Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 97 only mentions that there is a dish called "True Bean Pill" inside, but doesn't mention any other dishes. (Bonus chapter for 4K chapters)

[Holy crap, are they not even going to act anymore?]

[Wait a minute, this is such a big fuss, there might be a trap!]

[This whole process looks so realistic; the bean weevil I ate before was just like this.]

The shape can be imitated with molds, but the taste is what really matters!

Netizens initially thought that Nicholas Tse's "bean and catkin banquet" was just a joke, but now it seems that things have become quite interesting.

Looking at the fried bean curd sticks served on the table, Chen Guangshan didn't reach for them with his chopsticks this time. Instead, he closed his eyes and smelled the aroma.

"It has the smell of chili peppers, beans, and fat. Judging from the aroma, it's quite similar."

In the brief pause he made, Xia Ming served up a series of dishes: "Stir-fried Bean Cowpea", "Special Bean Cowpea Soup", "Steamed Egg with Bean Cowpea", "Steamed Dumplings with Bean Cowpea", "Braised Bean Cowpea with Lobster Tail", and "Loofah with Bean Cowpea".
Upon arrival, all eight dishes were served, and the two washed their hands before emerging from the kitchen.

Nicholas Tse laughed as he took off his apron.

"Seven main courses and one dessert. I hope everyone enjoys the meal."

Zhu Yijie looked at the table full of food related to bean curd, and felt her breath catch in her throat. She reached out with her chopsticks and searched for a long time, but in the end, she put them back without picking anything up. Then she continued her attack on the egg white inside the coconut.

Jia Bing accepted all the invitations, but while the previous desserts could be considered appetizers, now that the main course was served, Xie Tingfeng naturally had to start eating first.

Nicholas Tse saw through his thoughts and picked up a small bowl to scoop some of the "Special Bean Soup" from the side.

"I just secretly tried a little bit, and it's so delicious!"

Seeing this, Jia Bingcai picked up his bowl and began to eat.

He doesn't care whether it's a bean caterpillar or not; it doesn't matter to him as long as it tastes good.

At that moment, Chen Guangshan was still observing the "Fried Bean Dumplings" on the other side.

From the outside, this bean caterpillar looks fine; it has all the major features it should have. However, the specific details are a little less obvious because it's coated with a little bit of batter.

Although locals mostly deep-fry bean caterpillars after processing, some restaurants also deep-fry them after coating them in batter.

"We'll have to try it to know."

After saying that, he put the fried bean curd into his mouth and began to chew it carefully.

First of all, it has a burnt flavor, which is essentially a salty and savory taste, nothing particularly special.

Next comes a slightly hard outer layer, which is chewy, but tastes different from the bean curd he usually eats.

"It's somewhat like sheep casing, but it's different when you eat it carefully."

Just by eating the outer skin, Chen Guangshan already felt 80% sure of the product. After tasting the meat inside, he immediately made his judgment.

Dou Dan has a rich bean aroma, similar to soybeans, but with a meatier texture.

It is precisely because of this unique fragrance that bean butterflies are so popular, as other things are indeed difficult to imitate.

Just like this "fried bean sprout".
It looks impressive on the outside, but inside it tastes like just a sausage.

Although the meat inside had a slightly insect-like smell, it was noticeably sweeter, and the meat inside was too loose.

Authentic fried bean catfish has a firm interior, feels like a whole piece of meat, and is rich in fat.

The first bite tastes like French fries, but as you chew, it's like chicken with very loose meat fibers paired with an exquisite earthy flavor.

"Although it's not a bean weevil, you can tell the seasoning is exceptionally good; the chef's skills are truly remarkable!"

Chen Guangshan sighed and shook his head at Zhu Yijie.

Zhu Yijie breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, but looking at the appearance of the adult worms in the plate, she still hesitated to pick them up.

Jia Bing didn't hold back at all, and promptly ate three sticks.

"This is so delicious! I'm definitely going to gain weight after eating this today!"

Seeing Jia Bing's expression, Xie Tingfeng, who was standing next to him, also laughed.

"Eat more if it's delicious!"

Xia Ming naturally picked up his bowl and chopsticks and started eating. Because of the distance, he first picked up a "steamed bean dumpling". As the dumpling skin was bitten, a strange fragrance inexplicably filled the room.

The aroma made Jia Bing, who had just eaten fried bean curd, swallow hard.

"It smells so good, it's most likely this one~"

As he spoke, he picked up a steamed dumpling and put it in the bowl. The style of this steamed dumpling was the same as the steamed dumplings served at breakfast in the Guangzhou-Shenzhen area. Jia Bing first poked it with his chopsticks and found that the skin looked thin, but it was very chewy.

One bite reveals a juicy filling with a texture similar to chicken, but with the fatty feel of tuna and a unique insect aroma.

Jia Bing nodded as he ate.

"It smells amazing! Little girl, what are you afraid of? Take a bite! These steamed dumplings are top-notch!"

Seeing Jia Bing enjoying his meal across from her, Zhu Yijie couldn't resist any longer. After hesitating for a long time, she picked up a "crispy fried bean curd stick" and her eyes lit up after just a few chews.

