Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

The crisp and bouncy texture of the shrimp paste and the rich aroma of the pork blend perfectly.

But the real highlight is yet to come!

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

When you bite right into the center of the siu mai, the crab roe that was originally wrapped in the meat filling bursts out.

Countless plump crab roe burst open as they are chewed!

Each crab roe bursts open, releasing a salty, savory flavor from the ocean.

At the very end of chewing, the tiny bits of preserved egg at the top, after being steamed at high temperature, lose a small portion of the fishy smell and gain a unique alkaline umami flavor. Combined with the sweetness of the egg, the saltiness of the crab roe, and the aroma of the pork, all the aromas blend together. After swallowing, a lingering sweet taste will remain in your throat!

"The dough is infused with eggs, crumbs of preserved eggs, and crab roe, or crab eggs, filling. So that's what they call 'three-egg shumai'!"

"The original alkaline taste of the preserved egg is partially removed by high-temperature steaming. Then, the flavors blend with the meat filling, crab roe, and egg dough, neutralizing the original fishy smell of the preserved egg and creating a unique aroma!"

"This...this tastes so wonderful!"

The uncles' faces were flushed from eating.

They felt as if they had become flying fish swimming freely in golden waves of wheat, devouring the orange and black grains at the tips of the wheat.

"Two more servings, please! No, ten servings, please!!!"

"I want ten of them too!"

The shouts of the men quickly attracted the attention of other guests.

What are they shouting over there?

"What a wonderful aroma! I'll have a plate too!"

The word-of-mouth effect is incredibly powerful in this buffet format. Seeing the guests enjoying their meal so much, more and more customers abandoned other options and flocked towards Chen Yuxing's restaurant.

Soon, a long queue formed in front of Chen Yuxing's stall.

Moreover, since the siu mai is made in individual baskets, the service is very fast, so customers don't have to wait too long.

"Ding-dong-"

The announcement came over the loudspeaker in the lobby again.

"Announcement! At venue A, contestant number 30, Erina Nakiri, has become the first to reach 200 dishes!"

"Chen Yuxing, contestant number 15 in venue C, has completed 100 dishes!"

"Megumi Tadokoro, booth number 24 in venue B, has achieved 100 dishes!"

"Takumi Aldini, booth number 15 in venue A, has achieved 100 dishes!"

"Mito Ikumi, booth number 19 in venue D, has achieved 100 dishes!"

"Hisako Niito, booth number 29 in venue A, has achieved 100 dishes!"

The consecutive announcements caused a dramatic change in the expressions of the other students in the hall who were still struggling. Before they had even completed 100 assignments, the first person had already passed.

In venue A, Erina glanced at Soma Yukihira, who hadn't yet reached 100 dishes, snorted, and was about to make a few sarcastic remarks.

The broadcast started again.

"Chen Yuxing, contestant number 15 in venue C, has completed 200 dishes!"

Erina's movements abruptly stopped, a hint of disbelief flashing in her eyes: "What? How could it be so fast? That commoner's dish actually..."

Just as Alice Nakiri handed out an egg set meal, she heard the announcement and "clattered" as the tongs in her hand accidentally fell onto the counter. Her face immediately fell, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "Damn it, they reached 200 servings even faster than me?! How did that transfer student manage to make that outdated breakfast?!"

Soma Yukihira shouted, "Well done! Hoshino! I'm going to speed up too!"

……

Chen Yuxing distributed the freshly made baskets of shumai to the customers who were queuing. He checked the time; it was 7:30, and an hour and a half had already passed.

He then checked the remaining ingredients and figured he could make about 50 servings. He yawned, finished preparing the remaining ingredients, and put them into the steamer. He planned to browse other people's stalls and try some dishes after he finished this batch of ingredients.

Just as Chen Yuxing was taking out the last batch of shumai to distribute to the customers in line, the noisy crowd that had been surrounding his counter suddenly quieted down and spontaneously split into two lines to make way, as if pushed aside by some force.

A very imposing sound of footsteps approached from afar.

Chen Yuxing raised his head.

A tall, imposing old man with a cut scar near his right eye stood in front of Chen Yuxing's cooking counter, dressed in a traditional kimono.

He is the headmaster of Totsuki Culinary Academy, the leader of the Japanese culinary world, the 'Demon King of Food'—Senzaemon Nakiri!

"I heard from Dojima and Erina that there is a very interesting young man among the first-year students this year."

Senzaemon Nakiri's sharp eyes were fixed on Chen Yuxing.

He pointed to the three-egg shumai that had just come out of the steamer on Chen Yuxing's cooking table.

