Chapter 513: Wu Henian's Assist
"Whew, finally finished."
Lifting the lid to look at the Tomato Beef Brisket inside the pot, now fully reduced and complete, Qi Han revealed a satisfied expression.
Beside him were neatly separated and fully prepared ingredients for Crab Stuffed with Orange. The actual cooking time for the dish could now be shortened to under half an hour. Thinking of this, the smile on Qi Han's face deepened further.
Sure enough, every chef was a master of time management.
After portioning the Tomato Beef Brisket into ten serving plates, Qi Han casually pressed the switch indicating that the dish was complete, then opened the kitchen door. Several Culinary Association staff members quickly followed his instructions, dividing each plate into multiple portions and delivering them to the judges. Qi Han also walked out of the kitchen, waiting for the announcement of the first round's results.
Suddenly, he sniffed lightly.
A rich aroma of beef filled the air. This fragrance did not come from his Tomato Beef Brisket, but from another beef dish.
So Bright Court Pavilion's dish was already finished?
Qi Han wasn't too surprised. After all, his Tomato Beef Brisket had taken over an hour to cook, so it was only natural that the other side had finished earlier.
The only thing he was curious about was what kind of beef dish they had prepared.
"Boss Qi has finished as well?" Zhao Yangfan had already seen the dish being brought out by the staff. Although he had never personally tasted Han Shi's food, based on Chef Song's description, he could conclude that this was indeed Tomato Beef Brisket.
Just as expected.
The smile on his face became even more pronounced.
Just moments ago, Chef Song's Secret-Style Beef Tenderloin had already received unanimous praise from the judges. Quite a few judges had even shown expressions of complete immersion after tasting it. Under such circumstances, if the later-served Tomato Beef Brisket lacked an obvious advantage, the judges' impression of it would naturally be greatly diminished.
And since the gap between the two dishes was no longer that large, such an advantage simply did not exist.
Thinking this, Zhao Yangfan appeared even more relaxed.
"Our head chef is just finishing the final serving of Secret-Style Beef Tenderloin. Boss Qi, would you like to try some?"
"Sure." Upon hearing the name of Bright Court Pavilion's dish, Qi Han immediately showed interest.
He truly wanted to see what Bright Court Pavilion's culinary skills were like.
Beef tenderloin might sound unfamiliar to some, but almost everyone would recognize its other name.
Filet.
This cut, located near the spine around the rear waist of the cow, contained the least connective tissue and was the most tender part of the beef. It was the famous filet mignon that was almost always mentioned whenever steak came up.
A dish made using beef tenderloin—what exactly would it taste like?
At the center of the venue, Qi Han was looking forward to trying Bright Court Pavilion's Secret-Style Beef Tenderloin, while at the judges' area near the edge of the arena, Wu Henian quietly let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that Qi Han had finally completed his dish.
At last, it was done.
Just moments earlier, he had already heard many judges praising the Secret-Style Beef Tenderloin. If the situation had continued to develop further, it would only have become more disadvantageous for the Tomato Beef Brisket.
Skillfully using his chopsticks, Wu Henian picked up a piece of Tomato Beef Brisket from the small bowl portioned in front of him and tasted it. Afterward, he nodded slightly.
Compared to Tomato Beef Brisket, the flavor of Secret-Style Beef Tenderloin was still just a bit inferior.
"Uh… Brother Henian, what kind of utensil is this, and how exactly do you use it?" Beside him, Ye Ansheng swallowed while staring at the especially tempting Tomato Beef Brisket, then looked somewhat troubled at the pair of chopsticks resting on the bowl.
Oh no.
Wu Henian suddenly realized that Han Shi used a completely new type of eating utensil, and judges who didn't even know how to use the utensils would naturally have a poorer impression of the dish itself.
Fortunately, this problem wasn't difficult for him to solve.
He smiled faintly at Ye Ansheng before standing up.
At this moment, portions of Tomato Beef Brisket had already been delivered before all the judges. Many of them were discussing the never-before-seen chopsticks, and Wu Henian's perfectly timed rise immediately drew everyone's attention.
"I believe everyone is rather puzzled by these two small wooden sticks before you." Wu Henian smiled slightly and raised the chopsticks in demonstration. "This utensil is called chopsticks. It is a unique utensil used by Han Shi. Their usage is as follows."
He then carefully explained in detail how chopsticks were meant to be used.
As the owner of Heavenly Star Palace, Wu Henian carried considerable prestige among the judges. Under his guidance, the judges quickly learned how to use chopsticks, and the slight dissatisfaction caused by not knowing how to eat gradually disappeared in the process.
Qi Han soon noticed Wu Henian's actions, and gratitude immediately appeared in his eyes.
The owner of Heavenly Star Palace truly was a good person.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yangfan silently observed Wu Henian's obvious assistance toward Han Shi, and his expression darkened slightly.
Wu Henian… what exactly was he trying to do?
He had heard that before the culinary showdown between Bright Court Pavilion and Han Shi, Han Shi had already been in contact with Heavenly Star Palace.
Could it be that Heavenly Star Palace wanted to use Han Shi to suppress Bright Court Pavilion?
Wishful thinking!
Thinking about the arrangements he had made last night, Zhao Yangfan's expression gradually relaxed again.
Bright Court Pavilion would absolutely not lose.
…
"This Tomato Beef Brisket…" After taking only a single bite, Ye Ansheng immediately revealed a deeply astonished expression. "This is truly the first time I've realized that tomatoes and beef could blend together so perfectly. To think that such a delicious dish came from a newly opened restaurant… Brother Henian, I finally understand why you have so much confidence in Han Shi."
"This Han Shi has truly given me a huge surprise. Given enough time, it seems that the strongest restaurant in Mingdu City may no longer be two establishments, but three."
"Three?" Wu Henian shook his head, a trace of melancholy appearing in his eyes. "Perhaps it'll only be one."
"Hm?" Hearing the implication in Wu Henian's words, Ye Ansheng was startled. "You mean Han Shi could surpass Heavenly Star Palace and Bright Court Pavilion? Even if Han Shi wins this culinary showdown, that still shouldn't be possible, right?"
"I've always had a good eye for people." Wu Henian smiled faintly. "When I look at him, I seem to see the shadow of my great-grandfather from back then. And when my great-grandfather was his age, his culinary skills were nowhere near Qi Han's level. So if Qi Han eventually goes even further and surpasses Heavenly Star Palace and Bright Court Pavilion, I wouldn't find it surprising at all."
"This…" Ye Ansheng looked deeply at Qi Han standing on the stage. "In that case, perhaps the Culinary Association should invest in Han Shi in advance. In a few days, the association will be publishing the Monthly Gourmet Review. Should we include Han Shi in it?"
"Of course we should." Wu Henian nodded. "If Han Shi's dishes aren't included, how can the association claim to be impartial? Besides, His Majesty has already issued an imperial decree to further develop the Mingke Street area. Including more Mingke Street cuisine in the monthly publication would also be responding to the imperial initiative."
"That's true indeed." Ye Ansheng nodded thoughtfully. "I wonder whether Han Shi will still be open tonight. I'm planning to visit it myself. Brother Henian, are you free to come along?"
"Naturally." Wu Henian chuckled. "Ever since I had my daughter manage the restaurant, I've become completely free myself. I already visited Han Shi once yesterday at noon, but there are more than twenty dishes there, and I only tasted three of them. Not knowing what the other dishes taste like has been tormenting me ever since."
"Oh? In that case, let us go together."
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[2] https://www.patreon.com/Avicebron/posts/becoming-food-in-160492301