While netizens on the live streaming platform were questioning the judges' capriciousness,

on the competition field, a master chef from Yuqing Hall, full of pride, didn't show the slightest doubt, but instead seriously said, "I apologize to all the judges, I did not consider things thoroughly. Firstly, the quality control of the ingredients was not strict enough, I didn't notice that one of the shrimps was smaller in size."

"Furthermore, because the dish was predetermined, I did not take into account that a judge might have a canker sore, and after entering the competition, it was too late to make adjustments."

Even Shen Qiang couldn't help but look at the Yuqing Hall master chef with newfound respect upon hearing these humble words.

You have to understand that so-called gourmet food varies from person to person.

Some people who usually eat very plainly might consider a big meal full of meat a top-tier delicacy.

For others who eat rich foods every day, a refreshing little radish dipped in sauce might whet their appetite considerably.

Therefore, oftentimes, even the most elite gourmets dare not claim that the flavors they cherish will be loved by everyone in the world.

If that judge had a canker sore, consuming seafood like fish, shrimp, crab, or abalone would likely make it worse, aggravating the condition. Thus, strictly speaking, giving Yuqing Hall eight points was already quite generous.

After all, whether it's a cooking competition or restaurant management, the food you make is ultimately for others to eat. If they can't eat it, it only shows that you have not considered things thoroughly enough.

As for the points deduction due to the size of the shrimp,

it was actually a very minor detail.

Ordinarily, average customers wouldn't complain about the size of a shrimp.

However, there are also many people who do pay attention to these details.

Take, for example, ordering braised pork in a canteen, where everyone hopes to get the biggest, most perfectly marbled piece. If such attention is paid for just a few dollars' worth of food, what about in a high-end restaurant?

When two tables order the same dish,

and spend the same amount of money, yet the dishes served vary in size, with one being smaller, the customers receiving the smaller portion will undoubtedly be dissatisfied.

Hence, in Datong River, the standards for Truffle Steak are extremely stringent. Each Truffle Steak must weigh 250 grams, and even the shape and thickness are strictly regulated, unlike a casual roadside stall where cutting the steak a bit larger or smaller is seen as trivial.

What's more, at Datong River, stringent regulations can be said to be pervasive.

Even for something as simple as a bowl of cold noodles, the amount of noodles, broth, meat slices, the type of meat, the shape of the meat, the quantity of shredded cucumber, pickled cabbage, the size of the egg—all these have strict specifications with dedicated personnel responsible for them.

If two bowls of noodles are served—one with larger slices of meat, and another with smaller, one with a larger egg, another with a smaller one—these would warrant a fine and a requirement to redo the dishes. If such issues recur, the responsible party would be dismissed outright.

Because anyone who goes to a high-end restaurant to enjoy gourmet food has exceedingly high standards.

Spending thousands to order a dish that is inferior or smaller than another's would merit severe criticism from a rigorous judge—not just nine points, but a zero to express dissatisfaction, leaving Yuqing Hall with no room for argument.

So while netizens on the live streaming platform were criticizing the judges for being capricious, inside the competition, such a score was beyond dispute to anyone.

While Master Chef Yuqing Hall humbly owned up to his mistake, his disciple beside him was having a rough time, looking deathly pale and sweating profusely.

One look at the situation, and without needing to say anything, Shen Qiang could guess that the uneven shrimp sizes must have been the disciple's oversight.

After the scoring of Yuqing Hall's first dish concluded, the next dish presented was Baihua Tower's steamed mandarin fish.

As the live broadcast camera zoomed in, netizens viewing the plate of fish on the streaming platform erupted in chaos.

"Holy crap, what's up with Baihua Tower's master chef? He didn't even remove the scales from the fish."

"Uh, it still has scales on it, how can you eat it?"

"Are you freaking kidding me? You don't even know to scrape off the scales, and you dare to compete?"

However, the netizens immediately felt embarrassed.

The host introduced loudly: "Reeves shad used to be reckoned among the four famous fish in Chinese history, alongside the Yellow River carp, Tai Lake whitebait, and Songjiang perch. As early as the Han Dynasty, it had become a delicacy, and the Eastern Han celebrity Yan Guang, Yan Ziling, once refused the summons of Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu, to enter government service because of his reluctance to part with the delicious reeves shad."

"Because of Yan Ziling's fishing platform, it is also known as the Ziling fish."

"Moreover, reeves shad is incredibly delicate, and it is said that as soon as fishermen touch the fish's scales, it immediately stops moving."

"Thus, the great Song Dynasty literary figure Su Shi called it 'the fish that cherishes its scales' and composed a poem praising it: Still imbued with the breath of spring are the peach blossoms, yet its flavor surpasses that of perch."

"Starting from the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era, the reeves shad became an imperial tribute and entered the Forbidden City. By the Kangxi Period of the Qing Dynasty, reeves shad was already listed as an important dish in the Man-Han Banquet."

"Because the area underneath its scales is rich in fat, steaming it with the scales on causes the fat to flow out, creating a tender and delicious flavor, which is a significant characteristic."

The live broadcast's screen was instantly flooded with bullet comments from the netizens.

"Hehehe…"

"Haha…"

"This is awkward."

The netizens were embarrassed, but at this point, the competition had already reached the evaluation stage.

The first judge to speak said cheerily, "This reeves shad, it's been a rare item since ancient times. In the Ming Dynasty novel 'The Plum in the Golden Vase,' there is a mention of Ximen Qing helping the brother of eunuch Liu, who managed the royal brick factory, escape the charge of stealing royal wood. In gratitude, eunuch Liu sent him a gift that included forty pounds of pickled reeves shad in two packages."

"The reeves shad sent by this royal eunuch was shared by Ximen Qing with his friend, Lord Bing. The next day, Lord Bing specifically came to thank him for the two fish, which sufficiently highlights the extraordinary status of a single reeves shad in that society."

The judge's words made everyone at the venue chuckle.

Turning to a different point, the judge sighed, "But now it's different. With the maturity of preservation and fishing technologies, reeves shad can no longer be considered a rare delicacy. So, using it to judge whether a chef is skilled or not is indeed most appropriate."

"As for Baihuadong, which has also had a tradition lasting hundreds of years, their steamed reeves shad, whether in terms of selection of ingredients or cooking technique, is flawless, so I feel I must give them full marks!"

The second judge following him slightly smiled: "I looked carefully, these five fish are basically the same size and dimensions. Full marks, 10 points."

"I have mouth ulcers and can't eat it, 8 points."

"Impeccable, 10 points!"

"Absolutely perfect, 10 points!"

"Congratulations to team Baihua Pavilion, their steamed reeves shad has taken the lead with a great score of 48. Up next, let's see what the dark horse of this competition, team Datong River, has brought us. Can they pull off an upset and knock down the two supreme gurus of the culinary world? Don't go away; the excitement will continue after these commercials!"

The video cut to commercials.

The netizens exploded.

"Damn, what's that judge doing? Is he here to mess things up? If you have mouth ulcers, don't come. He's given out two 8s in a row, and with him there, this competition is doomed to have a maximum of only 48 points!"

"Yeah, if he always has mouth ulcers, it's impossible for anyone to score higher than 48."

"Why even bother competing? With that spoilsport, Baihua Pavilion is pretty much at a perfect score; Datong River could bring out any dish, and they still won't be able to win."

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