Chapter 359: Chapter 359 - 358: Eight Immortals Cross the Sea—Immortal Leaping Over Wall!

The appetizer Jiang Feng prepared was already done.

The rich broth, boiled over a high flame, was poured over two lifelike flowers on the plate, the light yellow broth adding a touch of beauty to the dish.

It was like a painting.

A painting full of artistic conception.

The Italian chef’s appetizer was also excellent.

His appetizer was called fresh shrimp and egg with caviar.

It consisted of shrimp placed on an egg, with egg white below, egg yolk in the middle, and a shrimp standing on top, sprinkled with green plant fragments for decoration, and topped with some caviar.

The plate held four of these fresh shrimp and egg with caviar.

One must admit, this dish was impeccable from the choice of ingredients to the art of plating.

The Italian chef even thought his appetizer would surely take first place.

But when he saw Jiang Feng’s "Moon Over Western Chamber," he was completely stunned and froze in amazement.

What was that?

What did I just see?

Two flowers?

Two flowers made of who knows what?

Is this a dish?

Top-tier Chinese cuisine is like this: it looks simple but actually has profound mastery behind it.

The greatest truths are the simplest, returning to the genuine essence.

Take for example the classic dish boiled cabbage, which looks like an ordinary plate of cabbage, but the clear soup in which it’s immersed contains an unknown number of ingredients.

Even ground chicken meat is used to make the broth clear.

The difficulty is immense.

This "Moon Over Western Chamber" is also such a dish.

"Is this an appetizer from Chinese cuisine?"

"How was this made?"

The Italian chef was the only one clueless in the entire room.

After all, everyone else witnessed the whole process of Jiang Feng’s cooking and knew how he made such a beautiful dish.

But the Italian chef didn’t see the process, so naturally, he didn’t know how it was made.

"Unbelievable!"

"Chinese cuisine can reach such a level."

Gordon repeatedly praised.

The Chinese cuisine currently popular worldwide are all home-style dishes, the kind you can find in small local restaurants.

Like sweet and sour pork with pineapple, kung pao chicken, and the like.

There are also many grand dishes that are relatively difficult to make and are less commonly found.

Even more are the top imperial dishes, which are hard to find even domestically, let alone abroad.

Otherwise, during summits, so many world leaders taste the dishes served at state banquets and continuously exclaim how delicious they are.

Because such dishes can only be tasted at the most exclusive occasions in China.

Now, Jiang Feng has brought such dishes to the competition scene.

Letting everyone witness the true depth of Chinese cuisine.

A "Moon Over Western Chamber," two exquisitely made flowers.

From the appearance alone, it was an invincible presence.

"I’ve never seen such a beautiful dish; it’s not just about exquisite plating, it’s pure beauty."

"Like the most beautiful art."

"I even hesitate to destroy it."

Gordon gently praised as he looked at "Moon Over Western Chamber."

"I have to admit, Chef Jiang Feng, you always surprise me."

"Every time, it’s beyond my expectations."

"Truly incredible!"

Saying this, Gordon looked at Jiang Feng and asked:

"May I taste this dish now?"

Gordon’s attitude represented his respect for Jiang Feng.

He genuinely respected Jiang Feng, which is why he asked.

Because he truly hesitated to destroy this work of art.

Jiang Feng smiled and said, "This is an appetizer, of course, you can taste it."

Hearing Jiang Feng’s words, Gordon picked up a spoon, hesitantly extending it towards the flowers.

The audience, seeing this scene, also hesitated, as if worried he would destroy the beauty of the two flowers.

Reaching such a level in cooking was unmatched.

Gordon paused for a moment, then made up his mind and scooped a spoonful of scallop meat.

The texture of the meat was similar to shrimp, but the taste was completely different.

Upon the first bite, the initial taste was of the broth.

The broth came from stewing chicken, pork, and ham.

The aroma of meat.

The internal flavor was a mix of sweet and sour sauce and a tad of garlic.

A slightly sweet and sour sensation.

As you chew, the two flavors collided together using the shrimp as a medium.

From the texture to the taste, it was perfect, making one feel comfortable from start to finish.

Gordon chewed more and found it tastier.

This dish wasn’t just visually appealing, but its taste was spectacular.

"So unbelievable, first I tasted the broth stewed with chicken and pork, then after chewing, I could feel the sweet and sour transformation in my mouth."

"The texture was similar to shrimp, so fresh."

"I originally thought this dish would have an ice cream-like texture, but I didn’t expect it to be this tender."

