It was already late in the afternoon when the event finished. The votes have been counted and verified, and the emcee was delighted to announce the unanimous results of the menu tasting by a panel of five local food critics.
The cooking battle between the Oriental Bliss and la Reverie was not only between the professional chefs and culinary students but also showcased the difference between the western cuisine which la Reverie presented and Oriental Bliss’ local cuisine.
This event wasn’t to argue which food was better since it all came down to taste. It’s not a question of which food was better. No one could really say one was better than another since they’re so different. Nevertheless, it’s important to note the key ways in both cuisines.
As cuisine was influenced by the cooking practices and traditions of a specific culture, local foods and Western foods had naturally evolved distinctly different in many ways.
Their eastern cuisine was known for the range and sheer variety of flavors. In the continent’s varied regions, common ingredients such as seafood, rice, garlic, sesame seeds, onions, soy, and chilies are cooked in varied methods such as stir-frying, steaming, and deep-frying; depending on the culture’s preference.
Western cuisine, on the other hand, was characterized by the prominence of meat and poultry products. Culturally speaking, East Asian food tends to use opposing flavors in dishes, like mixing salty with sweet or sweet and sour together while a Western dish often focuses on a particular type of flavor like savory or sweet.
However, dining out at a western food restaurant was a fashion for young people of the generation. However, it didn’t necessarily mean locals have forgotten about their own culture and cuisine. La Reveries’ arrival at Emerald Lane wasn’t the cause of Oriental Bliss’s misfortune.
Since Tian Lingyu had spent years overseas, his cooking skills were vastly better than his sister who was subjected to their local cuisine and pastries. His palate had adapted well on both cuisines and had no problem cooking using different methods.
This couldn’t be said about Lu Xinyi’s palate though as her experience on western cuisine was quite limited, but it was alright for now. Tian Lingyu decided that he would talk to his brother-in-law to convince Shen Yi to allow his sister to experience culinary tours around the world. This would expose her palate to other foreign cuisines.
The focus would usually be on the cuisine of the country they were visiting, which included some cooking classes and market tours to enhance the cultural experience. However, Tian Lingyu doubted if Shen Yi would agree to such an arrangement since he’d seen how the two were inseparable from the twins.
The votes had been counted manually in front of the judges and spectators. Each vote was read aloud until the last one. The tally of scores was presented at the stage. With each vote being cast, Lei Peng’s heart sank. He was truly doomed this time. It would be impossible to leave the area with Shen Yi’s eyes watching him like a hawk.
In a clear container, everyone could see that the red-colored balls surpassed the number of white balls inside. There was no need to object that Oriental Bliss seized the trophy in this competition. It seemed that Lu Xinyi’s Seven Stars of Summer together with the Stygian Golden Lava bun was the deciding factor that led to Oriental Bliss’s win.
“I’m so full. I don’t think I can eat anymore today.” Huang Shenghao burped out loud while slumped on the ground beside their kitchen counter. From appetizers down to the delicious steamed buns, he didn’t waste time to make sure to leave some for him and Tian Lingyu though the latter only took a few bites from his share. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
“You basically ate each dish we presented.” Tian Lingyu pointed out, watching his friend patted his protruding stomach. “I’m surprised you can eat all of it.”
“Hehe, it’s free and delicious. How can I complain? Lingyu, you should know by now that I would never say no to good food especially if it’s free!” Huang Shenghao beamed a smile. It was a pity though that he wasn’t able to taste their opponent’s dishes.
Just looking for its visual appearance, he could tell that it was professionally made; and the taste must be really good. He inwardly sighed. He knew he shouldn’t be greedy, but the temptation to try the dishes made by renowned chefs of la Reverie was too hard to ignore.
Tian Lingyu shook his head and tried not to roll his eyes. He should’ve expected it from his friend. Like his sister, Huang Shenghao could forget everything as long as food was involved, good food on top of that.
“Garnering 83% votes, this year’s champion for the summer festival goes to Oriental Bliss!” the emcee announced which was followed by the loud cheering from the audience area.
“La Reverie’s dishes were spectacular, but those steamed buns by Oriental Bliss… I’ve never thought that I would be able to experience such gourmet excitement at my old age.” The oldest judge from the panel laughed.
“Indeed, those steamed buns hit home. That was the best buns I’ve eaten so far. Now, I couldn’t wait for Oriental Bliss to open their doors again.” The middle-aged man beside him sighed deeply.
As he looked at Tian Lingyu, he realized that those students from Silver Leaf Academy shouldn’t be taken lightly. The students of Silver Leaf Academy went above and beyond their expectations.
Old Man Ji stood up and clapped as the three top students of Silver Leaf Academy brought glory to his humble family restaurant. Beside him, Ji Mingqian remained seated, shocked at the final result of the competition.
Did they really win? Did this mean that they wouldn’t lose Oriental Bliss to Lei Peng anymore? Her mind still couldn’t believe that Lu Xinyi was able to fulfill her promise to protect Oriental Bliss.
Ji Mingqian knew that with Shen Yi’s support Oriental Bliss wouldn’t crumble easily, but with Lu Xinyi’s decisive move, she was able to stop Lei Peng’s harassment while forcing him to cough out more money in return.
Then again, if only she was as good as Lu Xinyi, her grandfather wouldn’t have to seek Shen Yi and Lu Xinyi’s help to save their restaurant. It wasn’t that she didn’t try, but her skills and taste buds refused to cooperate with her.
As their team’s captain, Tian Lingyu was the one to receive the trophy and the monetary prize from the judges while Lu Xinyi remained at her place, clapping as she fixed her gaze towards his brother.
Today’s performance had let her see her brother into another spotlight. She could say now that Tian Lingyu and Huang Shenghao could be considered full-fledged chefs.
The academy wasn’t enough to contain their brightness that needed to be shown to the whole world. The two needed to step into the real culinary world where professional chefs and challenges awaited for them.
Lu Xinyi rubbed her hands together. The fruits of their efforts were almost on her reach. She inwardly apologized to her brother as she had not only taken advantage of him and Huang Shenghao to extort money from Lei Peng, but she also watched their performance, taking note of their cooking methods and styles in her mind.
