Zhong Xiang and the others remained calm because they had long been accustomed to the Second Young Mistress’ cutting. Her cutting technique was excellent and they knew she could finish that in no time. What they were more worried about was the seasoning she used.
Although she made a lot of seasonings before, such as chicken essence and garlic paste, the Paprika and the fermented soya bean she was using for today was untested. They didn’t know if it would go well with the dish.
Ye Jiayao waited until he was almost finished before mincing her meat. As soon as the knife touched the board, her movements became a quiet flurry. In no time, she finished her mince, fine and tender.
With Hu Dahai’s meat already cooking, he was able to watch Li Yao as he cut through his meat. Hu Duhai had to contain his gasp at the young man’s skill. He had started cooking at the age 12 and he had done countless Mapo tofus before, but he was never able to mince his meat like Li Yao.
His confidence started to waver.
He looked at Li Yao’s ingredients and saw that he had authentic green pepper noodles as well as fermented soya beans and broad bean paste.
He started to wonder if Li Yao was actually a chef of Huaiyang cuisine since he seemed so adept at Sichuan cuisine as well. Did he lie to him?
As both chefs began to cook their seasonings, the kitchen started to fill with delicious spicy and fresh aromas.
Ye Jiayao scooped a spoonful of vegetarian chicken soup from a pot and asked Chef Dahai, “This soup is very delicious. Do you want to use it?”
Hu Dahai ignored her and tested the other soups himself, finally settling with the oily beef soup.
After a few more minutes, both chefs reached the last step, garnishing their dish with scallions and coriander powder.
However, Hu Dahai observed that after Li Yao added a dash of yellow powder in his dish.
He tried to take a closer look but was unable to. What was that?
They finished their dishes at the same time, both looked appetizing and smelled fragrant. The only obvious difference was Hu Dahai’s dish was a darker red.
Little Lu put both the bowls of Mapo tofu on a tray and brought it out to the judges.
“They’re done!” someone exclaimed when they saw Little Lu with the tray.
The selected judges tried the two bowls of Mapo tofu one by one.
The large lobby was packed with people but it was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was holding their breath as they waited for the verdict.
Lu Xiaotian stared at the judges, his fists clenched. You must win this, Jinxuan!
Zhao Qixuan, who was sitting outside, sipped his tea and casually asked, “Why hasn’t there been any result yet?
Su Yi told him, “What’s the rush? We both know who’s gonna win.”
Qixuan frowned. “I’m Jinxuan’s friend that’s why I bet on her. What was your reason?”
“I have never met a woman more daring than her. Plus, she is a very excellent chef,” Su Yi answered honestly.
Zhao Qixuan shrugged. “Fair point.”
In the lobby, a judge pointed to the dish of dark red mapo tofu and said, “This is appropriately spicy. The meat is tender and the beef flavor tasted great. The tofu is soft, smooth, tasty, and authentic.”
The other two nodded in agreement.
One of the judges pointed to the other bowl and started, “This is extremely authentic. It seems to be made of chicken soup, but it is not greasy at all. It tastes fresh.”
“Indeed. The other beef-flavored Mapo tofu seems a bit too greasy. This one is impeccable.
“Judging from color, this one is more appetizing because of its bright red luster.”
“The minced meat in this one is also softer.”
Hu Dahai’s jaw dropped in incredulity. He was losing. How’s that possible?
The three judges unanimously agreed that the brighter red Mapo tofu on the left was the winner.
Hu Dahai cried out, “This is impossible! You cheated!”
As soon as he cried out, the crowd knew who was declared the winner.
The Jin Ling chefs in the crowd started clapping their hands in celebration.
Those who were betting on Hu Duhai were disappointed and confused as to how he lost.
“Do you think there was cheating involved?” someone questioned in a low voice.
The three judges were furious.
One of them spoke up, irate, “None of us have any idea which dish belonged to whom. We judged entirely by taste.”
“If you don’t trust us, pick a chef from the crowd and tell them to try it. Let’s see if we cheated,” the other judge challenged.
Hu Dahai ignored them and scooped a spoonful of Li Yao’s Mapo tofu, tasting it carefully. They were right. It was more delicious than his. It must be because of the yellow powder that he added.
“He cheated and used secret fresh ingredients,” accused Hu Dahai.
Ye Jiayao wanted to laugh at his face. “Chef Dahai, you used the seasoning you brought. If you can’t make a seasoning better than mine, that’s not my fault.”
She continued, “Let me tell you why you lost. First, I was better at mincing my meat than you. Second, I used plain chicken soup which has all the necessary flavors without the grease. I advised you to use the plain chicken soup, but you ignored me and chose the beef soup instead.”
Hu Dahai’s face was turning red from anger and embarrassment. He was angry that he lost and he was embarrassed because Li Yao was right.
“Third, look at the tofu you made. It’s already drying out, but mine is still succulent. That’s because I cut it thicker than you. Fourth, I used fresh seasonings that I made by myself. All the people who have eaten at our restaurant knows that our dishes are always vibrant, tasteful, and fresh because of our seasonings. Don’t you think making seasonings is also a vital skill for a chef?”
“Li Yao is not exaggerating. The dishes in Heavenly Residence are really delicious,” Lu Xiaotian chimed in.
Ye Jiayao smiled at him gratefully before continuing, “Sichuan cuisine is a combination of all the best practices of the southern, eastern, northern, and western cuisines. However, just because you mastered it doesn’t mean that you are an expert at all the cuisines. You can’t call yourself the ‘best chef’ just because you beat some chefs in competitions that only catered to certain cuisines. You need to keep studying to improve yourself.”
Every chef in the crowd was nodding along in approval to what the Second Young Mistress was saying. Not only was she an excellent cook, but she was also a brilliant woman.
Hu Dahai wilted down, speechless. He came here to increase his fame and now, he has become the laughing stock.
Ye Jiayao, seeing that the cocky chef was properly chastised, turned to the crowd and said, “Alright, the show’s done. If you are hungry, you can eat here and there will be a 20% discount for your entire meal.
Deng Haichuan shook his head in amusement. The Second Young Mistress was really good at seizing business opportunities.
At this moment, Xia Chunyu came up beside her and announced, “To celebrate the victory of the Second Young Mistress, tonight’s meal and drinks will all be 20% off.”
Hu Dahai stared at the couple. Li Yao’s a woman? When the other workers here told him that she’s already married, he thought they were merely making an excuse. His shame grew and he prayed for a hole in the ground to swallow him whole.
Everyone dispersed in a hubbub, snatching seats and calling their friends.
Ye Jiayao turned to her husband with an appreciative smiled and asked, “Why are you here?”
“The servants in the mansion weren’t clear as to what trouble you’re in. I wanted to check on you,” Xia Chunyu said.
Ye Jiayao looked at the Chef Dahai sneaking away and said, “No trouble at all.”
“You know people placed bets on this. Susu and Qixuan even won 1500 silvers!”
“They what?” she exclaimed. “Tell them to treat us then!”
Xia Chunyu grinned at her. “We must get what belongs to us.”