"Young man, let me have a taste of your cooking. I'd like to see what kind of dishes someone who can earn praise from both Dojima and Erina can make."

Chen Yuxing paused, looking at the imposing Totsuki Commander-in-Chief in front of him, and couldn't help but become serious. Senzaemon Nakiri gave him the feeling of his master from his previous life.

"Of course, please wait a moment."

Chen Yuxing placed the freshly steamed bamboo baskets on the counter and pulled out a basket of steaming hot shumai from the bottom shelf. The moment he lifted the bamboo basket, the rich aroma hit Nakiri Senzaemon right in the face.

He picked up three three-egg shumai from the plate, placed them on it, and gently pushed them toward Senzaemon Nakiri.

"Three-egg shumai, please enjoy."

Senzaemon Nakiri looked down at the snacks that were handed to him.

The dough is golden yellow, topped with dark brown preserved egg crumbs, and you can also vaguely see orange-yellow crab roe wrapped in the dough.

The combination of black, yellow, and orange doesn't look jarring; instead, it creates a unique sense of sophistication.

The commander-in-chief didn't say anything. He picked up the chopsticks next to him, grabbed one of the shumai, and swallowed it whole.

"Click".

The moment you put it in your mouth and chew it.

First, the very elastic dough brings a rich wheat aroma and the sweetness of eggs. The dough breaks open, and the meat filling and juices inside burst out of your mouth. Although it's a bit hot because it's fresh out of the oven, the gelatinous freshness of the pork and shrimp paste makes it hard to spit it out. Finally, the salty and fresh taste of crab roe and the unique flavor of century egg crumbs combined with a hint of wood ash washes away the greasiness of the filling.

Senzaemon Nakiri closed his eyes, and his originally dignified face began to tremble.

Deep in his mind, he seemed to see a golden dragon breaking through the once calm sea. The dragon's scales were golden, its claws clutched crystal-clear orange crab roe, and above its head floated a dark brown pearl exuding an ancient aura. The dragon rolled wildly on the calm sea, cleansing his nerves in the most primal way.

"call--"

Senzaemon Nakiri slowly opened his eyes, his originally sharp gaze now revealing a hint of relaxation.

He exhaled a long breath, put down his chopsticks, and raised his right hand to grasp the collar of his kimono.

"Tear--"

He pulled the collar of his kimono outwards, tearing it open to reveal his muscular chest.

"A nice little idea."

Senzaemon Nakiri looked at Chen Yuxing before him. "Using eggs to make the dough adds sweetness and chewiness; using the bursting texture of crab roe to break the greasiness of the meat filling; and finally using the alkalinity of preserved eggs to balance the flavor. Using three different 'eggs,' you've created different layers of flavor in a simple plate of shumai without any clashes! Young man, your Three Eggs Shumai truly deserves my permission to unbutton my shirt!"

Upon hearing this, the previously quiet crowd suddenly erupted in uproar.

"My God! They've actually been approved by the Commander-in-Chief!"

"A dish that even the Demon King of Food would loosen his collar for! Let me try it too!"

"Quick, quick, I want some too! Give me one as well!"

The diners who had been just watching from the sidelines suddenly surged toward the food counter like sharks smelling blood.

Faced with the frenzied crowd, Chen Yuxing helplessly shrugged and pointed to the last few baskets of shumai on the counter.

"Dear guests, I'm so sorry, we've run out of ingredients for making shumai. There are only a few baskets left. Please line up if you'd like some."

"what?!"

"How could this happen!"

"What a pity! Young chef, could you go to the kitchen and get some more ingredients? We're willing to wait!"

A series of groans erupted from the crowd, but they could only quickly line up, hoping that when it was their turn, they would still be able to get shumai.

Senzaemon Nakiri laughed twice, buttoned his collar again, and looked at Chen Yuxing with a hint of appreciation in his eyes: "Your name is Chen Yuxing, right? I hope Totsuki can still help you."

After finishing his speech, the Supreme Commander of Totsuki turned around and left the C venue.

Meanwhile, in the monitoring room of the Totsuki Palace.

The graduates of Totsuki Academy are observing the assessment process in each venue in real time through the monitors on the wall.

"Oh my god, to think the Commander-in-Chief could react like that!" Hinako Inui, completely disregarding her image, lay sprawled in front of the screen, her eyes glued to the steamers on Chen Yuxing's counter. "Damn it, it seems like they're all gone! Ahhh! I really want to go down and have a bite too!"

"Shut up, Hinako, your drool is practically dripping onto the screen." Shinomiya Kojiro pushed up his glasses, glanced at Inui Hinako with some disdain, and then turned back to the screen. "But this kid is definitely talented. Combining three different types of eggs together... his basic skills and control over the heat are completely unlike what a first-year student should have."

