"Boss Jiang, you and Ah Wei should both try my red-braised pork. This dish, you know, it's best eaten while it's hot."

After finishing the dish, Du Guangning indeed felt quite confident.

Not to mention that today, when he was making this dish, every procedure was completed quite perfectly, much better than any time he cooked in any restaurant kitchen. His mood was much improved.

More importantly, when he started stewing the meat, he noticed that his dear friend Ah Wei and the three kitchen helpers couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

Is there any need to say more?

They were surely tempted by his red-braised pork!

Of course, this wasn't the first time such a situation occurred, so he wasn't surprised. He just felt that even if his dish couldn't beat Boss Jiang's, at least he could compete to a draw.

Competing in culinary skills on someone else's turf, even if it's a draw, is still a win for him.

After all, the only judge, Ah Wei, although he's his buddy, still has to make a living under Boss Jiang. How could he really speak the truth without giving any face to the boss?

Thinking of this, Du Guangning couldn't help but feel touched by his own "consideration for others":

There are indeed not many people like me who can put themselves in others' shoes!

Ah Wei, you better cherish this and remember to treat me to a drink when you get your paycheck!

"Hmm, this red-braised pork is quite tasty; the meat is tender, fatty but not greasy. Not bad at all!"

While Du Guangning's thoughts were still drifting, Jiang Yu didn't hold back, picking up a piece of Du Guangning's red-braised pork with chopsticks and putting it into his mouth, chewing lightly with a hint of satisfaction as he nodded.

To be honest, Du Guangning's skill is probably at the level of an advanced chef, comparable to Jiang Yu's true level from last year. However, compared to the present Jiang Yu, even if Jiang Yu doesn't use the system recipes, Du Guangning simply can't match.

Just yesterday, Jia Dequan mentioned that Jiang Yu's culinary skills had improved a lot, prompting Jiang Yu to quickly glance at the system function panel when he found a chance. His cooking skills level had now reached technician level, far beyond advanced chef standards.

So with Du Guangning being just a newcomer to the advanced chef level, he's a whole level below Jiang Yu. Whether in knife skills, seasoning, or heat control, Jiang Yu crushes him in all aspects. What can he compete with?

Being the head chef is certainly out of the question. Even if he wants to stay in Restaurant No. 7 as a cook for stir-fried dishes, Du Guangning is still a bit lacking. But, if it's just about doing the preparatory work for the dishes, for instance, finishing and frying the raw red-braised pork, then he's already doing Jiang Yu a significant favor!

It's worth noting that some dishes, like this red-braised pork, have extremely complicated procedures. A single chef completing them takes too long and exhausts the chef's energy.

A person's energy is always limited. Relying solely on Jiang Yu himself, no matter how hard he tries, he can't produce many such dishes in a day. If he only made these few dishes, how could he cater to the customers of four private rooms?

Therefore, a capable assistant is of great help to a chef.

And now, Jiang Yu has set his sights on this Du Guangning.

"Uh, just like the boss said, the red-braised pork by Ah Ning is indeed quite delicious, stewed very tenderly, the skin melts in the mouth, but there's a slight dryness to the meat mince, and the seasoning feels like there's a bit too much chicken powder, making it slightly greasy."

As Qian Liwei spoke, he suddenly noticed Du Guangning's face getting darker and immediately added another line,

"Haha, actually it's not that bad. Maybe I've just had too much fatty meat recently, and everything I eat feels a bit greasy."

"Then are you still planning to try Boss Jiang's red-braised pork?"

Du Guangning heard Qian Liwei talk about eating too much fatty meat, yet still went straight for Jiang Yu's dish with chopsticks, and couldn't help but be curious,

"You still dare to eat? Aren't you afraid you'll feel nauseated and throw up later?"

"How could I? With the boss's dishes, I just wish I could eat more; who would bear to spit it out?"

Qian Liwei waved his hand nonchalantly, stretched out his chopsticks, picked a piece of Jiang Yu's red-braised pork, and took a big bite. After chewing it several times, he couldn't help but sigh,

"This red-braised pork is fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry. Take a bite, and even your breath feels fragrant.

When chewing, you have to be careful because it's so fresh that if you're not careful, you can't tell the difference between the meat and your tongue and might accidentally swallow your tongue!"

"As a judge, I don't even need to make a ruling on this, do I? These two servings of red-braised pork aren't even in the same league!"

After finishing one piece, Qian Liwei didn't even leave himself time to catch his breath and immediately picked another piece and started to chew it vigorously while eating, loudly exclaiming,

"Damn! This is so delicious, truly satisfying! This is what eating meat in big mouthfuls feels like; it's exhilarating!"

Watching this scene, Pei Guofu and others couldn't help but swallow their saliva, itching to move. Jiang Yu didn't stop them, smiled at them, and said,

"Go ahead and get chopsticks yourselves."

"Oh!"

Upon hearing this, Xiaodeng and Xiaoma became so excited that they shouted and jumped up to get the chopsticks.

Once they got the chopsticks, the three of them immediately gathered around, each grabbing a piece of red-braised pork and stuffing it into their mouths.

