"To all our honored guests, and our dear friends in the audience," good evening!
On this exciting day, it is a great pleasure to see you all.
Welcome to the annual Youth Chef Competition!
I am your host for tonight. You can call me Dong Dong—that's Dong as in 'chairman,' not Dong as in 'sensible,' hehe.
It is a great honor to witness this peak showdown between young chefs with all of you!
The young woman was dressed in red, her voice impassioned as she spoke, her gaze fixed directly on the audience before her, as well as on Alice Nakiri and another contestant who were already prepared in the contestant passage.
"Now, let's welcome the two contestants for our first match to the stage!"
"They are Zhong Yi from Xiamen, Fujian, and a member of the self-proclaimed mysterious dark organization, the Underground Cooking Society, codenamed 'Ai' (Love)!"
The spotlights moved quickly, finally settling on the two youths on the left and right sides of the competition stage.
First, coming from the east, is the member of the Underground Cooking Society, codenamed 'Ai,' Alice Nakiri. Her silver chef's uniform and short white hair were particularly striking. Although the upper half of her face was covered by a mask, she still gave off a dashing and handsome impression.
From the west is Zhong Yi from Xiamen, Fujian, with a black, center-parted layered hairstyle. He was decked out in designer brands from head to toe; the bracelet on his wrist alone was worth over ten thousand.
As soon as the host's excited voice rang out, everyone's gaze focused on the masked Alice Nakiri and the center-parted Zhong Yi.
"Zhong Yi, Zhong Yi, you're the one for me!"
"Brother Zhong Yi, I want to have your babies!"
As Zhong Yi entered, a white banner appeared in the most conspicuous part of the audience seats. Holding the banner was a group of young women with exquisite makeup and a generally wild look.
"How troublesome, my darlings. In that case, I'll win this match just for you!"
Hearing the surrounding voices, a look of enjoyment spread across Zhong Yi's face. He then opened his arms wide, striking a pose as if to welcome his fans into his embrace.
"Ahhhhh!"
As Zhong Yi made this gesture, the cheers from the audience grew even louder, especially from that group of girls, who couldn't suppress the smiles on their faces.
"When did the culinary world become like this? This has to be an isolated case, right…"
Seeing this scene, Dylan couldn't help but comment. The sight reminded him of the fan culture from his past life, and a look of disgust involuntarily appeared on his face.
"Go for it, Alice!"
Looking in Alice Nakiri's direction, Dylan cheered for her in his heart. She couldn't possibly lose to a guy like this; that would be far too embarrassing.
And Alice seemed to feel his encouragement. A confident smile appeared on her face as she looked at the man before her, her expression instantly turning cold.
"Are you holding a concert here? The incessant squawking is killing me. Victory in cooking isn't determined by who has the loudest cheerleaders!"
Hearing the cheers for her opponent and seeing the other spectators who were annoyed but didn't dare to speak up, Alice Nakiri couldn't help but sneer. Bringing people to a competition to disrupt others' viewing experience was truly pathetic.
"This was all spontaneously organized by everyone. I've tried to stop them before, but it was no use. It's understandable, though. After all, I'm so handsome, my cooking is incredibly good, and I'm practically an all-around genius. It's only natural that they'd like me!"
"Ahhh!"
"Zhong Yi, Zhong Yi, you're the one for me!"
Zhong Yi struck a ridiculously smug pose and blew a kiss to his fans in the audience, instantly causing his group of fangirls to scream again.
The prepared members of the audience had already covered their ears, their dislike for Zhong Yi on stage growing even stronger. After all, like idol, like fan.
"It's a good thing you'll last one round at most. Otherwise, the shouting from these people would be a form of noise pollution for the other contestants and even the audience."
She reached up to clean her ears, flicking away whatever was inside. Alice Nakiri looked at Zhong Yi coldly, and the atmosphere instantly became tense and confrontational.
"One round at most, you say? You've got quite the mouth on you. I hope you can maintain that expression later."
Facing Alice Nakiri's blatant provocation, Zhong Yi's expression also turned cold. His open palms tightened into loose fists. He couldn't just pretend he hadn't heard that!
"If you've really got the skills, then bring it on. I hope you don't disappoint me. A competition without any suspense is terribly boring for the audience."
Alice Nakiri shot back with equal sarcasm. In her eyes, a guy who spent all his time on his appearance and marketing himself couldn't possibly be that strong.
