Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

Chen Yuxing chuckled and took Hojo Miyoko by taxi to the hotel to drop off their luggage.

After putting her away, I took her along the old street towards Shangxiajiu.

"The architectural style here is really unique, completely different from Chinatown," Miyoko Hojo remarked, looking at the surrounding arcade buildings.

"These are called arcade buildings, built by overseas Chinese who returned from Southeast Asia in the last century," Chen Yuxing explained as they walked. "The first floor is for shops, and the second and third floors are for living quarters. The arcade buildings also provide shelter from the wind and rain and shade for pedestrians. They are very lively at night."

Hojo Miyoko looked around at the buildings with curiosity. The streets were lined with all sorts of shops, such as those selling herbal tea, roast goose, and sweet soup.

"There are so many food shops here!"

Chapter 45, First Question

Chen Yuxing led Hojo Miyoko into a dessert shop, ordering her a bowl of double-skin milk pudding and mango pomelo sago, while he himself ordered a simple bowl of Imperata cylindrica root soup.

"This is so delicious. It tastes similar to pudding, but the texture is smoother. The milk skin on top is rich in flavor but not greasy at all."

Miyoko Hojo's eyes lit up after taking a bite of the double-skin milk pudding. "I've never had this kind of dessert before when I was in Chinatown."

"There are quite a few tricks to making these. For example, with this double-skin milk pudding, you need to heat the milk but not boil it. Then wait for a layer of milk skin to form naturally on the surface of the milk. After the milk skin has solidified, poke a small hole in it, pour out the milk, mix it with egg white and sugar, and then pour it back in to steam again. When you insert a chopstick and no milk flows out, it's done."

Chen Yuxing took a sip of Imperata cylindrica water and said, "Double-skin milk is called that because it has two layers of milk skin. The first layer is made from coagulated milk, and the second layer is made from milk and egg whites that have been simmered again. Some skilled chefs can even feel a slight resistance when you scoop it up with a spoon because they leave a small gap between the two layers of milk skin."

“There are so many intricacies involved here,” Miyoko Hojo remarked as she tasted the dessert. “This dessert is somewhat similar to the milk dessert I had in Japan before, but this one has a better texture. It seems that Chinese desserts place more emphasis on the layers of flavor.”

"Yes, so I hope you can come here more often in the future. The Chinese food in Yokohama Chinatown is definitely not as good as the local food."

“I would like to come often, but I still need to take over the shop at Hojo-ro, and the course schedule at Totsuki Academy is also very tight. The only time I have is right after the residential training program ended. After that, I can only wait for another opportunity,” Hojo Miyoko said with some regret.

After resting for a while, the two went into an old teahouse, casually found a window seat, and ordered their food.

Soon, the waiter brought out trays of steaming dim sum, including shrimp dumplings, siu mai, steamed pork ribs with taro, and fresh shrimp rice noodle rolls.

Miyoko Hojo picked up a shrimp dumpling and put it in her mouth. The translucent skin was very elastic, and the large pieces of fresh shrimp inside were tender and bouncy. There were no extra spices, only the purest sweetness of seafood.

"This is so delicious!" Miyoko Hojo stared wide-eyed at the shrimp dumplings in front of her. "This dough... is it made of wheat starch? It's translucent, but it doesn't break when you poke it, and it doesn't seem to have much seasoning."

Chen Yuxing also picked up a shrimp dumpling and tasted it. "In order to cater to the local tastes, the Chinatowns in Japan often add more soy sauce and seasonings. But in Guangzhou, the dim sum and dishes are more light. Chefs here value the original flavor of the ingredients more than the use of seasonings. How to use the least amount of seasoning to bring out the freshness of the ingredients is the real skill for chefs here."

Miyoko Hojo nodded thoughtfully. "So, is that 'Mahjong King Competition' we're participating in this time similar, a contest that tests a chef's mastery of the original flavor of ingredients?"

“Yes, but not entirely.” Chen Yuxing took a sip of tea and looked out the window. “This competition will involve many head chefs from established restaurants or famous chefs. It’s about bringing out the original flavor of the ingredients, but also about controlling the heat and knife skills. Moreover, this competition is not only about the head chef’s ability, but also about the cooperation between the head chef and the assistant chef. Hojo, I’ll have to trouble you this time.”

