The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Chapter 43: Chapter 42: Authentic Eight Dishes and Eight Bowls

Fu Yu quickly jotted down every dish from the sketch.

The more he looked, the more astonished he became.

Wasn’t it said that the other party was from a scholarly family that liked things with an ancient charm?

He originally thought they would prefer dishes with delicate presentation and fresh taste.

But what were these bowls and plates?

Braised pig’s trotters? Chicken stewed with mushrooms? Slaughtered Pig dish? Mu Shu pork? Sweet and sour pork?

And this, this big bowl of... is it frog?

Such down-to-earth flavors?

This table looked like farmhouse dishes, yet not quite.

The cold and hot dishes were paired quite orderly.

Counting carefully, there were eight large bowls and eight plates.

The dishes in the eight large bowls were four cold and four hot, with two meat and two vegetarian in the cold ones, and the same for the hot ones.

The dishes on the eight plates were also four cold and four hot.

This banquet wasn’t just any ordinary home-cooked meal; it was deliberately designed.

Fu Yu felt quite ignorant, having never seen such a banquet before.

He could only do his best to remember all the dishes and find a way to replicate them.

If all else failed, he would check online to see what type of cuisine this could be.

Fu Yu made up his mind and promised Qin Yue, ”Leave the kitchen to me; I will do my best to prepare this table of dishes.”

Qin Yue was very pleased, as what she was most worried about today was whether this family feast could go well.

”Alright, Chef Fu, if you need anything, just say the word. Oh, and this is our family chef, Old Zheng. He’s more familiar with this place, so if you need assistance, you can ask him to help out.”

Qin Yue introduced their family chef to Fu Yu.

Old Zheng had been working with the Qin Family for about ten years, so he knew the family very well.

He had originally placed some importance on Fu Yu, having heard that he was recommended by Liu Yici, thinking he might be an exceptional chef brought in from somewhere.

Upon meeting him, however, he was a bit disappointed.

This Chef Fu was just too young!

Though rather handsome, a face doesn’t cook meals.

Moreover, the profession of a chef, unlike other fields, is generally perceived as: without any facial hair, there’s little assurance in your work.

If you don’t look the part of a chef — with a big head and thick neck — people would doubt your culinary skills.

Nevertheless, remembering that Chef Fu was highly recommended by Liu Yici, Old Zheng didn’t dare to look down on him too much.

Old Zheng extended his hand to Fu Yu: ”Chef Fu, hello, if there’s anything you need me to do later on, just let me know.”

Fu Yu nodded, responding politely, ”Alright, Chef Zheng, I’ll count on you then.”

Qin Yue was very satisfied and said with a smile, ”Chef Fu, the family feast today is in your hands.”

[Ding! Task from NPC Wealthy Lady Qin Yue: Complete a banquet that satisfies the in-laws. Task reward: 200 yuan, a copy of the special family feast menu, +10 cooking skills, +20 task experience]

Fu Yu was momentarily stunned.

Wow, not bad!

Completing the task gets a family feast menu.

Then next time, when faced with similar family banquets, there’s a reference available.

Fu Yu felt a stirring excitement, though he knew his limits.

Opportunities like this in-home service today were totally by chance, like a blind cat catching a dead mouse.

If he can’t seize the chance to become a regular employee at the restaurant, future in-home services are out of the question — even being able to stay on permanently could be a problem.

After arranging matters in the kitchen, Qin Yue hurriedly took her son and future daughter-in-law to the living room to prepare for the guests.

Once everyone had left, Zhao Meng, who had remained silent, took out his phone and said, ”I’ve just looked up some Michelin specialty dishes. Take a look, and let’s prepare the ingredients accordingly.”

Though Zhao Meng verbally claimed to be there to assist Fu Yu, he was determined to help organize this banquet in reality.

Who was the nominal head chef didn’t matter. As long as the guests were satisfied and they earned the money, that was enough.

Fu Yu didn’t take the phone but leaned in to ask Zhao Meng in a low voice, ”Chef Zhao, do you know any banquets where dishes are specifically served in big round bowls and plates?”

Zhao Meng was taken aback: ”What?”

Fu Yu carefully described the dishes in the sketch: ”Eight big round bowls, eight big round plates, together making a banquet...”

Before he could finish, Zhao Meng casually replied, ”Are you talking about the Eight Bowls and Eight Plates?”

Upon hearing this, Fu Yu’s eyes instantly lit up!

Zhao Meng must have heard of this banquet.

Fu Yu hurriedly asked, ”Chef Zhao, you know about this?”