"It seems the fighting spirit of both contestants is incredibly high. I'm sure they will bring us a spectacular showdown. Let's wait and see!"
The host didn't interrupt the war of words between Alice Nakiri and Zhong Yi. Instead, she cut in just as they were getting fired up at each other, starting her commentary and pushing the atmosphere to a new peak.
"Before the competition begins, please allow me to introduce this match's judges."
They are the head chef of Fuzhou's famous restaurant, Xia Ming Lou, Chu Qiu. Also, the successor to the suddenly rising Jin Hai Xuan, Mr. Jin Shan. And the founder of Chu Hai Hui, Master Xuan Qing!
The spotlights swept across the venue, quickly landing on the judges' panel.
The head chef of Xia Ming Lou was a slender, sharp-looking man with a small mustache, who made no gesture in response to the crowd's attention.
Jin Shan, the successor to Jin Hai Xuan, was a large man. From the beginning until now, he had worn a constant, beaming smile. In terms of appearance, he looked a bit like the Jin Da Fu whom Dylan had met yesterday.
As the crowd's gaze gathered on him, he smiled and waved, greeting everyone.
The last one, called Master Xuan Qing, was the same old man who had taken him to find Jin Da Fu. Unexpectedly, he had also appeared here.
"Now, we will draw the theme."
After introducing the judges, the host continued. At the same time, someone carried a giant circular wheel onto the stage, with all sorts of themes divided into different sections.
"You go spin it. That way, you'll have no excuses when you lose."
Zhong Yi looked at the wheel without any change in expression, merely turning his head to Alice Nakiri and telling her to spin the wheel to select the theme.
"It would be rude to refuse."
Hearing this, Alice Nakiri did not decline. She walked straight towards the wheel, and with a slight push, the wheel began to spin rapidly.
A dozen or so seconds later, the high-speed wheel gradually stabilized, finally stopping on 'Shrimp.' This was the theme of the match: Shrimp.
"A shrimp dish? Brother Zhong Yi's specialty is shrimp dishes! He's definitely going to win this!"
"Yes! Zhong Yi will win! Zhong Yi, my love, you are my one and only!"
Seeing the theme, Zhong Yi's fan group started shouting again. The fans were flushed with excitement, acting as if he had already won the competition as they chanted his name.
At this point, Alice Nakiri was already too tired to even make a sarcastic comment. Even though she really liked Dylan, she would never scream like this during one of his matches. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were at a funeral.
"Your luck is really terrible. Everyone knows Xiamen is by the sea. My, Zhong Yi's, greatest specialty is seafood, and among seafood, shrimp is my specialty of specialties!"
Zhong Yi turned to look at Alice Nakiri, a wild grin on his face.
The wheel had landed on his best dish. It was as if even the heavens were helping him! There was absolutely no way he could lose now! Unless his opponent was two whole tiers above him.
"You're celebrating a bit too early."
Although Alice Nakiri was cursing her bad luck internally, on the surface, she maintained an air of calm indifference. As they say, lose the battle, but not the war!
Besides, even if it was her opponent's specialty, she didn't think she would lose. After all, her master was Dylan, the youngest Special Grade Seven-Star Chef in history, whose position in the culinary world was unshakable!
"Now, will the two contestants please come forward to select your ingredients."
The host's voice rang out, and immediately after, four beautiful and slender young women walked up carrying all sorts of ingredients.
Among them, shrimp was the main ingredient, with five types available. Besides that, there were plump mussels, vibrant green asparagus, golden corn, and even scallions, ginger, garlic…
Zhong Yi's eyes quickly scanned the ingredients, his brain working at high speed, constructing a recipe.
"Contestants, please select your ingredients. You may only choose one at a time and must wait for your opponent to finish before choosing again!"
In a flash, Zhong Yi and Alice Nakiri reached out simultaneously, both wanting to be first.
Zhong Yi was the first to grab a box of fresh Jiwei shrimp. This was the main ingredient for his dish today; he had to get his hands on it immediately!
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alice Nakiri pick up another box of shrimp next to the Jiwei shrimp. Her movements were incredibly elegant and composed, as if she had everything under control.
Without hesitation, he picked up the mussels. Although the theme was shrimp, the dish couldn't be just shrimp.
A dish with only shrimp would be too monotonous. He planned to make a seafood risotto, and the umami of mussels was essential!
However, just as Zhong Yi's hand touched the mussels, he saw Alice Nakiri pick up cream and cheese. She didn't immediately put them in her basket, but paused, head lowered as if contemplating something, before finally making up her mind.
