Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

"You're right, but to be honest, this is the first time I've ever had molecular gastronomy. It's hard to imagine that this new style of cuisine can be so delicious!"

"No, I think I ate that during the competition before. Old age really takes its toll; only a year has passed and I've already forgotten something so important."

Lancy Jon continued to express his admiration, not at all diminishing his appreciation for the molecular gastronomy in front of him because of Bai Yuan's explanation; on the contrary, he valued it even more.

"It's an exaggeration to say that this is the first time you've ever eaten molecular gastronomy, unless you haven't eaten tofu in all these years."

Moben laughed from the side. As the president of the World Gastronomy Association, he was familiar with all existing culinary styles, including molecular gastronomy.

However, ordinary molecular gastronomy is nothing more than child's play in front of him, and cannot be called delicious at all, but Alice Nakiri's molecular gastronomy is different.

This person first raised her culinary skills to a very high level, and then studied molecular gastronomy, fully combining the two, which is why the molecular gastronomy she made later tasted so delicious!

Is tofu also a form of molecular gastronomy?

Moben's words startled Lancy Jon, who then nodded thoughtfully. If it was tofu, then he had indeed tried it, and quite a few of them.

After all, tofu is a staple ingredient in Chinese cuisine.

"Both dishes tasted good, but as I just said, Wen Ruyu didn't get many details right when making the shumai. Although she managed to salvage it a bit by improving the appearance, the most important thing about cooking is the taste."

Ignoring Lancy Jon's surprise, Moben turned his attention to the two dishes, which were all eaten clean because of their small portions.

"Alice's shumai is unlike traditional shumai. If it weren't for the rich texture provided by the glutinous rice, shrimp and mushrooms on top, I would even want to betray you."

However, it is precisely because the glutinous rice, shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms provide a rich texture that the broth at the bottom is not so strong, and the flavors of the two blend together to create a taste that is both stimulating and rich.

This feeling is undoubtedly very special, somewhat like a combination of siu mai and soup dumplings, concentrating all the flavor substances that are traditionally dispersed in glutinous rice and meat into the soup.

This allows the umami flavor to be released most directly and intensely the moment it enters the mouth, maximizing the impact of the taste.

Looking at the drone hovering in front of him, Mo Ben began to talk non-stop. The amber shumai gave him a very novel feeling, and he couldn't help but want to praise it.

"The suppleness of the dough, the piping hot broth, the soft and chewy texture of the filling, the bursting sensation of the vinegar granules, the lightness of the foam..."

Multiple textures unfold harmoniously in a single bite, like a finely choreographed concerto—rich in layers, never monotonous, simply elegant music!

Lancy Jon also gave it a very high rating. Compared to Alice Nakiri's delightful shumai, Wen Ruyu's Inner Mongolian shumai seemed rather ordinary.

Of course, this is also related to her cooking skills. The shumai tastes very good, but it fails to leave a deep impression on those who taste it.

"I'll give my vote to Alice."

Bai Yuan didn't offer much commentary and directly cast his vote for Nakiri Alice. The difference between the two was obvious, and there was no need to compare them at all.

As he finished voting, Moben and Lancy Jon also silently cast their votes for Alice, and the score of 3:0 instantly appeared on the large screen high in the sky, showing the result of the match.

This was a fight with no suspense whatsoever; the difference in strength between the two was simply too great.

"Lost..."

Looking at the score between herself and Alice Nakiri, Wen Ruyu was unusually calm, perhaps because she never thought she would win from the beginning, and losing was only natural.

The people from Chaoyang Academy were somewhat disappointed with the final result, but they did not blame Wen Ruyu, since everything had gone according to plan.

Next up is the second one-on-one duel.

If you win the second singles duel, even if you lose the third, you're sure to win the fourth. The fifth match is what will truly decide the outcome!

Zhou Yike's eyes gleamed. In order to secure a more certain victory, she arranged for the school's second two-star chef to participate in the fourth competition.

The third two-star chef, along with Mu Bai, is guaranteed to win both matches in the fifth game.

Therefore, with her participation in this competition, their chances of winning the championship are very high!

"Next, please welcome contestants Zhou Yike and Liya to the stage."

Because of Moben's busy schedule, the halftime break that should have been after the two academies' match was canceled, and the second round of the match started immediately without any breaks.

However, neither Zhou Yike nor Liya cared about any of this at the moment.

Upon hearing the host, Mr. Lin's voice, the two men got up from the preparation area and headed towards the competition field in the center.

"Keep it up, this match is very important for you. If you win, we can still beat them 3-0."

Chaoyang Academy's intentions are obvious to everyone. Alice Nakiri is not stupid. She guessed the situation after the first match, so she spoke to Lia as she came up on stage.

"I know what they're planning, but I'm really annoyed that they consider me a mid-tier horse. I'll show them who the real top-tier horse in the team is later!"

In response to Alice Nakiri's reminder, Lia's voice turned slightly cold, and she quickened her pace, arriving at the arena in the blink of an eye.

As she said.

Being treated as a mediocre horse, someone whose head can be stepped on to advance, is something no one would be happy about. At this moment, a raging fighting spirit burned in Lia's heart.

In the battle, she crushed Zhou Yike in every aspect, won the game, and proved to the audience and Boss Bai that she, Lia, was no ordinary horse!

She is a top-class horse, the very best of the best!

"Zhou Yike, please give me your guidance."

"I wouldn't presume to offer advice, but I hope we can both enjoy ourselves."

Looking at the elegant woman in front of her and listening to the cheers from the audience, Leah spoke indifferently.

"Well then, let's enjoy ourselves to the fullest."

