The Game of Life-Chapter 816 - 815 Nobody Understands Century Egg and

Chapter 816 -815: Nobody Understands Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee Better Than Him (4500+)

Chapter 816 -815: Nobody Understands Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee Better Than Him (4500+)

The final week’s test not only disrupted Jiang Feng’s plan but also the plans of many other contestants. For those who knew they were just there to accompany the others, they thought it was time to go their separate ways and happily end this reality show that didn’t offer money but could improve their restaurant’s business. Suddenly, the production team told them, “Congratulations, you have one more real opportunity to showcase your talents. Please seize the opportunity for a true cooking competition.”

To allow the contestants to fully adjust and prepare for this final test, the test was rescheduled from Sunday to the following Wednesday at ten in the morning. The location was a place Jiang Feng had never heard of, reportedly selected for the semifinals and finals, but used now for this test.

Thus, this last test seemed a bit like a warm-up for the semifinals and finals.

It also sparked a competitive spirit that was originally absent.

Since they had no chance to advance, why not aim for a good position in this last test? It also allowed them to declare it wasn’t that they lacked skill, but rather they were just unlucky.

With this mindset, the twenty-eight contestants from seven competing restaurants all prepared for this non-impactful test with an unprecedented seriousness.

Wednesday, ten in the morning.

Jiang Feng and his team arrived on time at the venue.

The venue was incredibly remote, so much that Jiang Feng had always thought it was not part of Beiping. Because it was far, even though the production team arranged a dedicated car that left at seven in the morning, the four from Taifeng Building still arrived last—the trip was delayed by an hour’s traffic.

Apart from the location, if only judging the venue prepared by the production, Jiang Feng thought it definitely deserved a score over ninety.

It was huge.

The venue was so large that it could simultaneously accommodate seven groups of contestants, seven fully equipped and costly cooking stations, a seafood area, a frozen goods area, a fruits and vegetables area, and various dried goods and seasonings, almost like a super luxurious large market.

It allowed every chef to fully demonstrate their abilities.

The official start time for the competition was twelve noon and it would end at five in the afternoon, a total of five hours. This lengthy competition time meant that if one wished, and did not care too much for quality, they could even temporarily create a broth.

The two hours before the start were the contestants’ preparation time, during which they needed to select ingredients, determine the menu, discuss division of labor, and even do some basic processing of the ingredients.

If the other contestants did not mind, a group could even start making broth during this time.

Two hours might seem long, but if one really aimed to carefully prepare a dish, time was still very tight.

“This test is the last scoring test, and the theme is signature dishes. There are no restrictions on the type of dishes or the number, as long as they reflect each restaurant’s signature,” the staff member reiterated the competition rules one last time.

“Then what are the judging criteria, and who will be the judges?” Pei Shenghua asked.

“Sorry, due to regulations we cannot disclose the list of judges before the end of the competition, but please believe that the judges for this competition are absolutely professional and fair. We also trust that they will judge each dish from a fair and just perspective,” the staff member glanced at the time, “It is now ten fifteen in the morning. The competition will officially start at twelve noon and end at five in the afternoon. From now, everyone may start selecting ingredients and doing some preparatory work. If any team wishes to start making broth early, please contact a staff member. We will consult other contestants for their views and discuss whether it’s possible.”

No sooner had the staff member finished speaking than everyone began discussing or directly went to the ingredients area to select their ingredients.

Chef Arno was one of the action-takers and without saying a word, he ran to the seafood area to pick lobsters.

The competition venue was vast, with each contestant having their own cooking station and area. Jiang Feng and Sun Maochai first studied all the utensils and seasonings on their cooking station, which were all from Good Taste and not problematic, even familiar. Then, they began discussing matters concerning the dishes.

“This theme is signature dishes. Does anyone have any ideas?” Sun Maochai asked with a smile, clearly not in a rush at all.

“Since it’s about signature dishes, I think you and Chef Jiang Feng should take the lead. Sun Jikai and I can just assist you two,” Wu Minqi said while Sun Jikai nodded in agreement on the side.

In Taifeng Building, if one mentioned signature dishes, it had to be Sun Maochai and Jiang Feng.

Sun Maochai looked towards Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng shook his head blankly.

He had absolutely no ideas, and it wasn’t out of modesty; his mind was indeed completely blank.

If he had been asked to make a signature dish from Taifeng Building before, Jiang Feng would have felt that he had many options, such as Chicken Douhua, Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, Sweet and Sour Yam, Crab-stuffed Orange, and even Chopped Pepper Fish Head and Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge.

But ever since he had a small epiphany a couple of days ago, Jiang Feng had started to feel a bit lost.

In his view, there was only one true signature dish of Taifeng Building, which was Jiang’s Sea Cucumber Soup.

However, that was his trump card for the finals and could not possibly be used in the warm-up match—most crucially, he had not yet mastered Jiang’s Sea Cucumber Soup to the level of a signature dish.

