Chapter 136 - Master Chef Competition
Chapter 136 Master Chef Competition
He stood up and said a long sentence. None of them understood what he said. The interpreter standing in front of him pouted.
Alex sneered and said, “He is saying that your product is not authentic. Xu Le, what do you think?”
“What…” Bai Xiaoming held back his vulgarities and said,” Nonsense, I dare to guarantee that even a Michelin chef would not be able to make such a perfect palmier. Look at the layers, they are so evenly baked and the shape is beautiful, not to mention the texture!”
“You flatter me.”
Xu Le knew that Alex was most likely joking, so he ignored him.
The interpreted glanced at Alex and explained to Xu Le, “He is praising your cooking for being delicious and for not making this trip in vain. However, he is so fluent in his speech that I can’t translate a lot of words. That is probably what he meant. It’s enough so long as you understand the gist.”
“It’s good that he likes it. I made a lot of them. I can pack some for him.”
Xu Le was generous and waited until the customer had left.
Zhou Huangya had already eaten two pieces of palmiers. She pouted and said, “This stuff is too addictive… Sigh, I’ll start my diet again after you leave.”
“That’s right.” Another female guest added, “Xu Le, I’ve gained almost three kilograms in just one week. It’s too exaggerating. It’s all your fault for making such delicious food!”
Alex added, “Is it a sin to make good food?”
Xu Le and the rest chatted for a while more. His recording ended at 8: 00 PM and he rushed to the airport directly. Alex was quite kind and specially sent Xu Le.
“Why are you in such a hurry? Can’t you change the flight timing? If you have time, why don’t you go to KL and have a seat?”
“My sister is still at home. Someone is waiting for me.”
Xu Le explained calmly. Seeing that Alex looked a little disappointed, he said, “If you have the chance in the future, you can come to my shop and try my food. I’ll give you a discount.”
“Hmph, I’m busy. I wonder how long I’ll have to wait.”
After chatting for a while, they soon arrived at Bangkok International Airport. Xu Le got off the car and waved goodbye to him. He was about to turn around when he suddenly noticed a familiar face.
He raised his head and saw people coming and going in a hurry. He frowned and thought, “Did I see wrongly?”
The night on the plane was still spent in the system. After learning two Hunan dishes and taking a nap, he finally reached home.
Xu Le was not tall. In the crowd, there were people who treated him like a lost child from time to time. They grabbed his arm and asked, “Where is your mother? Why is a child running around alone? Are you afraid that you can’t find the way?”
“Thanks, but I don’t need help.”
Xu Le struggled free.
The warm-hearted woman in front of him was still unwilling to give up, saying, “I’m not a bad person, tell me, where’s your family?”
“I…”
Just as Xu Le was getting annoyed by her meddling in other people’s business, a clear voice pierced through the crowd.
“Xu Le!”
Lu Yuxi rushed over. She was wearing a pink sweater and loose green pants today. She wore a white cap and her long hair was loose. She ran with a bright smile.
Although she was dressed in a shocking color, Lu Yuxi’s superior facial features and skin were able to hold up her clothing choice. She quickly ran over and said, “Tiantian and I have been waiting for you for a long time.”
Xu Le finally saw Xu Tian, who was standing with Li Qing. “Yep, I’m back. I even bought you a gift.”
The lady beside let go of Xu Le’s hand and said, “Is this your sister?”
“…I guess so.”
“No.” Lu Yuxi denied it immediately. She smiled and explained, “We’re good friends.”
“Oh, then I misunderstood. You guys can leave.”
The auntie also felt awkward and turned around to blend into the crowd.
Xu Tian watched as her brother returned. At first, she was still smiling. But when Xu Le walked forward, she started crying. Her tears were like a flood that broke the dam. She couldn’t stop at all.
“Alright, alright. Brother is back. Why are you crying? You’ve become a little sobbing kitten.”
Xu Le hugged his younger sister and caressed the back of her head to comfort her. “Let’s go home.”
Xu Tian cried all the way from the airport to the taxi and was exposed to wind on the road. She sat in Xu Le’s arms and couldn’t help but hiccup.
As she hiccupped, she said, “I miss brother so much…”
“Aren’t I back now?”
Xu Le laughed.
Xu Tian shook her head and pursed her lips aggrievedly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and did not speak for a long time.
The car was silent, but Li Qing, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, spoke first. “Master, you’ve been there for more than a week. How do you feel? Have you met anyone difficult to talk to?”
“Everything is fine.”
“Oh…” Li Qing turned to look at Lu Yuxi and said hesitantly,” Then I’m afraid you don’t have time to look at your phone, right?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Uh…”
Li Qing was thinking about how to put it across less explicitly.
Lu Yuxi said, “Let me explain. Do you remember Chen Xian?”
Xu Le thought for a while. He had a vague impression of him, but he could not remember his face.
“It’s the one who beat you in the competition last time. Back then, he won first place with a red steamed carp. Do you know that he has lost terribly recently?”.
Lu Yuxi was naturally standing on Xu Le’s side. When she said this, she looked a little proud and elated. She said excitedly, “There’s suddenly a local competition in the country recently that’s been promoting every day. Not only did Chen Xian make mistakes on the show, there’s also Zhang Tong and Li Peng… They’re all your old acquaintances in the industry.”
“Them?”
In Xu Le’s impression, these people were on par with him. They were all top chefs who were specialized in their respective cuisines. Hence, he asked in surprise, “Did they lose too?!
“That’s right.” Lu Yuxi continued to gossip. “You don’t know about this but a chef who has never revealed his face had produced dishes that received unanimous praise. Some people even say that the dishes are perfect and flawless, like a piece of art sculpted.”
Xu Le raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “Everyone has different preferences. Some may feel that a dish is salty, while others feel that it is bland. How can you get the praise of everyone?”
“Other than the ten judges, there are also 300 audience members present. All of them voted to decide the victor. That Zhang Tong from the Heavenly Restaurant already has a lot of experience but he lost his face in an instant and only received a dozen votes in total.”
“That exaggerating?”
Xu Le’s interest was piqued.
Li Qing chimed in, “That’s right. Zhang Tong was dissed on the internet for having a fake reputation. Later on, it caused too much influence to his restaurant that he was fired.”
Even the taxi driver couldn’t help but interrupt, “Are you guys talking about the ‘Master Chef Competition’? Hey, I’ve been watching it recently too. I wonder who that unknown chef is. He’s so skilled!”