"The theme is shrimp. To perfectly highlight the flavor of the shrimp, I should probably use other ingredients to complement it. Cream and cheese might overpower it…"
Such thoughts surfaced in her mind, but her hands didn't stop moving. A confident smile played on her lips, which Zhong Yi opposite her saw, and he sneered inwardly.
Take any ingredients you want. If you can actually make something with them, I'll admit defeat!
Since she chose cream and cheese, it's highly likely she wants to make a Western-style risotto. Of course, she might be making a paella just like him, and if so…
The ingredients on the cooking station quickly diminished. Zhong Yi got carrots and celery, basic components for risotto, but also delicious in other dishes. It was a versatile choice, allowing for both offense and defense!
Alice Nakiri, on the other hand, chose rosemary, thyme, and black pepper. This combination of spices made Zhong Yi even more certain that she was making a Western dish.
As they picked ingredients one by one, the station was soon left with only a dozen items, and Zhong Yi's hand suddenly stopped.
On the table lay a small box of saffron, its golden hue particularly dazzling under the lights. This was the key seasoning for Spanish paella.
The ingredients Alice Nakiri had chosen so far strongly suggested she was planning to make just that. Taking it might disrupt her plan!
A shrewd glint flashed in his eyes. Although they had just had a war of words, he had to admit that anyone who could stand here was an elite among elites, selected through rigorous trials!
If he underestimated his opponent, he wouldn't be far from losing the match!
However, Zhong Yi was also a bit hesitant.
After all, the number of ingredients each person could choose was limited. If he chose this, he couldn't choose something else, and saffron wasn't very useful for his own dish.
However, just then, Alice Nakiri suddenly looked up at Zhong Yi.
Her eyes held a hint of mockery, as if she had seen through his hesitation. And under her gaze, he gritted his teeth and reached out to take the saffron.
Seeing this, the corners of Alice Nakiri's mouth lifted slightly, like a little fox whose trick had succeeded. She then picked up the last ingredient she wanted—a lemon.
When Zhong Yi saw this, his heart lurched, and he immediately had the idea to take her lemon during the next ingredient exchange.
That smile was just too unsettling.
"Both contestants have finished their selections. Contestant Zhong Yi has chosen Jiwei shrimp, mussels, round grain rice, garlic, olive oil, carrots, celery, black bread, brandy, and saffron. Contestant codename: Ai has chosen prawns, peanut oil, cream, cheese, Spanish round grain rice, scallion sections, sea salt, rice wine, eggs, and a lemon."
"Will both contestants please lock in three ingredients each, and then we will proceed to the mutual selection phase."
"I choose the prawns, peanut oil, and eggs."
Alice Nakiri spoke first. These three ingredients formed the foundation of her dish. If even her shrimp were taken by her opponent, there would be no point in playing.
"I choose the Jiwei shrimp, olive oil, and brandy!"
Zhong Yi's voice came at that moment. No matter what, the first two items were absolutely essential. Otherwise, his dish would completely fall apart.
"Both contestants have locked in their ingredients. You may now choose three of your opponent's ingredients. You cannot choose ingredients that your opponent has locked."
The host's voice rang out again. The audience was completely focused, all eyes on the two contestants below, guessing which ingredients they would choose from each other.
"Carrots, celery, black bread."
Without any hesitation, as if it had all been planned, Alice Nakiri pointed at the many ingredients in front of Zhong Yi and spoke.
Hearing her words, Zhong Yi's heart sank, and his face turned grim. He needed those for his seafood risotto. Suppressing his anger, he pointed at the ingredients in front of Alice Nakiri.
"I want the cream, cheese, and lemon!"
In the end, Zhong Yi still chose the lemon. After Alice Nakiri took his vegetables and the black bread meant as a side dish, he had no choice but to switch to a different dish.
The seafood risotto he had planned was now impossible. With the vegetables gone, a seafood-only risotto would have a very unbalanced flavor, leaving an opening for his opponent to exploit.
"Here you go."
He handed the ingredients from his station over to Alice Nakiri, hoping to see her flustered and throw her off. But she didn't play by the rules at all, directly raising her knife and attacking the carrots and celery.
Under the stunned gazes of the audience, the previously intact carrots and celery, after a flash of silver light, became perfectly uniform small dice.
"Don't think I've just been freeloading by Master Dylan's side! A challenge of this level is nothing more than a daily routine for me!"
