Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　This is to prevent the surface of the halibut lion's head from oxidizing and turning black upon contact with air. Without this step, not only will the taste and flavor be affected, but the appearance will also be affected, making it look like a dish served by a novice chef.

　Bai Yuan would never make such a basic mistake!

　After covering with the cabbage, simmer the pot over low heat for about 40 minutes. This will allow the halibut meatballs to cook thoroughly inside and out. They will taste delicious!

　Both the texture and the flavor are at their best!

　"That's about it for today. It's past dinner time, and there won't be many customers coming later. Let's pack up and call it a day. Leave the rest to me."

　Turning his head, Bai Yuan looked at Alice Nakiri, who appeared to be at ease but was actually pushing her body to its limit, and patted her on the shoulder.

　This isn't the world of culinary disasters, so he didn't have high expectations for his apprentice; he just wanted her to have a good balance between hard work and relaxation.

　"Okay, let's call it a day after we've finished serving this group of guests."

　Alice Nakiri spoke in a firm and serious voice, clearly having made up her mind. Bai Yuan looked at her extremely serious face and ultimately did not try to dissuade her.

　At this moment, Alice Nakiri clearly regarded today's business as a trial, which is why she wanted to do her best!

　There are still twenty or thirty customers outside. Now we have the waiters go to the very end of the queue to freeze the number of customers. Although it's tiring, the burden isn't too heavy.

　Judging from Alice Nakiri's determined expression right now, she should be able to hold on!

　"Alright, since you insist, then we'll do as you say and serve all these guests. I hope you'll find it rewarding."

　Seeing the girl, whose body was damp with sweat, Bai Yuan wiped her sweat with a warm towel, then quickly went to the cutting board and processed all the large amount of unprocessed ingredients on it, arranging them neatly by category.

　This saves Alice Nakiri a lot of effort when cooking, which is why most kitchens have a helper who can chop vegetables.

　Improve chef efficiency, shorten food preparation time, and provide guests with a better dining experience.

　Back when Liu Maoxing was learning cooking at Yangquan Restaurant, he worked as a vegetable-cutting assistant for quite some time.

　After passing the Guangzhou Special Grade Chef Examination and going through a series of trips, he finally became a chef at Yangquan Restaurant.

　This is something every chef must go through, from apprentice to chef. Because Alice Nakiri is his apprentice and is currently the only chef in the kitchen, this step has been skipped.

　"Thank you, master!"

　Seeing that Shiro had already prepared the ingredients for her, Alice Nakiri's face lit up with excitement. This would save her a lot of trouble!

　However, after this experience, she also clearly saw the gap between herself and Bai Yuan, not only in cooking skills, but also in all aspects of basic knowledge.

　Such a quantity of ingredients would take her at least half an hour to process, yet Bai Yuan finished in less than five minutes. This processing speed, far exceeding that of ordinary people, is thanks to his astonishing understanding of the ingredients—truly a prodigy!

　Alice Nakiri thought to herself, of course she wouldn't dare say such a thing out loud. Calling her master a freak? She'd probably want to get her head smacked.

　·

　·

　Time passed slowly, and with her methodical cooking, Alice Nakiri prepared 13 dishes in 40 minutes, averaging one dish every three minutes.

　Most of the dishes were stir-fried, because the ingredients were already prepared and each dish could be cooked in two or three minutes, so four pots made four dishes.

　Secondly, there are slightly more complicated pan-fried and deep-fried dishes, because they require several steps and take much longer.

　The most troublesome dishes are the main courses, such as Baiyuan's flounder lion's head. Although this dish is delicious, it takes more time to prepare.

　Whether or not we make this type of dish depends mainly on the ingredients the customer brings.

　Only with sufficiently fresh ingredients can a dish be truly valuable; otherwise, it's just a waste of time.

　Take seafood as an example. The freshness of fish is lost every second after it is caught, so it must be cooked into a dish as quickly as possible.

　If the fish is left to rot for too long, it will lose a lot of its freshness. Unless you use special methods to bring back the freshness, it won't taste good no matter how you cook it.

　Looking at the bubbling pot and smelling the faint fragrance in the air, Bai Yuan's face showed a look of intoxication.

　"This braised lion's head meatballs taste really good; those two guys got a good deal."

　Take out the special bowls from the cupboard, add the appropriate seasonings, and these are the most suitable containers for the lion's head meatballs. Each bowl is just the right size to hold one lion's head meatball.

