Under the stage, Zhang Yan and Fujiwara Jiayuan were explaining in detail, interspersed with their own scientific knowledge of the dishes of the four chefs.
Because both of them had done a lot of homework before coming here, it could be said that the two of them were quoting the classics to explain.
Yuan Zhou, on the other hand, was watching the competition of the four people attentively. Of course, whenever Zhang Yan or Fujiwara Jiayuan threw the topic to him, he would still explain it seriously.
Although he didn't say much, every word was very incisive.
Many cameras were aimed at the judges, but most of them were still focused on the four people who were competing on the stage.
Although the four people were dressed differently, their expressions were very similar. All of them were staring at the ingredients in their hands with full concentration, preparing them carefully.
Dashi Xiujie was busy processing the Podo Chicken into chicken meat and chicken racks. Sucha had already processed the chicken meat and was already processing the bird pepper and lemon he had flown in from Thailand.
As for Duponte, he had already started to prepare the pot of soup. After all, he was preparing the famous Filipino dish, Adobo. This dish still needed to be prepared with the soup base.
The most special one was Ke Sen. Why was he special? It was because he was preparing the chili. Yes, it was the Glutinous Rice Chili that was indispensable in cooking in Guizhou.
Of course, the organizer had provided the seasoning, but the first thing Ke Sen did after getting the chicken was to preserve it, then sniff the glutinous rice cake and chili that had been provided.
Then, he began to prepare it again without hesitation. Obviously, the preparation of the program group was not to Ke Sen's liking. He wanted to do it again by himself.
"Ke Sen is making the Glutinous Rice Chili again by himself, right?" Zhang Yan said.
"Yes. Every chef has his own requirements for the seasonings he usually uses." Yuan Zhou nodded and agreed with the practice of doing everything by himself.
"Dashi Xiujie is also preparing the citrus vinegar again, so are Sucha and Duponte." Then, Yuan Zhou signaled Zhang Yan and Fujiwara Jiayuan to look in that direction.
"Just like what Head Chef Yuan said, every chef has his own requirements for the seasonings he usually uses. The seasonings provided by the host every time can only be said to be of a unified standard." Fujiwara Jiayuan also nodded and agreed.
Three hours of cooking time, the four chefs mastered it very well, but the first one to finish was Ke Sen.
"I've finished cooking. Judges, you can taste it now." Ke Sen raised his hand and made a gesture. Then, he took a step back from the azure stone countertop.
At this time, there were still ten minutes left.
Ke Sen and his father Colin had completely different personalities. Colin was mature and serious, and had extremely strict requirements for cooking.
Ke Sen, on the other hand, looked like a middle-aged man with a steady and amiable expression. He did not have the slightest bit of caution that he had in front of his father.
Yes, Ke Sen was very careful in front of Colin. Obviously, both father and son knew about it, so Colin didn't show up for today's finals.
He didn't want to affect his son's performance. However, Colin was also watching him through the live broadcast. After all, he had exchanged half of his manuscripts for this opportunity. It could be said that it was very precious.
Colin, who was staring at the screen, saw his son raise his hand to signal that he was done. He couldn't help but say, "As expected of my son. Being the first to finish is pretty good."
They were all chefs, so Old Pao was very familiar with these twists and turns. Finishing within the specified time wouldn't affect the score, but being the first to finish would add some good impression points.
Of course, the premise was that the dish had a high degree of completion. If the dish was not ready, it would be counterproductive to be the first to finish before it was ready.
After Ke Sen finished cooking, Sucha also raised his hand to signal that he had also finished cooking. He said in non-standard Chinese, "Judges, please taste it."
In the last five minutes, Dubonte also closed the lid and then raised his hand to signal that he had also finished today's meal.
Three hours of cooking time soon came to the countdown. The sound of the countdown clock was very oppressive, but Dashi Xiujie was in a good mood. He finished the unfinished parts unhurriedly and also checked the food in the pot on the plate.
In the end, Dashi Xiujie closed the last lid. As the gong sounded, he also raised his hand to signal that he had also finished cooking.
Yuan Zhou nodded. Ke Sen and Dashi Xiujie were the first and the last. The former was steady and neat, while the latter had a strong psychological quality, which indirectly proved Yuan Zhou's vision.
"Kacha, kacha …"
There was no longer the feeling of smoke and fire in the hall. There was only the sound of the reporters pressing the shutters and the aroma of food.
It was at this time that Yuan Zhou stood up. All the cameras and the eyes of the audience immediately shifted from the contestants. This was the influence that belonged to Yuan Zhou.
"Okay, the last cooking exchange of the Young Chefs' Exchange Meet has come to an end. Next, we will taste your dishes according to the order in which you finished your dishes." Yuan Zhou sat down after he finished speaking.
After Yuan Zhou sat down, he discussed some things with Zhang Yan and Fujiwara Jiayuan. Qin Kaili, who was backstage, stood up and began to host the final tasting activity.
"The first person to finish his dish in this exchange meet is Chef Ke Sen from Guizhou. The main dish he cooked this time is Xifeng Yanglang Chicken." Qin Kaili's voice was transmitted to everyone's ears through the microphone.
"Next, the etiquette ladies, please serve Chef Ke Sen's dish." Following Qin Kaili's words, a group of young ladies dressed in cheongsam divided into three rows and carried the covered dishes on the azure stone countertop to the judges' seats.
At this time, the judges' seats had been rearranged. A red tablecloth was spread on the table, and porcelain white tableware was placed one by one.
In front of everyone, there were four dishes and a glass of water in a small bowl. These were the dishes cooked by Ke Sen today.
One main dish and three side dishes, all covered with silver lids.
"You can open them now." Yuan Zhou wiped his hands and then said.
