from the type of dish you are good at. As long as the taste of the dish you cook meets the judges' requirements, you can pass the exam."

"The second-class chef assessment is a themed cooking test. Choose your area of ​​expertise and make 18 dishes in a row. If the taste of these 18 dishes is consistent and meets the passing score of the exam, you will pass."

"The first-class chef exam is an upgraded themed exam. The organizers will give candidates a direction to choose from, and then provide them with a clear theme based on that direction."

Candidates will create an impromptu dish based on a given theme. The dish must adhere to the theme; only those who meet both the creativity and taste standards will pass the assessment.

"As for the top-grade..."

"The top-tier dishes are also themed dishes, but the themes are completely random, and the questions are different every year. Not only are the ingredients limited, but the content is also more difficult to understand. Many chefs fail at the very first step."

Just as Li Wanwan was about to continue speaking, Bai Yuan chimed in.

These were not much different from what he knew. In short, the master chef tests a chef's imagination and the basic skill of turning rich imagination into reality.

"Yes, but that's not something we should worry about."

"You're so young, you must be taking the Level 2 chef exam, right? If you pass the Level 2 chef exam, you'll be a full-fledged chef at any restaurant, with a decent salary."

Li Wanwan said with a smile that, apart from a few exceptionally talented individuals, a chef's age is generally correlated with their skill level.

If you start cooking from elementary school, without the guidance of a master chef.

Around twenty years old, one is generally a second-class chef; around thirty years old, one is a first-class chef.

As for the master chef...

There's a saying in the culinary world: if you can't become a master chef before the age of fifty, you'll never reach that level in your lifetime.

Because after the age of fifty, chefs' thinking gradually becomes rigid, their ability to accept new things decreases, and it becomes difficult for them to create innovative dishes, thus losing the possibility of entering the top tier.

Afterwards, Bai Yuan and Li Wanwan talked for a long time.

Because Bai Yuan had just helped them, Li Wanwan was completely open and honest with him, answering all his questions without any reservations.

Finally, she even revealed her own identity and invited him to visit.

She is the daughter of the owner of Xianglan Restaurant in Guangzhou, which specializes in Hunan cuisine.

Her father is a three-star chef and also the mentor of Hojo Miyoko's father. She went to Japan to pick up Hojo Miyoko to take the second-class chef exam.

It is worth mentioning that.

This is the second time that Miyoko Hojo has taken the second-class chef exam. The last time, she failed because of a mistake in a dish.

"The main problem was that I didn't have enough time. I got a little anxious and rushed the cooking process, which caused some mistakes, and that's why it didn't pass..."

Since the discussion was about herself, Hojo Miyoko could no longer pretend to be indifferent and instead spoke with some anxiety. At the same time, she glared at Bai Yuan, as if afraid of being looked down upon by him.

Because of her upbringing, she likes to compare herself with boys. She can do what boys can do, and she can do what boys can't do!

It is this belief that has sustained her all the way to where she is today!

"Don't worry, you'll definitely pass this time. After all, you've put in so much sweat and effort, it would be unreasonable if you didn't pass."

I also have to take the first-class chef exam. I don't know why my father insists we take it in Guangzhou; it's much easier to pass in other places...

The last sentence sounded like a complaint, as Li Wanwan muttered to herself. Then she sighed and leaned back in her airplane seat, letting her mind wander.

“That person is taking the second-level chef exam. You can follow me throughout the whole process. I already registered last year, so I'm familiar with all the procedures. You don't want to waste too much time on the registration process, do you?”

Suddenly, Hojo Miyoko turned her head and spoke to Shirabuchi.

She's actually a very kind-hearted person. Even though they've only met by chance, she doesn't mind helping out if she can.

"Oh right, just follow us when you're taking the chef exam. Anyway, the registration is all in the same place, it's just that the lines are different."