Back when they were in Northern Europe, Dylan had done many similar things to train her reaction speed. The most extreme time, he even threw a block of tofu at her with force, telling her to cut it into one-centimeter cubes.
The result, naturally, was her getting a face full of tofu. The sticky texture and fishy smell left a deep impression on her, and from then on, she practiced her knife skills relentlessly.
Today, even if an ingredient were thrown from behind her, she could react at top speed and prepare it properly.
And now, her hard work back then had paid off.
"Such superb skill!"
"That's amazing! This is the Youth Chef Competition, after all!"
Someone in the audience gasped. At that moment, Alice Nakiri held a tray in one hand. On the tray were the finely diced carrots and celery, a look of complete ease on her face.
"Playing to the gallery!"
"Is that all you've got? My brother is the best!"
"Cooking is about taste. It's just slightly better knife work. My brother can do that too!"
Abrupt voices rang out from the audience. Everyone followed the sound and saw that it was a few of the plump fangirls with elaborate makeup, right in the middle of the cheer banner section.
They were shouting in their gruff voices, causing several people around them to frown. However, seeing that these people were numerous and aggressive, they ultimately said nothing.
And these large girls, seeing Zhong Yi cast an appreciative glance their way, immediately burst into excited screams.
"Heh, this fits my stereotype perfectly."
Hearing the voices, Dylan also looked over at them, stroking his chin and nodding seriously, a sarcastic expression on his face.
"The less capable people are, the more fanatical they are about the person they follow. If they were capable people, they would look at things more comprehensively."
Erina Nakiri also glanced over. Upon seeing their fanatical expressions, her face was filled with the look one gives a clown.
Even though she admired Dylan, her affection was very restrained. She knew her place and would never do something so embarrassing like Zhong Yi's fangirls.
If an opponent is skilled, they should be praised. Not by belittling the opponent to prove their own idol's greatness. That just turns themselves, and their idol, into buffoons.
Although no one said anything, their eyes couldn't lie. They've probably cursed their ancestors for eighteen generations in their minds by now!
"Then, the competition time is one hour. Let the cooking begin!"
As both contestants brought the ingredients to their respective cooking stations, the host raised the microphone in her hand and announced the start of the competition.
At the same time.
Alice Nakiri and Zhong Yi both sprang into action, starting to process the live shrimp before them.
Alice Nakiri looked at the shrimp in front of her, first rinsing them under running water for a while to ensure there were no impurities.
Then, with a peeler, she removed the shrimp whiskers and legs.
Next, she made a long incision along the shell on the shrimp's back and used the tip of her knife to pull out the vein.
Simultaneously, with a twist of her scissors, the connection between the shrimp head and body was cut. The blade directly broke through the shell, leaving the tail, before she placed it in water to rinse.
"A very conventional preparation method, but handled with great skill. She must have cooked shrimp quite often."
At the judges' table, the three judges nodded as they watched Alice Nakiri's preparation method. Although the technique was common, her proficiency made it quite impressive to watch.
"The Live Shrimp Ice Anesthesia Method… I didn't expect someone to still be using this technique."
Suddenly, Jin Shan's eyes opened wide. He looked towards Zhong Yi with surprise, and the other two judges followed his gaze to see Zhong Yi dumping the live Jiwei shrimp into a pile of ice.
"What is the Live Shrimp Ice Anesthesia Method?"
Sitting next to Dylan, Erina Nakiri asked doubtfully. Having been in the culinary world for so long, this was the first time she had ever heard this term.
"The Live Shrimp Ice Anesthesia Method is when a chef soaks live shrimp in ice for a few minutes. It can quickly knock the shrimp out."
"This method not only calms the shrimp down, making them easier to handle, but also locks in their freshness, preventing them from releasing too many fishy substances while struggling."
Dylan's voice sounded in her ear, a bit more interest showing on his face. Alice's opponent this time really knows his shrimp. Looks like he's not just a pretty face.
But that's good. A competition that's too easy to win is boring, with nothing to watch.
"Hmph, now this is getting interesting."
Having finished processing all the shrimp on her end, Alice Nakiri had time to look up and cast her gaze towards Zhong Yi not far away.
It seemed this guy wasn't just all talk; he had some skill after all.
Thinking of this, Alice Nakiri became a bit more serious. She didn't want to lose because of a moment of carelessness; that would be too humiliating.
