The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

"You are a chef, not just an artisan. You need to not only delve into cooking techniques but also understand when these techniques might actually be applicable. As a head chef, your duty is not just to successfully complete a dish but to clearly understand all the ingredients, discern adjustments in flavors, enrich your cooking ideas, refine your operational skills, and also consider the plating design of the dish while cooking..."

"Therefore, you mustn’t be high and mighty, overly arrogant, or lose yourself simply because you’ve cooked a few signature dishes. The path of learning to cook is very long, and the world of cooking techniques is vast. There’s still much you need to learn and see!"

"You must always stay alert!"

Zhao Meng’s words were heartfelt, but his attitude unknowingly took on a tone of a father lecturing his son.

He himself was completely unaware.

Fu Yu listened intently, knowing Zhao Meng meant well, and he appreciated this familial attitude from Zhao Meng.

Especially Zhao Meng’s words made him secretly glad that he had not grown complacent because of the system and the help from various benefactors he encountered later, but woke up in time.

In fact, this heartfelt advice made him even more clear-headed.

How many dishes can he really make?

Even those dishes practiced in classroom sessions were, at best, just studied.

But which of these were truly applied in daily cooking work?

After mastering the cooking techniques of these dishes, can he really use them flexibly and make them his own skills?

His operational steps, his cooking techniques, and so on...

Indeed, specialization matters.

If he wants to handle daily work, all he needs to do is perform his cooking duties well.

However, can just cooking ordinary dishes make him an excellent head chef, or even a qualified and recognized famous chef?

Even in the back kitchen, you can’t just focus solely on cooking with the pan.

Flexibility in using ingredients, cooking techniques, seasoning proportions, heat control, plating design, and even collaboration with order-takers and servers, as well as assistants and helpers, are all indispensable!

Mastering cooking techniques has many advantages, but besides techniques, there are indeed more skills that we can master and utilize flexibly!

Any head chef, not to mention others, but Zhao Meng, has such cooking skills and experience that Fu Yu finds hard to match.

Because whether it’s cooking techniques or experience, both require a process of accumulation.

During each cooking operation, Fu Yu can acquire much related knowledge, but he must not let himself become a lightweight head chef because of this, instead, he should strive to be an excellent chef.

From taking orders to cooking, from handling the pan to the final plating, the entire process needs improvement.

After all, when you become an excellent chef, you are the trusted head chef for customers dining at the restaurant, the reliance of all kitchen staff, and the backbone for the restaurant to operate normally, so you must strive to perfect yourself.

The journey of learning to cook is a never-ending road.

To truly make a name in this industry, one must hold a determination to live and learn till old age!

Zhao Meng finished speaking, feeling a myriad of emotions, lifting his glass and taking a sip.

Fu Yu, meanwhile, fell into his own thoughts.

One drank while the other was lost in thought.

As an observer, Yao Shi found it rather amusing.

He had known Zhao Meng for nearly twenty years and understood this person very well.

Therefore, he particularly understood Zhao Meng’s intention to support and mentor Fu Yu wholeheartedly.

However, sometimes, honest advice can be hard to swallow.

Zhao Meng has a straightforward way of speaking, with good intentions, but it made him sound somewhat reprimanding.

Yao Shi glanced at the two of them and said with a chuckle, "Exactly, Xiaofu, Old Zhao’s words were truly heartfelt."

Fu Yu nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

Yao Shi continued, "Actually, in cooking, there’s only tradition, there’s no authenticity. There’s no fixed flavor, no fixed method, what suits the palate is precious; that’s the truth of culinary innovation."

"And what Old Zhao wants to convey is, in fact, to first learn virtue before cooking. The higher the virtue, the deeper the skill. Study theory, practice diligently, stay humble and cautious, strive for perfection."

"After all, skill originates from diligence, and those with aspirations can achieve success!"

After Yao Shi finished his words, before Fu Yu could speak, Zhao Meng had already laughed.

He tapped his glass against the table and said with a smile, "I realize that people who are learned speak differently, see, I said a whole lot, and you summed it up in just a few words."

Yao Shi also laughed, "Ah, summarizing doesn’t count, my words also carry some of my own summarized experience, I’m teaching him here!"

Zhao Meng chuckled too, turning to Fu Yu, "Did you hear that? Chef Yao has advised you. You better toast him!"

Fu Yu hurriedly raised his glass for a toast.

Yao Shi smiled cooperatively.

As the drinks were in place, the conversation naturally flowed smoothly.

The meal lasted over two hours.

Yao Shi and Zhao Meng talked to Fu Yu about many things, sharing a lot of cooking techniques and experiences, as well as some personal experiences they had been through themselves.

Fu Yu felt he greatly benefited from it.

Because these were not found in textbooks, but life insights slowly explored and summarized by these two after decades of cooking.

After the meal, Fu Yu eagerly went to pay the bill.

The three of them ordered a table full of dishes, mostly drank, and barely touched the food.

There was more than half of the lamb chops left, Yao Shi’s portion of pilaf was untouched, and there were still two baked buns and half a plate of braised lamb left.

This meal cost over eight hundred, and Fu Yu felt a bit pained looking at the leftovers, so he called the waiter to pack it all up, taking it back as night snacks.

Zhao Meng was heading back to Dai Li’s place, and driving was inconvenient, so Fu Yu was driven back to his dormitory by Yao Shi.

On the way, Yao Shi suddenly brought up the matter of cooking Peony Fish Slices at Shangshi Private Kitchen earlier.

Yao Shi was very interested in this dish, but due to being too busy, he never had the time to cook it himself.

However, Fu Yu’s actions during cooking provided him with quite a bit of inspiration.

"Peony Fish Slices is a dish that requires skill. The key is the chef’s knife skills and control over the heat."

"Xiaofu, what do you think of using seabass instead of grass carp for this dish?"

Fu Yu was stunned, using seabass to make Peony Fish Slices?

Seabass has firm flesh that’s easy to flavor, and its taste is very delicious.

It would be quite suitable for making Peony Fish Slices too.

Fu Yu replied truthfully, "I think it should be okay."

Yao Shi laughed, "And since the fish slices can be fried into petal shapes, which can then be used for plating, the styling can be varied."

Fu Yu looked at Yao Shi in surprise.

Is Chef Yao planning to launch a new dish?

After saying that, Yao Shi chuckled, "You know, this innovation in dishes is about applying new seasoning ingredients and methods, using new cooking materials, simplifying production techniques, and combining nutrition and diet therapy for new dishes."

"And the launch of innovative dishes should cater to the broader customer base, be based on readily available ingredients, affordable and of good quality, acceptably priced for the mass audience, and with common ingredients used creatively to make dishes customers enjoy."

"Therefore, this dish Peony Fish Slices, although visually appealing and with good taste, is too complicated in its cooking process to be suitable for ordinary restaurant sales."

"So, maybe after simplifying the operation method, it could become a key dish promoted for large banquets."

These words were more about Yao Shi sorting his thoughts than seeking Fu Yu’s opinion.

Fu Yu looked at Yao Shi with admiration and respect.

Look at the vision and ideas!

Through just one dish, he could think of a way to make money.

No wonder he’s destined for great wealth!