As time passed, the aroma of various dishes began to spread through the competition venue. Klee, who had never smelled such fragrant Liyue cuisine before, swallowed again and again. Though the aromas were different from what she was used to in Mondstadt, she still wanted to eat everything.
Under the busy hands of Xiangling and Yanxiao, their dishes gradually took shape. The aromas grew even richer. Even Ningguang, who had tasted all manner of delicacies, felt her stomach rumble.
"It seems I underestimated the skills of Liyue's top chefs. These aromas far surpass anything the Jade Chamber's chefs could produce."
Ningguang studied the two contestants thoughtfully. Perhaps she should provide more support to Wanmin Restaurant behind the scenes. She had a feeling that Wanmin's cuisine would become Liyue's third major culinary tradition. In Xiangling, she saw a devotion to the culinary arts that she had never sensed in the successors of the other two traditions.
"Your cooking speed is impressive, but my automatic cooking machine has already finished."
"Don't say this adeptus is bullying the younger generation. I'll let you present your dishes first. After all, once you've witnessed the machine's creations, I doubt the judges will have any appetite for yours."
Cloud Retainer raised her head, her voice full of confidence. Yanxiao and Xiangling, still busy at their stations, silently wiped the sweat from their brows. Truth be told, the pressure was immense. This was no longer just a competition between the two of them. They were competing against an adeptus.
"This might be the first time this old man gets to taste an adeptus's cooking. Haha, how fortunate."
Uncle Tian stroked his beard, eyeing the three machines in front of Cloud Retainer with interest. People of his generation still held deep reverence for the adepti. To taste an adeptus's cooking was, in his eyes, a tremendous honor.
"Adeptus cooking? Your director tried that a long time ago. It wasn't very good."
"Cough, cough, Hu Tao, there's no need to bring that up. This adeptus personally cooked for you, and you're complaining?"
Su Bai glared at Hu Tao. She grinned and made a face at him. Perhaps because she had been raised by Zhongli, Hu Tao seemed to have no fear of the adepti.
"Adeptus cooking? I wonder what it tastes like."
Keqing glanced at Su Bai, who was bickering with Hu Tao. Uncle Tian's words had piqued her interest. She found herself growing curious about Cloud Retainer's dishes.
"Time's up! Both contestants, please present your dishes to the judges."
Yanfei, who had been keeping time, immediately called for the stoves to be shut off. Fortunately, Cloud Retainer's machines hadn't exploded like they had when she demonstrated them for Su Bai and Shenhe in her abode. Otherwise, whether Xiangling and Yanxiao could finish on time would have been a real question.
"Contestant Xiangling, please introduce your dishes."
Yanfei looked at Xiangling. She nodded, indicating she was ready. After distributing her dishes to the table, she began her introduction.
"The theme is 'Ritual of Land and Water,' covering both sea and land. That means beast meat, poultry, fish, and shrimp are all viable ingredients."
"My main dish, Sautéed Matsutake with Jueyun Chili, combines poultry with chili. The Jueyun Chili grows in the mountains, the essence of the highlands. The poultry is a gift from the sky."
"The Steamed Three Delicacies also uses poultry, along with ham and bamboo shoots. Both carry the flavor of the mountains. Spicy and fresh, hot and cool, they complement each other and echo the chili chicken."
"As for the Crystal Shrimp, the ingredients are rice, shrimp, and carrots. The thin, translucent wrapper holds diced carrots and whole fresh shrimp. Crisp and tender."
"The shrimp is a gift from the sea, wrapped tightly in a wrapper made from rice. Land and sea fused together, the freshness draws out a subtle sweetness. It's the perfect ending to the menu."
After hearing Xiangling's introduction, the judges nodded. As regulars at Wanmin Restaurant, they knew her skills well. Seeing her presentation complete, Yanfei turned to Yanxiao.
"Next, contestant Yanxiao, please introduce your dishes."
Yanxiao grinned and lifted a large pot, portioning out the Adeptus' Temptation. As the dish was served, everyone present swallowed hard. The combination of premium ingredients and Yanxiao's superb technique created an aroma that genuinely surprised Su Bai.
"My three dishes are Adeptus' Temptation, Mint Salad, and Golden Shrimp Balls."
"Like Xiangling said, land and water means the sea and the land. Birds and beasts, swimming fish and diving shrimp. All my ingredients fall within that range."
"Adeptus' Temptation is a famous Liyue dish. As a chef at Wangshu Inn, I've always considered it our signature showpiece. Very few people have tasted my personal version of this dish. Besides Adeptus Su Bai and his partner, almost no one."
"This dish is complex and demands careful ingredient selection. It uses smoked ham, crab, fresh shrimp, and matsutake. It is my main dish, representing my respect for my work and this competition."
"As for the Mint Salad, it pairs perfectly with the rich, savory flavors of the Adeptus' Temptation."
"The Golden Shrimp Balls are a crowd favorite. After the rich, hearty soup, a bite of shrimp balls is simply delightful."
Perhaps it was Su Bai's imagination, but he felt Keqing and Guoba seemed more interested in the Golden Shrimp Balls than the Adeptus' Temptation.
Though Su Bai knew Keqing liked Golden Shrimp Balls, he hadn't expected her to like them more than Adeptus' Temptation. Adeptus' Temptation was, after all, one of Liyue's most prestigious dishes.
"Thank you, contestant Yanxiao. Next, Cloud Retainer, please present your dishes."
"It's finally this adeptus's turn."
"I must say, your dishes are quite good. If I hadn't come personally, either of you would deserve to win this competition."
"Unfortunately, you encountered this adeptus."
With a wave of her wing, the three automatic cooking machines shuddered. Three strange dishes flew out and landed on the judges' table.
"These are my three dishes: 'Pearl Jade White Jade Soup,' which Ganyu likes; 'Mountain Delicacies Hot Noodles,' which little Shenhe likes; and 'Whopperflower Nectar Stewed Beast Meat,' which little Su Bai likes."
'??? Since when do I like that? Cloud Retainer, you never even bothered to learn what I like. And these three dishes, which look either burnt or undercooked, are they really edible? They look even worse than what you made in your abode yesterday.'
Of course, Su Bai only said this in his mind. Cloud Retainer had finally come out to relax. He didn't want to ruin her mood.
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New Fanfic:
Honkai Star Rail: The Eldritch Path Among the Stars