The Gourmet Customizer

He had been exceptionally careful when ladling the dish earlier, ensuring the milky-white and crystal-clear broths did not mix.

His expression was one of disbelief as he repeated the action, this time scooping from the clear broth on the other side.

HISS!!!

It was soft on the palate, yet carried a hint of sweetness. And as he chewed, a surprising crispness emerged. This wasn’t bird’s nest... this was...

His eyes widened as he stared at Su Chen. This was fucking daikon radish!

"Are you a disciple of Master Li from the Nanyuan Hotel?" The Third Brother didn’t even realize his form of address for Su Chen had subconsciously become more respectful.

"No," Su Chen said. "I’ve never met Master Li."

Tsk!

Still finding it hard to believe, the Third Brother took another spoonful of the milk soup, followed by a bite of cattail.

When he pressed down on the milk soup with his spoon, he could faintly see a greenish tint. As a renowned chef at Jinan’s Kuisheng Residence, he prepared this dish over a hundred times a day.

He knew better than anyone what this dish was supposed to taste like!

He scooped up some shredded ham and bamboo shoots from the bottom for another taste.

It had a perfectly standard savory, umami flavor. The broth was rich and fragrant, and the cattail was crisp and delicate. It made a CRUNCH CRUNCH sound when chewed, possessing the texture of celery but none of its distinctive flavor.

"This cattail you’re using is..." the Third Brother asked.

Kuisheng Residence currently sourced most of its cattail from the south. The vegetable grew in ponds, and the most famous variety had once come from Great Ming Lake, which was how Milk Soup with Cattail became such a renowned Jinan dish.

But now, the cattail in Great Ming Lake had dwindled. After April, it was nearly impossible to find any. Even if you could, there wouldn’t be nearly enough to go around.

This time, Su Chen didn’t say anything; it was Ling Shuyu who spoke up.

"We first tried to source the ingredient here in Jinan. After discovering that all the cattail in your restaurant comes from the south, I contacted a former client I know in Huai’an and had them send me some from the local area."

Su Chen shot Shuyu an appreciative glance.

This was exactly the kind of task best left to her. If it had been Bai Xiaobo, he probably would have just tried to buy some directly from their restaurant’s kitchen.

Ling Shuyu’s words ostensibly explained the ingredient’s origin, but they carried a subtle, unspoken meaning.

At her words, the Third Brother blushed and coughed drily a few times.

Truth be told, while Kuisheng Residence’s cattail was shipped from the south, none of it was wild. It was all... well, the kind cultivated in their own private ponds.

And the difference between wild and cultivated was night and day!

The Third Brother set down his spoon and cupped his fist in his palm. "My apologies, Boss Su. I judged rashly without tasting first. Your mastery of this dish surpasses my own."

This was the Lu Province character.

When we come looking for trouble, we’re dead serious about it.

But if we admit you’re better than us, we won’t waste another word arguing about it.

"Hmph..." Seeing the Third Brother admit defeat, Liu Fu was visibly annoyed. He immediately stood up, filled two small bowls with a portion of each soup, and presented them to his master. "Master, please have a taste."

Cui Yufen nodded.

Only after she took up her spoon did everyone else begin to eat.

One taste of the clear soup "bird’s nest" left two distinct impressions.

Lightness and purity.

This purity was entirely different from the richness of the milk soup. The milk soup was mellow and full-bodied, whereas the clear soup was clean and invigorating. A single sip felt as though it cleansed you from the inside out.

Combined with the radish threads, which had become almost gelatinous after repeated steaming, the dish was incredibly refreshing and packed with flavor.

’No wonder Old San admitted defeat... There’s some real skill in these two soups from Boss Su.’

Before she knew it, Cui Yufen had finished everything in both small bowls. "Ah Fu, get me another..."

SLURP, CHOMP, SLURP!

Cui Yufen froze.

’Huh?’

’Liu Fu, what are you doing?’

’You’re the goddamn First Brother! At a time like this, you should be figuring out how to win back our honor, not burying your face in a bowl and pigging out!’

She looked over at the other disciples—every single one of them was busy stuffing their face.

At the other table, a few of the junior members were even whispering amongst themselves, occasionally flashing a thumbs-up!

’Damn it!’

Cui Yufen stood up to serve herself, but as she reached for the serving spoon, she froze again.

’Wait... are you all fucking pigs?’

’Your master hasn’t had her fill yet, and you’ve eaten it all?’

Thankfully, there was still some broth and a few slices of ham at the bottom of the large serving bowl. Trying to appear nonchalant, Cui Yufen prepared to pour the remnants into her own bowl.

But another pair of hands beat her to it!

"Delicious, absolutely delicious! Haven’t seen you in a few days, Boss Su, and your skills have improved again! It’s so good, this old man won’t stand on ceremony!"

Right in front of Cui Yufen, Lu Yongliang grabbed the large serving bowl, lifted it to his mouth without bothering to pour it into a smaller one, and began shoveling the contents straight in.

’Old Lu, what is wrong with you?!’

Cui Yufen shot Lu Yongliang a murderous glare. ’You bastard, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?’

The large bowl of the two-in-one soup was devoured in the blink of an eye. Only then did the disciples remember the purpose of their visit, and they all lowered their heads in embarrassment.

The dozen or so people at the other table quickly struck up conversations about other things. No one dared to speak too loudly, terrified that Cui Yufen would blow her top.

Seeing that the situation was turning sour, the Third Brother took the initiative and stood up again. He first looked at Cui Yufen. "Master. Old San admits defeat. This time, my skills were truly inferior."

Then he turned to Su Chen. "Boss Su, I’d like to toast you with this tea. I hope we can have a proper discussion after the banquet."