"Wow! As a native of Jiangzhou, I've never had red-braised pork before; this is my first time tasting this famous Jiangzhou dish, and it's so delicious it's making me cry!"

"I've tried it before, but no matter which big hotel made it, none have been as authentic and delicious as the boss's!"

"I knew it, whichever dish the boss makes, that dish becomes classic!"

"If this red-braised pork is added to our restaurant's menu, it would absolutely be a must-order at every table, just too delicious!"

"..."

Watching his good friend Ah Wei, who previously found his red-braised pork a bit greasy after just one bite, now eating alongside the others, surrounding Jiang Yu's plate of red-braised pork, excitedly discussing and eating with oily mouths, Du Guangning felt a bit disheartened!

He certainly realized that he'd lost this round, and lost very thoroughly.

Because Jiang Yu's plate of red-braised pork was about to be finished, while the one he made was left untouched, except for the piece tried by Jiang Yu and Ah Wei earlier.

Standing there for a moment, Du Guangning still decided to try Jiang Yu's red-braised pork to see exactly why it was better than his.

After getting the chopsticks, he squeezed in beside Ah Wei, reached out to grab a piece of red stew meat, looked at it carefully, and casually opened his mouth to take a small bite, savoring it slowly.

The meat was fried to a golden bright color, soaked in thick red sauce, looking quite festive. The slightly burnt crispy skin, after being stewed for a long time, was already tender and flavorful, melting immediately in the mouth.

The fresh and juicy water chestnuts carried a slight sweetness, not only making the minced meat taste more fragrant, tender, and smooth but also neutralizing the greasiness of the fatty meat, making the texture even more refreshing.

This red stew meat is no longer just simply delicious; it seems like it has some sort of addictive substance—one bite and people can't stop, unwilling to put it down.

A small piece of red stew meat was eaten up by Du Guangning in the blink of an eye.

He licked his lips, still feeling a bit unsatisfied, unable to resist reaching out for another piece.

This red stew meat, Boss Jiang truly made it more delicious than his own, giving him an urge to investigate.

He looked at the younger man, wondering how he could make such delicious red stew meat.

As for losing?

What's the big deal about it?

Hasn't he "lost" enough in various restaurants over the years?

Previously, when he lost, he would feel anger, resentment, and unwillingness, but this time, he felt none of those emotions.

He lost convincingly and even felt relieved about it!

Besides, when losing he still got to taste such a magnificent dish he's never had before!

Isn't that worth it? It's absolutely worth it!

Qian Liwei, Pei Guofu, and the others surrounded the red stew meat on the operating table, each holding chopsticks and fighting to grab some.

The "battle" was already intense, but with the sudden arrival of Du Guangning, the scene became even more chaotic.

Amidst the fierce "war," Hua Xiaoling darted out of nowhere, raising her chopsticks and shouting, rushing toward them:

"Stop it, save some for me!"

She finally squeezed through the crowd, looked up, and was so vexed that she nearly died!

Such a large plate of red stew meat, and only two or three pieces were left!

"Stop, stop, stop! Put those down!"

Hua Xiaoling angrily raised her chopsticks, flicking away others' chopsticks, and scolded,

"All you know is eat, eat, eat!

Boss finally made a new dish, and I haven't even had a chance to film it or upload it yet!

Now it's great, this dish can only go on the menu after some time, and it's all your fault!"

Pei Guofu and Qian Liwei exchanged a glance, then quickly sneaked away, pretending to be busy with something else.

Du Guangning clicked his tongue, reluctantly gazing at the two or three pieces of meat left on the plate.

But he wasn't from here, and what the young woman said wasn't wrong.

Just like in some of the big restaurants, a newly made dish has to have pictures or videos taken for promotional use.

This red stew meat's preparation is complicated, and if no one orders it, the chef probably wouldn't spend an hour or two making it just for photos or videos. It's just too troublesome.

Du Guangning felt a bit regretful, as he probably wouldn't get to eat such a delicious dish in the future.

After all, he lost the competition this time, and with Boss Jiang's culinary skills, it's unlikely he would keep him around, right?

What a pity. If he could stay, even if just as an assistant, he'd be willing.

After all, as an assistant, he could often taste those delicacies!

As he was lost in thought, the annoyed Hua Xiaoling turned her sharp gaze toward him, seeing that this scruffy man with messy hair was still unwilling to leave:

"You're not a chef here, are you? Who brought you in?

This is a restricted kitchen area; idle people are not allowed!"

Du Guangning was still in his own world when suddenly questioned by Hua Xiaoling. He stammered nervously:

"Ah, I-I, I am..."

Just as he didn't know how to respond, Jiang Yu, who was busy preparing ingredients on the side, chimed in:

"He's the new chef."

"Ah, right, right, right, I'm the new chef!"

Du Guangning, upon hearing this, let out a sigh of relief. Feeling that "chef" was too lowly, he added,

"I'm the sous-chef!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu couldn't help but laugh, looking at him with a gaze full of approval:

This Du Guangning, didn't seem so low on emotional intelligence after all!

He found his footing so quickly, he has prospects!

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