Tập 1—Phần 2 FULL: Đầu bếp tham gia cuộc chiến với 84 món ăn | Một bữa ăn để trở thành một vị thần

Tập 1—Phần 2 FULL: Đầu bếp tham gia cuộc chiến với 84 món ăn | Một bữa ăn để trở thành một vị thần

Noodle Queen Sorry You are out First of all, I really think it’s very rare that you can bring some flavors from our hometown and make them well known I think this is really, really great Thank you I’m very proud that we have foodies from our country who can influence other countries I hope you can continue with this perseverance and spirit I might think your flavor because it’s already been adjusted for many foreign friends with a few modifications Yes So today it’s a bit not spicy enough Yes not oily enough and not salty enough to accommodate some foreigners who are trying it for the first time When I first went abroad it was mainly to understand Westerners’ tastes and then I simplified the flavors a bit like reducing the spiciness making it more aromatic and I also used less vinegar and toned down the garlic flavor too Yes, but I think for the competition here it could still be spicier and bolder Yes, more authentic, yes Okay Hope you can keep winning over foreigners’ taste buds Thank you, I’ll do my best Thank you Thank you I’ve also had Chinese food abroad but I think places with lots of foreigners always have modified versions and the food is kind of not quite right Over there, Uncle Rong is giving his comments Sugarcane Sugarcane Salt-Baked Osmanthus Chicken The one I chose is a chicken breed called Guixiang chicken. Guixiang chicken from an organic farm in Huizhou. It has a naturally rich umami flavor. The skin is very firm. I use sea salt to dehydrate the sugarcane. Then I burn the sugarcane pulp to cold-smoke the chicken. The smoky caramel flavor enhances the aroma and taste of the chicken. It also allows for quick cooking to create the final and very important texture which is chewiness. I’ll try this first. After my first bite, I felt that the chicken was very well chosen. But with such a good chicken, using such a complicated cooking method is actually a real pity. So your result is elimination. Actually, I think the first bite is just like the first glance. Both are personal instincts. It’s just that your first glance is your visual instinct, while the first bite is your taste buds giving you their first impression. My dish is a clear chicken soup, slow-cooked. I made a Wensi soup. This dish combines Huaiyang cuisine, showcasing visible knife skills, and also incorporates Cantonese cooking techniques. It includes a low-temperature cooked baby lobster, topped with some caviar. This is a fusion dish of Huaiyang and Cantonese styles. That’s it. After the first bite, I felt after the lobster was cooked, I thought it lost its springiness. It’s a bit overdone. Understood. The cooking time. My specialty is the traditional sour and spicy sea cucumber. It dates back to the Republic of China era. Mr. Tan Yankai, in order to entertain distinguished guests, created this classic Zu’an dish. I knew after the first bite. It’s the soaking of the sea cucumber. It’s a bit overdone. It’s not elastic enough. Sorry. It’s a pity. Eliminated. Okay. The result is— Eliminated. Okay. Thank you. After the first bite, the person eating can immediately sense its flavor, the doneness, and the presentation. How it should be. This is a true understanding of the ingredients. In Chinese cuisine, there’s a pursuit of the perfect moment. It’s the feeling you get from the very first bite. Right. Uncle Rong has a sharp palate. Right. He’s amazing at tasting food. Jiangnan Style is eliminated. Jiangnan Style is eliminated. Is it really that dramatic? Shuwei Huadao is eliminated. Look at his expression. He looks really stressed. He must have been affected. I’m on my way. I keep hearing that people are getting eliminated. The soup still needs enough time. To simmer it. This waiting period is really very nerve-wracking. Let me check on my good brother, Xiamen Night Star Chef. Xiamen Night Star Chef, you’re the brightest in the whole place. I know Xiamen Night Star Chef the best. We’ve known each other for many years. We also communicate a lot in private. Mainly focusing on Fujian cuisine. He’s one of the Four Young Masters of Xiamen Egret Island. One of the members. He’s making a fish meat lion’s head. Yes, a fish meat lion’s head. Today, he’s making Yongchun white duck soup. Simmered pomfret lion’s head balls. I’m using a pomfret. It has a very rich fat content. And our first-harvest seaweed. Made into a lion’s head. After being pounded many times, to ensure its stickiness. so it’s loose but doesn’t fall apart. The water can’t be boiling. If it boils, it will fall apart. It needs to set first. Only after it sets do you put it in. For the soup, I chose a three-year-old Yongchun white duck. It can give the soup a fresh and savory flavor. I added bamboo shoots from Wuyi Mountain. Fresh water chestnuts. And some pork ribs. Pickled chili peppers. Using ingredients from Fujian to present this dish. This is the mountain and sea of southern Fujian in my heart. What interests me most is this pot of soup. Really? Yes. It’s a pot of Fujian cuisine soup. And the ingredients it presents— Things that fly in the sky, things that run on the ground, and things that swim in the water. The flavors are all mixed together. It shouldn’t go too wrong. I think so. Let me taste it one last time. Because there are so many ingredients. All these complex flavors combined— It’s a layered