She used a knife to score a fine, dense pattern on both sides of the prawn tails. This way, during cooking, the tail would naturally curl into a beautiful 'blossom' shape, which was not only aesthetically pleasing but also allowed the tail to absorb flavor more easily.
After completing this step, she put the prawns into a bowl, added sea salt and scallion sections, then a bit of rice wine, mixing it well to marinate for five minutes to infuse the flavor.
While marinating, she glanced at the black bread not far away. She had taken it earlier because she thought it would be useful to Zhong Yi, but now it was a bit difficult to handle.
"Frying it... would that be a bit too greasy?"
A preparation method came to mind, but she worried it would be too oily. Just as she was hesitating, a flash of inspiration struck her.
Apart from the ingredients, any other assistance could be provided on-site. After all, you can't stir-fry without a wok, or roast without an oven. That would be asking too much.
Soon, a staff member brought over a powerful electric fan. Alice Nakiri skewered the black bread with a thin rod, placed it in front of the fan, and turned the power to maximum for rapid air-drying.
"Using the wind from a powerful fan to achieve rapid air-drying... what is she trying to do?"
Erina Nakiri understood what Alice Nakiri was doing but couldn't figure out how she planned to use it, so she looked at Dylan with a puzzled expression.
"Air-drying the bread affects its texture. Air-dried bread doesn't absorb oil as easily. If I'm not mistaken, the next step should be deep-frying!"
Dylan's voice rang out. He couldn't guess just from this one step, but since she was his apprentice, her thought process should be similar to his.
Therefore, he already had an inkling of the answer.
"That's it! She's preparing to make Shrimp Toast. The ingredients she got from her opponent are perfect for making this dish. So, this was all part of your plan? As expected of Alice!"
While the black bread slices were air-drying, Alice Nakiri cracked an egg into a bowl, separated the yolk and white.
Then quickly whisked the egg white into a meringue and beat the yolk until smooth.
After preparing the meringue and egg yolk liquid, the rest was much simpler.
First, she took down the air-dried bread slices, spread a layer of egg yolk on them.
Then placed the prepared prawns on top, followed by a layer of meringue, and garnished with diced carrots and celery.
However, during this process, Alice Nakiri discovered another problem: this dish didn't require the shrimp tail to be fanned out. In fact, it would ruin the presentation. She had been a bit presumptuous, so she quickly wrapped the tail in foil to remedy it.
With the oil temperature at 30% heat, 150 degrees Celsius, she used a slotted spoon to support the shrimp toasts, sliding them in one by one. After deep-frying to set the shape, she flipped them to fry the other side.
Throughout the frying process, Alice Nakiri kept a close eye on the oil, worried that if the temperature got too high, the vegetables on top would turn black and bitter.
That would be overcooked!
And given the nature of shrimp, it didn't need to be fried for too long, nor did it require a second frying. When the aroma of the bread filled the air, it was time to take them out.
The removed shrimp toasts were immediately placed on oil-absorbing paper, while she moved on to prepare the sauce without missing a beat.
Under normal circumstances, she would have sautéed shrimp roe with olive oil, added a small amount of brandy and cream, and reduced it into a rich shrimp roe sauce.
That was her initial idea.
Pairing a shrimp dish with a shrimp roe sauce can amplify the shrimp's own flavor, making it even more delicious. It's a neat little trick.
Unfortunately, the current conditions were insufficient. The cream she had chosen was taken by her opponent, and the brandy was with him too. The ingredients she had were very limited.
After a moment of thought, Alice Nakiri sprang into action.
She heated a pan with 2 tablespoons of peanut oil, then added the shrimp heads and shells, stir-frying over medium heat until the shells turned red and the heads released their oil, exuding a rich shrimp aroma.
Next, she added the chopped carrot and celery cubes, continuing to stir-fry to let the sweetness of the vegetables merge with the shrimp flavor.
She added 300 ml of water to the pan, brought it to a boil, then switched to low heat and simmered for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors of the shrimp shells and vegetables to be fully released.
At the same time, she added sea salt to increase its saltiness and prevent the final taste from being bland.
After simmering, she strained out the shrimp shells and vegetable residue, leaving behind the delicious shrimp broth.
She heated a pan with 1 tablespoon of peanut oil, added scallion sections and stir-fried until golden, then poured in the prepared shrimp broth, added 2 tablespoons of rice wine, brought it to a boil, and switched to low heat.
"This flavor... it's about right."
