Cooking System: Street Food Rules

Jiang Feng's video of cutting tofu spread widely across the internet.

When diners at the restaurant tasted the Signature Tofu, each of them displayed an expression of pure enjoyment.

He was, without a doubt, a top-tier chef. The skill, the knife work, the flavor—it was all authentically superb!

Many people gathered outside the restaurant, hoping to queue for a table.

The staff at the counter told new patrons that there were already 120 tables ahead of them, with the wait extending into the evening, so they were temporarily not issuing any more queue numbers.

Upon hearing this, the guests showed disappointment.

"How could it be full already!"

"I want to try that tofu too!"

"State Banquet dishes! I just want to taste what State Banquet dishes are like!"

The server displayed an apologetic expression.

This situation had occurred many times. There was really no helping it; many people knew Jiang Feng was there, and business was already booming. When Jiang Feng started live-streaming his demonstration of cooking Signature Tofu, it brought in even more traffic. Getting a spot in line was truly difficult.

The entire day was spent amidst a boisterous crowd, and the hustle and bustle inside and outside the Jiangsu Cuisine Restaurant never ceased.

The clamor of the day finally subsided in the evening.

Li Wenhai approached Jiang Feng, looking like he had something to say.

"What's up?" Jiang Feng asked immediately, noticing his demeanor.

"Boss, it's like this," Li Wenhai began, looking somewhat nervous. "I graduated from the culinary program at Yangzhou University, and I'm also an honorary associate dean of the college. There's an exchange event at the school coming up, and they'd like to invite someone back to give a lecture. I was wondering if you have the time?"

Yangzhou University's culinary program? Jiang Feng found this quite intriguing.

"Yes, it's the only undergraduate university in the country that teaches cooking," Li Wenhai responded.

Only upon further inquiry did Jiang Feng learn that the university's culinary program mainly taught Huaiyang Cuisine, as well as other foundational dishes. Their daily classes involved cooking.

It's quite interesting, he thought. So, there are university students specializing in cooking. After all, New Oriental, the most famous culinary school in the country, is just a vocational school—surely not on par with an undergraduate degree.

"An exchange event?" Jiang Feng mused. "I haven't heard of that before. What would I be doing?"

"Just sharing some cooking techniques, or teaching everyone how to make a dish, something like that. Ordinary Huaiyang dishes will do," Li Wenhai added.

Li Wenhai's credentials were not shabby: he was a direct disciple of Wang Shulin, the current executive chef at Jiangyue Terrace Jiangsu Cuisine Restaurant, and also an honorary associate dean of the culinary program at Yangzhou University.

"Alright, no problem. Once I get through this busy week, I'll go over," Jiang Feng readily agreed. "I'm pretty interested in visiting the school."

Jiang Feng loved the art of cooking and was curious to see what a culinary program entailed. Learning to cook at a university, he thought, sounds quite intriguing.

Li Wenhai thanked him repeatedly.

"Boss, if you're interested, arranging for you to be an honorary associate dean at the culinary college, or even an honorary dean, wouldn't be a problem. They would definitely be delighted."

Hearing this, Jiang Feng quickly waved his hand. "That's really not necessary. I don't need it; I don't care for such things."

Li Wenhai nodded in understanding upon hearing Jiang Feng's response.

Every day remained quite busy. The Signature Tofu had been a huge success on its first day. The knife skills Jiang Feng displayed alone made the dish extraordinary, and the adulation for him only grew.

The next day, Jiang Feng planned to cook another traditional famous dish: Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish.

Jiang Feng was also exceptional at cooking fish, having made Sweet and Sour Carp and West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy before. This time, making Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish would be second nature to him.

「The next day, around noon.」

Business at Jiangyue Terrace was already underway.

At that time, a taxi pulled up at the curb, and a man and a woman got out. They appeared somewhat weary.

The woman said, "This city is nice, but I wonder how good this restaurant's food will be. I hope it's at least decent."

At her words, the man replied, "It'll definitely be good. Just consider the chef, Jiang Feng—he's a viral sensation online. I've seen his videos; his culinary skills are very solid. I'm actually quite looking forward to it."

The two were food critics who also reviewed for the Michelin Guide. As everyone knows, many top restaurants display signs indicating they are a Michelin One-Star or Michelin Three-Star Restaurant. These signs represent the restaurant's quality, and the Michelin Guide itself holds substantial reputation and influence within the industry.

Many people speculate whether there's a connection between Michelin-starred restaurants and Michelin tires, and indeed, there is. In its early years, to promote its tires, the Michelin company produced a guide for drivers that included a section on restaurant recommendations. Unexpectedly, while they were promoting tires, the food reviews of various restaurants exploded in popularity, suddenly transforming the Michelin Guide into the world's most authoritative culinary guidebook.

Many top-tier restaurants specifically requested Michelin Guide inspectors to come and evaluate their establishments, all for the sake of displaying the Michelin-certified sign.

Of course, Jiang Feng never cared about such things. Even if they came, he would treat them like any other customer.

