Universe Infinite Canteen-Chapter 575: Fire, Ice, and Steamed Buns

Ma Lu looked towards the rising columns of fire.

He saw a robust man, eight feet tall, roasting stones on a stove.

Yes, that's right.

Although he had just skinned a whole lamb, removed its organs, and cut it into pieces of meat, what he was now roasting was a pile of stones.

The robust man then stuffed the scorching hot stones into the removed sheepskin, along with the lamb meat, bones, side dishes, and seasonings, and tied the sheepskin back up.

Afterward, the man hoisted the sheepskin bag filled with ingredients and stones and threw it onto the still smoldering charcoal fire, then started treating the outer hide with a large-caliber flamethrower.

His rough and primitive cooking method was especially conspicuous among the chefs.

The cameraman turned the lens that way, and the female host timely said, "What we see now is Jirimutu, a chef from Mongolia.

"His Menghe Gara Restaurant is located on the grasslands of Zabkhan Province in Mongolia, consisting of six Mongolian yurts, with locations that shift according to the season.

"Chef Jirimutu draws from his ancestors' wisdom and integrates it with modern culinary concepts, striving to create powerful delicacies."

At this moment, someone interjected, "But it seems that chef at station 65 next to him doesn't seem to appreciate his rough methods."

"Ah, that's inevitable, after all, Chef Cui Junxian from Seoul, a disciple of the Spanish master Ferran Adrià, who has always been dedicated to integrating technology and emotions into food.

"His creation of molecular gastronomy has influenced countless restaurants and chefs, so it's not surprising that Chef Cui Junxian would dislike Chef Jirimutu's methods."

"So what is molecular gastronomy?" the person continued to ask.

"Well, molecular gastronomy is about using today's cutting-edge technology to change the internal molecular structure of the food, completely altering its appearance and even its form, just like the Long Yin strawberries at Dragon Roar Restaurant.

"On the surface, it appears to be a normal strawberry, but it's actually a magical combination of a syrup shell and ice cream powder, selling for 800 RMB each, yet still in high demand.

"This dish uses molecular gastronomy techniques like sous-vide at low temperatures and lyophilization with liquid nitrogen, making the impossible possible.

"Representative works of Chef Cui Junxian, like the Line emoji buns, also turn food into popular emojis on Line, making it unrecognizable, and what he's making now is probably a simplified version of the Line emojis."

"Wow, although I don't know what it tastes like, the equipment is really comprehensive, tsk tsk." A bystander chatting with the female host approached Cui Junxian's cooking station to take a look.

They discovered centrifuges, sous-vide machines, liquid nitrogen tanks, and constant temperature instruments, as well as various small bottles containing sodium alginate, calcium lactate, and plant pigments.

Ma Lu also had his eyes opened and was about to take the female host to the next place, making good use of this free explanation.

Unexpectedly, the hostess also realized something was amiss at this moment, looking at Ma Lu in his chef attire, she curiously asked, "Oh, sir, are you also a contestant?"

"Yes."

"Then why aren't you cooking?" the hostess asked, puzzled.

"Because I've almost finished already, just the roasting left."

"Ah, that quickly?!" the hostess exclaimed, "I just saw many contestants still cleaning ingredients. May I ask which chef are you, and what dish are you making?"

Ma Lu spoke into the microphone, "I'm Ma Lu, the owner of Universe Infinite Canteen and my entry is the Roasted Steamed Bun."

"What?" the female host paused, "What did you just say your dish was?"

"Roasted Steamed Bun," Ma Lu repeated.

"......"

The female host had hosted numerous big competitions and was experienced. No matter what live broadcast incident occurred, she could recover the situation instantly, but this time, the words 'Roasted Steamed Bun' rendered her speechless.

She opened her mouth but seemed unsure of what to say, finally resorting to an awkward laugh after a moment.

"Well, Boss Ma, your dish is quite unique, but can it really pass the assessment? After all, the other participants look like they're working hard and showcasing their specialties."

"Mm-hmm, I can feel that," Ma Lu nodded in agreement.

"Although I run my own restaurant, I mostly eat dishes cooked by Old Wang. The occasional times I do eat out, it's either at a barbecue stall or one of those chain brands in the commercial area. I never imagined the world held so many interesting restaurants and chefs with different philosophies."

"Um, have you considered doing something else to beat them? After all, you need four passes to advance to the next round," the host reminded.

"No, no, no, the Roasted Steamed Bun is enough," Ma Lu said. "Alright, let's leave the chit-chat here and move on to check out the others."

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

After saying that, Ma Lu, pulling along the puzzled-looking host, arrived at another cooking station.

Ma Lu leaned in and sniffed a couple of times, "Wow, after seeing so many exotic dishes, it's rare to see home cooking. This is Chicken Curry, isn't it? It smells quite fragrant, and there's lemongrass too."

He then said to the host, "Go on, introduce this chef to everyone."

"Oh, oh, oh." The host seemed to wake up from a dream, "This is Chef Su Yunong Ticha, affectionately known as 'Mama Chef.' She started off as just a housewife, cooking for her husband and three kids.

"The people who ate her food all said it was good, so encouraged by her husband and children, she opened a restaurant called 'Come Home.' Later, many housewives went to her restaurant to learn, and Chef Su Yunong graciously shared her experience with them.

"Some of them even opened their own restaurants. Chef Su Yunong has also become well-known in the Thai culinary world.

"'Come Home' restaurant sticks to cooking home-style dishes, hoping every diner, especially those who are striving alone away from home, can taste the flavor of their mothers' cooking."

"Mm, such a simple and warm philosophy indeed. And that must be Master Long Po Sen next to her, famed as Thailand's number one in vegetarian meals?"

"Yes, Master Long Po Sen is a monk. Because of Buddhism's belief in reincarnation and the fundamental respect for life, he cooks and eats only vegetarian food. His dietary philosophy is to align with spirituality."

"Quite spiritual indeed."

Although she felt that Ma Lu was somewhat negligent, the host gradually got used to having someone conversing with her. This made her introductions flow more naturally.

For a moment, the host even had the illusion that Ma Lu was her co-host.

At 10:34 am, just over halfway through the competition, the first person to submit their dish appeared.

— It was Sun Mei.