Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 206 - 205: White Wine Pan-fried Sea Bass

Chapter 206: Chapter 205: White Wine Pan-fried Sea Bass

"This is my dish—"

Shigong Xiaoci Lang placed his plate on the judges’ table first, his demeanor calm and composed.

During the cooking process, he used low heat for everything—simmering vegetables, sautéing zucchini, and even frying the fish.

Western cuisine values style and finesse, and correspondingly, this chef barely broke a sweat by the time he finished cooking.

Clearly, Shigong Xiaoci Lang didn’t subscribe to the fallacy that serving first meant losing; he nonchalantly presented his just-plated dish.

From the appearance and art of plating alone, Shigong’s dish was leaps ahead of the students’.

Three pieces of fish were almost triangularly arranged, two stacked on each other, and the third laid beside them.

In addition to the fish, there were yellow zucchini slices, green zucchini slices — these were the "petals" decorating the plate, forming a circle around the small plate, each piece pan-fried to a golden hue, mouthwateringly so.

Then, there were the meticulously prepared vegetables, vibrant and colorful.

Asparagus, white radish, baby carrots.

Mushrooms, peas, tomatoes.

Thin strips of blanched lemon and orange peel.

And not to be overlooked, the strategically placed black olives scattered over the fish.

A feast for the eyes!

At first glance, it might seem chaotic, but upon careful appreciation, a masterful touch becomes apparent—the multitude of ingredients under Shigong Xiaoci Lang’s control were like beautiful notes composing a harmonious and orderly Chapter!

"Amazing!"

Tiqie Helinai’s eyes gleamed with admiration, "Worthy of Senior Shigong, to manage so many ingredients on one plate!"

Indeed, manage!

The other graduates, Dojima Yin and Liangzi Lina, who somehow appeared beside the table, all nodded.

Ingredients need to be managed, not just randomly piled on a plate.

Simply put, a chef is like an architect building a house on a plate, the space is limited, and filling this limited space with various ingredients to form one’s culinary puzzle depends on personal culinary skills.

And without a doubt, Shigong Xiaoci Lang was such a master architect, utilizing as many ingredients as possible, creating a small but exquisitely detailed house on the plate!

"My goodness, he used 16 types of vegetables!" Tanaka Hikari quietly counted the ingredients on the plate, "But, for seasoning, he used only salt, light cream, black pepper... and white wine!"

Compared to the colorful vegetables, this French dish was frugal with seasonings, never using one too many!

"Striving to preserve the natural flavors?"

Dojima Yin expressed his admiration.

French cuisine, or Western cuisine in general, emphasizes the freshness of ingredients, champions naturalness, and stays true to original flavors.

As a chef specializing in French cuisine, Shigong Xiaoci Lang was, of course, also pursuing "original flavors."

"Try this—" Shigong Xiaoci Lang said, a confident look forming at the corners of his mouth, "The name of this dish is White Wine Pan-fried Sea Bass."

"Called the national perfect pairing of sea bass and white wine..."

Gurgle.

Qian Rixiangzi kept wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth, "I’ll go first, I’ll go first!"

Without further ado, she gripped the knife and fork, her hands trembling slightly, cut a tender piece of the pan-fried fish, and dipped it in some white sauce before bringing it to her mouth.

"Ah—"

She couldn’t help but exhale a breath filled with the essence of vegetables, her body going rigid.

Seeing this, others couldn’t hold back, each taking their turn to taste.

Tiqie Helinai specifically forked some vegetables, mixing them with the fish, and slowly chewed in her mouth.

His heart was trembling uncontrollably with the frequency of his chewing!

"Delicious, so delicious!" Tiqie Helinai exclaimed inwardly.

An indescribable feeling enveloped her.

Suddenly, she found herself in a refreshing season, standing before a lake surrounded by jungles. Surprisingly, the lake was a myriad of colors with various vegetables floating on its surface.

Subconsciously, she walked into the chilly waters of the lake. A large fish surfaced under her and carried her on its back, giving her a tour of the lake and surrounding mountains.

"No, this isn’t right!"

Tasting more carefully, the imagery in her mind vanished, and Tiqie Helinai found herself suddenly on a country road. She saw a little boy, beaten and bruised from a fight, collapsing into his mother’s warm embrace and crying his heart out, venting his emotions.

The cries were loud, echoing in her ears yet not harsh, providing Tiqie Helinai a feeling of shedding burdens and running forward into the sunlight as if it were only natural.

This thought arose in her heart at the same time Tiqie Helinai awoke, staring astonished at the dish on the table.

It was authentic and unpretentious, not shocking, but inexplicably captivating.

The "Divine Tongue" mechanically performed its function; a series of vegetable images floated through Tiqie Helinai’s mind. She shook her head, once again feeling irritated by her tongue’s ability to analyze and critique.

"Get out—"

She chastised inwardly.

To analyze was to desecrate the dish!

Through tasting, Tiqie Helinai understood the current mental state of Shigong Xiaoci Lang and was genuinely pleased.

Because she knew well what it meant when an almost first-class chef rediscovered his initial passion and established his intent—Far Moon Lineage was about to gain another first-class chef!

"The dish by Senior Shigong, it’s like it has transformed!"

Qian Rixiangzi covered her mouth in disbelief.

"No, it’s not enough!"

Dojima Yin took a deep breath and said, "The intent isn’t strong enough! It’s far from the dishes of Tanaka Hikari and Morioka Makoto!"

"Yes, there’s only a faint trace in the dish," Shigong Xiaoci Lang said casually, pointing at the French dish on the table, "Let’s return to the dish itself and discuss your opinions."

"Impeccable!"

Tiqie Helinai was the first to comment.

"The essence of French cuisine lies in its sauce, and the sauce that Senior Shigong has crafted for this dish is the essence of the essence!"

Dojima Yin agreed, saying, "White wine and shallots perfectly blended, then enhanced with light cream—that’s the framework of the sauce! The essence lies in how the white wine elevates the flavor and texture of the sea bass!"

"The sea bass itself is delicious enough, with its flesh rich in protein, vitamin A, vitamins B, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, and selenium, that’s why it’s so popular..."

Other graduates discussed.

"May I try it?"

At that moment, a voice suddenly chimed in.

Bang!

Xia Yu placed a significantly heavy dish on the judging table and asked Shigong Xiaoci Lang.

"You can certainly try," Shigong Xiaoci Lang nodded, "However, Instructor Xia, I suggest you let the judges taste your dish first, then we can try each other’s dishes."

"Otherwise, if we reverse the order, I’m afraid you won’t have the nerve to let the judges taste your dish, and I would win this culinary battle by default—wouldn’t that be too boring..."

As usual, his personality was distasteful.

Glancing at the self-centered Shigong, Xia Yu ignored him, picked up a fork and knife, and cut a small piece of the fish to taste.

"Ah—"

As the fish entered his mouth, Xia Yu’s shoulders shook, and he almost couldn’t help but laugh.