Chef at the University Canteen-Chapter 520 - 284: This Flavor Should Only Exist in Heaven; How Seldom Is It Smelled on Earth? (Part 3)
Of course, he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to enter the Seventh Dining Hall over such a trivial matter, that would indeed be too foolish.
After lining up for less than half an hour, Xiong Zhengtao was already standing at the window.
He peered inside at the dazzling array of various breakfast options but didn’t agonize too much over it. He ordered a basket of soup-filled dumplings, four marinated duck feet, and a bowl of century egg and lean pork congee. After paying with his phone, he carried his breakfast to the dining area and found a corner to sit down.
Xiong Zhengtao still felt a bit regretful because he initially wanted a serving of cold mixed noodles too, but worried he might eat too much.
He silently thought to himself, "If I don’t get hired this time, I probably won’t have any chance to taste the cold mixed noodles from the Seventh Dining Hall again."
Shaking his head slightly, he decided not to dwell on such things anymore. Picking up his chopsticks, he took a soup dumpling, placed it in his spoon, and brought it to his mouth, biting into it gently and then sipping.
As the warm and rich broth filled his mouth, Xiong Zhengtao couldn’t help but shiver all over; all the thoughts in his head vanished instantly, leaving only two big words—"Delicious!"
Coming back to his senses, he no longer cared about anything else. He quickly swallowed the broth and then stuffed the remaining wrapper and minced meat into his mouth, starting to devour.
After eating four to five soup-filled dumplings in one go, Xiong Zhengtao finally let out a long, comfortable sigh, and his mind seemed to start working again at that moment.
The soup-filled dumplings at the Seventh Dining Hall, known as the signature dish everyone longs for, were indeed too delicious.
The thin wrapper, the rich and fragrant broth, the tender and juicy minced meat...
With just one bite, it’s as if a hook with barbs is placed in the stomach, making it impossible to let go of this taste.
No wonder even those suffering from anorexia can’t resist the allure of these soup-filled dumplings.
Such flavor should only exist in heaven; how many times can it be encountered in the human world?
This breakfast, except for the beginning when he wolfed down several soup-filled dumplings, Xiong Zhengtao later on used immense self-control to slow down and savor.
Slowly savoring the taste of soup-filled dumplings, hot marinated duck feet, and century egg lean pork congee, he also compared in his heart the differences between the Seventh Dining Hall and Qingshan Restaurant, trying to find the fundamental reason for the disparity.
Is it due to different choices of ingredients and seasonings, or different preparation methods, or perhaps differences in how the ingredients are handled?
Even after finishing all the food on his tray, Xiong Zhengtao still couldn’t decipher the reason.
It’s actually quite normal; if a chef’s meticulously crafted food could be easily reverse-engineered for its preparation method and seasoning use, then there wouldn’t be any "secret recipes" in the world.
Xiong Zhengtao sighed with some regret, and suddenly a thought popped into his mind:
"There might be only one reason why the Seventh Dining Hall’s meals are so delicious?
It’s just because the person making these meals is named Jiang Yu."
This breakfast was the most delicious breakfast Xiong Zhengtao had ever had. That rich and delectable taste lingered in his mouth, even after finishing the meal.
He smacked his lips, looking around with a satisfied expression. It was already past eight, and the students dining in the hall were fewer than before, but still, people occasionally walked into the dining hall.
These people came alone, in pairs, or in groups of three or five, hurriedly arriving at the meal window and choosing the breakfast they liked.
As he looked around, Xiong Zhengtao’s gaze suddenly froze, directing his attention to a young man of about twenty-four or twenty-five sitting not far from him.
The man was dressed neatly, with a hint of rare steadiness for his age on his face, clearly not looking like a student from Jiang University.
This young man also seemed to have just arrived, with a steaming basket of soup-filled dumplings, a serving of cold mixed lotus root slices, and a bowl of vegetable lean pork congee placed before him.
Originally, Xiong Zhengtao hadn’t noticed him, but this young man also seemed to be having breakfast at the Seventh Dining Hall for the first time. After looking at the breakfast options, he couldn’t help but lean forward and take a deep breath, showing an expression of admiration.
Then, he picked up his chopsticks, carefully lifted a soup dumpling, and observed it for a moment before gently placing it in a dipping sauce dish, dipping it, and starting to eat slowly.
After watching for a short while, Xiong Zhengtao could already largely confirm in his mind that this young man was definitely not a faculty or student from Jiang University!
Without a doubt, he was, like him, a chef who had come to the Seventh Dining Hall for an interview!
Thinking of this, the muscles on Xiong Zhengtao’s body couldn’t help but tense up, and he became quietly vigilant:
"Just from watching his previous breakfast-eating actions, it can be seen that he is definitely a culinary expert!
A strong competitor has arrived!"
Xiong Zhengtao’s heart immediately tightened as he hurried to carefully observe other areas of the dining hall, and he quickly discovered several other suspected "strong competitors."
In an instant, his breath caught, suddenly feeling an overwhelming pressure...
...
A quarter before nine, all ten chefs who came for the interview had arrived.
Yan Tongtong poured tea for everyone, asking them to wait for a moment in the dining hall, and then turned into a private room on the first floor to speak to Jiang Yu and others:
