Chapter 16 Three Reviewers
Pei Song remembered that he had stayed at Su Mi's house for one night last Christmas. Because it was too late, he only cooked a simple bowl of plain noodles.
"Just that bowl of noodles?" He was a little incredulous.
"Yeah." Shi Yanchen looked at the night in the distance, "That taste... reminds me of the plain noodles I ate with my grandmother in the alleys of City B when I was a child."
This was the first time Shi Yanchen mentioned his childhood to him, and Pei Song listened quietly.
"Then I thought," Shi Yanchen continued, "more people should be able to taste this flavor."
The night breeze blows gently, bringing the fragrance of flowers from afar.
"So," Shi Yanchen turned around and looked Pei Song straight in the eye, "Don't feel pressured for tomorrow's judging. You have to believe that your taste deserves a star."
Pei Song suddenly felt a little sour in his nose.
At this moment, he finally understood that Shi Yanchen's trust in him was much deeper than an investor's confidence in a project.
Pei Song suddenly found courage. He raised his head and said to Shi Yanchen, "I won't let you down."
Shi Yanchen smiled and said, "I know."
The next morning, all the restaurant staff arrived at work two hours early.
Pei Song checked every ingredient in the kitchen to make sure they were in perfect condition.
"The appointment time is almost up." The waiter announced in a low voice.
Pei Song took a deep breath and glanced at Shi Yanchen who was standing at the door.
The latter nodded at him, his eyes firm and trusting.
"Let's start." Pei Song said.
The jury arrived on time at the appointed time.
The three judges entered the restaurant at different times and through different entrances.
They looked like ordinary guests, but Pei Song recognized them at a glance.
As a chef, he has studied the photos of Michelin judges countless times.
"Table 1, seat 3." The waiter whispered in the kitchen.
Pei Song took a deep breath and began to prepare the first dish.
This is a Cantonese dim sum dish: Truffle Jade Dumpling.
The dumpling skin is colored with spinach juice, as thin as a cicada's wing but very chewy.
The fillings are made of fresh shrimp, bamboo fungus and black truffle, with rich layers.
He watched the waiter leave with the dim sum basket, and then he realized that his hands were shaking slightly.
At this moment, a warm hand pressed on his shoulder.
"Focus on the ingredients themselves." Shi Yanchen whispered, "Just like usual."
Pei Song nodded, adjusted his breathing, and refocused his attention on the chopping board.
The first judge finished a dumpling in just two bites, then wiped the corners of his mouth gracefully and typed quickly on his phone.
Pei Song knew this was a good sign; if the judges were dissatisfied, they would usually put the food aside.
"Table 12 has ordered the main course." The waiter came again to pass on the message that this was the seat for the second judge.
The main course is a famous Cantonese dish: baked sea cucumber in thick soup.
The sea cucumbers are marinated for three days and need to be turned over every four hours.
The thick soup is stewed for 8 hours with old hen, Jinhua ham and more than ten kinds of ingredients.
The most challenging part is the final baking temperature. If it is too high, the sea cucumber will be woody; if it is too low, the soup will not be rich enough.
"Will they order dessert?" Pei Song asked the waiter, but his eyes never left the stove.
"Already ordered, table 6."
The last dish is Pei Song’s innovative dessert: jasmine tea mousse.
Infuse the fragrance of jasmine tea into French mousse, paired with homemade osmanthus syrup and almond crisps.
This was the inspiration he got when he was studying in Country D, a perfect fusion of oriental tea fragrance and western desserts.
The judges ate at a slow pace, savoring each dish carefully.
From time to time, they would pull out their cell phones or write something in their notebooks.
But there was never any communication or special requests with the kitchen.
Pei Song didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the last judge left, and slumped down on a chair in the kitchen.
The whole process was more difficult than I imagined.
The wait for each dish seemed like a century.
"When the chief judge finished his dessert, he put down his spoon and looked at it for a long time." Shi Yanchen handed him a glass of warm water, "This is a good sign."
Pei Song took the cup and said with a wry smile: "You watched it for so long, maybe you were thinking about how to write a bad review?"
"No." Shi Yanchen said firmly, "He is not thinking about evaluation, but memories, just like the feeling your bowl of plain noodles gave me last year."
Pei Song turned to look at Shi Yanchen, whose eyes were gleaming with tenderness.
At this moment, he suddenly realized that no matter whether he could win the star in the end, his dream of touching people's hearts with delicious food had come true.
"Now," Shi Yanchen looked at his watch, "it's time to prepare for the evening market."
"Ah?" Pei Song was stunned, "Aren't you going to take a break today?"
"Why do you need to take a break?" Shi Yanchen raised his eyebrows. "No matter how important the Michelin rating is, it cannot affect the dining experience of ordinary guests."
Pei Song understood Shi Yanchen's intention.
Regardless of the review results, the restaurant's operations must continue and every guest deserves the best service.
"Go ahead." Shi Yanchen patted his shoulder, "I saw on the reservation that a student has a birthday today, remember to prepare that chocolate cake."
Looking at Pei Song's back as he walked into the kitchen, Shi Yanchen's mouth corners slightly raised.
This stubborn boy finally grew into a real restaurant chef without realizing it.
When we finished work at night, it was almost midnight.
Pei Song sat in the empty restaurant, thinking about everything that happened that day.
"What are you thinking about?" Shi Yanchen came over and sat down opposite him.
"I was thinking..." Pei Song pursed his lips, "If I can really get the star certification, my parents will definitely be very happy."
Shi Yanchen looked at him and suddenly said, "Do you want to return to China and open a branch?"
"Ah?" Pei Song looked up in surprise.
"Haven't you always wanted to help your family?" Shi Yanchen said, "If this place can get Michelin certification, it will be much easier to open a branch."
Pei Song pondered for a moment: "Returning to China to open a store is indeed a good choice."
After this period of experience, he has gained a deeper understanding of catering operations.
Shi Yanchen glanced at him, his lips curled up slightly: "Let's take down the Michelin restaurant here first."
Pei Song nodded, he knew Shi Yanchen was right.
Taking it step by step and completing each goal down to earth has been his biggest gain during this period.
"Okay, it's time to go home." Shi Yanchen stood up, "I have to get up early for a morning run tomorrow."
Walking on the way home, Pei Song looked at the starry sky and thought about every little thing that happened in the past few months.
From the initial uneasiness to the current ease, Shi Yanchen's shadow can be seen in every step.
He glanced at the tall figure walking beside him, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
I don't know when it started, but this seemingly cold man has occupied an irreplaceable position in his life.