Zhou Yike could sense Liya's resentment to some extent and understood the reason for it. As she spoke, she looked at Mr. Lin beside her.

Was the other party planning to wait until she and Leah finished talking? But the two of them really didn't have much to say, so it was better to start the competition now.

"Now that both sides are ready, let's take a look at the theme for this round!"

Seeing that Zhou Yike and Liya were both looking at him with fierce fighting spirit burning in their eyes, Mr. Lin stopped being mysterious, held the microphone, and spoke in a low voice.

The next moment, the large screen in the sky began to flash rapidly, then gradually slowed down until it finally stopped, thus setting the theme for this round of the competition.

"The theme for this round is fish. The cooking time is 60 minutes. Contestants are required to complete their dishes within the allotted time. Those who exceed the time limit will be automatically disqualified."

As the words appeared on the big screen, Mr. Lin's voice rang out, announcing the theme of this round of the competition to the contestants and the audience.

"Fish, an hour to cook? That could be solved with a classic dish. Which one should we choose? Ideally, something that highlights the fish itself..."

Looking at the comprehensive range of topics and the ample cooking time, Zhou Yike had this idea in mind, and then she couldn't stop herself from doing it.

Compared to creating an original dish on-site, choosing a delicious traditional fish dish is undoubtedly a more suitable option.

But what should we do?

Since the theme is fish meat rather than fish, it means the focus is on the meat rather than the fish itself. Perhaps we could make a simpler fish dish.

Zhou Yike truly lived up to his reputation as the most talented young person in Chaoyang Academy. After only a moment's thought, he had already grasped the true meaning of the theme.

The best-tasting fish is undoubtedly the grass carp from Guangdong. No, its scientific name is *Anchovy bream*, a grass carp that grows up eating broad beans.

Her mind raced, and a strange light flashed in Zhou Yike's eyes. Originally, her opponent was a two-star chef, and she wasn't so confident. But when she thought of the crispy pork, her restless heart suddenly calmed down.

"Hey buddy, come with me to get the ingredients."

Now we need to see if this ingredient is available in the ingredient database. If not, we'll have to give up and choose another fish to make this dish.

However, the taste would be quite different, and the chances of winning the game would be reduced.

"Yes."

The attendant beside Zhou Yike nodded slightly after hearing her words, and then the two quickened their pace toward the food storage, leaving Liya standing alone.

"Fish dishes... lemon salmon, pan-fried flounder, and fish wrapped in paper are all very classic French fish dishes, but serving these in a competition basically gives you no chance of winning, as the taste is relatively monotonous."

Leah's mind raced, countless fish dishes flashing through her head, only to be rejected one by one. The reason was simple: they weren't enough to win the competition.

"I've got it! Let's make that one dish!"

Suddenly, a dish that Bai Yuan had taught her in the Dark Cuisine World flashed into Lia's mind: Five Willow Fish, a dish with a salty, savory, slightly sour, and slightly sweet flavor that was incredibly rich in taste.

If that dish is made, the fish will taste even more delicious with the support of various flavors, and it will also better express the theme.

You can do it! I've chosen you!

Chapter 445 Orange Slice Fish Poached, an extremely difficult dish!

"Come with me to the food storage area."

Having made up her mind, Lia looked at the servant waiting beside her. The servant bowed respectfully in response to her words and then followed her to the food preparation room.

Before long, the two arrived at the ingredient storage room. Seeing Zhou Yike, who had already selected the crispy pork belly and was preparing to leave with a smile, her brows furrowed slightly.

As a variant of grass carp, crispy-fleshed grass carp boasts a top-tier texture and flavor among fish, making it a perfect fit for this fish theme.

"Since you've chosen a variant of grass carp, then I'll use the pure grass carp."

With that thought in mind, Leah stood by the pool where the fish were kept. The fish were separated by wooden boards, and there was a wide variety of them, each one incredibly fresh.

"This grass carp is quite fat, go and catch it for me."

With her gaze sweeping across the pond, Lia instructed the servant standing beside her. She still had to prepare food, and she didn't want to expend too much energy here in order to be in better condition.

"Yes."

The attendant simply nodded slightly and then jumped into the pond to start catching fish.

Because each area was separated by wooden planks, and the water was not deep, the servants quickly caught a large grass carp as Leah had requested.

"Three pounds, that's not bad."

Reaching out, Leah picked up the grass carp that the servant had brought over, briefly feeling its weight. She nodded in satisfaction; the fish met her standards.

"Catch two more like this, they can be big but not too big, otherwise the texture of the fish will be worse."

"clear."

After giving a brief explanation, Leah went to the vegetable section by herself and started picking and choosing. She quickly found all the five kinds of vegetables she needed.

After she put the required ingredients into the basket, the servants also caught the grass carp, placed it in the pre-prepared seafood box, and called for people to carry it to the competition venue.

The four of them carried the seafood crate onto the competition field and placed it beside Lia.

The drone flew over from a distance the instant the seafood container landed, and on the large screen, the fish species chosen by both sides appeared on the left and right sides respectively.

"These two should both be grass carp, but why do they look so different..."

As the audience watched the images on the big screen, they couldn't help but start discussing them.

Zhou Yike's choice of crispy-fleshed Anhui fish was significantly stronger than the grass carp chosen by Liya, and its color was also richer, while Liya's grass carp was grayish-brown.

"They should be different, maybe they're just some kind of fish that look similar?"

A culinary novice might say that the difference between crispy minced pork carp and grass carp isn't huge, but it's not insignificant either. However, without relevant knowledge, it's very easy to confuse them.