"It's delicious! It doesn't taste like worms at all; it's more like fried meat strips, even better than crispy pork!"

At this moment, Chen Guangshan had also completed the identification of the "Dou Dan Steamed Dumplings".

"These steamed dumplings are exceptionally flavorful and juicy, but they're not from Douhuang."

Zhu Yijie nodded repeatedly after hearing this. At this moment, she was completely captivated by the taste, and even the appearance of Dou Dan had been forgotten.

Afterwards, Chen Guangshan made an appraisal of several dishes on the table.

"This 'Special Bean and Egg Soup' uses minced chicken, and the preparation is very good. It seems that soybean oil was added to simulate the aroma, but the texture is still that of minced meat, so it lacks firmness."

"This 'Steamed Egg with Bean Worm' doesn't actually contain bean worms. Although it has an insect-like smell, the overall texture is softer, and it tastes a bit like mantis shrimp."

"The 'Lobster Tail with Tofu' dish uses lobster tails at the bottom and tofu and shrimp on top. It differs from regular tofu in aroma, texture, and appearance, but the taste is fantastic! The combination of tofu and shrimp is particularly perfect."

Following Chen Guangshan's comments, viewers in the live stream began to complain.

[Master Chen, stop talking. I'm so upset about having instant noodles for dinner.]

Good heavens, I never imagined I'd be drooling over a table full of insects.

[It seems that apart from the real dish, the rest were probably made by Xia Ming. Feng Ge is more skilled at combining Chinese and Western styles and isn't used to these imitations.]

Are there any reliable online recommendations for "Dou Dan" (a type of herb)? I'm hesitant to order from Pinduoduo because of the prices!

I remember a specialty shop that sells them, but they're a bit pricey. These things are usually soaked in water before being shipped, half water and half insects. If you can accept that, then buy them.

[Link! Requesting a link!]

As Chen Guangshan made his assessment, the four women beside him also started eating.

Zhu Yibing especially liked the slightly meaty texture of the "steamed egg with bean curd sticks," saying it was much better than the minced meat steamed egg he had eaten before.

Zhu Yiqing preferred the "Special Bean and Egg Soup," and knowing that it was topped with minced chicken, she felt even less guilty eating it.

The combination of the green vegetables at the bottom and the savory topping made her feel that she would find it hard to drink ordinary vegetable soup again.

Zhu Yiyu has a wide range of tastes; aside from being a little averse to "crispy fried bean curd," she loves all the other dishes.
Zhu Yijie ate everything Chen Guangshan had tested. Whether Jia Bing gained weight today is unknown, but she's definitely going to gain some.
Just as everyone was gradually opening up, Chen Guangshan fell into confusion.

Perhaps because he ate too many similar-tasting foods at once, he seemed unable to make a judgment on the last two dishes.

"This stir-fried bean curd has a similar aroma and texture to the bean curd, but it's overcooked and too dry, so you can't taste the fat."

"This loofah with bean curd has a particularly good texture and a good fat content. It tastes like bean curd, but it lacks a bit of aroma and umami." Looking at the two dishes, he hesitated to make a decision, and in the end, he couldn't help but laugh at himself.

"Oh dear, this old mechanic might have a mishap today!"

While he was struggling with his decision, his gaze fell on the "Coconut Soybean Paste Steamed Egg White" next to him.

When he first tasted it, he felt that it wasn't made with bean caterpillars because it lacked umami flavor and didn't match the characteristics of bean caterpillars.

It also has a peculiar milky smell.
But now that I think about it carefully, is it possible that the chef deliberately suppressed the umami flavor during preparation in order to make the test more difficult?

"Tingfeng probably doesn't have that level of skill, so most of the dishes here were probably made by this chef named Xia Ming."

"Although he is young, he is very skilled and it is unlikely that he will make a technical mistake."

With that in mind, he turned his attention back to the "stir-fried bean worm".

In his view, it was obvious that the dish was overcooked.
It would be difficult for Xia Ming, but Xie Tingfeng certainly has a chance.
After deliberating for a long time, Chen Guangshan finally spoke.

"In my opinion, it should be this dish: 'Stir-fried Bean Curd'."

After listening to Chen Guangshan's words, Xia Ming and Xie Tingfeng, who were eating nearby, exchanged a smile, neither confirming nor denying.

"Let's eat first, everyone finish eating first, then we'll talk!"

Zhu Yijie originally thought the matter was settled, but unexpectedly, Feng Ge kept it a secret.

This made her a little scared, and she hesitated to pick up her chopsticks when faced with "loofah and bean worm" and "stir-fried bean worm". In the end, she turned her attention to "steamed bean worm dumplings" and "crispy fried bean worm".

Of all the dishes, these two were the ones that suited her taste the best.

Anyway, there are seven dishes left on the table after excluding dessert, so eating two less dishes would be more than enough for her.

Jia Bing, however, rose to the challenge and launched a full-scale attack on the "stir-fried bean curd" dish.
His thinking was quite practical: if the imitation beanworm dishes are so delicious, then we should eat even more real beanworms.

