The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Chapter 59: Chapter 58: Crash Course

Zhao Meng said he would let Fu Yu practice cooking, and he really began finding opportunities to hand over the task of cooking to Fu Yu.

Qianlima has a few very famous signature dishes that most customers order when dining there.

”The boss is probably going to have you prepare these signature dishes for the test.”

After all, signature dishes are the restaurant’s hot sellers, and how well they’re made is easily noticeable.

Zhao Meng glanced at the order list, tore off three dishes, and stuck them on the kitchen wall.

Then he handed the list over to Gu Yunwu.

”See this? The garlic steamed clams are a signature dish.”

Zhao Meng whispered to Fu Yu, ”I’ll make it once first, you follow along, and then when the dish comes up again, you can start practicing.”

Fu Yu nodded, knowing that Zhao Meng was creating opportunities for him.

”Garlic steamed clams come in portions of 8, so size and freshness are very important.”

Zhao Meng pointed to the clams in the basin: ”These have already expelled their sand, but to be sure, they still need to be cleaned.”

Zhao Meng used a tool to pry open the shells, intentionally slowing down as he rinsed the meat: ”Sand tends to remain here, so when cleaning, gently rub with your fingertips, push slowly... Look, like this... You can’t rub hard, or you’ll damage the meat and affect the presentation.”

After handling the clams.

Zhao Meng started arranging the soaked glass noodles on a plate.

”The glass noodles need to be spread evenly and pressed flat; place the clams on top, and add the garlic sauce according to the specified ratios.”

Zhao Meng carefully explained the proportions of all the seasonings to Fu Yu: ”Even if you have to memorize it, remember it firmly for me. This will make the taste the best, understand?”

Zhao Meng handed the plate to Fu Yu: ”Put it in the steamer for seven minutes!”

Fu Yu took the plate, looked down at the glass noodles and clams, and frowned with indescribable dissatisfaction.

The plating technique was really too rough!

Too many noodles, not enough garlic, and the seasoning was either more or less, not precise enough.

And those clams.

Even though they’ll end up on the decorative stone plate, can’t they be placed a bit more nicely?

Fu Yu stared at the dense green lines of correction drawn across the plate.

For the first time in his life, he experienced the frustration and discomfort of someone with OCD in public, wanting to fix things but hesitant to intervene.

Reciting the mantra ”out of sight, out of mind,” Fu Yu quickly placed the plate in the steamer and set the timer.

Seven minutes later.

Fu Yu took the plate out, waited for Zhao Meng to pour oil over it, and quickly said, ”Chef Zhao, let me do the plating. My skills in garnishing are still lacking; I want to practice more.”

Being willing to learn is a good thing.

Zhao Meng looked at Fu Yu with growing satisfaction: ”Alright, I’ll do one as an example first, and you just follow it.”

Fu Yu: ”...”

He genuinely felt that this was not learning but torment.

Seizing the moment when Zhao Meng was busy with the pan, Fu Yu deftly arranged the seven clams on the plate, adjusting the angle and portion of vermicelli for the one Zhao Meng had demonstrated.

Seeing the green lines completely disappear, Fu Yu finally breathed a genuine sigh of relief.

In the morning, Fu Yu not only practiced the garlic steamed clams, shrimp and celery balls, and fish in wine sauce, but even helped Zhao Meng make a deluxe seafood platter.

He practiced many dishes, but unfortunately, Fu Yu never got a chance to handle the pan completely on his own.

Either Zhao Meng couldn’t bear to see his clumsy use of the pan and took over halfway, or he was intercepted by Zhao Meng to handle the garnish at the last minute.

Without comparison, there is no harm.

Fu Yu realized that the skills he prided himself on, like controlling the heat and garnishing, still pale in comparison to the experienced Zhao Meng.

Zhao Meng’s cooking skills had long been perfected.

Many dishes that Fu Yu had seen and heard about but never actually made, Zhao Meng had already cooked hundreds or even thousands of times.

Through practice comes mastery, and almost every dish had Zhao Meng’s unique techniques and tips.

In his eagerness to expedite Fu Yu’s development, Zhao Meng poured out all the experience he could think of at that moment.

Seeing Fu Yu learn quickly and full of potential.