Zhao Meng didn’t want to discuss the Eight Bowls and Eight Plates, but the current banquet: ”Alright, enough of that. Quickly look at these photos and prepare the ingredients...”

Yet Fu Yu persistently asked, ”Chef Zhao, what cuisine is this Eight Bowls and Eight Plates from?”

In front of outsiders, the reprimand Zhao Meng was about to give got swallowed back, and he brushed off, ”It’s a specialty from Liaoning. When I was younger, a friend’s family lived in Fushun, so I followed them on a trip and tried it.”

Fu Yu took out his phone and started browsing the web: Liaoning, Fushun, Eight Bowls and Eight Plates.

Suddenly a string of related information on Eight Bowls and Eight Plates popped up below the entry.

Fu Yu opened the encyclopedia.

The Eight Bowls and Eight Plates originated as an authentic Manchu table setting.

The tables with Eight Bowls and Eight Plates matched the boldness of the Man people.

The plates were genuinely large plates.

The bowls were deeply large high bowls.

The banquet belonged to typical Northeastern cuisine.

In Liaoning’s Fushun, the birthplace of the Manchu people, one could taste the most authentic ”Eight Bowls and Eight Plates” banquet.

This was it!!

The banquet that flashed through Guan Tiantian’s mind was the Eight Bowls and Eight Plates banquet!!!

The Guan Family is of the ”Gua Clan” Manchu descent.

Qin Yue said that the in-laws’ family values tradition very much.

The Eight Bowls and Eight Plates banquet is an original Manchu dining habit.

After realizing this, Fu Yu said to Zhao Meng, ”Chef Zhao, for today’s family feast, we won’t prepare Michelin specialty dishes.”

Zhao Meng stared: ”What?”

Fu Yu said, ”I plan to prepare the Eight Bowls and Eight Plates banquet.”

Zhao Meng’s expression turned unpleasant: ”Nonsense! Do you know what dishes are in the Eight Bowls and Eight Plates? The guests are from a scholarly family, and you plan to serve them a table of Slaughtered Pig dish and chicken stewed with mushrooms?”

Fu Yu quickly explained, ”Chef Zhao, the Eight Bowls and Eight Plates is, in fact, a Manchu specialty. Ms. Qin just mentioned that her in-laws are descendants of the Gua Clan, and the family is traditional, so...”

Before Fu Yu could finish, Old Zheng couldn’t help but interject, ”No way!”

Having worked at the Qin Family for over ten years, Old Zheng had already considered himself half a Qin family member.

He knew very well how much Qin Yue valued tonight’s family feast.

He was aware that the Guan Family was scholarly, with deep cultural roots.

The more cultured such families are, the more particular they tend to be about food and drink.

Especially since their family is genuinely of the Gua Clan descent, with traditional family values.

From his understanding, he thought Qin Yue should have arranged a table with golden plates and silver bowls, filled with exquisite dishes, and served high-end Wuliangye liquor, or even a few thousand yuan bottle of fine red wine.

Old Zheng made his stance clear, with sharp words: ”The kind of banquet you mentioned might do in a farmhouse, but it’s unsuitable for tonight’s dinner! Are you kidding me? Choosing to serve Slaughtered Pig dish instead of Michelin dishes is simply ridiculous!”

Fu Yu didn’t argue with Old Zheng but handed the phone to Zhao Meng: ”Chef Zhao, look, this Eight Bowls and Eight Plates is the most authentic Manchu banquet. Since it’s for entertaining guests, the dining style should naturally prioritize the guests’ preferences. And as you said, you’ve tasted the Eight Bowls and Eight Plates in Liaoning’s Fushun, which is the birthplace of the Manchu people.”

”I think even from a commemorative standpoint, this banquet is superior to the Michelin specialty dishes as the guests’ family is traditional, and some ingrained dietary habits might influence them.”

Hearing this, Zhao Meng suddenly brightened up.

That’s right!

Though the Eight Bowls and Eight Plates don’t have a place in high-end restaurants, this banquet is well-known in Liaoning.

Back then, he specifically traveled there to taste the Manchu specialty cuisine.

Moreover, he wasn’t even skilled in Michelin Restaurant specialty dishes.

Previously, he had no choice but to bravely give it a try, but now thinking it over, this idea wasn’t a bad one.

Zhao Meng weighed the pros and cons and decisively nodded: ”Alright, let’s do as you say.”

After saying that, he glanced at Old Zheng beside him, realizing only then that there were others in the kitchen, reminding himself that while assisting, he too needed to act like an assistant and wait for the right opportunity.

Thinking like this, he nearly overshadowed the host just now.

That was close!

Zhao Meng broke out into a cold sweat.