"Don't worry about it, leave it to me. You know my abilities." Hojo Miyoko patted her chest. "I'm going to be the future manager of Hojo-ro, I definitely won't hold you back."

……

The third day, Saturday, Liwan Plaza.

There were still many people in the square. Although the competition was not open to the public, quite a few chefs had signed up, and some chefs even brought two or three apprentices to broaden their horizons.

The square was cordoned off, and a huge platform was set up in the center with dozens of cooking stations on it. The judges' seats were in front of the platform, and a large screen was hanging behind it, continuously playing the winning moments of previous Mahjong Kings.

"Look over there! That's Chef Liu Jin, the head chef of 'White Swan,' also known as the 'Master of Roast Meats'!"

"And there's someone over there! Zhang Dana, the executive chef of 'Tao Tao Ju,' who claims to be the best poached chicken in the world, is here too!"

"Holy crap, this competition is a battle of gods! I don't remember there being this many experts in the competition five years ago. How come even those old monsters who usually stay at home are participating this time? How are we ordinary chefs supposed to survive?"

Some of the other contestants around them gasped softly, their voices filled with barely suppressed excitement and nervousness.

Chen Yuxing followed their gaze and indeed saw quite a few chefs with powerful auras.

Most of these people are around fifty years old, with straight backs and strong muscles in their hands, clearly tough guys who have been honing their skills in the kitchen for decades.

Just then, a familiar figure strode over.

"Master Chen! You're here to participate in the competition too!"

Su Youfu, wearing a chef's uniform with the words "Jumanlou" embroidered on the chest, walked up to Chen Yuxing with two young-looking apprentices behind him.

"Yes, I heard about this competition by chance and just wanted to join in the fun." Chen Yuxing greeted Su Youfu politely, "Master Su, please don't take it to heart if I offended you at your shop last time."

"Not at all! If it weren't for Master Chen's lesson, I wouldn't have realized so many problems, and that's why I thought of participating in the competition to see my level again."

Su Youfu sighed, "This is my first time participating in the Mahjong King Competition. Although Jumanlou has been open here for so long and is very famous among tourists, it has never been considered one of the best in the local chef circle."

"Master Su, you're too modest. But there seem to be quite a few experts participating in this competition."

“Of course.” Su Youfu lowered his voice. “I believe in your skills, Chef Chen, but this competition is really hard to predict. Look at that bald man in the Tang suit over there, that’s Chef Zhou, the sous chef of Guangzhou Restaurant. His roast goose is famous throughout the industry. And that old gentleman sitting in the corner, that’s the former head chef of Fu Lin Men. He’s been retired for several years, but he still came all the way from Hong Kong for this competition. And those other people…”

Chen Yuxing followed Su Youfu's finger and looked over. The chefs pointed to all had a strong aura. Hojo Miyoko stood behind Chen Yuxing and said, "These head chefs look very strong. We'd better play it safe."

Chen Yuxing nodded; this was also his idea.

At exactly nine o'clock in the morning, a gong sounded.

"Distinguished guests, thank you all for gracing us with your presence at the 19th Mahjong King Championship." The host stood on the stage, picked up the microphone, and cleared his throat.

"Thirty-six people signed up for the competition this year. Although it's not a large number, each of them is a well-known and skilled master in the local area or in the industry."

"For this competition, we are honored to have invited three renowned masters in the Chinese culinary world to serve as judges!"

The host began by introducing the three judges, "The first one is Aunt Mai, the former manager of Da San Yuan Restaurant, who was known as the Heavenly Chef!"

Aunt Mai, who was on the judging panel, stood up and nodded to the chefs.

"The second person is our previous Mahjong King Championship winner, who is also the current Executive Chef of Guangzhou Restaurant, Chef Xie Guohua!"

A middle-aged man next to Aunt Mai stood up and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to everyone.

"The third one is Chef Lin Shaoxiong, the president of the Guangdong Culinary Association!"

An elderly man with gray hair but in good spirits nodded slightly in acknowledgment from his chair.

All three judges are veterans in Guangzhou's culinary scene.

