Next, it was time to see the performances of the others.
He thought to himself, then turned his gaze to Nukishima Tsubusu, who was making Ramen.
That guy was the biggest threat to him. The two of them had many private duels, and their win-loss record had always been 20/80, with him at 20 and the other at 80. His strength could be said to be unfathomable!
As he stepped aside, the second contestant to appear also came onto the stage. It was Akikubo Momo.
She brought up a plate of fresh salmon sashimi. The moment the fish was brought up, a fresh scent of the sea wafted over. The salmon for this dish was exceptionally well-chosen, likely the best ingredient from Xingcheng.
And as for sashimi, what you eat is the ingredient itself. The fresher the ingredient, the better the quality, the better the taste of the dish. It also has some relation to the chef's handling technique, but the requirements are not particularly high.
It could be said that this was a dish that relied on ingredients rather than skill.
So, how did it taste?
With that thought in mind, the judges picked up their chopsticks. Underneath the salmon sashimi was a pile of ice for cooling, which was a common practice for sashimi.
First, dip in soy sauce, then in wasabi. This is the traditional way to eat salmon sashimi, not mixing them together. Paying attention to this detail can elevate the taste of salmon sashimi by a notch.
It must be said that this sashimi had excellent texture and taste, although there was no particular embodiment of creativity or technique. But even so, it was still a very perfect dish.
Exchanging glances, the judges gave a high score of twenty-four points, again a uniform eight points.
Seeing the score, a hint of unwillingness flashed in Akikubo Momo's eyes. It was also her bad luck to draw such a theme. If it were changed to desserts, she was confident she could absolutely crush anyone present!
Including Nukishima Tsubusu, in terms of desserts, Hoshino Sora was currently the only one who could directly defeat her.
She was convinced of her loss.
But for salmon, she was not convinced! However, there was nothing she could do, as she had drawn such a theme. Fairness was always relative. Having lived in Far Moon for so long, Akikubo Momo deeply understood this principle.
"Thank you for waiting.
Please enjoy, Yukihira Style · Water-Bathed Pan-Fried Salmon!"
His voice firm and powerful, Yukihira Soma carried several plates of pan-fried salmon onto the stage. Although it was pan-fried, it was different from ordinary pan-fried salmon. The salmon heated by the water bath locked in more moisture, making both its texture and taste far superior to regular pan-fried salmon.
"What a beautiful color, soft and tender texture, with a thin crispy layer on the outside. The contrast in textures is clear, truly a good idea."
Tasting the dish in front of her, the female judge in the middle brightened up and gave a high evaluation. The two judges beside her also showed satisfied smiles after tasting this dish.
"Wait, please try this dipping sauce. Only with it can the true deliciousness of this dish be brought out!"
However, just as they were about to score, Yukihira Soma raised his hand to stop the three of them, and quickly took out the dipping sauce he had prepared beforehand.
That's right, even though it was pan-fried salmon, it really wouldn't work without dipping sauce!
In addition to marinating, an extra layer of flavor needed to be added to the outside; only when the two complemented each other could the best taste balance be achieved.
Having battled Hayama Akira many times in private, Yukihira Soma had a rich knowledge of spices. This was his accumulation over this period, and it would all be reflected in this dish of sauce!
Sauce? Does pan-fried salmon need dipping sauce?
Hearing Yukihira Soma's words, the judges' expressions clearly froze for a moment, then they looked at the dipping sauce in front of them. The base flavor seemed to be the simplest wasabi, diluted with a little light soy sauce, and there were also some leaves in the bowl, which looked like perilla leaves.
This was a relatively normal pairing, but this dish had already been marinated, so it inherently had a salty taste. Adding these could easily disrupt the flavor balance within it.
With a skeptical attitude, the female judge in the middle swallowed, picked up a piece of pan-fried salmon, dipped it in the soy sauce and wasabi, and then, her body began to twist exaggeratedly.
"Ah~ Mm... Hmph."
Embarrassing sounds frequently emanated from her throat, and her face was flushed. Those who knew understood she was reacting to the food, while those who didn't might think she was in heat.
The female judge's performance made the two people next to her stunned, wondering if a dipping sauce was really worth such a reaction. With a skeptical attitude, they also tried the dish.
The result.
When they picked up the pan-fried salmon, had a close encounter with the dipping sauce, and sent it into their mouths, the faint sourness neutralized the spiciness and saltiness, elevating the salmon's flavor to a higher realm.
It was as if a light flashed in their eyes, and their bodies twisted to a certain extent. The exaggerated reactions of the three immediately drew the attention of the audience below, who began discussing animatedly.
"What's going on? It's just a dipping sauce, but it caused such a big reaction from the judges!?" Audience A exclaimed in surprise.
"I don't know, maybe there's something else to the dipping sauce, but to cause such a big reaction, it's probably not drugged." Audience B said jokingly.
"Lemon juice was added to the dipping sauce. Lemon juice, as an intermediary, neutralized the flavors of the other seasonings. This is the key to how the dipping sauce elevated the dish!
To think of using lemon juice to neutralize the flavor of the seasonings, Soma Yukihira has grown a lot during this time!"
Looking at the confident expression of Yukihira Soma on the stage, Hoshino Sora revealed the secret in one sentence, while also marveling at Yukihira Soma's astonishing growth. How long had it been, and he had already grown to such an extent.
While sighing, he didn't reflect on himself. One should know that his growth was far greater than Yukihira Soma's, and now he rarely relied on the system, depending more on his own talent.
"Xingping-jun has been diligently researching in the dormitory during this time, and it's time for some results. He was originally the most talented person in our dormitory."
"Xiao Hui is not bad either. In my heart, your talent is no less than Soma Yukihira's."
Hearing Tadokoro Megumi's words, Hoshino Sora naturally interjected. Tadokoro Megumi's talent was obvious to everyone. In the early stages, she simply didn't perform well due to excessive nervousness.
However, this drawback no longer existed with his efforts. Now, Tadokoro Megumi was full of confidence, and her cooking skills were also very high, no less than Yukihira Soma's!
Because he hadn't seen the two formally compete, Hoshino Sora couldn't say that Tadokoro Megumi was definitely stronger than Yukihira Soma, but in his heart, he definitely favored Tadokoro Megumi more.
After all, she was his dear wife~
"Mm, I will work hard."
Hearing Hoshino's encouragement, Tadokoro Megumi didn't rush to deny it. Instead, she nodded, indicating that she would work even harder, so as not to disappoint his expectations.
"Good girl~"
Looking at Tadokoro Megumi's obedient and cute appearance, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but reach out and stroke her head. It had to be said that girls were truly magical creatures.
"28 points! The first contestant to advance has appeared!"
Kawashima Rei's shocked voice came from the arena. Hoshino Sora also looked over, only to see Yukihira Soma's score appear above the judge's table.
9, 10, 9
One judge gave a perfect ten, for a total score of twenty-eight points!
Upon seeing the score, the scene instantly erupted. Yukihira Soma also removed the bandage from his head at this moment.
"Sorry for the wait!"
The bandage fluttered in the air, and Yukihira Soma's face revealed his signature smile.
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