The pair got out of the car, and soon, the Didi driver who had been queuing for them handed over their ticket number. According to the number, they only had to wait for one more table before they could enter, so it wouldn't take long.

Before long, the two entered the Jiangsu Cuisine Restaurant and sat down to order. Simultaneously, they were carefully observing the ambiance at Jiangyue Terrace.

In the kitchen, Jiang Feng was busy frying the mandarin fish he had scored and dusted with flour. Frying wasn't something to be done haphazardly; he had to hold the head and tail with both hands so the fish would retain its intended shape. Once the shape was set, he then prepared a pot of thick sauce. The sauce had to be cooked until it was rich and viscous, almost bubbling, before being poured over the fried fish.

Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish is prized for its crispy exterior and tender interior, with a delicious sweet and sour flavor. When Emperor Qianlong traveled to Jiangnan and tasted this dish, he couldn't stop praising it, making Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish famous virtually overnight.

When the hot, thick sauce was poured over the fish, its fragrance wafted out. With the addition of shrimp and green peas, the Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish was complete. The dish was brightly colored and beautifully presented, looking very festive. It perfectly suited the Chinese custom of featuring a grand fish dish at banquets.

「Meanwhile, in the main hall.」

The two Michelin inspectors had ordered several dishes, including almost all the restaurant's signature items.

The server found it quite unusual. Could just two people finish all that food? they wondered, but wouldn't actually ask out loud.

The two Michelin inspectors were named Ding Hu and Wang Xiaohui.

Just then, Ding Hu's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID before hurriedly answering.

"Hello, President Ma."

"Yes, we've arrived and ordered the dishes."

"No problem, I'll communicate with their owner."

"You can rest assured; leave it to us," Ding Hu said politely into the phone.

After hanging up, Wang Xiaohui couldn't wait to ask, "What did President Ma say?"

Ding Hu replied, "He said to contact the restaurant's owner after our meal. We're to assign stars directly this time; no need for further negotiation."

"Directly assign stars? Are you sure?" Wang Xiaohui whispered. "Other restaurants have spent a lot of money to buy a Michelin star."

Where there's profit, there's often corruption. While the Michelin star rating is said to remain authoritative, in recent years, instances of buying stars have become rampant. Moreover, Michelin ratings have reportedly shifted from being flavor-centric to price-centric. Simply put, many Michelin-starred restaurants are expensive, yet their food is often mediocre. This has caused a significant drop in Michelin's reputation, with many people outright dismissing its ratings.

Of course, even so, for an ordinary restaurant, receiving a Michelin star and adding that badge to their online profile could still attract many customers.

Ding Hu said to Wang Xiaohui, "Yes, President Ma's intention is to assign stars directly this time. No need to bother with those negotiations. Jiangyue Terrace is currently gaining momentum, and its food quality is evident to all. With Michelin's own reputation declining, a successful star rating for Jiangyue Terrace would be a win-win."

Hearing Ding Hu's words, Wang Xiaohui tutted. "This restaurant is pretty lucky, getting a free star rating. Other places wouldn't even dare dream of it."

Soon, the dishes they had ordered were served. They began their evaluation process, tasting a bit of each dish and noting something down in a notebook. Their behavior seemed a bit odd, but the server said nothing, figuring that how customers ate was their own prerogative.

What Ding Hu and Wang Xiaohui hadn't expected was how incredibly good the restaurant's dishes tasted. The flavor was simply exceptional!

Huaiyang Cuisine, after all, is a mainstay at state banquets and is also well-suited for family dining. Its flavors appeal to the vast majority of people, offering a wide variety of tastes, ingredients, and dishes. Naturally, eating here was a very pleasant experience.

"This Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish is incredibly fresh; it's not easy to make fish taste this delicious," Ding Hu remarked, meticulously assessing the dish. "The overall presentation is very beautiful, quite artistic. The sauce is rich and sweet-and-sour, with a perfect balance of flavors. The control of the heat, the seasoning, the texture—all are nearly perfect."

Ding Hu, with his years of evaluation experience, had very high standards for gourmet food. He had tasted dishes from countless restaurant chefs, but he had never encountered one where he couldn't find even the slightest fault. With such a discerning eye, there's usually no such thing as a perfect dish, he thought. Yet, this Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish had achieved it.

"Amazing!" Ding Hu said, astonished. "I actually think this restaurant deserves more than just one star. Giving it three stars would be appropriate."

Michelin's rating system dictates that one star indicates a restaurant worth a visit, two stars signify very good cuisine, and three stars denote a unique dining experience worth a special journey. There weren't many restaurants that had received three stars. Ding Hu offering such an evaluation was a significant acknowledgment of Jiangyue Terrace.

Wang Xiaohui nodded. "The flavor really is good, but assigning three stars is beyond our authority, isn't it? We can only recommend one star; three stars would require inspectors from headquarters to come. That's just how it is."

Ding Hu tutted. "Yeah, it's unfortunate, but we can only give one star. If they want to aim for three stars later on, they'll have to request another evaluation from headquarters."

The two were still discussing the star rating. Little did they know that even if they were willing to award it, Jiang Feng simply didn't want it.