The Rise and Fall of the Last Imperial Cook

34. Take the Initiative to Fight

Translator: Yang Ting, Jia Manxin

Proofread by Peter Gong

Among the three people sitting in the private room, both Boss Jiang and the executive are slightly stunned because all the dishes they order have been served, so why does the guy outside shout serving again?

Huang Hecheng doesn’t feel any surprise. He adjusts his sitting position and turns his body toward the door. He is waiting, waiting for the good dish to be served, and waiting for the person who serves it. He has a hunch that the person who serves the dish might come to battle with him.

Xu Zhiwei carefully lifts the bamboo curtain, passes the tray in first, and then walks sideways into the private room. Then he hunches over and carries the tray to the table, slowly and steadily.

Huang Hecheng stands up and nods slightly. This is a kind of respect, a kind of respect for peers and opponents. Based on the action of Xu Zhiwei, Huang Hecheng has already concluded that he is a very good chef. He has a determined mind, so he has meticulous and stable movements; he has a humble heart, so he has a steady pace. The most important thing is that the heat steam of the two dishes on the tray in his hand is unshakable. This is no longer controlled by body movements, but his mind has completely integrated into the dishes.

Xu Zhiwei stacks the plates on the table, then puts the tray directly on it. The three people have come here to taste the dishes and find faults, so Xu Zhiwei wipes his hands and sweats after the dishes are made, preventing any unpleasant odors from affecting the dishes, and he does not even touch the plates. When the dishes arrive on the table, they shouldn’t be mixed with other dishes. They should be separated from other dishes with the tray. And the hands that have stacked other plates can no longer touch the two plates in the tray, so they can just be put on the table with the tray.

The process of serving dishes is already a contest. Xu Zhiwei used to suffer from serving dishes in the palace, knowing that in this process a lot of tricks can actually be used to confuse the taste of the dishes. Today, although they only have a square table, with a few dishes, it is impossible for them to play as many tricks as in the palace. But judging the way the other party views his serving process and uses appropriate methods to taste the dishes, it clearly indicates the other party’s cooking skills and ability to taste. The key of cooking skills lies in the word “fine”. This “fine” is not only the carefulness and meticulousness of the cooking process, but also the meticulousness of the serving and tasting process.

“Distinguished guests often come to our restaurant and you are our source of income. I’m Xu Zhiwei, the chef of this restaurant, and please excuse my abruptness, I just want to invite you to try our special dishes. If you think our dishes are acceptable, please say a few good words for our restaurant, and I can increase my confidence in this industry; if you find them hard to swallow, then throw up, please spare us some time to recoup our costs, and I’ll find another way to make a living.”

What Xu Zhiwei is talking about is the courtesy of the catering industry. The true meaning is neither humble nor pushy. He has spent many years studying cooking skills, and speaking such words can be regarded as a basic skill. And as far as his personality is concerned, such words of the catering industry are right for him. If he could learn to be only soft but not hard, things have long been different, and there would be no need to go to Shanghai to run this Shengxin Restaurant.

While speaking, Xu Zhiwei stretches out his right index and middle finger and taps twice on the edge of the table. This has two meanings: one is that the two fingers represent a pair of chopsticks, which means to invite the other party to taste dishes; the other is that the two fingers stretched out together are called sword fingers, which means to ask the other side for advice.

At this moment, Huang Hecheng becomes nervous and cautious because he realizes that the purpose of serving dishes is to battle with him. He knows exactly what the battle is, and also knows what its result will be. First of all, he must meet head-on, otherwise he will simply throw in the towel and be laughed at. Not only will others disbelieve his evaluation of the dishes in this restaurant, but his reputation will be greatly damaged as well. But accepting this battle will do him no good, either, because he suddenly changes from a judge to a person being judged, becoming passive instead of being active.

Huang Hecheng is also nervous for he has never expected such a situation, and he is not mentally prepared at all. Although he estimates that the other party will definitely react after making sure they have come to find faults, he fails to expect that the reaction will turn out to be the toughest battle.

