Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe-Chapter 91: Chef Marchello’s Attention and Overseas Assignment Selection

Except for Chef Raphael, the other three were tasting the new dish for the first time, and were instantly conquered by the subtle freshness and pepper-numbing sensation in the cold dish.

For those tasting Sichuan pepper for the first time, the novel stimulation is unparalleled. Lin Chen had controlled the ratio perfectly—it wasn't numbingly strong, with only a faint lingering aftertaste.

The second cold dish was even more Chinese.

Initially, it was another dish, a tomato and cheese type, but after Lin Chen prepared green plum cherry tomatoes, Chef Raphael decided to change the menu on the spot.

Also an iced appetizer, the method is quite simple—just select high-sugar tomatoes, blanch and peel them, then soak them in plum juice to marinate.

This has become a popular trendy dish online in recent years; Lin Chen hadn't tried it himself, but saw it while browsing eating shows and decided to try it. Unexpectedly, it's super appetizing; the more you eat, the more you want.

Plums are not popular abroad; only Asians like them. Their debut had as shocking an effect as the previous Sichuan pepper.

The subsequent salad incorporated the flavors of Chinese cold dishes. Lin Chen learned from the lessons of street vendors, adding a bit of red oil to the Western vinaigrette dressing, crafting a sour and spicy taste. The spiciness is extremely mild, even those who don't eat spicy food can accept it; the focus is mainly on aroma.

For the second appetizer, based on the chef's recipe, Lin Chen only modified the sauce, incorporating sesame paste to enhance the overall composite flavor and aroma.

The consecutive four refreshing dishes made the three tasters' eyes increasingly bright, as they began to look forward to the main course.

"Thank you for waiting; this one is fried oysters, using top-quality Gillardeau, paired with lemon cream sauce. This one is crispy fried silver cod with passion fruit yogurt sauce."

Both are fried items, but the content varies. Though the menu will be updated, it doesn't necessarily mean the previous dishes will be completely replaced; they are limited editions, if diners respond well, they'll become permanent.

The two main dishes look very Western, seemingly just ordinary fried food.

However, Chef Marchello saw the noticeable difference at a glance.

"This crispy shell—isn't it made with flour? I've never seen such a form."

"Yes."

Chef Raphael nodded: "The only change Lin made was the batter formula, using Great Xia's characteristic rice batter, made by grinding rice."

"I never thought rice could make a crispy shell for fried food, but more importantly, the mouthfeel completely surpasses flour batter in every aspect!"

Chef Marchello, with interest, picked up the knife and fork, first cutting open half an oyster.

"Crunch."

The instant the blade cut through the coating, his eyes lit up.

"So crispy! Just hearing the sound sets it apart, and I can already smell the distinctive rice aroma!"

Under the influence of Asian and Southeast Asian cultures, the inclusion of rice in Western cuisine has significantly increased, and rice has become a part of daily diet for foreigners.

Especially for chefs of a higher level, discerning the scent of ingredients is fundamental.

With just one cut, even before the nearby front hall manager smelled anything, he had already clearly distinguished the difference in aroma of the coating.

Tasting a bite, nodding in satisfaction.

"Very good, it seems like a common pairing, but tasting it brings a different feeling. The most important aspects of fried food are the heat and coating; I never thought Great Xia People could innovate with the coating, impressive, impressive." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The subsequent two desserts were no exception; they received unanimous praise from several people.

The restaurant staff enjoyed the delicacies on the other side of the hall, each with a small card in front of them, similar to voting and feedback.

"Quick, introduce me to this amazing Great Xia chef; I've never seen anyone innovate eight dishes at once, even for me, it's quite challenging."

"Haha, Marchello, you may find it hard to believe, but you have indeed met that guy, more than once."

"What? I've met him?"

Chef Marchello was stunned, furrowing his brows in deep thought, while the sous-chef seemed to recall something, leaning over to whisper a few words.

"Ah? Could you be talking about that Asian guy who used to wash dishes here?"

"Yes, it's him!"

Raphael clapped his hands, signaling Lin Chen to come out of the kitchen.

They exchanged a few words by the dining table, then moved to the office, letting the hall staff tidy up in preparation for the evening service.

"Didn't expect, didn't expect, that the ordinary dishwashing staff would become an excellent chef praised so highly by Raphael!"

Chef Marchello and the sous-chef still hadn't recovered from the shock of the revelation.

Graduating from dishwashing to kitchen assistant isn't difficult; a year is enough. But progressing from assistant to station chef, able to perfectly manage dishes, isn't feasible without several years of practice. Usually, assistants don't get the chance to handle pots.

They didn't know how he achieved it, but that didn't matter; what mattered was his extraordinary culinary skills, which was already sufficient.

"Your cooking and innovative abilities are impressive, Lin. I've decided: for the candidate to Dieppe from Amiens, it's you!"

"?"

Lin Chen wasn't surprised; rather, he looked at Chef Raphael with confusion.

Wasn't it already decided internally? What does this mean?

Why does it sound like Chef Marchello is the final decision-maker here?

Raphael grinned and winked at him.

Alright, this is how you play it; worthy of you, foreigner!

Lin Chen instantly realized it was just a little trick by the chef, clearly effective.

"Alright, Raphael will discuss the details with you; I need to rush back to Paris. Good luck, Lin, I hope to taste more delights from you in Dieppe."

After seeing off Chef Marchello and his assistant, Raphael still wore that cheeky smile as he hooked Lin Chen's shoulder.

"Congratulations, Lin! When you come back from Dieppe, you can be promoted to my assistant. Then the kitchen won't need my personal involvement, and I can focus more on menu development."

The higher the level of a restaurant, the more important the head chef's role becomes; it's not limited to the kitchen, but extends to the entire service, layout, environment, menu development, and ingredient procurement of the restaurant.

The role of the sous-chef is to assist the head chef in managing the kitchen, ensuring the entire restaurant runs smoothly when the head chef is absent.

Ascend to this position, and becoming a head chef is inevitable; the difference lies in which restaurant it's at.

"For now, don't think about anything; just enjoy your vacation. We'll discuss specific details when you return on Monday."

The chef patted his shoulder, "Yes, you heard right."

"At this moment, you can clock out."

"Oh, and you don't need to punch out; I'll adjust it in the system later, paid vacation~"