Jiang Feng knew that this test was actually an opportunity given to the various restaurants by the organizers to showcase their real talent, and at the same time, it was an opportunity for them to clip material to stir up the conversation and heat on the topic. As soon as the staff finished speaking, Master Xu from the neighbouring Yonghe House went to chat with them and instructed his disciples to find ingredients related to high broths, clearly intending to make a high broth dish.

With just over six hours from now until five in the afternoon, time was a bit tight, but he could still barely manage to make a pot of Chicken Douhua.

As long as he wanted, Chicken Douhua was definitely a piece that could satisfy many people in this test for Taifeng Building. It might not score 100, but it could at least score more than 90.

But he didn’t want to.

Jiang Feng felt he had never been so clearly aware of what he wanted and what he wanted to do.

He was already a Grandmaster, and by all accounts, there should be no dish in this world that could stop him anymore. He didn’t need to imitate; now it was time for others to start imitating him.

He wanted to be himself.

It might sound like some inexplicable words from some inexplicable novel, but right now, Jiang Feng just wanted to be himself.

Thinking this, Jiang Feng’s thoughts drifted further and further, even starting to zone out until Sun Maochai’s words pulled him back to the competition.

“You have no ideas at all?” Sun Maochai pressed.

“Indeed, I don’t have many ideas.” Jiang Feng offered an awkward smile, “I feel like now… I suddenly don’t have a signature dish anymore.”

Sun Maochai: ?

Sun Maochai couldn’t comprehend what Jiang Feng was suddenly going on about.

A man brimming with signature dishes now suddenly proclaiming he had no signature dish or didn’t know how to make a signature dish—if Sun Maochai weren’t a grandmaster himself and also a genius who realized Jiang Feng might be facing some sort of bottleneck or searching for a lost self that he couldn’t understand, he might be jumping up to punch someone right now.

“Let me share my thoughts,” said Sun Maochai. “I just checked the ingredients area and there’s no snake, so Taishi Snake Soup is definitely a no-go. If you ask me what everyone thinks is a signature dish, maybe Ding Lake Supreme might be more appropriate, but this dish appears so frequently I think it’s uninspiring. And choosing a signature dish doesn’t necessarily have to be Ding Lake Supreme.”

“Then what should we choose?” Sun Jikai asked.

“Wenchang Chicken and Lobster Baked in Superior Stock,” said Sun Maochai.

Sun Jikai was stunned.

Not just him, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi were also a bit shocked; though these two dishes were indeed delectable, it somehow didn’t seem befitting of the class of a signature dish if Sun Maochai prepared them.

Too common.

If Sun Maochai had mentioned dishes like Swallow Engulfing Pigeon or Sea Cucumber with Abalone Sauce, Jiang Feng would have found it a bit more respectable, at least the raw ingredients are expensive.

“Why these two dishes?” Jiang Feng asked.

“Because forty years ago, these were the signature dishes of Jubao Building,” Sun Maochai laughed, looking at Sun Jikai, “These were your great-grandfather’s signature dishes.”

Seeing everyone else was silent, Sun Maochai continued, “Surprised, aren’t you? That the signature dishes of a generation master of Cantonese cuisine were not abalone, shark’s fin, sea cucumber, fish maw, or fish bladder, but Lobster Baked in Superior Stock and Wenchang Chicken.”

“Actually, these two dishes are also fine dishes, just that they aren’t as challenging to create and the cost is not so high, making them very popular. The best dishes my master made were not these two dishes, but they became the most popular among the customers and gradually turned into the signature dishes of Jubao Building,” Sun Maochai explained the reason for his choice, “Better dishes aren’t impossible to make, but they require higher standards for the broth.”

“We only had a little over six hours, from selecting ingredients to serving the dishes, and no one could guarantee that the required broth could be prepared properly in such a short time. The lobster baked in superior stock doesn’t require such high standards for the broth and is less likely to go wrong. Of course, that’s just my thought; if you all have any better ideas, feel free to suggest them. We’re still in the discussion phase, and it would be best if we could decide within twenty minutes,” Jiang Feng said.

The others naturally had no objections. Wu Minqi and Sun Jikai were both ready to assist throughout the process, while another theoretically suggestive member, Jiang Feng, was in the midst of a confusing life stage, seeking self-identity.

Sun Maochai recalled how Jiang Feng, after being confused for several days, suddenly had an idea.

“Let’s do a set meal.”

“A set meal?” the three echoed in unison.

“He didn’t limit the dishes or the types, so why don’t we just make a complete set meal with staple food, meat dishes, vegetarian dishes, soup, and even dessert?” Jiang Feng suggested.

Sun Maochai pondered with his hand on his head, thinking it was a good idea.

To facilitate ordering for customers, almost every restaurant offers corresponding set meals. For instance, Taifeng Building had once offered a spring limited-time set meal; the set meals currently available are Jiang Feng’s Fate Set Meal and the Zhajiangmian Set Meal.

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If set meals are considered signature dishes, it wouldn’t be off-topic.