In general, only a time-honored restaurant with a good reputation will use this method. Those time-honored restaurants must do so if they want to maintain their honor, and there can be no flinching. Moreover, even if they lose, with the fame accumulated over the years, it will not have much impact on them and at most they will lose one or two special dishes. But newly-opened restaurants are different. If their shortcomings are discovered by others, at most a few dishes will be ridiculed and the business will be affected to a certain extent. But if you battle with others and lose, then there is no room for maneuver or opportunity. In the end, it may be a blow to all dishes, and it even directly affects the survival of the restaurant.

After Xu Zhiwei’s index and middle fingers tap on the edge of the table, Huang Hecheng slowly bows and leans forward. This is an expression of gratitude for the serving, and also an expression of his respect for Xu Zhiwei because with the short process of serving dishes Huang Hecheng is completely certain that this is an opponent worthy of his respect. Meanwhile, his action also shows the beginning of tasting and evaluating dishes. With this posture, you can smell the fragrance of the two dishes from the top of the table, and you can also see the colors of the two dishes from a more visual angle. The color and smell of these dishes can be discerned together with this action.

Boss Jiang and the manager don’t know that they are already in the competition. Whether it is Xu Zhiwei’s serving process or Huang Hecheng’s bowing, they regard it just as a kind of courtesy. It is most normal for the restaurant to present dishes and the guests to return a salute politely. So they naturally pick up the chopsticks, ready to taste these two dishes that they didn’t order.

“Don’t move!” Huang Hecheng stops Boss Jiang and the manager. Then they notice Huang Hecheng’s dignified expression and focused eyes, so they know that there is something extra behind these two dishes. So they all put down their chopsticks gently, and take the initiative to move their bodies a little away from the table.

Huang Hecheng brings the teapot and two clean teacups from the side, pouring half a cup of tea and taking three sips first. The fourth sip is not swallowed immediately, but kept in his mouth. Then he puts a pair of chopsticks upright in another teacup, and washes the chopsticks with tea in the teapot in his other hand. When the cup is almost full, Huang Hecheng puts down the teapot and lifts the chopsticks, and meanwhile he swallows the water in his mouth.

Tea can help remove odors, so many people will rinse their mouths with light tea before tasting dishes. However, gargling will have a relatively strong impact on the taste bud, and will also cause vigorous movements of the tongue and cheek muscles, which will affect the sensitivity of the taste bud and aftertaste. In contrast, Huang Hecheng’s method is more reasonable. He drinks the tea normally and continuously, then gently holds the tea in his mouth, and finally swallows it. In this way, his mouth is also cleared, but there will be no vigorous movements of the tongue and cheek muscles, thus ensuring the normal state of the mouth and tongue.

It is also true of washing chopsticks with tea. Those chopsticks seem to be clean, but in the process of using and washing, they still retain some flavor. This is why even though the chopsticks we use are washed clean every time, they still have a strange smell and dark stains after a long time. Therefore, chopsticks are usually replaced after a period of use. In the past, some old people were frugal and reluctant to replace them. They would boil the chopsticks with saline water after a while.

Huang Hecheng’s rinsing his chopsticks with tea can’t completely get rid of the odors and grease left on them. But it can form a short-term isolation, and the refreshing tea flavor can cover up those unpleasant odors. Tea flavor is the closest to the natural flavor of wooden chopsticks, so it won’t affect the taste of the dishes.

Seeing Huang Hecheng does it in an orderly manner, Xu Zhiwei praises him inwardly. There are not many masters like him. Even in the imperial kitchen in the palace, some royal cooks cannot be as rigorous as Huang Hecheng when discerning dishes.

Huang Hecheng picks up a piece of pork chop with the washed chopsticks. Xu Zhiwei nods slightly beside him, showing a relaxed smile.

It stands to reason that the order of tasting dishes should be vegetarian first, then meat, light first and then heavy, so that there is an increase in taste, and the flavors of the dishes can be tasted clearly. By this way, the strong flavors of the former dishes do not affect the accurate identification of the favors of the following dishes. But Huang Hecheng tastes the pork chops first today. That’s because when he leaned forward just now, he has found that the deep-fried gluten is more oily than the sauced pork chops with refined meat. Moreover, cooking vegetables as meat dishes also makes this dish take on a stronger flavor than the pork chops, so tasting the pork chops first is completely correct.