Wrinkling her nose slightly and taking in the rich aroma from the pot, Alice Nakiri turned off the heat and poured all the remaining egg yolk liquid into it.
While pouring, she didn't forget to stir quickly with a spoon until the egg yolk and sauce merged, turning into a thick sauce.
She drizzled the finished sauce directly onto the shrimp toast. With that, the dish was complete. Sweat dripped from Alice Nakiri's forehead, landing on the floor.
With the dish complete, her tense nerves finally relaxed.
Just as Alice Nakiri was preparing to present her dish, a sudden voice sounded in her ear. She turned her head to find it was Zhong Yi.
He was holding a tray, giving her a victor's smile, before striding confidently up to the judges, kicking up a slight breeze.
"My dish is also complete."
Not to be outdone, Alice Nakiri followed closely behind him. Soon, the two arrived before the judges, placing their respective dishes down on the left and right.
"It's rare to see them finish their dishes at the exact same time."
Chu Qiu looked surprised. He raised his hand to stroke his mustache, first looking at Alice Nakiri's dish, then at Zhong Yi's.
"Since he finished first, let's start by tasting his."
"Is this a... seafood risotto?"
Smelling the rich aroma in the air, Jin Shan's nose twitched. He looked at Zhong Yi, and the steps of his cooking process immediately appeared in his mind.
"That's right. I utilized the umami of Jiwei shrimp and mussels to create this seafood risotto. Its flavor is unique and does an excellent job of highlighting the taste of the shrimp."
Zhong Yi was also helpless. He actually wanted to try a different dish, but after much thought, the limitations of his ingredients made seafood risotto the optimal choice.
Although a seafood risotto without vegetables would be a bit heavy, luckily he had obtained a lemon in the end, which nicely neutralized that flaw.
Thus, there was no problem with his approach!
"The umami of the Jiwei shrimp and mussels forms the core of this risotto. The shrimp meat is firm and springy, with the natural sweetness of the ocean. The mussel meat is tender, releasing a rich shellfish aroma."
As the dish entered his mouth, Chu Qiu closed his eyes. The umami of the Jiwei shrimp and mussels was perfectly integrated into the risotto, making him feel as if he were on a Mediterranean beach.
A gentle breeze blew, the sea air caressing him, and a sense of tranquility and peace rose from his heart, causing an expression of enjoyment to appear on his face.
"Saffron adds a touch of noble fragrance and a charming golden hue to the risotto. Its flavor is complex and unique, with a hint of floral notes and a faint bitterness that complements the umami of the seafood, elevating the dish's overall complexity."
Over here, Jin Shan also nodded. The flavor of saffron was elegant and unique, and it paired very well with seafood. It could be said to be the core of seafood risotto.
"The addition of cream makes the texture of the risotto richer and smoother, coating every grain of rice and creating a gentle, milky fragrance. This milky aroma intertwines with the umami of the seafood, neither overpowering it nor being overshadowed, making the overall flavor fuller."
Xuan Qing nodded. The cream didn't seem out of place at all; instead, it made the seafood risotto, which had been missing something, even more delicious.
"The savory richness of the cheese, the fresh tartness of the lemon, the aromatic depth of the brandy, the texture and flavor of the rice…"
"And of course, the final touch of garlic. The aroma of minced garlic is subtly present in the risotto, adding a warm base note to the overall flavor."
"Overall, this is a dish that perfectly balances umami, aroma, richness, smoothness, acidity, and saltiness. The umami of the seafood, the floral notes of the saffron, the richness of the cream, the saltiness of the cheese, the freshness of the lemon, and the aroma of the brandy all come together to form the complex flavor of this dish!"
The judges chimed in one after another, their faces filled with excitement, every word a testament to their extremely high evaluation of the dish.
_____
Hey, my dear readers!
I have an announcement to make in this chapter of "Let Him Cook," so please pay close attention!
To be honest, I stopped reading the original fanfic a while ago. I started to get bored with the story because it took a turn that I wasn't a fan of.
The translation ended up suffering because of this. My motivation took a hit since I wasn't reading the chapters, so I've decided to pause new releases for this fic.
As I've said before, I always buy the chapters I translate on the official site to support the author who creates the work. And since my interest in the story dropped, I decided to pick another story that I'm actively reading to translate instead.
But, if you still love "Let Him Cook," you can support me in bringing back the chapters by subscribing to "The Walnut-chan" tier. Doing so will guarantee 60 more translated chapters of this story (or another one that's currently on pause).