"So delicious!"

Gordon was full of praise.

Seeing the usually sharp-tongued Gordon displaying such an expression, people were particularly surprised.

Gordon has always been impartial and stern.

His critiques are very precise.

But when it came to Jiang Feng, all he had was praise.

There were also two other relatively famous chefs, all began to sample the "Moon Over Western Chamber" prepared by Jiang Feng.

When they tasted this top-level delicacy, they too showed expressions of admiration.

Indeed, it was delicious.

Moreover, the portion of this dish was not large, and after finishing it, the stomach suddenly felt a bit hungrier.

The competition wasn’t a one-time event; instead, it was held one dish at a time.

This was quite uncomfortable.

After the three finished a blossom, they still felt slightly hungry.

Fortunately, next to it was an appetizer made by the Italian chef, which also looked nice and could be used to fill the stomach.

Then, Gordon began to critique the Italian chef’s dish.

Although full of praise, everyone could sense from Gordon’s tone that he was not as excited and lacked a sense of amazement.

It was just a standard Michelin restaurant appetizer.

Which was good enough.

After the judges finished both dishes, Gordon announced the next rules.

"Next, the main course and dessert will be cooked together."

"This means, within the stipulated time, you need to present two dishes."

Gordon obviously realized that comparing one dish at a time wasn’t quite appropriate.

Presenting them all at once was the correct approach.

Upon hearing the rule change, both remained calm.

After all, the dessert is either the post-dinner sweet or small dish.

Just casually preparing it was sufficient, not difficult.

The real challenge was the main course.

As it was the final of a top-level master chef competition, there were no restrictions placed on the two, moreover, if ingredients were not available in the kitchen, they could request, and Gordon would send someone to buy them.

With Gordon’s stature, obtaining a few kinds of ingredients was quite simple.

However, most of the kitchen’s ingredients were meat, so the scope for creativity was not vast.

Jiang Feng was pondering over what to prepare.

The main course needed to be substantial.

Initially, Jiang Feng thought of making "Budda Jumps Over the Wall," as he had sold it at the market before and was familiar with it.

Coincidentally, he had just boiled some broth, which was convenient.

But "Budda Jumps Over the Wall" wasn’t enough.

After some contemplation, Jiang Feng made a decision.

He decided to make an upgraded version known as "Immortal Leaping Over Wall":

"Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea,"

A top-tier dish, just hearing the name conveys its complexity.

This is the essence of traditional Chinese cuisine.

The most elite chefs might dedicate a lifetime to developing a dish, and then pass it down.

Extremely rare.

Then, Jiang Feng spoke to Gordon:

"I need some ingredients that are not here."

"I hope they can be provided comprehensively."

After hearing Jiang Feng’s words, Gordon readily agreed:

"No problem, whatever you need, I’ll arrange it now, quickly."

"I have access to the largest ingredient market in the country."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng wrote down the required ingredients, which were:

Eight Delicacies: deer tendon, fish lips, shark skin, skirt edge, abalone, sea cucumber, scallops, and prawns

Eight Treasures: matsutake, morel, boletus, chicken matsutake, deer horn, bamboo shoots, Clitocybe and shiitake mushrooms

Then, a hen over three years old, kill the chicken to take the eggs, take the yolk inside, called Arhat.

This is "Immortal Leaping Over Wall."

A divine dish even the body might not endure.

The real top-tier cuisine.

The preparation is similar to "Budda Jumps Over the Wall," it’s placed in a pot for stewing.

Jiang Feng had made numerous "Budda Jumps Over the Wall," so making this dish was equally adept.

Gordon was surprised when he saw the list of ingredients.

All were top-quality ingredients.

He quickly made arrangements; it wasn’t long before various ingredients were ready.

Jiang Feng then officially began his cooking process.

Still using superb skills, the broth was a golden color.

In the pot, the abalone and sea cucumber were all stewed perfectly, as if they were glowing.

As for the dessert snack, Jiang Feng chose to make a dish called Hundred Fragrance Chicken.

The Jiangnan Hundred Fragrance Chicken is renowned worldwide, and its plating is aesthetically pleasing.

When the two dishes were plated, they exuded an upscale, grand and sophisticated aura.

Many people had not seen this type of Chinese cuisine, as most are ordinary dishes.

Now witnessing it, they felt amazed.

Spectators present only felt a feast for the eyes.

Jiang Feng’s performance today completely exceeded their understanding.

Chinese culinary culture is profound and vast, and thus gradually revealing itself.