The contestants who had been exchanging information with each other in the audience all fell silent.

Miyoko Hojo stood next to Chen Yuxing, feeling a little nervous. It was her first time participating in this type of competition.

"Then there are the rules for this competition."

The host continued, "As we mentioned during the registration and preliminary review, this Mahjong King Competition consists of three stages, each of which is a single-elimination tournament."

"The first round is a 'topic-based creation' competition, where all contestants need to complete the same dish within a set time limit—this time, the topic is poached chicken! The competition time is one and a half hours."

When the topic was "poached chicken," the audience erupted in excitement.

"Poached chicken?"

"This question is quite basic, but it's not easy to do it well."

"The water temperature for poaching the chicken, the time it takes to be taken out of the pot, and the ratio of ginger, scallions, and sauce are all key factors."

"Moreover, since everyone is making poached chicken, it's easy to tell if there are differences in how they're prepared."

White-cut chicken is one of the simplest yet most complex chicken dishes in Cantonese cuisine. It may seem like just a simple matter of poaching the chicken until it's cooked, but this seemingly simple dish actually puts a great strain on the chef's skills.

"Alright, contestants, you can now head to the ingredient area to select the ingredients you need. I hereby declare the competition open!" With the host's command, all the contestants rushed to the ingredient area.

At the host's command, all the contestants rushed to the ingredients area.

The chickens used in the competition are all live chickens, and the breeds vary, but most are Qingyuan Ma chickens or Zhanjiang capons.

Most contestants are vying for these two types of chicken because their meat is firm, tender, and juicy, making them more suitable for poached chicken.

Looking at the rows of chicken coops in front of him, Chen Yuxing finally picked out a slightly smaller Sanhuang chicken from the corner.

Three-yellow chicken is also very suitable for making poached chicken. After cooking, the chicken skin will turn golden yellow and the texture will be very tender. When paired with dipping sauce, the deliciousness of the three-yellow chicken will be even more highlighted.

"Hojo-kun, could you please go and pick out some old ginger, sand ginger, and scallions to prepare the sauce?"

While bleeding and plucking the chicken, Chen Yuxing said to Hojo Miyoko, "One is the traditional ginger and scallion paste, and the other is sand ginger soy sauce. The ginger and scallion paste is made by chopping ginger and scallions, adding salt and sugar, and then pouring hot oil over it; the sand ginger soy sauce is made by chopping sand ginger, adding soy sauce and peanut oil, and mixing well."

"Understood!"

Miyoko Hojo immediately grabbed her basket and ran towards the vegetable section.

Back at the counter, Chen Yuxing carefully emptied the cleaned chicken cavity to remove the blood inside, then rinsed it again in clean water. It was essential to clean this part thoroughly, especially the chicken lungs, as they would have a disgusting, bitter smell if not cleaned properly.

After cleaning the chicken, he filled the pot with water, added a few slices of ginger, a few knotted scallions, and a handful of coarse salt, and brought it to a boil over high heat.

"The secret to poached chicken lies in the first step of 'three soakings and three liftings'."

When the water in the pot reaches about 80 to 90 degrees Celsius, turn the heat down to low. Then, Chen Yuxing put the whole chicken into the pot and blanch it for three seconds. After that, he lifted it out, poured out the water from the chicken's cavity, and put it into cold water to cool it down. He repeated this process three times.

"This is to keep the temperature inside and outside the chicken cavity the same, and at the same time, to make the chicken skin shrink quickly and become firm, while preventing the chicken skin from cracking during the slow cooking process later," Chen Yuxing explained to Hojo Miyoko, who was chopping ginger next to him.

After completing the "three soakings and three liftings" process, Chen Yuxing turned the heat down to the lowest setting, so that the water in the pot was no longer boiling, but rather bubbles the size of shrimp eyes were rising from the bottom of the pot.

"This is called 'shrimp eye water'."

Chen Yuxing completely submerged the whole chicken in the water and covered the pot with the lid. "The water temperature for poached chicken must be well controlled. It is best to keep the center temperature of the chicken meat at around 75 degrees Celsius. This will kill Salmonella and keep the bone marrow bloody while the chicken meat is tender."

Hojo Miyoko listened attentively, nodding repeatedly, her hands moving just as quickly.

