Chapter 257 - 248: Another Zhejiang Cuisine Competition, Part 2

Chapter 257: Chapter 248: Another Zhejiang Cuisine Competition, Part 2

Li You said, "That depends on the specific dish. I’m not an expert in many Zhejiang dishes. If it happens to be one I’m very good at, perhaps I’ll win. If not, Master Yu will certainly win."

Ye Shengge nodded. "That makes sense. Speaking of which, there seem to be quite a few famous Zhejiang dishes."

Li You said, "A lot. Like Longjing Shrimp, West Lake Vinegar Fish, Sister Song’s Fish Soup, Rock Sugar Turtle, Three-Shredded Beaten Fish, Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables, Beggar’s Chicken, and so on."

Ye Shengge said, "There really are a lot. And it seems many of them are related to fish."

Li You smiled. "That’s because Zhejiang Province lies on the coast of the Donghai. Its northern part is a network of waterways, and the eastern coast is dotted with fishing grounds, making it rich in aquatic resources. It has long been known as the ’land of fish and rice.’ It’s no surprise that so many fish-based delicacies were developed there."

Ye Shengge nodded. "That’s certainly true."

Meanwhile, out in the main hall, Yu Hong spoke up again. "However, just as Master Chen said, my greatest strength is, after all, Zhejiang cuisine. If Boss Li You and I were to compete with a Zhejiang dish, I don’t think I would necessarily lose. I just wonder if Boss Li You would be interested?"

As soon as he said this, everyone—from Chen Wen, He Xianfei, and Qu Feng to all the other customers in the restaurant—was a bit surprised.

’They hadn’t expected Yu Hong to say such a thing.’

’It seemed that despite conceding defeat on the Mapo Tofu, Yu Hong was still not reconciled to the loss. He wanted to win back a round with a Zhejiang dish, which was his specialty.’

Of course, this was perfectly normal. Everyone could understand.

Besides, you couldn’t say Yu Hong was bullying him by pitting his own strength against someone else’s weakness.

After all, the previous Mapo Tofu was a Sichuan dish. It was only reasonable for him to request another competition with a Zhejiang dish.

’But has the boss studied Zhejiang cuisine too?’

The customers had no idea.

Judging from all the dishes the boss had introduced so far, not a single one was from Zhejiang cuisine.

In fact, besides Sichuan dishes, there was only one other type of cuisine represented: the Hunan dish, Chopped Pepper Fish Head.

This suggested that the boss might not be skilled in Zhejiang cuisine.

Of course, it would be normal if he wasn’t. Even if the boss was exceptionally talented, he couldn’t possibly be an expert in every regional cuisine.

Then again, you never know. The boss was surely skilled in far more dishes than just the ones he had put on the menu.

’Maybe there are some Zhejiang dishes among the ones he’s good at but hasn’t released yet?’

After all, with the Chopped Pepper Fish Head as a precedent, you could no longer say he only specialized in Sichuan cuisine.

While he probably wasn’t an expert in all Zhejiang dishes, it was possible he was skilled in one or two, or even a few.

’It all depends on whether the boss is interested, doesn’t it?’

’If he is, this is going to be very interesting.’

All the customers hoped Li You would be interested.

「In the kitchen.」

Ye Shengge said in surprise, "I can’t believe Master Yu actually wants to challenge you to another round with a Zhejiang dish. Boss, what do we do now?"

Li You said, "It’s perfectly normal for Master Yu to think that way. Besides, competing with a Sichuan dish first, then a Zhejiang dish, is fair and reasonable."

Ye Shengge said, "That may be true, but you’re not an expert in many Zhejiang dishes, Boss. If it’s a random dish, you might lose."

Li You gave a faint smile and added, "It would be normal for me to lose, too. It’s not like I can only win and never lose. In a culinary competition, winning and losing are both normal. That applies to me as well."

Ye Shengge nodded. "That’s true. So, Boss, does that mean you agree to compete with Master Yu?"

Li You nodded. "The chance to exchange pointers with a master of Zhejiang cuisine is a rare opportunity. Now that I have this chance, why wouldn’t I take it? As for winning or losing, that’s not important."

Both Ye Shengge and Ling Xiaoru nodded.

Although they both only wanted to see Li You win, they knew that winning and losing were indeed both normal and not the most important thing.

At that moment, Li You added, "Let’s go. We’ll go out and formally introduce ourselves to Master Yu."

Ye Shengge and Ling Xiaoru both nodded.

The three of them walked out of the kitchen together.

As they emerged, Chen Wen, He Xianfei, Yu Hong, Qu Feng, and all the customers in the restaurant saw them.

Although Yu Hong had never met Li You before, he was one hundred percent certain at this moment that this young man was Li You.

