Dong~
A crisp sound of a gong startled everyone who was slumped over their tables. They looked up, around, and finally, their gazes converged on the city tower, towards Granny Clever Hands.
"I will now announce the total scores obtained by the three of you."
As Granny Clever Hands' voice fell, Taki Kakuzaki, Amu, and Lanyu Jin all stood up, their heartbeats quickening in unison, their eyes fixed on the tower.
The next moment, three staff members dragged a white banner to the top of the city wall, then let go. The cloth strip instantly cascaded down like a waterfall.
Jin: Fourteen
Taki: Eight
Amu: Eleven
"Xiang Cuisine chef Lanyu Jin, fourteen points."
"Chao Taste Pavilion's Amu, eleven points."
"Japanese chef Taki Kakuzaki, eight points."
Granny Clever Hands' voice drifted down from the tower, reading out everyone's scores from highest to lowest.
"Eight points, I actually only got eight points..." Looking at her score, Taki Kakuzaki swayed, like a deflated ball, nearly collapsing. Fortunately, Dylan caught her in time.
At this moment, her face was filled with unwillingness, but she didn't say much, merely looking towards the other two, wanting to know why her score was so low.
"Your dish, although it used innovative nut-based mock beef and even incorporated okara to enhance the texture, you forgot the most crucial point: removing the beany aftertaste from the okara. Only okara with its beany taste removed can produce acceptable mock beef! Otherwise, it's just bean-flavored mock meat!"
Noticing Taki Kakuzaki's questioning gaze, Lanyu Jin explained. The dish was excellent in all other aspects. The only flaw was that beany aftertaste!
Although very faint, even suppressed by the other spices in the dish, upon careful tasting deep down, that slight disharmony could still be felt. And this was why she had given a low score!
If this hint of beany taste had been removed, making the mock beef's flavor approach perfection, then she could have given this dish six points or more. As for a higher score... that wasn't something the current Taki Kakuzaki could achieve. Her basic skills and craftsmanship were still somewhat lacking.
"Beany aftertaste?"
"That's right. You probably just boiled the soy milk and then directly used the okara, right? That won't do; a lot of the beany taste will remain."
Seeing Taki Kakuzaki look at him questioningly, Dylan nodded slightly, indicating that Lanyu Jin was correct.
"Actually, removing this beany taste is simple. Heat the soy milk containing the okara to a boil and maintain it for a period. This will passivate the lipoxygenase activity, allowing the components causing the beany taste in the okara to volatilize. After boiling, skim off the froth with a fine sieve, then repeat the process of adding cold water and bringing it to a boil a few more times to further remove the beany taste. You merely boiled it briefly and directly used the okara, so naturally, you couldn't remove the beany taste."
After briefly explaining the reason, Dylan was also a little surprised. After all, since Taki Kakuzaki was already using okara to make mock beef, how could she forget the most basic step of removing the beany taste? It felt to him like a child who knew multiplication but not addition.
"I see. It seems I was careless." Hearing Dylan's explanation, Taki Kakuzaki suddenly had a moment of realization, a clear look of disappointment in her eyes.
She had learned the technique of using okara to make mock beef from Lanyu Jin, but because of the distance, she had only learned the gist of it and hadn't learned the method for removing the beany taste.
It seemed what wasn't hers, ultimately wasn't hers. After all, she didn't have hyper-vision; it was naturally impossible for her to master all of another's techniques with just a couple of glances.
Thinking this, Taki Kakuzaki felt much better. She had never intended to reach the heavens in a single step; she had just felt a little puzzled. Now that her doubts were resolved, she felt completely at ease.
"My score is actually eleven points, which is about what I expected. In this Special Grade Chef examination, I am indeed inferior to you."
Looking at his score, Iron Arm Amu gave Lanyu Jin a wry smile, his eyes filled with a dim light. Without a doubt, he had lost this time.