After cooking for about twenty minutes, Chen Yuxing picked up a bamboo skewer and pierced the thickest part of the chicken leg. If no blood came out, it meant the chicken was cooked.

He quickly scooped the chicken out and soaked it in the prepared ice water.

The chicken skin made a hissing sound when it came into contact with the ice water. The originally loose chicken skin began to shrink and become bouncy after touching the ice water.

After soaking the chicken in ice water for about 15 minutes, you can take it out and drain the water.

Finally, it's time to slice and plate it.

Chen Yuxing picked up a knife and first cut off the head, neck, feet, thighs, and wings, setting them aside. Then he cut off the tail, made a cut in the middle of the chicken breast, and sliced ​​along both sides of the breast. Soon, a complete chicken carcass was cut out. He put the bones aside and spread the chicken meat flat on a plate.

Then, cut off the joints of the chicken thighs and wings, cut open the meat with a knife, and remove the bones. Lay the chicken wing root meat, chicken wing tip, bones, and joints on one side, and place the chicken head in front, adding a few sprigs of coriander for garnish.

Hojo Miyoko watched with some surprise as Chen Yuxing deboned the whole chicken and arranged it on a plate.

The Far Moon Academy also offers courses on how to prepare whole chickens, but few students or teachers can dissect them as cleanly as Chen Yuxing, leaving no meat behind.

"Hojo-kun, are both sauces ready?"

"All right."

Hojo Miyoko handed over two small porcelain bowls. Chen Yuxing poured two spoonfuls of the original broth from soaking the chicken into the bowl with the ginger and scallion paste and stirred it well.

"The sauce is ready too, the poached chicken is done."

Chapter 46 Second Round

By this time, the other contestants had also finished preparing their dishes.

"Time's up!"

The host announced the end of the first round of the competition, and the contestants took turns bringing their dishes to the judges for tasting and scoring.

"Qingquan Golden Chicken, please have the three judges taste it."

Chen Yuxing carried a white porcelain plate to the judges' table, with Hojo Miyoko following behind him, holding two small dishes containing dipping sauce.

The three judges were somewhat surprised that their eyes all fell on the plate of poached chicken at the same time.

The poached chicken on the plate was different from the kind with bones in ordinary restaurants; Chen Yuxing's poached chicken had the bones perfectly removed.

The chicken skin clings tightly to the tender white meat on the plate, while the chicken bones are cleverly placed at the bottom of the plate to support the shape above. Boneless chicken is laid on top, garnished with a few sprigs of coriander, and two dishes of distinctly colored dipping sauces are placed on the side.

A dish of ginger and scallion paste, a mix of yellow and green, and a dish of deep red sand ginger soy sauce.

"Boneless poached chicken, please..."

Master Xie raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise on his face. "These days, it's rare to see contestants willing to spend time deboning a whole chicken for a competition. Not only does it take time, but the deboned chicken meat is also prone to falling apart. If the chicken skin breaks during the preparation process, the plating will look terrible."

"But looking at the conclusion, this poached chicken looks very good." Chairman Lin leaned forward to take a look and then nodded in satisfaction. "The shape is very well preserved, the skin is yellow and the meat is white, the pieces are neatly cut, and the chicken skin has shrunk very well without any damage."

"But good appearance alone is not enough; taste is the key. Come and try it and see if it's good." Aunt Mai pushed up her reading glasses, then picked up a piece of chicken, dipped it in some ginger and scallion paste, and ate it.

"Um……"

Aunt Mai closed her eyes.

Boneless chicken is easy to bite into.

After the chicken skin has undergone thermal expansion and contraction, the original greasiness has been perfectly removed. In addition, there is a little bit of meat jelly hidden under the chicken skin, so it tastes very refreshing and tender, just like there is a layer of jelly on the outside.

But when you bite into the chicken, it's even more exhilarating.

The worst thing about poached chicken is that the meat becomes dry, but this piece of chicken is very tender, and you can even feel the fresh juices inside.

Adding ginger and scallion paste, the hot oil brings out the aroma of ginger and scallions, along with the original slightly sweet and salty base flavor, perfectly highlighting the taste of the Three Yellow Chicken.