Hearing Hojo Miyoko's voice, Li Wanwan also said, "It's rare to meet someone from my hometown while I'm away. I should naturally help if I can. Besides, they had a pleasant chat just now, and Bai Yuan is quite handsome; having him around is very pleasing to the eye..."

"Thank you then."

Bai Yuan was wondering how to start the conversation when Li Wanwan and the others invited him. He accepted without hesitation and then remained silent.

"You're welcome. We still have a few hours left, so let's get some sleep first. We got up early this morning to catch our flight, and we're so tired."

They raised their hands to yawn, then stretched. Flying from Japan to Denmark, and then from Denmark to Guangzhou, this back-and-forth journey had truly exhausted them.

"You guys rest now, I'll call you when we get off the plane."

Putting aside the chef assessment, they were, after all, just strangers who had just met, so naturally they didn't have much to say to each other.

I put on an eye mask, closed my eyes to rest, ate a reasonably tasty airplane meal during the flight, and after several hours of turbulence, finally landed smoothly.

Guangzhou, China, at the airport entrance.

"The chef assessment will be held in three days. Let's part ways here. Here is my contact information. Call me later."

As they were getting off the plane, Li Wanwan stopped Bai Yuan, who was about to leave, and slipped him a note.

"Never mind, just leave me your phone number, I'll contact you later."

After thinking for a moment, Li Wanwan took the note back, handed him her phone, and looked at him expectantly as he entered his phone number.

"Give."

After quickly entering the phone number, Bai Yuan returned the phone to Li Wanwan, nodded to her, and didn't say much more.

"Okay, see you in three days."

Li Wanwan smiled as she spoke, and then led Hojo Miyoko away in another direction.

Bai Yuan took out his phone to check hotel information and quickly found the hotel that Nakiri Leonora had booked for him, then put his luggage down.

"I really miss it."

Having finally arrived at this famous culinary paradise, let's treat ourselves to something delicious to reward ourselves after a long day, and also get a glimpse into Guangzhou's culinary scene.

Looking out the hotel window at the night sky, Bai Yuan's thoughts suddenly drifted back to a few years ago, when he had spent an unforgettable time here.

Now, times have changed and the surrounding landscape has undergone tremendous changes, but the only thing that has remained unchanged is Guangzhou, which is still a food paradise.

Without hesitation, Bai Yuan opened his backpack, put the pre-exchanged Chinese Yuan into his wallet, and then got up and left the hotel.

In Guangzhou, the first meal after arriving must be poached chicken, claypot rice, and slow-cooked soup, as these dishes best reflect the restaurant's quality.

Of course, this refers to the Cantonese cuisine.

Besides Cantonese cuisine, there are also Chaoshan cuisine and Hakka cuisine, which together make up Cantonese cuisine.

Wandering the streets of Guangzhou, searching for a suitable restaurant, Bai Yuan stood with his hands in his pockets, looking somewhat nonchalant, his eyes scanning the streets.

Guangzhou at night is like a flowing painting.

Street vendors hawk their wares, pedestrians laugh, and the aroma of delicious food wafts from restaurants and wineries on both sides, tempting the mouth and making people stop in their tracks.

What attracted Bai Yuan's attention the most was...

He was an elderly man in plain clothes standing in front of the restaurant.

Chapter 59 Tianfu Restaurant: Is it a case of a big restaurant bullying its customers?

"Grandpa, would you like to eat at this restaurant?"

Perhaps because he was in a good mood, or perhaps because he had other considerations, Bai Yuan looked at the simply dressed old man who had been staring at the restaurant called Tianfu Restaurant since the beginning of the night, and went up to strike up a conversation.

"What's the use of wanting to eat it if I don't have any money in my pocket? I can only look at it from the outside and smell the aroma inside to satisfy my craving."

The old man spoke with great care. Although he wore patched clothes, they were spotless. Despite his advanced age, he was full of energy, giving people a sense of a carefree life hidden in the city.

Bai Yuan has a keen eye for people; this old man in front of him is definitely no ordinary person.