Although he had been tempted to give Lanyu Jin a low score to make his own results stand out, he had resisted in the end. He was unwilling to use such despicable means; even if he won, he wouldn't be happy, and it didn't fit his style!
Although he wanted the honor of being a Special Grade Chef, he preferred to win over the judges' and opponents' palates through fair and square skill!
"Your dish, while tasting very good and extremely fitting the theme, was too ordinary. The creativity was really not high, and the taste wasn't amazing enough to make one overlook that point. So, I could only give you a relatively moderate score. This is my most impartial evaluation of you."
Hearing Amu's remark, Lanyu Jin couldn't help but explain. She believed in giving scores based on sound reasoning, not randomly.
"I understand. In terms of creativity, I probably wasn't even as good as that young lady. This competition has made me deeply realize my lack of imagination. I will travel next, improve my strength, learn more techniques, and come back in a year to participate in the Special Grade examination here."
Iron Arm Amu said, shouldering the luggage he carried with him, calmly facing his defeat. Thinking about it, perhaps this was why Granny Clever Hands had them score each other: to allow them to truly recognize themselves.
"Well said. It seems you have indeed gained a lot from this Special Grade examination. I hope you will continue to strive, improve yourself, and come back next year."
Granny Clever Hands had just come down from the city tower when she heard Amu's words. Seeing him face defeat so calmly, she felt a sense of gratification.
Throughout history, how many people had been blinded by the obsession with becoming a Special Grade Chef, unwilling to give up no matter what, even resorting to despicable means like deliberately giving low scores or poisoning.
Thinking of some of the chefs who had come to the Dueling Kitchen for past examinations, a complex expression appeared on Granny Clever Hands' face.
Compared to them, a chef like Amu, willing to proactively admit he was not as good as another, was truly precious! Such a person, as long as no accidents occurred, would definitely become a Special Grade Chef one day, because he possessed such qualities.
"I will. Then, I shall take my leave first." Nodding to Granny Clever Hands, Amu finished his sentence, shouldered his luggage, and left the Dueling Kitchen through a small door, not staying to watch the Special Grade Chef awarding ceremony. That would only increase his sorrow.
Watching Amu's departing figure, the few people remaining on site were somewhat silent. However, because of Dylan, they didn't leave, quietly staying where they were.
At this moment, the sky was tinged with the white of a fish's belly—dawn was breaking.
"Xiang Cuisine chef Lanyu Jin, you have performed exceptionally well up to this point. So now, I will give you two the final question."
Granny Clever Hands' voice rang out, attracting the attention of the others. If nothing else, watching the process to accumulate some experience was always good.
"The final question." Lanyu Jin clenched her fists, her face filled with determination, looking directly into Granny Clever Hands' eyes without flinching, awaiting her question.
"I already understand that you can judge others' work very rationally. So finally, please give your own work a score."
Granny Clever Hands looked back with a calm gaze and uttered these words. People are most prone to not seeing themselves clearly. This was also the most difficult question in the Special Grade Chef examination. A slight misstep in the answer could lead to all previous efforts being wasted!
The moment her voice fell, several staff members brought over a table, a chair, and the Specialty Beef-flavored Vegetarian Skewers that Lanyu Jin had made, placing them before her.
Silence. The atmosphere on site suddenly became silent. Lanyu Jin sat down, her arms crossed, her eyes slightly closed. Only the tapping of her fingers on her arm indicated the complexity in her heart.
It wasn't just her; the expressions of the few people watching around weren't too good either.
"The final stage of the Special Grade examination is actually scoring oneself. This question is simply anti-human! What score does one have to give to pass?!"
Taki Kakuzaki's face showed an unsightly expression as she whispered to Dylan beside her, wondering what score she would give her own dish if she were in that position, and whether the score given would be recognized by the Guangdong Culinary Federation.
If it wasn't recognized, would she directly lose the qualification to become a Special Grade Chef? This was far too cruel!
"Alright, give me your answer."