"Haha, I told you this kid was interesting!" Donato Wutongtian leaned against the wall. "It really makes me look forward to his future development."

"Alright, let's keep an eye on the progress at each venue. It's almost time."

Dojima Gin stood behind the crowd with his arms crossed, looking at Chen Yuxing on the screen, seemingly lost in thought.

……

"Alright, that's all. Everyone, you can all leave now."

After handing out the remaining shumai, Chen Yuxing began tidying up the kitchen counter. He took off his apron and put it aside, then went to the sink to wash his hands.

He swaggered out of his cooking station amidst the resentful glances of the diners.

There are still about 15 minutes left before the end of the assessment, so you can go and browse around other stalls.

Chapter 36 The Banquet

Chen Yuxing strolled out of Hall C and headed towards Hall A, which was the most crowded and lively.

Venue A had more diners than Venue C, resulting in greater competition. The loudspeaker frequently announced who had achieved their target number of servings.

As Chen Yuxing followed the flow of people, he suddenly smelled a strong aroma of Chinese medicinal herbs mixed with the scent of eggs.

It was Hisako Shinto's stall. There were quite a few older customers queuing in front of her cooking station. This medicinal cuisine expert, who comes from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, was methodically serving stewed dishes to the customers.

"Hisako Shinto, business seems to be doing well." Chen Yuxing leaned closer to the kitchen counter and tapped on the table.

Hisako Niito, who was serving soup, trembled at the sound and almost dropped the ladle. She looked up and saw Chen Yuxing. A hint of panic flashed across her face, but she quickly stood up and looked at Chen Yuxing, trying to appear calm.

"You... why aren't you at your own work station? What are you doing here?" The secretary looked at Chen Yuxing warily. "Are you spying on us?"

“I’ve run out of the ingredients I prepared. Anyway, there’s still some time before the assessment ends, and I’m just killing time. I’d like to try your cooking.” Chen Yuxing pointed to the steaming medicinal soup in his secretary’s pot. “If you don’t mind, could I have a serving?”

Hisako Shinto looked at Chen Yuxing in front of her, bit her lip, feeling somewhat unwilling, but as a chef, she still picked up a stew pot and handed it over.

"Four-Substance Decoction paired with boiled tender eggs. It contains angelica, chuanxiong, white peony root, and prepared rehmannia root, which can be used to replenish qi and blood. Eating this in the morning is good for the stomach and intestines." Hisako introduced her dish while handing it to the customer, her face showing a sense of pride, clearly confident in her cooking.

Chen Yuxing took the stew pot, picked up the provided spoon, and took a sip of soup.

The original bitterness of the Chinese medicinal herbs has been removed very thoroughly, leaving only the unique sweetness of the plant roots and stems. The boiled eggs are also cooked to perfection, with tender egg whites and yolks flowing into the medicinal soup when bitten, adding a rich flavor to the originally light soup.

"Mmm, it's delicious." Chen Yuxing finished the soup and egg in a few bites. "The Chinese medicinal herbs have removed their bitterness, and the amount is just right. They don't overpower the flavor of the eggs; instead, they blend together with the yolk. The choice of the four herbs is also excellent. Together, they can regulate qi and blood. As a breakfast, your medicinal meal is very satisfactory."

"Of course." Hearing Chen Yuxing's evaluation, Hisako Shinto's tense face visibly relaxed. She turned her head away and snorted, "This is something I specially developed for Lady Erina. Normally, you can't even get your hands on it if you want to. You know your stuff."

Chen Yuxing smiled, put down the empty bowl in his hand, and stopped teasing the secretary.

I turned around and went to the room next to hers, which was also the most crowded place in Hall A.

Erina Nakiri's cooking station.

At the kitchen counter, Erina Nakiri was handing a freshly made Eggs Benedict to a customer. Her golden hair shone brightly under the lights, making her look like a queen.

Chen Yuxing went over and quickly grabbed an Eggs Benedict from the food counter next to him.

"Hey! That's food I made for the guests, who gave you permission to take it!"

Erina turned her head and saw Chen Yuxing holding her dish. She was immediately furious and stared at Chen Yuxing as if she wanted to eat him alive.

"Don't be so stingy. Erina is a big... I can say I'm a diner now, and I came here specifically to try your cooking."

Chen Yuxing spoke as he tasted the food.

As expected of the youngest member of the Elite Ten at Totsuki Academy, Erina's culinary skills are truly exceptional.

Eggs Benedict are not only flawless in appearance, but also taste excellent.