flavor. If the flavor is even a little off, it could be risky. Star Chef. Xia Night Star Chef. Is it ready? It’s ready. The judges are right behind you. Turn around and go that way. Almost ready. I’m completely overwhelmed. Whether it works or not, I want more people to know some of my ideas and some things about mountains and seas I need to express. Here it comes. The soup Master Tan was most looking forward to. This is the best-tasting dish here. No need to look. Hello, judges. This is a Yongchun white duck soup. Stewed with a mullet lion’s head meatball. Please have a taste. Thank you. The first bite has meat and seafood, vegetables, and the sourness from pickled chili. It should taste pretty good. When Uncle Rong tasted my dish, if he nodded, that would mean it was good. But he didn’t nod. Xia Ye Star Chef Don’t underestimate that bowl of soup. The simpler something is, the harder it is to make. In just those one or two minutes, my heart kept pounding. Your result is… I think there’s no problem. But Uncle Rong—let’s see what Uncle Rong says. What do you think? You are in. Thank you, Yong. Thank you. Xia Ye Star Chef is in. Okay. The first one. Impressive. Beautiful. I knew he would definitely advance. So impressive! Pretty impressive. From the first bite, I felt every ingredient he used was just right. The main soup base is a bit like Fujian’s clear stewed Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. But he used white Muscovy duck as the main ingredient. He also added chicken feet and lean meat, seafood, then he used his own pickled spicy peppers to balance out the richness. It’s a very refined soup base. After this lion’s head meatball was stewed, when I scooped it with a spoon, it was as soft as tofu. It has a meaty aroma in the mouth, and also the umami of seaweed. His understanding of ingredients meets my standards. Turn off the heat. Turn off the heat. Throw over a lion’s head meatball. I’m so hungry. Let me have a bite. Right now, I’m extremely excited. At this moment, I’m really excited. The first participant has appeared, things are speeding up. I want to go up too. What is that for? So many dishes. I am a Sichuan flavor enthusiast. Today, I will make three dishes. A Sichuan flavor trio. Three chicken dishes. We sell two tons of dishes per month. This one makes several dishes. Serving dishes inspired by the plateau. The table is filled with food. This side is also so abundant. It’s almost like a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast. Is that one only making a single dish? That’s risky. I know some people made several dishes. But I only plan to make one bowl of fried rice. Because I believe every Chinese person has a deep love and obsession for staple foods. That passion cannot be diminished. My name is Bald Chef. I’m the head chef at a French restaurant. But I still learn a lot about Chinese cuisine. I respect traditional techniques and also embrace innovative thinking. I hope that in the competition I can showcase both traditional and innovative dishes from young chefs. So I’m planning to make a charcoal-fried rice. I’ll use some ingredients rich in cured flavors. Including Sichuan cured sausage, homemade smoked bacon, Italian salami, cured pig ear, and morel mushrooms, Chaozhou celery, and shredded egg. All together with lamb fat rice, stir-fried over charcoal. What is he doing? Is he using a colander as a wok? Do you often do this in Western cooking? Do you stir-fry like this? No. This is my first time seeing it. Is this fried rice? Seriously? He did this really well. He used charcoal to cook the rice directly in the colander. The charcoal flavor must be really strong. Very creative. For the spice flavor, I used a homemade spiced oil, and fermented black bean soy sauce. By using the charcoal method, every grain of rice can perfectly absorb the cured and spiced flavors. I believe I can use the soul and flavors of Chinese cuisine to impress the judges present. Uncle Rong Where did this idea come from? It was when I was working at the meat stall. I would use it to stir-fry some smaller pieces. That way, it would get a smoky flavor. Later, when I was thinking about this dish, I suddenly remembered the tool I used before. So I used it to make fried rice. Then I’ll start eating. Okay. My first impression was the ingredients he chose for the fried rice were very unique. He even added cured pig’s ear. Yes, the cured pig’s ear adds texture. It gives it a slightly chewy bite. And also, I used galangal and fermented black beans to simmer a soy sauce with light saltiness. Then, during the charring over charcoal, the soy sauce takes on a hint of galangal flavor. It’s very savory. I think this fried rice, just as you said, is not an exaggeration. It’s truly unique. That’s already high praise. So your result is being a head chef at an international hotel at the age of twenty-six. That’s impressive. You can definitely pass. But it’s pending for now. Alright. Thank you, Uncle Rong. This dish I think is very creative. The taste is delicious. But the seasoning overpowered the rice’s aroma a bit. It hasn’t reached a legendary level yet. So I want to keep it in the pending spot. Let the other two judges Tingfeng and Vicky (Zheng Yongqi) make their own judgment. One person has put him in pending. The other two are invited to taste it. Right. He hasn’t been accepted directly. If there aren’t enough selected, he can be added in later. I’m confident it’s delicious enough. Okay. Thank you. The bald chef is still to be