I overheard this dish being quite expensive locally during our casual chat, and since he didn't have to pay for it, he naturally ate it with great satisfaction.

Seeing everyone at the table enjoying their meal so enthusiastically, Xia Ming took a sip of soup and smiled slightly.

"Eat up! It's best to eat everything clean!"

"I'm strangely looking forward to Zhu Yijie's expression later; it'll be really interesting~"

"More than forty minutes later"

Except for a little bit of soup, all the dishes on the table in the main hall were eaten.

Jia Bing made an amazing contribution to the meal, and his stomach was already bulging from eating.

Chen Guangshan is quite old and can't eat much, but he has a particularly high opinion of the dish "Loofah and Bean Sprout".

In his eyes, this dish was only for his own consumption. If it were put out to sell, it would probably be mistaken for something by unfamiliar customers nine times out of ten.

The four women had finished eating. Zhu Yiqing was the most elegant among them. After finishing, the table was clean and tidy, and there was no excess oil on her body.

Zhu Yijie's side was a bit messy, with one or two drops of oil stains on her chest that looked particularly noticeable.

I guess this T-shirt will be really hard to wash tonight.
But she didn't seem to care much, and was leaning back in her chair, clutching her stomach.

"This is so delicious! What will I do if I can't eat food like this again!"

Many viewers in the live stream were amused by her appearance.

[This is so true! Every time I eat something delicious while traveling, I wish I could just pack the whole restaurant up and bring it right to my doorstep.]

[I don't care which dish is Dou Dan anymore. Showing me this late at night makes my lunchbox taste unappetizing, so I just ordered KFC Xi to satisfy my craving.]

[I've already checked the route to "Guanyun" and I'm leaving tomorrow. Little Red Riding Hood will be providing a live photo stream of the entire trip. If you're interested, you can check my ID to see more.]

[I've realized something. While I'm afraid of bugs, I'm not afraid of chickens and shrimp! There's a difference in taste, so the production team should reveal the method and process for making "Braised Lobster Tail with Beans and Caterpillars"!]

Xia Ming is handsome and strong, and Zhu Yijie is also very cute. They seem to have great chemistry!

[CP shippers, get out of here! This is clearly just a normal chat. You guys can't believe you can ship anything!]

After a satisfying meal, it was time for everyone to vote.

Chen Guangshan was an authority figure, and once he made his judgment, no one else would object. In the end, "stir-fried bean caterpillars" was voted out unanimously.

Nicholas Tse was also somewhat helpless upon seeing this.

"Xia Ming, you were found out after all~"

Seeing that he had been exposed, he frankly admitted that he made the "stir-fried bean worms," ​​but the other dishes were made by Xia Ming.

Xia Ming, standing to the side, was not surprised at all by this result.
Of course it is! It's one thing to have a difference in cooking skills, but the cooking method used was stir-frying, and the key issue is that it was overcooked.

While overcooking the bean worms makes them more fragrant, it diminishes their texture. However, this dish still stands out, especially considering that the other dishes are of high quality.

Of course, he never expected to succeed in the first place.

If it were just Jia Bing and the four pure and innocent women, this table of dishes would be more than enough. No matter what Xie Tingfeng made, he would most likely be able to get away with it.

But he also anticipated that Nicholas Tse would definitely not just let people who had never eaten it guess, since if no one had ever eaten bean butterflies, there would be no point in guessing right or wrong.
He had speculated last night that either a local chef or a bean weevil farmer would be coming today.

As expected, they invited Chef Chen Guangshan.

The chef was also very skilled and guessed the outcome in no time. Under these circumstances, everyone was indeed quite amicable, but it inevitably lacked a bit of entertainment value.

So, he hid a little secret in the dish, and now that everyone is full and satisfied, it's time to reveal the truth.

So he looked up at Zhu Yijie.

"Yijie, what did you think of today's meal?"

Zhu Yijie nodded vigorously.

"Brother Feng and Brother Xia, your cooking skills are amazing! I feel like if I eat here for a few more days, I'll have to practice for an extra week when I get back."

Xia Ming smiled when he saw this.

"So, which dishes do you like to eat the most?"

"Hmm, 'Stir-fried Bean Curd,' 'Crispy Fried Bean Curd,' and 'Steamed Bean Curd Dumplings'~"

Although Zhu Yijie didn't touch the stir-fried bean sprouts at all, she's not stupid; she definitely puts her boss first at this moment.

Xia Ming nodded in agreement.

"Hmm, it seems you really like the taste of bee pupae and silkworm pupae~"

Zhu Yijie was stunned when she heard this.

"Bee pupae"? "Silkworm pupae"?
Could she have misheard?

Her body shuddered suddenly, and she spoke in astonishment.

"No, Brother Xia, wasn't there only one dish of bean butter? How could this be?"

Xia Ming, however, looked completely innocent.

"Brother Feng only said that one of the dishes was made with real beanworms, but he didn't say that the other dishes weren't made with insects~"

"???"

(End of this chapter)