"This 'Not Beef' dish you made this time using soybeans, employing the method of frying first, then braising, then grilling, perfectly simulated all the flavors of beef, boldly and successfully expressing the 'Beef Not Beef' theme. The mushrooms sandwiched between the two pieces of mock beef added to the texture of these skewers, and the crispy fried potatoes were truly delightful."
Granny Clever Hands walked up to Lanyu Jin, looking at the untouched dish on her table, a hint of scrutiny in her gaze.
"Lanyu Jin."
"Yes."
"The full score is ten points. What score do you give yourself?" Looking at the hesitant and conflicted expression on Lanyu Jin's face, Granny Clever Hands didn't slow down her pace but spoke with extra sternness.
"My culinary work scores eight points!" Raising her hand in a salute to Granny Clever Hands, Lanyu Jin stated the score for her dish.
"Why do you give your own work eight points?" Granny Clever Hands then asked, her expression serious.
"This dish is the limit of what I can achieve by applying all the knowledge I have learned and exerting all my abilities. At the same time, this is also what I believe to be my best work. Under normal circumstances, I would definitely give it ten points because I have enough confidence in it!"
Lanyu Jin let out a long breath, looking somewhat nervous, but she continued, "However, this dish has a fatal flaw: the mushrooms, which are the core of the skewers, were not cooked through. To give such a dish ten points would be far too shameless. Therefore, after careful consideration, I decided to give it the fair score of eight points."
Lanyu Jin spoke every word without a hint of hesitation; these were indeed her complete thoughts. Although she had given her all, the mistake in the dish couldn't be reversed. The limit of this dish was only eight points!
To give herself ten points in this situation would be truly shameless, only leaving an impression of ignorant arrogance.
Watching Granny Clever Hands step back, seemingly discussing something with the staff, Lanyu Jin nervously clutched the corner of her clothes. This was the final step... If she passed it, she would be a genuine Special Grade Chef!
Thirty years of relentless effort, presenting this dish that burned with all her passion—could she finally win the honor of Special Grade Chef?!
"I will now announce the person who has passed this Special Grade Chef examination. Dong~"
After the discussion, Granny Clever Hands walked up to Lanyu Jin. At the same time, the sound of a gong rang out, pulling the tense atmosphere on site to its peak. The sky was already bright by now.
Everyone was looking in Lanyu Jin's direction, even Dylan was no exception. This segment was a test of one's character.
"Xiang Cuisine chef Lanyu Jin, the Specialty Beef-flavored Vegetarian Skewers you created were excellent in both flavor and skill. Although there was the flaw of the mushrooms not being cooked through, it doesn't overshadow the merits, and you fully possess the craftsmanship of a Special Grade Chef. At the same time, in the final self-scoring part, which was to test whether you possess the proper pride and self-respect a chef should have, you performed excellently and could rationally analyze your own dish."
"Lanyu Jin, you have passed!" As Granny Clever Hands said the last sentence, the smile that had been absent from her stern, tense face finally appeared. She stepped forward and patted her shoulder.
At the same time, a ray of sunlight also spilled into the competition venue, dispelling the gloom and tension in Lanyu Jin's heart, allowing a smile to appear on her face.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! I passed!" Clenching and unclenching her fists, Lanyu Jin shouted loudly, jumping up and down, tears slowly welling in her eyes, her emotions somewhat complex.
"Congratulations on passing the Special Grade examination." Dylan also stepped forward to congratulate her. After all, they had participated in the examination together, and he was happy for her that she could pass. This represented her ability as a chef; thirty years of relentless effort had received official recognition.
"Truly amazing. It seems I really underestimated Guangzhou's culinary examinations before." Taki Kakuzaki said from the side.
This time, apart from the one who went off-topic, she was at the bottom. Originally, she had thought that even if she didn't qualify, she would at least be second, but reality had slapped her hard.
One could imagine, if Dylan hadn't refrained from the final assessment and Leah hadn't misunderstood the question, she would probably have been last among the five.
