Li Yuren hummed but didn’t bother to comment on what his mother said. What she said wasn’t wrong. During their class’s wilderness challenges, he got a chance to taste one of her dishes that left a good impression not only on his tongue but also in his mind.
Looking back at the huge screen, he saw Lu Xinyi’s face with a bright smile. Her smile was so warm that it seemed to melt not only the snow outside but one’s cold heart. No wonder Shen Yi insisted on keeping her by his side.
Shen Yi, for Lu Xinyi, was never reluctant to do anything.
From the moment Lu Xinyi was flashed on the screen, Shen Yi attentively watched his wife’s expression. In his calm eyes, there was a trace of pride and joy he only gave to his wife. She was still the same girl who cast a white moonlight on his young heart.
En, his wife was clearly enjoying the pho on her hand. She was looking so irresistibly adorable that her bulging cheeks would make one really want to pinch them. Ah, wasn’t it the first thing he did when he first met her?
Good food was enough to make her happy. Unlike the other women who threw money on expensive clothes to follow the trend, his cute little devil wife would rather max out her credit card on food deliveries. After all, didn’t she own her own clothing line? Her clothes wouldn’t fall behind on her peers and status.
Lu Xinyi wasn’t regarded as a stunningly beautiful woman. Although her face resembled her mother’s, she was still considered a little beauty. Moreover, the default resting bitch face she had would most likely scare men; but for those who knew the real her, her disposition was quite lively. She couldn’t be considered as a Campus Belle.
Shen Yi thought that it wasn’t so bad that his wife wasn’t a great beauty, and with a short height, it easily matched his taller frame. His pride wouldn’t allow him to admit that he was afraid that his little wife was going to be snatched by other wolves.
Tang Shui smiled as he saw Shen Yi looking at his niece, with a hint of spoiling and indulgence in his eyes.
“I haven’t seen Xin’er as excited as today,” he casually said to Shen Yi.
“My wife is easy to please,” Shen Yi admitted, “but it’ll be your death when you come between her and her food.”
In the audience area…
“Am I going blind, or is it President Shen really smiling?” ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
“Impossible. The demon king knows how to smile?”
Back at the three judges, there were only three remaining phos they had to blind taste test. Ye Xieren, Yan Chen, and Tang Liang were the only ones left who hadn’t had their phos tasted by the judges.
Yan Chen kept clam, occasionally pushing the bridge of his glasses up to see the huge screen clearly. Ye Xieren’s expression was a little strained, clearly nervous for the result while Tang Liang smiled, showing his confidence over his creation.
Finally, Yan Chen’s beef pho was sent to the judges.
“Absolutely delicious,” He Haotian said after taking a few bites from the rice noodles of Yan Chen’s beef pho. “Tender rice noodles are on the bottom with a layer of thinly sliced raw beef on top. Then, the piping-hot broth gets ladled over the top, cooking the beef. To ensure the beef gets cooked through, the chef sliced it as thinly as possible. He also arranged it in just a single layer over the noodles when it’s time to build the bowl. Slices that are clumped together or stacked up won’t cook through all the way to the middle.”
Both women shared his opinion and pointed out that the only flaw was that the layers of Yan Chen’s flavors weren’t rich enough.
“The rice noodles were cooked perfectly. The plating was very eye-catching while the added garnishes provided extra texture to the pho. This is almost as close to Chef He’s beef pho,” Han Yixin commented.
“Typically, one had to parboil the bones to remove the impurities; but the chef preferred to roast the beef bones in the oven to caramelize them and kill off the impurities, simultaneously. Caramelizing anything browns the natural sugars found in the food which, consequently, creates a deeper flavor.
“Taking full advantage of every bit of flavor is the key to creating the richest broth. One of the things I find lacking in the other pho is a rich broth. The chef of this pho deglazed the pan he used to roast the beef bones by pouring water into it to gather all the flavor he possibly can.” Lu Xinyi sighed and clasped her hands over the table, waiting for the next bowls to be served.
While there were so many spices used to do the broth, there were only three spices that were the prominent flavors. Star anise, cinnamon, and cloves were the predominant flavors in typical pho broths.
As for Ye Xieren, all his attention was focused on the judges. He was very nervous that his palms also started to perspire on his side. His dish was served next.
“Ah, a chicken pho. It’s actually easier to make than beef pho.” Chef He cut the half soft-boiled egg on top of the noodles, letting the running egg yolk run down. “There are fewer ingredients involved and less finesse required for superlative results on making Chicken Pho. Given that, chicken pho is great for learning traditional techniques.”
“The chicken meat is succulent to bite. It is lighter and less intense but is still utterly delicious nonetheless.” Lu Xinyi hummed her approval. “The free-range chicken used surely added another dimension to its flavors. Poaching the chicken in the broth adds savory depth. The broth was strained twice or thrice to remove the impurities left.”
Her brows lifted slightly, thinking that judging someone else’s dish was also as hard as making one.
Ye Xieren released a breath out, relieved that his dish could make it on the top 5.
