Universe Infinite Canteen-Chapter 573: Displaying Their Divine Skills

Ma Lu looked at the bustling staff and casually remarked, "Wow, quite the setup here. I have no idea how the competition will unfold on the first day."

Sun Mei turned around and stared at Ma Lu for a full half minute, leaving Ma Lu puzzled. "What, do I have toothpaste on my face or something?"

"Are you really here for the competition? The first day is about each chef's signature dish."

"Ah, when was this announced?"

"There's no need for an announcement," Sun Mei said. "It's always been this way. You don't even have to be a chef; just pay a little attention to the God of Cooking competition, and you would know."

"Is that so?"

Later, Ma Lu also asked Chuan Ye Zhengming and Qi Shanzhu and found out they were both well aware of what the first day's competition entailed.

Alright then, it seems he was the only contestant who didn't know.

"The first day is kind of a warm-up. It's also an opportunity for all contestants to showcase their best in front of the senior judges and the cameras."

Seeing that Ma Lu knew nothing about the God of Cooking competition, Sun Mei had no choice but to play the role of an explainer and gave him a brief overview.

"The first day's competition is not themed and usually lasts about three hours."

"That long?"

"It sounds long, but it's actually quite tense for many people because you have to prepare 13 servings of your dish, one for each judge."

"Also, assistants are not allowed during the competition. All the steps must be completed by the main chef alone."

"Every year, there are people who get eliminated because they can't finish their dishes within the allotted time."

"Furthermore, each of the 13 main chefs has 30 qualification cards. You need to obtain at least four qualification cards to advance to the next round."

"That means, in the most extreme case, out of 107 chefs, only 30 might advance. Actually, the elimination rate on the first day of past God of Cooking competitions has typically been over fifty percent."

"Is it because the strong ones end up taking all the qualification cards?"

"Exactly. Although everyone chooses different paths and adheres to different culinary philosophies, the criteria for judging dishes are ultimately objective.

"It boils down to taste, presentation, cooking method, and originality. Even if different judges have their own dietary preferences, a powerful chef's goal is to captivate everyone's taste buds."

Sun Mei paused and said, "My goal is to get all 13 qualification cards."

Looking at Qi Shanzhu again, Ma Lu noticed she was already getting nervous, constantly fidgeting with her index finger. She obviously knew that her cooking skills weren't outstanding among the professional chefs.

Yesterday, when chatting with her, Qi Shanzhu had mentioned that she was mainly here to learn, aiming just not to finish last, and to gather some video content, never really contemplating winning.

But, despite saying that, she still hoped to at least survive the first day's challenge.

Ma Lu comforted her, "Don't worry, just bring your best game, and I'm sure some judges will be impressed by your cuisine."

"Thanks," Qi Shanzhu responded, also giving Ma Lu a fist pump to cheer him on, "Bro, you have to do well too. Let's pass this assessment together."

David, who was carrying the camera, caught this moment and couldn't help but sneak a glance at Yu Yitong, who stood with crossed arms, expressionless.

Sun Mei then said to Ma Lu, "Hey, the competition is about to start. Aren't you going to change clothes?"

"Change into what?"

"Chef's attire," Sun Mei's gaze towards Ma Lu grew increasingly strange.

"Uh, I thought the organizing committee would provide it, I didn't bring any."

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Ma Lu had truly not thought of this; he had never been in a kitchen, and Old Wang didn't wear it either; he had always worn that jacket, and Ma Lu had even bought him a few more, but they were just jackets too.

Thankfully, Chuan Ye Zhengming intervened timely, "I have an extra set of chef's attire. You can wear mine if you don't mind, although it may not fit perfectly."

"It's fine, having something to wear is good enough." Ma Lu was not picky and followed Chuan Ye Zhengming to his room to change into the chef's attire. By the time they returned, the other contestants had already drawn their numbers.

Only a 37 and a 99 cooking station were left, and Ma Lu ended up with station number 99, practically the last position.

Yu Yitong and David followed him around, capturing on film his last-minute borrowing of clothes.

David, as an observer, felt it was somewhat ridiculous. Could this really be okay? He wondered if their job would end today along with this.

Meanwhile, Yu Yitong, who had insisted on interviewing Ma Lu during the committee meeting, seemed very calm and said nothing.

At 8:58 a.m., everyone had found their cooking stations. Reporters, waiters, staff, and the audience had all taken their places.

A curly-haired female host came on stage and precisely at 9 a.m., announced the start of the God of Cooking Asian Region Preliminary Competition.

The leaders and judges were then invited onstage. The leaders refrained from speaking, but the 13 judges were indeed professionals, mostly well-known chefs and food critics from around the world.

Sun He was also among them, serving as the head of the judging panel. There were no celebrities or actors in the judging group.

This was also what set the God of Cooking competition apart from other cooking shows—its emphasis on professionalism.

After introducing the judges, the host invited a city leader to make a speech about cuisine and sustainable development.

Then, a spokesperson from the World Cooking Federation announced the rules for the first match, which turned out to be just as Sun Mei had said, an open-ended challenge.

None of the other contestants seemed surprised by this. The organizing crew then brought in over twenty carts of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats, placing them at the front of the hall for the contestants to choose from.

Additionally, if contestants needed to use any uncommon special ingredients or spices, they could bring their own, provided they reported them in advance to the organizers for vetting and approval.

Overall, the rules for the first day were indeed very relaxed, designed to allow everyone to show their best abilities.

Following Qiu Lele's announcement of the rules, the competition officially began. Since it would last three hours, the introductions of contestants could be conducted during the contest itself.

As Qiu Lele put down the microphone, the chefs immediately sprang into action, rushing towards the ingredients both to save time and to secure the best, freshest choices.

Even Chuan Ye Zhengming, who was usually unhurried, quickened his pace.

He planned to prepare the Isolated Island Restaurant's signature dish—"Reef."

The dish required lobster and bamboo-clamped fish. Chuan Ye Zhengming was lucky to find suitable lobsters, but the bamboo-clamped fish provided by the hotel fell short of his expectations.

Though the difference was subtle, it was enough to affect the final taste, causing Chuan Ye Zhengming to feel torn.