　Filter the soup through a high-mesh sieve to remove excess impurities, then pour it into a bowl and dissolve the seasonings.

　After that, add the halibut meatballs, cover with the ceramic lid to lock in all the umami flavor, and wait for the right moment to release it.

　"I've put the lion's head meatballs on the table. Remember to try them when you're done."

　"Okay, Brother Bai Yuan!"

　Bai Yuan left one of the three lion's head meatballs on the counter to reward Alice, and served the other two on a tray.

　·

　·

　"Thanks for your hard work."

　He kicked Jesse, who was rambling on and on, seemingly complaining about nothing. Thoth gave Bai Yuan, who was carrying a plate towards them, a friendly smile.

　He came here to resolve the feud between the two and turn hostility into friendship, so naturally he wouldn't treat Bai Yuan with a cold shoulder.

　To make an enemy of a master chef over something as trivial as buying fish? That reason is just ridiculous!

　"Hawkward meatballs, give it a try."

　Without saying much, Bai Yuan placed the two bowls in front of Thoth and Jesse respectively.

　At the same time, he reached out and helped them pick up the lids from the bowls.

　In an instant, golden light burst forth from the small bowl, illuminating the entire restaurant and causing Thoth and Jancis in front of them to close their eyes, while also attracting the attention of the surrounding customers.

　"Just as I thought, the dishes in front of everyone else in this restaurant were not made by this young man. I guess only this glowing dish is his true masterpiece!"

　As the golden light gradually dissipated, revealing the true contents of the bowl, Thoth told Jesse what he had just thought, and then saw him open his mouth wide, looking shocked and incredulous.

　This also puzzled Toth.

　Following her gaze, Jancis was looking in the direction of the bowls and the lion's head!

　Chapter Forty-Nine: Exquisite Delight!

　"A dish that...a dish of continuous radiance! How is this possible?! How could a dish of this caliber appear here?!"

　This time, the shock increased from one person to two. Thoth's eyes widened, and he instinctively slammed his hand on the table and stood up. Looking at the snow-white lion head in front of him, its surface shimmering with a faint golden light, his heart suddenly began to race.

　Without a doubt, this is a luminous dish, generally only achievable by eight-star chefs, with a small chance of success for seven-star chefs. For a lower-star chef to encounter it in a competition would be a complete disaster!

　How could a chef like this be the opponent who challenged his junior apprentice?

　real or fake? !

　Does he fit too?

　"Did you make this dish?"

　"If I didn't make it, then you must have! Come and try it, the taste will absolutely amaze you!"

　Although he had expected it, Thoth couldn't help but have doubts when he actually saw it.

　Bai Yuan is too young. Logically speaking, it would be impossible for him to make a dish of this caliber, but he did!

　Or perhaps, this kitchen harbors a master chef capable of consistently creating dishes with a 'constant shimmering light'?!

　"Gudu."

　On the other side, the sound of Jesse swallowing could be clearly heard, which brought Thoth back to his senses from his mental whirlwind and caused him to swallow as well.

　"Senior Brother, can we eat now?"

　Jesse spoke in a trembling voice, he had actually been unable to restrain himself for a long time. Looking at the halibut lion's head in front of him, he wanted to shove the spoon in hard and scoop a spoonful into his mouth!

　However, given his age, he had to learn to be patient with Thoth and not be controlled by his most primal desires like a child.

　He's a top-level chef, after all!

　But now... he seems to be nearing the limit of his sanity!

　"Eat if you want, there's no need to wait for me to start. We've been brothers for so many years, you know I'm not the kind of person who cares about such trivial matters."

　"Then I'm not welcome!"

　Noticing Jesse's restrained expression, Thoth nodded to him, then suppressed his own excitement and shock and dipped the spoon in as well.

　A piece of the snow-white fish meat lion's head was removed as the spoon entered, and it was slowly lifted up and suspended in the air for close observation.

　Its texture is extremely soft and tender; it can be easily shaken and rippled. It will fall apart if picked up with chopsticks; only a spoon can keep it intact in the diner's mouth.

　"What a perfect work of art!"

　Staring in fascination at the halibut lion's head meatballs before him, their snow-white appearance so dazzling, like a pure and noble snow lotus from the Tianshan Mountains, Thoth couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. "To be able to cook something so fresh and beautiful is truly a remarkable thing!"

