I've been possessed by a culinary genius, and I've turned Shaxian snacks into a rip-off!

Li Zhibai ignored the chef and picked up a piece of braised pork with his chopsticks.

The braised pork belly is a deep, glossy red color, coated with a thick layer of sauce. It trembles slightly when picked up with chopsticks, like a bouncy, chewy jelly.

Judging from its appearance alone, the person who made this dish must have excellent skills.

Because of facial cramps, he couldn't open his mouth wide to eat and could only take small bites.

Once it enters your mouth, you can clearly feel its soft and chewy gelatinous texture. It doesn't require much chewing; it just melts in your mouth with a gentle sip, and the aroma of the meat fat is also very rich.

The flavor is typical of Shanghainese cuisine, with sweetness outweighing saltiness. This is a characteristic of Shanghainese braised pork: the sugar is heavily caramelized, making the sweetness particularly prominent.

For locals accustomed to this flavor, the sweetness is just right, and they might even find it increasingly delicious with each bite. However, guests from the north or other regions might find it a bit too sweet, and feel overwhelmed after just two or three pieces.

Overall, Li Zhibai would give it a 9 out of 10, making it a dish that's slightly above perfect, better than the fried rice he had last time.

No wonder he's a gold medal-winning chef; every single one of his signature dishes is at a perfect level. If you disregard his overpowered abilities, Chef Fang's skills are already among the top in Jiangcheng.

If you knew that at least 90% of restaurants in Jiangcheng couldn't make perfect dishes, it's no wonder this restaurant is so popular.

Of course, the service here is even better than the food!

After finishing a piece of braised pork, Li Zhibai put down his chopsticks, picked up his water glass, took a sip to rinse his mouth, and then started working on the crab meat lion's head meatballs.

The lion's head meatballs are about the size of a baby's fist, with a smooth and round surface. They are topped with a special crab roe broth, making them look quite appetizing.

He easily picked up a piece with his chopsticks.

The first impression upon tasting it is its freshness.

The freshness of the crab roe and pork blends perfectly, and the crab roe has a distinct grainy texture, clearly indicating that it was made from hand-picked crab, not a frozen semi-finished product.

The minced meat was well-beaten, giving it a springy texture that was loose yet firm.

However, there are also problems.

The ginger in the minced meat was chopped a little too coarsely; you could occasionally bite into a piece of ginger, which ruined the overall delicate texture. Also, the crab roe was added to the pot a bit too late. The aroma of the crab roe didn't fully permeate the minced meat; most of it floated on the surface and didn't penetrate completely, resulting in a noticeably weaker umami flavor in the center compared to the outer layer.

I'd give this dish an 8.8 out of 10.

It was delicious, but not as amazing as braised pork belly.

Li Zhibai ate his dinner very politely tonight, chewing each bite slowly and deliberately, much like a food critic.

Actually, he didn't eat like that on purpose; it was just that his face hurt from making such big movements.

But the way he ate was not what others thought, especially Chef Fang who was watching from afar.

Seeing his posture, Chef Fang frowned even more deeply.

Does this guy not like his cooking at all? He ate two of his signature dishes and his expression didn't change at all. Is he really that picky?

Moreover, the way this guy eats is very similar to that of judges or gourmets.

Chef Fang couldn't help but start imagining Li Zhibai's identity.

He started thinking even more after recognizing Su Su.

He knew the girl; she was the owner and head chef of a Black Pearl restaurant. She had come to the restaurant before to ask him questions about Jiangnan cuisine. She was a very serious and eager-to-learn young woman.

The person who can get her to come to dinner with them, and whose attitude seems quite respectful, must not be an ordinary person.

Could he really be a food connoisseur?

If that's the case, then it makes sense. Only those food critics with particularly sharp tongues and picky tastes would have such a deadpan expression.

Furthermore, because they have eaten at many famous restaurants over the years, their taste buds have long been accustomed to all kinds of delicacies, so even when they eat something delicious, they can easily control their emotions and expressions on their faces.

The more Chef Fang thought about it in this direction, the more he felt that his guess was correct. Gradually, the expression on his face began to change, becoming slightly tense and cautious.

After Li Zhibai and the others had finished eating, he walked over to their table.

"Gentlemen, are you satisfied with the dishes at our restaurant today?"

Su Su nodded and gave it a high rating: "Delicious! Chef Fang, your Grandma's braised pork is still as amazing as ever."

After exchanging a polite greeting with her, Chef Fang stared intently at Li Zhibai, trying to glean some insight from the other's expression.

Unfortunately, he failed. His face looked like it was welded shut; you couldn't see anything through it.

"Are you satisfied with today's dishes?" he asked again.

Li Zhibai nodded and hummed in agreement, which meant that it was not bad.

However, Chef Fang perceived his expression as extremely perfunctory.

This guy is definitely not satisfied with the food he made!

Having worked in the catering industry for so many years, he could roughly guess what the other party would do next. He would most likely post a bad review after returning home, catching him off guard.

No, we can't just let him go like this!

I need to get to the bottom of this today, even if I get yelled at, I need to know where I went wrong.

Chef Fang unconsciously lowered his posture even further in respect.

"Sir, why aren't you saying anything? I don't think you're very satisfied with your meal. If you have any opinions, please tell me. What we chefs fear most is customers who are dissatisfied but don't say anything. Why don't you give me some pointers?"

Li Zhibai: "???"

No, is there something wrong with you?

I've already nodded to show my satisfaction, so what more advice do I need?

Li Zhibai shook his head again, indicating that he had no objection.

He actually gave the two dishes a very high rating overall, only noting a few minor flaws; overall, the quality was still quite good.

Of course, the most important thing is that he invited his apprentice to dinner today, and he felt bad about canceling the meal, so he didn't want to comment on anything.

If he were the only one eating here today, he might actually want to find fault with the meal and return it. After all, this meal costs several hundred yuan, and he would try to save money if he could, because he's afraid of being poor!

When Chef Fang saw him shake his head again, his last glimmer of hope vanished.

He wouldn't even talk to me; he must think my cooking is so bad it's not even worth commenting on.

"Sir, you really don't need to do this. I, Fang Guoping, have been cooking for over twenty years, and I'm not afraid of criticism at all. If you can point out the specific problems with this dish today, this meal is on me!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhibai almost lost his composure, his usually aloof expression faltering.

Dude, do you have a masochistic streak?

I already said it's fine, but you still insist on making me nitpick. Aren't you just asking for trouble?

Since that's the case, then I won't stand on ceremony and accept this meal that's been delivered to my door.

After all, there aren't many people these days who would go out of their way to ask for a free meal; every single one of them deserves to be cherished.

Li Zhibai raised his hand and waved to the waiter standing not far away.

As soon as Su Su saw his master's posture, he immediately understood what he was going to do.

"Could you please bring me some paper and a pen? Thank you."

Soon, the waiter brought over the pen and paper.

Fang Guoping felt a chill run down his spine. They've finally arrived!