Universe Infinite Canteen-Chapter 599: Cosmic Highway

Sun Mei raised her eyebrows.

"You're being quite annoying by saying that."

Ma Lu didn't back down, continuing, "Haven't you realized why this competition only gives us two hours?"

"Why?" asked Sun Mei.

"I may not be...um, speaking from the standpoint of an average chef, but two hours clearly isn't enough time to create six dishes. I know many high-end restaurants have teams of dozens of people responsible for developing new dishes."

"Everyone collectively brainstorms for a month, but in the end, maybe only one or two dishes make it to the menu."

"Most of the chefs participating in the competition set high standards for themselves."

"The reason the competition is structured this way is not only to test our ability to create impromptu but also to give us a chance to rediscover ourselves."

"Because of the time constraint, when cooking, one must discard certain things and can't achieve perfection."

"As time runs out, you have to give up more and more, and this process repeats itself in each round. In the end, you're forced to recognize what's most important to you."

"Or what makes you a chef, those things you can't let go of no matter what. I think that's what the organizing committee wants the contestants to showcase in their dishes in this round."

The scene fell into silence.

Mainly because everyone was a bit confused, not knowing why two supposed rivals suddenly started chatting openly.

Even the judges on the main panel couldn't figure out what was going on.

The God of Cooking Competition had a history of over a hundred years, and this was the first time such a scene had occurred.

Qiu Lele had her mouth wide open, asking Sun He beside her, "Is what Boss Ma said true, Mr. Sun, or...or is it just a smokescreen to throw Xiao Mei off her game?"

"It's true," Sun He nodded slightly. "I proposed this round's format. On one hand, of course, it's to increase viewership and make the competition more intense and entertaining."

"On the other hand, like he said, I want to see what the contestants value the most."

"However, I didn't tell anyone about the second purpose and didn't expect someone to see through it so quickly. Chef Ma Lu's insight into cooking is truly extraordinary."

Sun He expressed, "No wonder he can come with all sorts of creative and eye-opening dishes."

Hearing that, Sun Mei pursed her lips, her frown deepening.

Ma Lu then pointed at her timer, "Your time is still running, you'd better make a decision quickly."

After saying this, Ma Lu returned to his cooking station.

Soon after he left, Sun Mei, shaking off her previous confusion, started moving quickly.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

Time ticked away by the second.

Sun Mei hit the timer in the last second before it reset, completing her final dish.

After hitting the timer, she let out a long sigh of relief, feeling unburdened, and then looked towards the opposite cooking station.

She saw the somewhat bored Ma Lu chatting with the female host.

Sun Mei's expression was complex.

Since Ma Lu had finished first in this round, according to the rules, he went up first.

This time, without waiting for the judges to speak, Ma Lu said first, "The name of this dish is 'Cosmic Highway.'"

Olette Yupper looked at the plate filled with variously sized "eggs" and asked curiously, "What does this name have to do with this dish?"

"Because different universes in the Plane are connected through various eggs, just like a highway."

"I didn't expect you to be so whimsical, Chef Ma Lu, but indeed, this dish would certainly be a favorite among children,"

Rocky Chen looked at the colorful "eggs" of different sizes, each with different patterns and decorations, and said,

He then scooped up a red egg with his spoon and tasted it carefully, "Hmm, this is made of carrot mixed with salmon soup."

Then he picked a green one, "This is asparagus and mustard, hmm, and raspberries…"

"Wow, there must be fifty or sixty eggs in here, doesn't that mean this plate has fifty or sixty different fruits and vegetables, and each tastes different? Tasting this dish really gives a surprise, like opening a blind box."

"And blending so many nutrients also fits the theme well," said Yoshi Tabata.

Then Gaggan Anand pointed to the brown pipelines enclosing the eggs and asked, "What's this?"

"Highway, if you're asking what it's made of, the answer is coconut sugar."

"Coconut sugar?"

"That's right," Ma Lu snapped his fingers, "These highway materials use Hainan's specialty coconut sugar, then crafted with blown sugar techniques into circular roads."

"No wonder it's you, even coconut sugar can be put to good use, your six dishes not only tightly adhere to the dual theme but also amaze due to your development and use of local ingredients."

Olette Yupper praised, "Truly a marvelous and splendid adventure; I see unique skills and spirit in你你."

Yoshi Tabata also said, "Throughout the six rounds of the competition, you've managed to maintain a consistently high level of performance, a stability I have never seen in any other chef."

"That's right, Chef Ma Lu, your capabilities have already far surpassed the other contestants," Rocky Chen said.

Although Sun Mei hadn't yet presented her piece, the four judges on the stage seemed to have already concluded that Ma Lu was the champion of this competition.

If this had been earlier, Sun Mei might have been unwilling to accept it, holding her breath, wanting to win back.

But at this moment, her heart was unusually calm.

It wasn't until the female host interrupted the judges' increasingly exaggerated praises, reminding them to hurry and give their scores as there was still one dish left.

Only then did the judges reluctantly write down their scores.

Sun Mei took a deep breath, and it was finally her turn.

Looking at what she presented, the four judges were taken aback once again.

"Is this...milk custard buns?"

"Yes, coconut-flavored."

"So, your final dish is coconut-flavored milk custard buns?"

Rocky Chen looked at the buns shaped like little animals on the plate, slightly disappointed.

It wasn't that the custard buns weren't well made, but as the final dish in the last round, it indeed seemed too ordinary.

Still, with a responsible attitude, Rocky Chen picked up a little pig-shaped custard bun and tasted it.

After finishing, he frowned.

Fairly speaking, this custard bun wasn't bad, but it was far from perfect. The dough was clearly not fermented enough, and the proportions of the filling were somewhat flawed.

In short, for a chef of Sun Mei's caliber, this dish was a bit too rough.