　Without hesitation, he put the lion's head meatball in his mouth. The first sensation was its incredibly delicate texture, as if the fish meat were gently dancing on his tongue. It retained the elasticity and chewiness of the fish while incorporating the crispness of the water chestnut, creating distinct layers of flavor!

　Next, the vastness and depth of the ocean slowly unfold on the taste buds, a fresh yet rich flavor with a hint of sweetness!

　It's as if you can be instantly transported to a vast, boundless seaside, feeling the sea breeze on your face and the shimmering waves...

　"There must have been lemon in it! It was the perfect finishing touch."

　It skillfully neutralizes the last trace of fishy smell, leaving a refreshing and delicate tangy aroma, making the overall flavor of the dish more complex and rich.

　Savoring the last lingering taste in his mouth, Thoth said with a look of pure enjoyment, "Without a doubt, this dish is of a very high standard!"

　"This sweet and sour flavor slowly unfolds in my mouth, like waves crashing against the rocks, one after another! Ah~ the sea!"

　At that moment, Jancis, who was also enjoying the dish, felt as if he had entered the ocean. He could feel schools of fish swimming freely in the deep blue water, seaweed swaying gently, and sunlight filtering through the water, casting dappled shadows.

　This call from the depths of the sea not only awakened every cell of the taste buds, but also touched the deep longing in one's heart for nature and beauty!

　“Hahahaha~hahaha~”

　At that moment, as Thoth put the fish meat lion's head into his mouth again, he sank into the ocean and merged with the illusion that Jessie had after eating the dish.

　The two are now holding hands, completely unrestrained, freely swimming in the ocean and exploring its deepest mysteries!

　"What an amazing work!"

　After a while, the two

　Breaking free from the illusion, Thoth looked at the flounder and lion's head bowl in front of him, which had been licked clean, down to the bottom. He closed his eyes and reminisced for a long time before finally speaking slowly. At the same time, he looked at Bai Yuan not far away, his eyes filled with respect.

　"Mr. Bai, we concede defeat in this food battle."

　If you want to take over Jancis's shop, we have no objection, but please forgive his rudeness at the time.

　As he spoke, Thoth stood up and bowed very respectfully to Bai Yuan, while apologizing on behalf of his junior brother, Jessie.

　Originally, Thoth had planned to challenge him to a duel, help Jesse win the match, and then show his magnanimity later so that Jesse wouldn't hold a grudge.

　but now...

　The moment he saw Bai Yuan bring out the luminous material, he completely changed his mind.

　Such an opponent is no match for anyone, not even Jesse!

　This statement, though bitter, is an obvious fact. In this awkward situation, it seems that the only option is to quickly kneel down!

　"Senior Brother, you don't need to apologize to me. It's just a dish that continuously releases flowing light, right? I'll be able to do that one day too!"

　Seeing Thoth bowing and scraping before him, Jesse clenched his fists in shame and anger, unwilling to admit his mistake.

　He wouldn't admit he was wrong after being insulted in front of so many people! He could never do something so shameful!

　"Shut up! You were in the wrong from the start. You took the initiative to challenge me but were outmatched. You call me every time something happens."

　And you want to create dishes that consistently produce dazzling visuals? Honestly, do you really think you can do that with your current attitude towards cooking?!

　Hearing Jesse's retort, Thoth couldn't help but get angry. He could still distinguish right from wrong. If it was Bai Yuan's fault, no matter how strong he was, he would never bow down and be subservient!

　But this is Jancis's fault. Such a small matter has been dragged on until now without being resolved, and he has been humiliated time and time again. He is truly useless!

　"I..."

　Upon hearing Thoth's words, Jancis's fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

　At this moment, it felt as if a flame was burning in his heart, making his blood boil; his skin was even visibly tinged with red.

　He wanted to argue, but he couldn't think of anything to say, so he could only stand there silently, unable to utter a single word.

　"Don't worry, you're not competing against me. You're competing against someone else."

　If you win, everything will be wiped clean. If you lose, everything will still be wiped clean. That should be fine, right?

　The focus was on the competition, not an apology. After directing all the blame at Thurben, Bai Yuan harbored little resentment towards Jessie.

　The reason I taught him a lesson at the seafood market last time was mainly because he provoked me. Combined with previous incidents, the old and new grudges piled up, which is why I took action.