Chapter 115

Chapter 115: Thank You for Choosing This Guobaorou...

"The Two Capitals Culinary Competition" is one of the TV station's more focused programs recently.

Although it can't compare to other star-studded variety shows, during the New Year period, a food show like this still guarantees a baseline viewership.

The overall production quality of the show is above average. Not only did they invite Bai Jing as the host, but the thirty-five public judges were also carefully selected. Although called "public," at least some are small internet celebrities.

A group of public judges gathered around several tables, joking, criticizing boldly, with a bit of a talk-show vibe.

Before Chen Ran’s Guobaorou was served, everyone had already tasted several rounds. Another female chef from the local ranking had scored an average of 9.12 and was nervously watching the judges.

"Guobaorou!"

Because it’s a New Year variety show, the judge’s area was decorated with a lively atmosphere. Everyone tasted the dishes while chatting about New Year-related topics.

"Come, come, let me try it first."

Before this Guobaorou came out, the judges had already seen the kitchen’s skill show!

In everyone’s words, this chef’s technique was like juggling balls in a circus act — the golden-red Guobaorou pieces were tossed into the air and perfectly caught back in the pan, even more spectacular than New Year fireworks.

There’s no cooking style more festive than this. The cameramen, with three cameras, wanted nothing more than to give Chen Ran all close-ups.

However, the judges, known for their sharp tongues, did not fully praise Chen Ran’s performance.

“Sure, it looks good, but if you only pursue efficiency like this, can the taste be good?”

“Exactly, how come the pan is so shiny after making Guobaorou? I don’t see any syrup on the plate; can it really taste good?”

“Maybe this is another chef who just wants to be an internet celebrity... Oh right, I remember now, I think she’s been trending several times.”

After all, nowadays, if a judge wants to stand out, a sharp tongue is an indispensable trait.

Especially since several judges were hinted by the production team before the group stage to make sure both chefs surnamed Chen advance!

With such a big highlight, the production team definitely wants to keep this storyline going until the end. Zhao Dajun had already planned that after the group stage ends and before the closed competition, Chen Boduan and Chen Ran could exchange fierce words.

From the just-concluded competition, it was clear Chen Boduan’s cooking skills probably weren’t as good as Chen Ran’s... If they wanted both to advance simultaneously, Chen Ran might have to be scored down a bit.

He gave a subtle signal to the assistant director, who understood and directed some judges through the channel: “Don’t give too high scores! Be careful!”

However, even after the assistant director repeated twice, the judges who should have reacted discreetly showed no response.

The assistant director looked at the screen and saw Tang Zhipeng’s slightly stunned expression.

—That expression, forget about lowering the score, he even suspected he had given the wrong instruction and told the judges to give higher points.

Tang Zhipeng was already unable to hear the voice in his earphones!

He had just been saying that something made with flashy skills might not taste good, questioning the absence of syrup and accusing the chef of sacrificing taste for showmanship.

But the moment he started chewing, all those doubts turned into a slap in the face...

How could a dish fried first and then coated with a layer of sweet and sour sauce still be so crispy? It was completely different from the Guobaorou he remembered. This half piece of meat crumbled easily in his mouth.

The crisp sound even made it a bit hard for him to hear the voice in his earphones.

But even if he heard it clearly, he no longer intended to follow that advice! He felt an impulse from deep inside to genuinely praise this Guobaorou...It was hard enough to become a judge, so he had to speak his mind! He felt an irresistible urge to tell the truth, and loudly began to praise the dish.

"It’s so crispy… I never knew Guobaorou could be this crispy."

"Indeed, I have to admit, I was too loud earlier. The thickness of the sweet and sour sauce is just right!"

The crispy meat pieces, coated with a light sweet and sour sauce, had enough flavor but didn't feel greasy.

Before taking a bite, he could smell the sharp tang of white vinegar, but upon chewing, the balance of sour and sweet was just perfect.

After chewing, the last lingering aftertaste left in the mouth was a hint of savory and salty flavor.

Such a Guobaorou can truly be called a balanced flavor!

Although people usually associate Guobaorou with a sweet and sour taste, diners tend to overlook one key aspect of the dish, which is its salty undertone.

A dish that’s just sweet and sour will definitely become too cloying. It’s this subtle salty base that is the soul of Guobaorou.

“It’s so delicious!”

Bai Jing noticed the judge’s particularly satisfied expression and walked over, intending to chat with them a bit more. But he saw the judge push the microphone aside!

He paused, then realized that the judge who had pushed the microphone aside to refuse the interview had directly extended their chopsticks toward the plate in the middle of the table!

Chen Ran had made two batches at the same time, and after each judge had their share, there were still three pieces left on the plate.

Bai Jing, surprised, couldn't help but think back.

Wasn't that delicious boxed meal he was fed in the middle of the night on the set of Peach Blossom Spring also Guobaorou?

Maybe that makes sense...

The only regret was that, as the host, he didn’t have any chopsticks!

The last three pieces of Guobaorou sparked a small scramble. In the end, a few of the taller judges with longer arms managed to grab them.