But being accurate does not mean that it is in place, and tasting is actually like cooking. The fineness of tasting determines the level and grade of the taster. “Good!” After eating only one chop, Huang Hecheng immediately says with certainty. Then he puts the chopsticks directly into the plate of the second dish. Xu Zhiwei’s throat rolls a little, as if he breathes out a breath, and as if he swallows a mouthful of delicious food. At that moment, he catches one of Huang Hecheng’s flaws.

“That’s also very good!” He eats gluten, winter bamboo shoots, carrots and other ingredients. Finally he dips the tips of his chopsticks into the gluten soup and smacks his lips before saying “It’s very good, too.” It’s obvious that he has entered the game completely, looking for flaws in the utmost caution.

With no expression on his face, Xu Zhiwei is waiting for the words from Huang Hecheng. He knows he is facing off against a master who seldom praises the dishes cooked by others twice. If it really happens, it must be merely an opening or a prelude. In such a case, a more fierce put-down will follow.

“But too much of a good thing may be a problem.” Huang Hecheng continues as expected.

After finishing his words, Huang Hecheng stops and looks at Xu Zhiwei. He thinks Xu would get flurried and confused. But in fact, the reverse happens. The situation today is completely different from what he encountered in the past, which makes Huang believe that he has met an extraordinary master. Xu may have come up with the same reason for and the way to cope with his put-down already. So he realizes immediately that he should extend his reasoning a little further. It’s just like playing chess, and the one who thinks deeper will have a better chance of winning. “I’m willing to hear your comments on the two dishes, dear guest of honor. What do you think are their merits and demerits?” Asks Xu Zhiwei. He is not surprised at all as he assumes that what Huang Hecheng is going to say will just meet his expectation.

“The ribs are so crimson and bright as if being glazed. The meat is tender and the ribs are crispy and soft. The fresh and salty flavor will waft up in the mouth. It’s neither loose nor soft when biting and chewing, and the sweet flavor remains in your mouth even after a long time of chewing. While the gluten soup is very smooth and dense with a full and soft flavor. When you eat it, there will be a warm and sunny feeling. And the aroma will spread out and leave a lingering aftertaste in your mouth. ” Huang Hecheng’s judgment is just to the point.

“What about the downside?”

“The downside is also in the upside.”

“The downside is the upside?” Xu Zhiwei freezes there. He never expects Huang Hecheng would reply this way. “Yes, the ribs are sweet and will leave the aroma lingering in your mouth. The flavor of the gluten is also rich and long-lasting. Both dishes have a full and pure flavor, with the sauce as their main flavor. So it will be very impressive and even equals several other dishes if you enjoy only one of them. Or if they are served together with some other dishes that have a light and pure flavor, they will overshadow the others in flavor. In the middle of a table of dishes, with other light pure fresh flavor as a buffer, then these two dishes will be two salient points. I guess that’s why you’re using these two dishes as your signature dishes. But if I taste them together, it will be a little strong and they are somewhat repeated.”

“A little strong? And they are repeated?” Xu Zhiwei asks lightly.

“Yes, the same taste is repeated. When such dishes with strong flavors are eaten at the same time, it will taste much too strong.” Huang Hecheng thinks he has pointed out the Achilles’ heel of the dishes.

“But does it ever occur to you that I might have deliberately served these two similar dishes together for the guests to tell the difference?” answers Xu Zhiwei, with his mouth slightly tilted.

Huang Hecheng freezes there. Xu Zhiwei’s words make him feel uneasy suddenly. He realizes that what Xu says is correct. Xu is a master in cooking, so he will never make such stupid mistakes in accordance with the actions and details by Xu after he enters the room, not to mention his skilled techniques in cooking the dishes. So it seems that the shortcoming he has pointed out may be a trap set by Xu.