"Okay, it seems that our judges are ready to taste Chef Ke Sen's dish. Let's look over there. I wonder what kind of expression our judges will have," Qin Kaili said.
Following Qin Kaili's words, the cameras and the eyes of everyone present turned to look at the three judges at the same time.
Zhang Yan, Fujiwara Jiayuan, and Yuan Zhou were all used to being stared at by others, so they were completely immune to such gazes. Their hearts were as calm as still water as they waited for the waiter in front of them to open the lids.
After a slight "hua la" sound, the true appearance of the four dishes was revealed in front of everyone.
"Huh?"
"It's kind of amazing."
"Indeed, it's actually the same shape."
"No, look carefully. The chicken in front of each judge is different."
Yes, the side dishes could be skipped. Everyone's eyes were focused on the main dish, Xifeng Yanglang Chicken.
The Xifeng Yanglang Chicken had long been introduced. In fact, it was a spicy chicken. However, the spicy chicken in front of the three judges was somewhat different.
This was because the dish inside was arranged in the shape of a big rooster. The tail was made of bright red chili peppers, and the tender yellow chicken was cut into small evenly sized pieces and wrapped in a layer of bright glutinous rice paste chili.
It was like a proud big rooster laid flat on a white porcelain plate. In terms of plate presentation, this dish was very good.
But soon, everyone found something different. That was, as someone said just now, although there was a rooster placed in front of everyone, the meat parts were different.
Apart from the media, everyone present was a top young chef. Naturally, they could see the difference at a glance.
"That's thoughtful," Yuan Zhou said.
"Yes, it's thoughtful indeed. Mine is chicken breast meat," Zhang Yan said.
"Mine is chicken tenderloin diced meat," Fujiwara Jiayuan said.
"Then let's start tasting," Yuan Zhou said.
Just as the three of them were tasting, Qin Kaili, like everyone else, began to stare at the expressions of the three judges seriously, waiting for the next explanation.
Yuan Zhou was the first to eat. In front of him was the thick and elastic drumstick of Xifeng Yanglang Chicken.
Each piece of meat was cut into chestnut-sized pieces and wrapped in a layer of red glutinous rice paste chili. When stuffed into the mouth, the meat juice of the chicken burst out as the teeth chewed. The spiciness of the chili also rushed into the throat, but it did not choke the throat, just with a burning sensation.
The chicken was very elastic, and the tendons on the drumstick could be eaten. The taste was very good.
Because they were the judges, the three of them had a small taste, rinsed their mouths with water, and then put down their chopsticks.
Zhang Yan and Fujiwara Jiayuan both looked at Yuan Zhou, waiting for him to speak first. However, Yuan Zhou said, "You two first."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony," Zhang Yan nodded and said.
"It's spicy and dry. Although it's the least chewy chicken breast, it's extremely tender and smooth. The chicken meat is fresh and sweet. It's obvious that it's a local chicken from Xifeng. The taste combination doesn't lose the local flavor of Guizhou, and it's also very well improved, so that everyone can taste the local flavor of Guizhou in one bite. It's very rare," Zhang Yan gave a very high evaluation.
Then, it was Fujiwara Jiayuan's turn to give his comments.
"We all know that as people grow older, they will not only improve their cooking skills, but also their teeth and oral sense of taste. Head Chef Ke Sen has made good use of this point, so that everyone can eat the chicken parts that suit their taste best. This is both a clever idea and a skill," Fujiwara Jiayuan said with emotion.
After the two of them finished speaking, everyone began to look at Yuan Zhou, waiting to hear his comments.
Even Ke Sen, who had always been calm and honest, subconsciously straightened his back and wanted to listen to Yuan Zhou's comments carefully.
"Since Mr. Fujiwara and Chairman Zhang Yan are both praising it, then let me say some shortcomings," Yuan Zhou said.
As soon as he said that, Ke Sen instantly became nervous.
"First of all, it's a good idea to match the dishes according to personal taste. However, the texture of the chicken's upper thigh is different from that of the drumstick. The part close to the bone will have a sweet taste. Secondly, the chicken skin is not fully used." Yuan Zhou stopped speaking after he mentioned two points.
As soon as Yuan Zhou's voice fell, a burst of discussion immediately broke out. No one doubted that Yuan Zhou was nitpicking when he said those shortcomings.
Everyone was amazed by the sensitivity of Yuan Zhou's taste buds, but they were also used to Yuan Zhou's strictness.
That was because all the chefs present knew how strict Yuan Zhou was with himself. After all, Yuan Zhou's work and rest schedule was still in everyone's database of Yuan Zhou.
Ke Sen, who was being evaluated, bowed to the three judges seriously and said, "Thank you for your comments, judges. I will work harder next time."
As a chef, Ke Sen naturally knew that what Yuan Zhou said was already instructive.
"Alright, then let's start tasting Head Chef Sucha's dish. The main dish is Lemon Cashew Chicken," Qin Kaili said timely.
"This dish is also a famous Thai dish. Next, let's invite our beautiful waiters to serve Head Chef Sucha's dish to the judges." Qin Kaili waved her hand and signaled for the dishes to be served.
"I hope the three judges will be satisfied with my dish today," Sucha said loudly in accented Mandarin with a smile.
"Looks like our Mr. Sucha is very confident. Then let the judges start tasting," Qin Kaili said with a smile.
"Of course. But I still hope that Head Chef Yuan can criticize me more. That way, I will be able to improve in the future," Sucha had a cheerful personality. Although his Mandarin wasn't perfect, he was still able to respond quickly.
"Haha, I believe Mr. Sucha will get what he wants. Head Chef Ke Sen already received a small hint, didn't he?" Qin Kaili blinked.
While Qin Kaili and Su Cha were talking to each other to liven up the atmosphere, Yuan Zhou had already started tasting Su Cha's dishes.
…
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