Zhang Wei ambled into the venue for Wine and Beauty, where nineteen assistants and laborers were already bustling.
"Chef, you're finally here!"
"Others have been busy for over an hour, let's hurry too."
"It's already 5:30, and the tasting is scheduled to start at 6."
Zhang Wei waved his hand.
"Don't be anxious. As long as you complete the work I've assigned, this competition will be a sure win. How is the food preparation coming along?"
"Chef, everything has been prepared according to your requirements."
"Excellent, start the fire!"
Zhang Wei first inspected the ingredients, then placed them into large pots with various seasonings in precise proportions.
The cooking pots were enormous, capable of holding over three hundred catties of ingredients at once.
For Zhang Wei, this weight was no different than frying an egg.
Operating multiple stations, Zhang Wei simultaneously managed over a dozen massive pots, each containing different ingredients.
His hands moved swiftly and continuously, yet there was no hint of panic.
It was as if everything was under his control.
His movements were incredibly fast, appearing as afterimages as he darted between the stoves!
The dozen helpers watched in stunned silence. Judging by his speed and skill alone, this mysterious new head chef was no ordinary person.
In the audience stands, contestants from other teams were also distributed ten small scoring balls, granting them the same voting power as the spectators.
Teams would use this opportunity to observe each other's strengths, areas of expertise, and techniques.
According to tradition, after the group stage, there would be a draw for subsequent matches.
However, the rules of the Northern Cuisine Festival were adjusted each time to prevent chefs with multiple previous participations from leveraging their past experience to gain an unfair advantage.
At the Wangyue Pavilion section.
Jun Qing, Old Man Jun, the Xiongxiong brothers, and a group of chefs were whispering amongst themselves, commenting on the contestants below.
Xiongxiong watched with rapt attention, his mouth watering.
He couldn't help but exclaim, "As expected of the top culinary exchange competition in the North. Just the aroma wafting over makes one's appetite surge!"
"Indeed, Big Brother. Have you decided where we should go to taste?"
According to the game's rules, the ten small balls served as scoring tokens, with spectators voting based on the deliciousness of the dishes.
However, to taste a dish and then not leave even a single ball was tantamount to an insult to the chef.
Therefore, each visitor could taste a maximum of ten dishes per day. With the abundance of exquisite cuisine at the Northern Cuisine Festival, who wouldn't want to try everything?
Thus, each additional vote cast meant experiencing one less delicacy!
For the chefs, obtaining more votes became an extremely difficult challenge!
Faced with a dazzling array of dishes, Xiongxiong found himself in a dilemma.
He turned to Jun Qing and asked, "In today's group stage, which teams are the strongest?"
Jun Qing took a brief look.
"There's no 'first' in literature; taste is subjective. However, in terms of overall strength, it should be the Watt Hotel."
"This hotel is located by the Ta River to the northwest of Mo City. Its reputation is no less than our Wangyue Pavilion, making them a formidable rival in this competition!"
"Like us, Watt Hotel also ventured into the Ice Hell Plains to hunt for ingredients, targeting the Level 32 Ice Fortress Giant Turtle."
The Ice Fortress Giant Turtle was an exceptionally powerful heavy creature, weighing several thousand tons!
Its back was naturally formed into a frozen fortress, not only capable of repairing itself with ice and snow but also firing projectiles. It was less like a beast and more like a mechanical war machine.
And this creature possessed incredibly tenacious vitality and high output capabilities, making it one of the most difficult to deal with.
"An Ice Fortress Giant Turtle! That's an extremely rare species!"
Jun Qing replied, "Precisely. Judging solely by their intelligence gathering capabilities, Watt Hotel is absolutely extraordinary! However, we won't have the chance to taste the Ice Fortress Giant Turtle; they'll likely save it for the finals."
Watt Hotel's location was quite conspicuous, with their temporarily erected tent exuding an air of luxury.
Thick carpets covered the solid wood tables and chairs, and the tableware was inlaid with gold and jade.
The members' attire was also meticulously chosen. Aside from the head chef, even the assistants and laborers wore perfectly tailored, uniform outfits and matching leather boots.
Even their appearances were consistent: fair-skinned handsome men with blonde hair and blue eyes, clearly catering to popular appeal.
A crisp chime echoed throughout the venue, signaling that it was six o'clock and the tasting had begun!
The audience, all wealthy and influential, now surged towards the entrances like a frenzy.
Fortunately, the organizers had anticipated this, deploying thousands of security personnel. Their tireless efforts prevented stampedes and other tragic incidents.
At this moment, Zhang Wei's dishes were nearing completion.
Looking at his assistants who were observing him, Zhang Wei said, "Watch carefully, and make sure to follow the method I've taught you!"
Everyone responded in unison, their eyes fixed on Zhang Wei.
Zhang Wei took out a specialized steamer.
The upper layer of the steamer was lined with a generous amount of herbs and dried fruits, upon which marinated meat slices and vegetables were neatly arranged.
The lower layer was filled with stones.
These stones had been heated in the stove for twenty minutes, each glowing red hot.
"Here comes the most crucial step!"
Zhang Wei scooped a ladle of hot broth from a pot and poured it directly through the gaps in the top of the steamer.
The broth instantly permeated the meat slices, dried fruits, and herbs...
Dripping through the woven bamboo steamer, it fell onto the scorching hot stones.
Sizzle!
Sizzle!
Sizzle!
Steam billowed!
As the broth hit the stones, it instantly released a massive amount of steam. The scorching steam rushed upwards into the upper layer of the steamer, instantly heating the thin meat slices to over 200-300 degrees Celsius...
Lifting the lid, although it had only been thirty seconds, the thin meat slices were cooked to a six-tenths doneness.
Next was the plating technique: arranging the meat slices, along with various fruits and vegetables, to create exquisite shapes.
A large bowl of the stone-infused broth was also served, to be paired with the meat and vegetables.
Excluding the broth, Zhang Wei's portion of food was over three hundred grams, a truly generous offering!
Zhang Wei instructed, "I will handle all the cooking work, including simmering the broth, slicing the meat, and preparing the ingredients. You only need to complete the part I've just demonstrated!"
"Remember, the food must be prepared on the spot, and it must be consumed by the guest within ten minutes of completion!"
"The temperature of the stones and the amount of broth poured must be precise. Any slight deviation will result in the meat being undercooked or overcooked, greatly affecting the flavor."
"Finally, and most importantly, the plating must be exquisite and delicate. No matter how much the customer rushes, never be perfunctory!"
After Zhang Wei finished giving instructions, an assistant asked, "Does this dish have a name? What should we tell the customers if they ask?"
A name?
Zhang Wei pondered for a moment.
"After not passing the imperial examination, I wrote about chrysanthemums."