’Truly, the new generation surpasses the old.’

’However, if we’re competing with a Zhejiang dish, the winner will definitely be me, right?’

’Is this young man coming out now because he’s interested in another match with a Zhejiang dish?’

’His courage is admirable.’

Chen Wen, He Xianfei, and Qu Feng also wondered, ’Is Boss Li You coming out now because he’s also interested in competing with Master Yu in a Zhejiang dish? Can it be that Boss Li You is also skilled in Zhejiang cuisine?’

In fact, both Chen Wen and He Xianfei were skilled in many kinds of Zhejiang dishes.

It was just that compared to a top-tier master of Zhejiang cuisine like Yu Hong, their skills fell rather short.

’What about Boss Li You? This is making us very curious and expectant.’

All the customers were wondering the same thing.

’Is the boss really also skilled in Zhejiang cuisine? Or is there a specific Zhejiang dish that he’s very good at?’

Even if it were the latter, it was enough to make one quite excited.

’Things seem to be getting more and more interesting.’

Seeing Li You approach, Chen Wen stood up and smiled. "Boss Li You, come, let me make an introduction. This is Master Yu Hong."

Yu Hong, He Xianfei, and Qu Feng also stood up.

Li You smiled. "It’s a great pleasure to meet you, Master Yu!"

Yu Hong, in turn, said, "The pleasure is all mine, Boss Li You. To have achieved such culinary skill at such a young age is both impressive and admirable."

At the same time, the two shook hands.

Afterwards, Li You added, "I’m only skilled in a few dishes. Besides the ones I’ve introduced in my restaurant, my skill with other dishes is really just average."

Yu Hong said, "Boss Li You, you’re being too modest. May I ask how familiar you are with our Zhejiang cuisine?"

Li You said, "The famous dishes of Zhejiang cuisine are legendary. For example, Longjing Shrimp, West Lake Vinegar Fish, Sister Song’s Fish Soup, Rock Sugar Turtle, and so on. It’s just a pity that I haven’t studied Zhejiang cuisine much. However, if I have the opportunity to exchange some pointers with Master Yu, I would be more than happy to."

Li You’s meaning was already very clear: he was willing to have a Zhejiang cuisine competition with Yu Hong.

The customers in the restaurant grew excited. ’The boss really is skilled in Zhejiang cuisine! Even if he doesn’t necessarily win, he can at least compete against a top master of Zhejiang cuisine.’

’Things really are getting more and more interesting.’

’I can’t wait!’

Chen Wen, He Xianfei, and Qu Feng were also very happy. They hadn’t expected Boss Li You to actually be skilled in Zhejiang cuisine as well.

’But can he really beat Yu Hong?’

The answer was unknown.

Of course, emotionally speaking, they all hoped Li You would be the one to win.

Yu Hong laughed heartily and said, "Boss Li You, you truly have skill and courage. I am also very happy to be able to exchange pointers with you. As for which dish we should use for our exchange, I’ll let you decide, Boss Li You. How does that sound?"

As he said this, Chen Wen, He Xianfei, Qu Feng, and all the customers in the restaurant nodded to themselves in approval.

Even though Yu Hong was eager to win and even the score, he didn’t lose the grace and magnanimity expected of a master chef of Zhejiang cuisine.

Li You said, "To be honest with you, Master Yu, there is only one Zhejiang dish that I’m confident enough to compete with you on. Only with this dish do I stand a chance of winning. If we were to compete with any other dish, you would certainly be the winner, Master Yu."

"Oh?" Yu Hong was very interested. "And which dish might that be?"

Li You said, "Longjing Shrimp!"

Yu Hong smiled. "That is one of the most famous dishes of our Zhejiang cuisine. Very well, we will compete with Longjing Shrimp."

And just like that, the competition dish was decided. The customers in the restaurant instantly began to discuss it.

The dish was indeed very famous. Although most of the customers said they had never eaten it before, they all knew of it, or at least its name.

Even the few who didn’t know what kind of dish it was had heard the name.

The customers broke into a buzz of discussion.

"Longjing Shrimp, that’s a great choice! It’s famous enough. This will be a real eye-opener for us. I’ve only ever seen this dish on TV; I’ve never seen it in real life."

"I’ve always known the name ’Longjing Shrimp,’ but to be honest, I have no idea what kind of dish it is. The ’shrimp’ part is easy to understand, but what does ’Longjing’ mean?"

"You’re obviously not a tea drinker. If you were, you’d know that ’Longjing’ is a type of tea."

"Tea? You cook with tea and shrimp? Isn’t that too weird?"

"It is a bit strange. But that didn’t stop it from becoming a nationally famous dish."

"..."

...