"It seems I still have a lot to learn!" Taki Kakuzaki muttered to herself, yet there wasn't a trace of dejection in her eyes, because she had found the direction for her advancement.
"Amazing! Chef from Guangzhou! Your Specialty Beef-flavored Vegetarian Skewers tasted really, really good! You truly deserve the title of Special Grade Chef!" Leah also offered her sincere blessings. Lanyu Jin's dish was excellent and had long since reached the Special Grade standard.
"Thank you, thank you all." At this moment, hearing everyone's blessings, Lanyu Jin smiled brilliantly. Paired with her flawless and beautiful face, she looked like a blooming hibiscus flower, exceptionally bright and captivating.
In an instant, the tense atmosphere turned relaxed, and the few of them gathered together, chatting happily.
"Dylan, Lanyu Jin. I will now present the Special Grade Chef armbands to you."
"Yes." Lanyu Jin half-knelt, while Dylan stood tall, both looking with fervent eyes at the Dragon-head Treasure Cart being pushed forward.
As they spoke, two pretty young ladies walked up, handing the armbands representing Special Grade Chef status to Dylan and Lanyu Jin. Though called armbands, it was actually a complete set of clothes, and the styles for the two of them were distinctly different.
"In the past, people complained that the Special Grade Chef uniforms were all identical, making it easy to be recognized when walking outside, sometimes causing unnecessary trouble. Therefore, today's Special Grade Chef uniforms are all custom-made by professional tailors we found, handcrafted while you were competing."
Seeing the surprised expressions on Dylan's and Lanyu Jin's faces, Granny Clever Hands explained, because too many people had complained about this.
"I see. That's why it looks a bit different from what I remember." Dylan nodded, not dwelling on it further, but Granny Clever Hands then said, "Go ahead and put them on."
"Yes."
Immediately, Dylan and Lanyu Jin changed into them on the spot. Because it only required putting on an outer layer, there was no need for special privacy. Soon, both had changed into the Special Grade Chef attire, standing before everyone with a radiant air.
"This is China's Special Grade Chef Dragon-shaped Armband? It's so beautiful!" Seeing Dylan put on the Special Grade Chef uniform, Leah had at some unknown time come to his side, gently touching the Dragon-shaped Armband on his shoulder.
In the end, she even pressed her face against it, feeling its texture, her face full of delight.
"It looks really good on you, Dylan-sensei." Sonoka Kinokuni praised from the side. Dylan, at about one meter eighty tall, paired with this tailor-made Special Grade Chef uniform, his entire aura had been elevated considerably, making hearts beat faster.
"Indeed. I never thought you had such a handsome side." A flash of amazement also crossed Taki Kakuzaki's eyes. As the saying goes, clothes make the man; after changing into fine clothes, Dylan even felt a bit different to her.
"You two listen well. Bearing the halo of a Special Grade Chef is merely an adornment. For both of you, passing this test is just a process. To further refine your skills, you must continue to delve deeper."
As they were talking, Granny Clever Hands' voice suddenly rang out. Looking in their direction, she spoke with a serious expression.
"Yes." Dylan and Lanyu Jin replied in unison. They would do so even without being told. The so-called Special Grade Chef was not the pinnacle. After obtaining this status, Special Grade Chef became the starting point. Next, they would climb towards even higher peaks!
Seeing their determined expressions, Granny Clever Hands nodded to herself, then turned to leave. She still had an important matter to attend to.
"Granny Clever Hands." Dylan's voice suddenly echoed in the Dueling Kitchen, causing Granny Clever Hands to stop and look at him quizzically.
"I was wondering if you have some time recently. I'd like to have a friendly match with you, to exchange some ideas on Dim Sum type cuisine."
The young man looked at Granny Clever Hands with fervent eyes, as if looking at a priceless treasure. Yet his gaze sent a shiver down her spine.
Oh no, this one's aimed at me!
______________
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