Xu Milu had already experienced the irresistible aroma of braised pork belly in a clay pot two years ago.

The moment the foil was peeled off, a visible white mist shot out almost impatiently. The rich and intense aroma of wine intertwined with the straightforward and fragrant aroma of meat. In just a few breaths, the entire studio was immersed in this fragrance.

The finest Shaoxing wine paired with succulent pork belly, with a subtle hint of sweetness, creates a simple yet powerful flavor that, while not particularly sophisticated, is amplified a thousandfold from the taste of everyday roasted pork.

But for some reason, it makes you crave a bowl of freshly cooked, steaming hot white rice, topped with a spoonful of broth, and then a satisfying bite into the glistening, translucent pieces of roasted pork—

"Plop..."

A sound of someone swallowing hard came from the judges' panel, followed by a series of murmurs from the audience:

"My goodness, this smells amazing! It tastes exactly like the stew my mom makes at home!"

"It smells so good! There are no other extra flavors, just the aroma of meat!"

"Did they add something to this? It smells so good."

"That's how pork belly is. When stewed, it has an incredibly strong aroma. My family makes braised pork belly, and the aroma can attract people from an entire building!"

"How can the judges eat the food prepared by the contestants after smelling this?"

The audience was buzzing with excitement, and even the cameramen in the studio couldn't help but secretly swallow hard behind their lenses. The live chat on the big screen was flooded with comments once again.

How delicious it must smell!

【Ahhhhh, it's such a shame I wasn't there!!!】

[Sisters, I've tried it!! I had it once in Ningcheng when I was interning!! This tastes like it belongs in heaven!!! Trust me!! It's so delicious it'll melt your tongue!!]

Isn't that an exaggeration?

[Are the audience members really that exaggerated? Could they be shills?]

"Can you act it out for me?"

[It's plated! It's plated!! Please, photographer, give me more screen time! I'm eating instant noodles!]

Even the host, who had maintained an elegant smile throughout, was overwhelmed by the aroma of the meat and only hurriedly went on stage after being reminded by the control room staff.

"Haha, the competition was really intense! The countdown is over, so now let's invite our judges to taste the roast meat... and give their comments on each contestant's dish!"

She almost misspoke, but still glanced longingly at the stage, somewhat resentful that the host couldn't participate in the tasting.

It's just an ordinary braised pork with Shaoxing wine, but it's so mouthwatering that it makes your mouth water.

...

...

Five seconds before the countdown ended, Xu Milu finished plating the dish perfectly.

Instead of using Western-style plating, she sliced ​​a cucumber and laid it horizontally, then placed a piece of roasted pork tied with straw rope in the center of a white porcelain plate, and garnished it with a wild cherry blossom.

The tender, emerald-green cucumbers, the deep reddish-brown pork skin, the light brown lean meat, and the light brown fat, along with the cherry blossoms carved with the tip of a knife—no bigger than the tip of a little finger—are exceptionally exquisite. The layers of colors create a visually striking effect.

The hostesses went up on stage one by one to carry away the dishes. Xu Milu was not far from Guan Wenyan, and she could see him staring at her with a complicated expression when she looked up:

"You...you actually planned to make this dish from the beginning?"

Xu Milu quickly realized that the other person had misunderstood, but she didn't intend to get to know them better, so she just smiled and didn't mention that she had originally prepared Eight Treasure Fragrant Duck.

"You flatter me, Senior Brother Guan."

“I admit, I lost when it comes to ‘taste’.”

Guan Wenyan was not discouraged; instead, he fought with even greater courage and said:

"But cooking skills are not just about smell; other factors also need to be considered. I may not necessarily lose to you."

"Let's wait for the results. I also think that the person I know well isn't me."

Considering that the three of them had just helped each other, Xu Milu was too lazy to continue arguing with him and simply waited for the judges' comments with her hands hanging down.

One dish after another was served to the judges and food critics on site. Unlike ordinary diners, they mostly observed the dishes first, then scored them based on the presentation, ingredients and aroma, then took a small bite with their utensils to taste, and after scoring, they rinsed their mouths and continued to comment on the next dish.

Although Xu Milu was quite confident in her braised abalone and pork with Shaoxing wine, everyone has different tastes, and no one knew how many people at the scene would like the dish.

Her gaze swept across the faces of the four judges, noticing that they either looked amazed, nodded and smiled repeatedly, or pondered and praised the dish as they tasted it. A little pride welled up in her heart.

She had made this dish a thousand times, and she had perfected the control of the heat and flavor to the extreme. Even if Cui Shengguo were there, he couldn't find any fault with it.

Li Ning naturally noticed the judges' reactions and couldn't help but lean over and whisper:

"Little Martial Aunt, how was it? I didn't embarrass you, did I? Look at Liu Xu'an's expression. He's never given a nice look to any chef participating in the competition! He actually smiled while eating just now. What does that mean? It means we're sure to win!"

As soon as he finished speaking, chief judge Liu Xu'an raised his hand to signal to the host that he would begin his comments.

"Jack, the player."

Liu Xu'an is the first Chinese person to be featured in the world-renowned magazine *Gourmet*, and also the president of the Chinese Chefs Association. His square face conveys a serious and composed demeanor.

"First of all, I want to commend your plating. It is truly beautiful. You used cabbage puree, carrot slices, and onions to create a caramelized crust, which was then arranged into the shape of a Christmas basket. It is very aesthetically pleasing and creative. Our judging panel gives you nine points for this."

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