“This idea isn’t bad. If it’s a set meal, having Wenchang chicken and the lobster with superior stock as two meat dishes would suffice, one poultry and one seafood, so we just need a soup, a vegetarian dish, and a dessert,” Sun Maochai said.

“And the staple,” Jiang Feng emphasized.

“Yes, and the staple,” Sun Maochai didn’t understand why Jiang Feng was stressing the staple.

“Actually, Old Sun and Qiqi could each take responsibility for a part. Besides making the broth, six and a half hours is more than enough for us to make a set meal. Today is just a test, not a formal semifinal or final; it’s not necessary to have them assist us. Even if we lose today’s test, we can always make a comeback during the finals or semifinals,” Jiang Feng said.

Sun Maochai hadn’t expected Jiang Feng to have this idea. He himself wasn’t overly concerned about winning or losing, especially since in his years of culinary competitions abroad, facing Chef Arno meant he’d never won, having grown accustomed to losing.

“I think it’s quite good,” Sun Maochai expressed his support.

This gave the decision-making power to Wu Minqi and Sun Jikai to decide which part they wanted to take on.

Both looked at each other, each seeing hesitation in the other’s eyes.

They were both somewhat afraid, afraid that the one to make a mistake would be themselves.

Sun Jikai thought about it, then spoke first, “If that’s the case, then I’ll take the soup.”

As a Cantonese chef, cooking soup was naturally his forte.

“Any ideas?” Sun Maochai felt he still had a say in the matter of soup, though the one he drank most at home was radish pork rib soup.

Sun Jikai shook his head.

Making a set meal, the pairing of dishes is crucial—it needs to be harmonious, cohesive, unique, yet not out of place.

A set meal can’t encompass sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and spicy all at once, but it also can’t be all sweet, all salty, or all spicy, making it tiresome to eat.

“How about the Four Gods Soup?” Sun Maochai suggested.

“Four Gods Soup?” Jiang Feng couldn’t help but speak up; he hadn’t heard of this soup.

“It’s like a therapeutic soup that removes toxins and nourishes beauty. Its flavor is very light, made with Poria, Chinese yam, lotus seeds, and Euryale seeds,” Sun Maochai explained.

After hearing this, Jiang Feng thought it sounded alright, and Sun Jikai also expressed no objections.

Now the ball was in Wu Minqi’s court, as she had to choose between a vegetarian dish, a dessert, and a staple.

Of course, she could also choose not to choose.

Wu Minqi hesitated for a long time.

“Then I’ll… take the vegetarian dish,” Wu Minqi said. “What do you guys think about fish-flavored eggplant?”

“Not bad, it matches well,” Sun Maochai still showed approval and finally looked at Jiang Feng.

He was also one of the main chefs.

Jiang Feng already had an answer in his mind.

“I’ll do the dessert and the staple!”

“Staple?!'” This time, Sun Maochai was genuinely shocked; he hadn’t even included a staple in the set meal from the start, since the staple in set meals is usually white rice, and even if it’s made with the finest white rice and the finest spring water, it’s still technically unimpressive white rice.

Sun Maochai thought Jiang Feng would add another meat or vegetarian dish and then take on the dessert, or perhaps not include a dessert at all since Chinese set meals can exist without one.

Jiang Feng nodded affirmatively.

“What are you planning to make?” Sun Maochai asked.

“For dessert, I actually learned how to make almond jelly at Yonghe House with Master Peng some time ago, and I managed to do it quite well. It would be nice as a light dessert.

“As for the staple, I plan to make—” Jiang Feng flashed a confident smile.

“Preserved egg and lean pork congee!”

It dawned on him this morning when he proposed making a set meal that he actually did have his own iconic dish from the start.

Where it began, that’s where he possessed it.

When he first got the game, the first dish that Chen Xiuxiu confirmed was preserved egg and lean pork congee, the second dish he made that was almost perfect was preserved egg and lean pork congee (the first was eight treasures congee), his final dish in the Good Taste Cooking Competition was preserved egg and lean pork congee, which earned him a bit of fame on UAL University’s Food Street.

At some point, he was also known as the Porridge King.

However, as his culinary skills improved and as he learned more dishes, he acquired more and more famous dishes overshadowing his title as the Porridge King. Also, due to various reasons, Jiang Feng seldom cooked porridge anymore.

Despite this, many people still remembered that Jiang Feng made delicious congee.

Zhang Xi remembered, Liu Qian remembered, and many UAL students remembered.

Not that the chicken bean flowers were delicious, not that the crab-stuffed oranges were characteristically special, and not that the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon tasted like it came from Jubao Building.

It was that Jiang Feng’s congee was delicious.

The prefix was Jiang Feng.

He had long possessed his own style, it was just slightly off track.

And now—

Jiang Feng wore a confident smile.

He wanted everyone to know that he, Jiang Feng, didn’t bear the title of Porridge King for nothing!

Nobody understood preserved egg and lean pork congee better than he did!