The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Yao Shi had tasted many kinds of grilled fish.

Fresh or dried fish the size of a hand was placed directly on charcoal, brushed with a layer of sauce, and eaten hot after grilling.

The fish skin was firm and chewy, the flesh tender and smooth, the original freshness complemented by the sauce’s rich aroma, making it more savory.

Fu Yu’s grilled mackerel was tender, spicy, and fragrant, with crispy skin, especially with the addition of a rich sauce, making it quite spicy and salty. The aroma lingered long and uniquely after chewing, leaving a lasting taste in the mouth.

After a careful taste, Yao Shi sincerely praised, "This sauce has a nice flavor!"

He truly believed the sauce was particularly well-crafted, and the grilled mackerel was very delicious.

However, Fu Yu frowned and asked, "Chef Yao, do you think this grilled fish is stunningly flavorful?"

Yao Shi was taken aback.

To be honest, the grilled mackerel was indeed delicious, but if it were to be considered stunning... it still fell a bit short.

Seeing Yao Shi’s reaction, Fu Yu knew they shared the same thought.

The sauce indeed smelled great, but eating it did not give an impression of striking amazement or leaving a profound memory.

Somewhat disappointed, Fu Yu couldn’t help but ask Yao Shi, "Chef Yao, where exactly is this sauce lacking? It’s clearly fragrant, but there’s always something slightly missing."

Looking at the bewildered face of Fu Yu, Yao Shi inexplicably recalled his younger self.

Back then, he was eager for quick success, vainly trying to innovate a unique and exquisite marinade recipe, and spent two months without grasping the essence.

His master watched passively, letting him experiment and mess around, until he had tried all the combinations he could think of, only to end in failure. Then his master said something to him.

At the time, when he heard it, he felt it was very reasonable, but he couldn’t comprehend its true message, no matter how hard he tried.

Until over a decade later, when he had mastered excellent culinary skills and gained rich cooking experience, he recalled this matter incidentally one day.

That was when, upon contemplating these words carefully, he finally had a bit of insight.

Eventually, with this realization, he and Zhao Meng pioneered an improved secret recipe for Qianlima’s spicy stir-fried crawfish.

"As for barbecuing, I really don’t have much experience, but I once had a crucian carp soup that was quite stunning."

Fu Yu, hearing this, curiously asked, "Oh? What kind of crucian carp soup was it?"

Qianlima also has crucian carp soup, with its broth simmered to a milky white color, and the fish bones soft and melded with the sweet and tender fish meat, melting in the mouth.

It’s very tasty.

Could it be more impressive than the restaurant’s crucian carp soup?

What kind of flavor is that?

Yao Shi, with a smile, said, "Usually, crucian carp soup is simmered with plain water, but I once drank a kind where tea broth was used."

"Tea broth?"

Fu Yu became interested, "Wouldn’t the tea leaves taste astringent if boiled for a long time?"

Yao Shi shook his head, "Good tea leaves become more aromatic the longer they’re boiled."

"The fish soup I had that year used sun-dried red tea from ancient trees in Lincang."

"Such ancient trees are never treated with pesticides or fertilizers, and the tea broth is unlike the ’strong and intense’ taste of dianhong black tea; instead, it has a soft, sweet, and fruity fragrance, reminiscent of lychees mixed with passion fruit."

"When boiled for fish soup, it’s not at all bitter or astringent. The tea broth maintains the floral and fruity aroma of the dry tea, with a subtle sweetness, without a hint of harshness, and is especially gentle."

"It doesn’t overshadow the freshness and sweetness of the crucian carp but helps retain and stabilize the flavor for a long duration. With each sip, the fish soup carries a unique fragrance of tea leaves, a reminiscent taste of light plum candy similar to raw Pu-erh."

"The extraordinary part is that after finishing the fish, when reaching the bottom of the soup, even though the soup has already cooled, the fragrance does not diminish but instead becomes more fragrant, akin to the way raw Pu-erh does."

Fu Yu marveled, "I never thought tea broth could be used to cook fish."

Yao Shi chuckled, "I never expected that such a gentle and aromatic flavor could be so stunning."

"In fact, an extraordinary taste involves a dual meaning of form and spirit, with the dish being unique and the concept having its distinct style."

"Think about it, isn’t that the case?"

Fu Yu was silent, carefully contemplating these words, the floating and elusive thoughts in his mind suddenly settled down.

That idea that was always just out of reach suddenly expanded before his eyes, becoming increasingly clear.

A unique dish?

Just like those celebrity chefs over several generations, who possess renowned culinary skills, having experienced learning, integration, inheritance, and the appreciation of North and South diners. The exclusive secret recipes are passed down for centuries, with authentic flavors and crafted with ingenuity.

A distinctive concept?

Imbuing cuisine with a soul of fashion and crafting a unique flavor of self-realization for diners.

The unique dish and the distinctive concept complement each other.

Fu Yu looked at Yao Shi, thinking and saying, "An extraordinary taste doesn’t necessarily have to be excessively salty, spicy, or fresh. Sometimes, an unforgettable taste impression can also come from a subtle gentleness, which makes the memory profound when recalled."

As soon as Fu Yu finished speaking, he felt enlightened, as the layers of mist before him suddenly dispersed and the elusive idea was finally grasped tightly.

Yao Shi looked at Fu Yu, who had an expression of sudden enlightenment and realization, his face showing an undeniable surprise.

The matter he couldn’t figure out back then, Fu Yu actually understood its essence so quickly?