Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 327 - 326: Evolution of the Sculpture

Chapter 327: Chapter 326: Evolution of the Sculpture

The victory was indeed hard to judge.

Three cooking stations, three chefs, each chef focused intently, ignoring the hushed whispers of the outside world, completely immersed in their culinary world.

"Sizzling..."

At that moment, a rich aroma of seafood filled the air.

Everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to Takai Masashi.

Takai was pan-frying lobster meat.

It was unclear how Takai managed, but the "Beer Lobster" shells retained their original shape, though the meat had been removed, leaving three thick pieces and the smaller bits set aside on a dish in the corner, unused.

The blanched lobster shells were a beautiful golden hue, undoubtedly whetting appetites at a glance.

Similarly, the blanched asparagus, emitting wisps of steam while resting on a smaller plate, was soon to be used as garnishment to enhance the presentation.

The olive oil in the skillet was already boiling.

Takai took a glass container filled with a white "Crunch Prize" mixture. His expression serious, he treated every step with utmost precision, his devoted gaze like that of an artist painting a life’s masterpiece.

The white mixture covered the three pieces of lobster meat.

Then, without utensils, he used his hands to place the lobster meat into the skillet, grabbing from head to tail.

In an instant, savory flavors burst forth!

Inhaling lightly, the friends from Polar Star Dormitory became intoxicated.

Watching live streams was one thing, but experiencing the scent in person was entirely different.

The aroma uncontrollably immersed them, the mere smell causing their bodies to go limp, slowly unveiling a magnificent sea-scape before their eyes, encompassing them entirely with the sea.

"This is indeed a Fantasy Ingredient from the sea..."

Xingping Chuangzhen clenched his fists, excitement evident in his eyes, and couldn’t help but think, "If I had a ’Beer Lobster’ in front of me, how would I handle it?"

For chefs, unfamiliar, dreamlike ingredients were more attractive than any treasure of gold and silver.

From the beginning of school, with Xia Yu and Si Yingshi’s duel involving "White-haired Cinderella Beef," to the current "Beer Lobster," Xia Yu had unknowingly accumulated combat and culinary experience, and so had Xingping Chuangzhen, the main character of Food Duel Jiao, along with a group of friends, quietly maturing.

Their vision had far surpassed that of ordinary Far Moon first-year students.

Not only Xingping Chuangzhen but also Tanaka Hikari, Shen Liangzi, Morioka Makoto, and others, including the unpredictable Yoshino Yuuki, calmed down, their eyes sparkling with wisdom.

Ordinary ingredients could no longer satisfy these young and vibrant chefs!

"The students from this year’s Far Moon are of very high quality!"

The kitchen suddenly fell eerily quiet, Mars’s gaze sweeping across an introspective Ichise Hui, Kobayakawa Ryodan, and Tiqie Helinai, then over to everyone at Polar Star Dormitory, his heart secretly astonished.

Let’s not forget, ignoring his "Gourmet Society" affiliation, he was truly the Vice-Chancellor of Orlando.

At that moment, a feeling of wariness began to grow inside Mars.

Perhaps this year’s Academy Championship would be claimed by Far Moon.

...

Ten minutes later.

Takai Masashi poured the sauce he had prepared earlier using garlic, onions, and cream over the lobster meat in the dish.

Finally, he sprinkled on some crushed red pepper.

"Ding!"

He hit the service bell beside him, meeting everyone’s gaze, finally showing a hint of a smile.

"My dish is complete!"

Saying this, he untied his apron.

Hm?

Takai was the first to look toward Hase Ichiro, who had been the last to start.

Hase Ichiro stood at his cooking station, smilingly with several plates in front of him, filled with uncooked fresh green vegetables, while the oil in the pot before him bubbled.

When frying ingredients for Tempura, the oil temperature is usually between 160-190 degrees Celsius. If it exceeds 210 degrees Celsius, the fat can change, smoking and producing harmful substances, so controlling the oil temperature is essential for chefs learning to make Tempura.

Without waiting for anyone’s inquiry, Hase Ichiro cheerily said:

"Tempura should really be fried and eaten immediately."

"Generally speaking, the best time to eat it is within 30 seconds of coming out of the fryer."

Simply put, it had to be eaten while hot.

Everyone understood.

"So, Mr. Hase, what is this?" Kobayakawa Ryodan, salivating, pointed to a cooking pot on another stove.

In the pot, there were slices of apple and orange.

At the same time, as the fire heated, a scent of spices lingered.

"Hmm? Cloves, bay leaves, cardamom powder ..."

Next to Mars, Elizabeth, raising her eyebrows, sniffed the aroma and said, "Is there also a natural, refreshing sourness, from dried cranberries?"

"Wait, cinnamon! Cinnamon sticks!"

This Western Caucasian beauty quickly identified all the spice components in the pot.

They then looked at the dark red liquid in the pot.

"Is it wine?"

Tiqie Eriina murmured, "Mulled wine?"

"Yes, it’s mulled wine," Mars answered, casting a doubtful glance at Hase Ichiro.

It sounded unbelievable.

To the public’s understanding, it seemed like only spirits and sake were heated for drinking, but in fact, wine could also be warmed. However, wine needed the addition of certain ingredients to enhance its flavor when heated.

"I didn’t expect Mr. Hase, known for his expertise in sake dishes, to have also mastered the Western method of warm wine cooking!"

Mars said, "It is said that the ancient Greeks first invented hot red wine. Recognizing thrift and not wanting to waste food, they saw red wine left uncompleted at their tables and decided to try cooking it with spices!"

"Later, during the Roman era, the Romans inherited and improved this method by adding honey, pepper, bay leaves, and even saffron to cook, making the hot wine even more flavorful!"

Everyone suddenly understood.

It was an ancient cooking method.

The stove fire was very low, which was perfect for heating the wine, as boiling would cause alcohol to evaporate.

This process would take about 20 minutes.

So, including Takai and Hase, a group of people turned their attention to Xia Yu’s cooking station.

Hmm?

They exchanged puzzled looks.

Xia Yu wasn’t preparing sliced raw fish; instead, he held a gleaming silver knife and was carving a two-meter-square block of ice that had been moved onto his cooking station at some unknown time.

"Shi!"

"Shi!"

The carving knife slid over the ice, and the shiny blade quietly penetrated the ice like piercing through white paper.

In the midst of these piercing sounds, Xia Yu worked with concentration.

This high-intensity carving was actually quite strenuous. This block of ice was twice as large as the one during the previous exchange class, which also meant that his control over ice sculpting had grown stronger. He could now attempt to sculpt even larger pieces.

What would be a good subject?

According to the original recipe in his mind, the ice sculpture wasn’t a crucial element; rather, it was just peripheral and didn’t significantly affect the quality of the dish.

However, at Xia Yu’s station, the situation was entirely different.

Carving hills would be so tacky, lacking any technical content. Despite having time and skill, not pursuing perfection would leave Xia Yu unable to overcome his psychological barrier.

Carving dragons again would seem repetitive, even Xia Yu himself would grow tired of repetitively sculpting them.

Thus, Xia Yu was sculpting a completely new type of ice sculpture.

He followed the image in his mind, carving every stroke meticulously.

"If you’re making sashimi, why carve ice?"

"Indeed, the ice could lock in the freshness of the fish slices, but focussing on sculpting, could that be a mistake?"

While everyone was puzzled, Xia Yu suddenly stopped carving and slowly extended his hand, gently tapping the ice surface.

Crack.

In an instant, a great avalanche occurred, and chunks of ice fell off.

On the cooking station, a creature was laid bare, captivating everyone present.