The second one to finish was none other than the young man who entered at the last minute!
The whole room watched him, and this young man, evidently accustomed to the limelight despite his young age, walked steadily, his hand holding the plate without a tremor, as he placed the dish in front of the judges.
Facing Shinohara Shigetaro, Dojima Yin, and Liangzi Lina—three veterans in the culinary world—the composed young man, Dubian Junya, declared.
Two maids followed him, clasping their hands in prayer in the audience, their nervousness heartfelt.
"We must pass!" an older maid said.
"Our young master has inherited Dubian family’s culinary skills!" another petite, lovely maid said confidently, full of faith in Dubian Junya.
"Western cuisine, is it?"
On the tray Dubian Junya brought up were three pristine white plates, each holding a piece of crisply fried cod.
Besides the cod, there were several fresh lemon slices and a cluster of blanched cauliflower on each plate.
Of course, a typical western dish would not be complete without its garnishes.
Bright green thyme nestled around a small daisy.
The entire plate held three colors: the crisp gold of the fish, yellow of the lemon slices, green of the cauliflower and thyme, and the pristine white of the plate and the daisy.
At first glance, it was full of artistic charm.
"A very exquisite western meal!" Shinohara Shigetaro praised, "The presentation of western cuisine is an art. Before even tasting the flavors, people’s first impression of a dish is through visual appeal."
"In an era driven by visuals, over 85% of human perception comes from sight. If a chef masters the art of presentation, it undoubtedly adds value to his dishes."
Dojima Yin nodded in agreement with Shinohara Shigetaro.
He noticed Dubian Junya’s remarkable demeanor despite his youth and asked, "Are you still a student?"
To his surprise, Dubian Junya shook his head.
"Mr. Dojima, I stopped going to school quite early and didn’t come from Far Moon, my apologies," the young man said politely, bowing slightly, "Currently, I help out at home, and my cooking skills are handed down from my family."
"He’s from the Dubian family," Liangzi Lina interjected, glancing at Dubian Junya before bluntly picking up her fork and knife.
Dojima Yin realized, "Ah, the heir to Dubian Western Restaurant Chain Group, no wonder."
He then focused on the piece of cod on the plate and smiled slightly.
"A very unique method..."
As he spoke, Dojima Yin also used his fork and knife to cut off a crispy corner of the cod and tasted it.
The cod was delicate as it entered the mouth, not greasy like fried foods, and the texture was very smooth.
Dojima Yin’s eyes brightened as he savored it, remarking as he ate, "So that’s it! First, the cod is cut into thick slices, just enough for one serving, and kitchen towels are used to pat dry the fish’s natural moisture, then it’s mixed with salt, cooking wine, pepper, and other seasonings, marinating for at least 20 minutes..."
After Liangzi Lina swallowed her bite and set down her cutlery, she wiped her mouth with a napkin before slowly commenting, "Marinating is only the first step, common among chefs."
"The key is how to maintain the cod’s delicate and smooth texture during frying."
She pointed at the large piece of codfish left on the pristine white plate, and the large screen above the venue timely focused on this piece of codfish.
"Did you marinate it and then use egg yolks and milk, evenly spreading it on both sides of the codfish?" Liangzi Lina glanced subtly at Dubian Junya.
"Using one egg, crack it open, remove the egg white, keep only the yolk, mix it with milk, spread it evenly on the codfish, dust with a suitable amount of starch, and fry in salad oil—such treatment preserves the tender taste of the silver codfish to the fullest extent."
Dubian Junya responded with composure, showing none of the panic he had when he was late due to criticizing the grand panel of judges.
"This step is not too difficult; the key is in controlling the oil temperature!" Shinohara Shigetaro explained to the audience, "Pan-frying should be done in two stages. In the first stage, control the oil temperature to about 80 percent hot and fry over medium heat until both sides are golden. Then, in the second stage, switch to high heat. The aim is to force out the fat that has seeped into the fish during frying."
"If you navigate the second stage successfully, this lemon-scented pan-fried codfish dish is mostly a success."
The chefs in the audience began to discuss.
Control of oil temperature and heat are largely reliant on experience. Quite a few middle-aged chefs looked at Dubian Junya with new respect.
From the fried color of this lemon-scented pan-fried codfish, the control of the heat seemed almost perfect.
Sensing the subtle scent of lemon mixed with fish in the air, Niho Fuyuka silently swallowed and was amazed by this fellow external school peer’s culinary skills, "At Far Moon, he would easily be one of the top third-year students; graduation wouldn’t be a problem!"
"Dubian Western Restaurant Chain Group?" Niho Fuyuka suddenly recalled what examiner Liangzi Lina had said earlier, and her mind immediately eased.
For instance, the Niho family, skilled in Chinese medicinal diet, and the Dubian family, were not to be underestimated forces in Neon’s culinary world. Having started with Western restaurants in earlier years, they had been quietly accumulating the potential to become a culinary giant over decades.
If one were to judge by appearances, Dubian Junya’s milky lad and delicate persona could easily be misunderstood as that of a spoiled young master.
All three judges put down their cutlery, and the audience eagerly awaited the final judgement, when Dubian Junya suddenly said, "Wait, my dish has not yet been fully presented!"
He raised his hand, and both judges and audience then realized that he’d been holding a small bottle of seasoning all along.
"This is a classic Italian sauce I created..."
Dubian Junya stepped forward, evenly drizzled the sauce over the codfish, and then stepped back, "Please, try it!"
However, none of the three judges moved.
Dojima Yin crossed his arms at his seat, his voice low.
Dubian Junya’s heart sank, sensing trouble, but to everyone’s surprise, Dojima Yin gave an adequate mark.
Shinohara Shigetaro and Liangzi Lina followed suit.
Dubian Junya looked at the three judges’ plates in front of them—the codfish, which looked appealing in aroma, color, and taste, had only a small corner cut off.
Not being able to delight the diners was a failure for a chef. Dubian Junya bit his lip, unwillingly said, "...Dressed with the Italian sauce, this dish is complete. Please, taste it!"
Liangzi Lina coldly glanced at him without speaking.
Dojima Yin also showed little interest.
Shinohara Shigetaro coughed slightly, slowly saying, "Your dish is quite good, enough to pass a two-star evaluation. However, no matter how well decorated and tasty your dish is, it still lacks the essence of something."
"Perhaps if you delve further, becoming a five-star or six-star chef wouldn’t be too difficult for you. But if you wish to progress further, you should consider what your cuisine is truly missing."
Dubian Junya left in despair, with no joy of having passed the evaluation.