Bai Jing played the peacemaker: "It seems the chef made a very successful selection! This competition has shown everyone, it’s not just about the chef’s culinary skills, but also about their ability to choose ingredients."

Another host chimed in: "Indeed, in today’s market economy, cooking is important, but understanding the tastes of the diners is also key."

"Now, let’s see Chef Chen Ran’s score!"

All thirty-five judges raised their scorecards, and half of them gave a perfect score of ten!

Removing the perfect scores and one 9.6, Chen Ran’s final score for this round was 9.84!

The fan group exploded with excitement, and some even went outside to set off firecrackers prepared for the New Year.

With such a score, no matter what, Chen Ran was guaranteed to advance!

However, the members of the Lion’s Head group, who knew Chen Ran had made a bold statement, were still nervously watching the program:

The ceremony staff had already brought up Chen Boduan’s Guobaorou!

"Indeed, two chefs chose the same dish, it seems that with the promotion of tourism, Northeast cuisine has really become popular!"

This Guobaorou was also well received!

There was only one piece earlier, and no one had enough. Now, the second plate had arrived, and everyone scrambled to grab a piece to savor.To be honest, Chen Boduan’s Guobaorou wasn’t bad at all, in fact, it was quite good.

After all, he was the head chef at Zhiwei Zhai. Even though his culinary skills weren’t quite as good as Chen Ran’s, making Guobaorou was still well within his abilities.

However, in terms of cooking method, he chose to stew it in sauce. When the judges picked up their pieces, the sweet and sour sauce spilled all over the table.

Moreover, from the camera angle, it was easy to see that the Guobaorou on top appeared dry and crispy, while the ones at the bottom were drenched in too much sauce.

The piece that Tang Zhipeng picked up was one of those with excessive sauce.

He used his chopsticks to scrape it a couple of times on the plate before tasting it.

First, he smelled the sharp vinegar aroma, then the sweet and sour sauce, and the meat itself was crispy, just right.

Had he not tasted Chen Ran’s Guobaorou earlier, he could have given this piece a slightly higher score, just as the program team had expected.

But the problem was, he had just tasted the best Guobaorou of his life!

He turned his head to glance at another judge, who had also been "briefed" by the program team, and saw that they, too, had a troubled look, furrowing their brows.

Both had first noticed the sharp vinegar smell before tasting the dish, but the vinegar used in the stewing method smelled more fragrant and dissipated quickly.

On the other hand, the vinegar smell in the thick sauce was pungent enough to make one want to cough.

Also, both dishes had the same sweet and sour flavor, but one left you wanting more, while the other made you want to drink some water or take a bite of rice.

The judges here were at least somewhat knowledgeable about food, so Tang Zhipeng suddenly smacked his thigh and exclaimed, “This Guobaorou doesn’t have any salty flavor!”

In the past, he had never realized how much the subtle salty undertone affected the dish!

Without comparison, everyone’s impression of Guobaorou was that it was sweet and sour. But once there was a comparison, the importance of that slight salty undertone became immediately apparent!

At this moment, the camera wisely focused on Chen Ran.

Chen Ran smiled with confidence.

Her key to overshadowing Chen Boduan lay in that touch of saltiness!

Judges were not served rice when tasting the dishes. Although there were sponsored drinks, they were also sweet, and the judges couldn’t drink too much.

The chefs present were all sharp-minded. Under such circumstances, they wouldn't dare to add too much salt to their dishes. After all, what if they made the judges feel overwhelmed?

But in this situation, Chen Ran went against the grain and boldly added just a little bit of salt to the base of the Guobaorou!

Don’t underestimate that small pinch of salt. First, it prevented the judges, who were already half full, from getting overwhelmed by the sweetness and sourness.

Second, it created a noticeable contrast with Chen Boduan’s dish!

Both dishes were sweet and sour, but one was dry, crispy, and slightly salty, while the other was drenched in sauce, and you could barely taste any salt at all...

This was an all-around crushing victory!

Technically, the cooking method and the tossing in sauce were undoubtedly superior; in terms of taste, it was an absolute win.

In fact... Chen Ran had even secretly activated a special effect for her Guobaorou.

[Flavor Effect: Eating this Guobaorou will cause the person to unknowingly speak the truth they most want to say within 24 hours.]

So, all the judges, now under the influence of the truth-telling buff, collectively ignored the program team's subtle hints.“This Guobaorou... is a bit greasy.”

“Indeed, I ate the piece at the very bottom, and the sauce is just way too thick.”

“The texture is also quite different. The previous chef’s Guobaorou was crispy, but this one is only crunchy, not as crispy.”

In the end, all the judges gave Chen Boduan’s dish a score as high as 9.5, but the lowest score was even as low as 8.1.

The final score was 8.45!

In most culinary competitions, this would still be considered a high score. However, in this group stage, it made Chen Boduan land in third place!

He was so angry that he couldn’t even care that this was a live broadcast. He turned to glare at Chen Ran.

Chen Ran winked at him and said, “The Guobaorou you chose was indeed a good pick!”

If he hadn’t chosen that dish, she might have been a bit more conflicted.

It really was a good choice!