Zhao Meng genuinely felt a bit frustrated!

He had long known that Fu Yu was a promising talent. With careful cultivation, he could achieve great things.

But no matter how talented or eager to learn, without a lot of experience handling the pan, a chef’s efforts would be in vain.

What Fu Yu lacked the most now was experience.

But that’s how it is in restaurant kitchens; they’re usually so busy that the stove is often controlled by the head chef.

Junior cooks either chop vegetables or run errands, and even if the head chef wants to nurture them, it’s mostly in an assistant role.

Real opportunities to handle the pan are few and far between.

Restaurants focus on profitability; satisfied customers become regulars.

If a junior cook’s technique isn’t good, even a helpful head chef wouldn’t dare easily let them handle the pan.

After all, with so many orders and customers waiting to eat, there’s no room for delay in the kitchen.

Even if the head chef is willing to take risks, the boss might not be.

It’s an inevitable pattern.

Fu Yu was already considered very fortunate, catching Zhao Meng at a crossroad of whether to switch to a music-themed restaurant when he applied to the kitchen.

And because he performed excellently among the new hires, Zhao Meng noticed him and decided to cultivate him well.

The kitchen had no break during lunch. They waited until the rush was over, and orders were fewer, to take turns resting and eating.

When Fu Yu followed Zhao Meng to eat, Yao Shi had already finished and was about to leave.

Seeing Fu Yu, Yao Shi said, ”Xiaofu, the assessment is the day after tomorrow; you need to give it your best!”

Fu Yu nodded.

With no outsiders around, Zhao Meng couldn’t help asking, ”Chef Yao, what do you think... of Yao Yihang’s cooking skills?”

Yao Shi glanced at Fu Yu before lowering his voice: ”He’s got a solid foundation. Before coming here, he was the head chef at a small restaurant, handling the stove alone. Lao Gu values him highly and lets him handle everything he can. Those few times Lao Gu had something to attend to, Yao Yihang covered for him. Orders kept coming, nothing was delayed, and customers had no complaints about the taste.”

If even the customers couldn’t find fault, it could only mean Yao Yihang was indeed an excellent chef.

Zhao Meng and Fu Yu exchanged a glance and fell silent.

What was originally just an opportunity for formalization, the boss had suddenly raised the bar by setting Yao Yihang as a competitor.

The standard was raised, and naturally, the difficulty increased.

After Yao Shi left, Zhao Meng turned to Fu Yu and said, ”It’s alright; consider it as training. If it doesn’t work out, just come with me to the music restaurant. In less than three years, I can guarantee you’ll be promoted to head chef.”

Fu Yu nodded, feeling touched. Zhao Meng’s words today meant a lot.

After eating, the two returned to the stove to continue learning.

The order taker handed over a new ticket.

Zhao Meng took it, glanced at it, and smiled.

He then called out to Gu Yunwu: ”Lao Gu, this entire order is stir-fry; I’ll take it!”

Gu Yunwu chuckled, ”Alright, I’ll take the next one.”

Zhao Meng stuck the order to the kitchen wall and turned to Fu Yu: ”See that? Seven dishes, all spicy crayfish. They’re here for a treat.”

Qianlima’s spicy crayfish is also a signature dish.

The finished dish is known for its bright red color, spice, and rich flavor.

Because spicy crayfish is a classic street food, Qianlima spent years carefully researching to create its unique variation of this dish.

Apart from ensuring freshness and plumpness of the crayfish, even the cooking ingredients are assured in quality and quantity, honest for all ages.

And in handling the crayfish, they ensure they are squeaky clean, not only removing the vein but even giving the legs a careful scrub with a toothbrush.

Because of the high quality and the guarantee of cooking only live shrimp, Qianlima has built a reputation over time.

Every customer who comes to eat crayfish can even confidently suck the juice from the crayfish heads, savoring the most genuine and fresh flavor.

Taking a basin of clean crayfish, Zhao Meng grabbed the wok and began cooking.

”Keep an eye on how much oil to use... Three-tenths hot is enough, then add dried chili, pepper... These all have ratios. You’re not proficient yet, but with time, you’ll be like me, reaching out and knowing how much to grab...”

Thinking of the green lines all over the plates earlier, Fu Yu nodded insincerely.