decided. Being shortlisted is already impressive. We need to select sixteen people. That’s not many people proportionally. It looks really lively over there. Isn’t that Er Liangzi Barbecue? Jia Bing and Shen Teng’s favorite. There was barbecue here just now. And there’s stir-frying over there. The smell in this place must be especially fragrant. Who made it so spicy? It’s choking. Wow. The smell of chili is already in the air. Which one is he? The one in the floral shirt. He’s from Chengdu. Oh. That one. Seventy-one years old. Oh. The founder of Bald Spicy Crab. He’s cooking a spicy crab. What’s his name? Stove Old Rascal. When I was a child, material things were really scarce. After I turned eighteen, I did heavy manual labor. I thought to myself, one day, I must become a chef. So I could enjoy delicious and spicy food. In the late 1980s, I started out with just fifty yuan. That’s when I began making this dish. Baldy’s Spicy Crab. Because I was born to love happiness, and I’m pretty outgoing by nature, my coworkers all called me the kitchen’s playful old-timer. I make it myself. I serve it myself. Is it good or not? Take the first bite. It’s an old Sichuan tradition: the phone eats first, then we eat. His method is different from others. Others just toss it in oil briefly. He stir-fries it directly in oil. Raw stir-fry. It’s about to start. Let me sneak a look and learn first. The color comes out right away. This dish of ours actually isn’t stuck in its ways. We are constantly improving. Constantly presenting new things. In the past, we didn’t add fermented rice wine, right? Now we add a bit of fermented rice wine. The aftertaste lingers even longer. It’s torture. This is just too torturous. I can’t eat any of it. I can only watch. If we go over there, it’ll be even worse. What are they making over there? Crawfish. You can feel the lively atmosphere. Crawfish. I’m the Sauce Princess. I think my strength is being down-to-earth. It’s all about that everyday, lively vibe. I think what I make has a human touch. In downtown Changsha, I opened a snack shop. Everyone who comes to our shop is infected by our fiery enthusiasm. Sending love. Welcome, everyone. Because I’m a local from Changsha, so I’m making spicy crayfish and oil-fried crayfish. Okay. Looking forward to it. Oil-fried crayfish. These crayfish are selected from Qianjiang, Hubei. In early May, the shells are thin and the meat is tender. When stir-frying, the oil temperature needs to be over 200 degrees. Once in the pan, it quickly locks in the moisture. Crayfish. Delicious. Do you like it? I can already smell the aroma. This flavor is so intense. You can smell it even from here. It’s too cruel. What do people from Hunan call this? Is it “ba man” or… “Ba man.” This word. Right. This is so tempting. It’s killing me. No one can hold back. Can this even be done? This can’t be done. This is crazy. As for me, I’ve been a chef for over forty years. I think I still have some skills. So I’m not nervous. I’m confident. I’m not afraid. I think on the show “Yifan Fengshen,” I conquer everyone with my skills. Being able to pass every challenge is my ultimate dream. Veteran actor Let’s go! Is it good? First bite. This is Spicy Crab by Bald Chef. It’s a specialty from Chengdu. It’s also the signature dish at our Ruoyuan Nightlight Cup. Is it delicious? Teacher, you take the first bite. Take your time. Okay. Thank you. Teacher, how do you know Cantonese? Just a little. Yes. It’s hot. Gloves. Gloves. It’s okay. Let me. Here. This A lot of times when you eat the chili oil in Sichuan cuisine, it can feel really heavy and greasy. When the chili oil is too overpowering, it’s either just numbing or just spicy, or only has the saltiness from the bean paste. This doesn’t matter. You can speak Cantonese. I can understand. Really? Yes. Let’s speak Mandarin. I’m worried the audience won’t understand. Right. Is that okay? We people from Changsha are the most hospitable. So I’ll add one more thing for you— shrimp-peeling service. Great, thank you. Is that alright? You can eat spicy food, right, Chef Nicholas? I love it. Good. Then I’m confident now. Because my nickname is “Sauce Princess,” I’ve created three different sauces. The first sauce is ginger vinegar. The second sauce incorporates some fruit elements. And the third sauce is a secret recipe. The flavors build up in layers. This one is ginger vinegar flavored. Compared to the other two, its taste is a bit lighter. But it doesn’t overpower the natural sweetness of the crayfish. This really is a great season. The roe is so plump and rich. Just looking at it makes me want to eat. I’m drooling. Is this the level of spiciness you use in your restaurant? Yes. I’ll peel the second one for you. For this sauce, I added some exotic flavors. I also added some fruit elements. Because even kids in Changsha can eat spicy food, so I put a bit of chili in this one too. I’m starving. It smells so good. Wasabi. That’s right. This one has a bit of wasabi. Is it just a little? Okay. This is my secret sauce. Many crayfish restaurant owners come to buy this sauce from me. Fell in love Definitely selecting ingredients for “Chef Nic” I really like the way you cook shrimp You made it perfectly tender Wow All the contestants handle meat Little Princess does it the best That bounciness That tenderness Just right And she chose shrimp that are in season That’s very, very important This should be a sure thing The crayfish might make it in But Little Princess Your result is Little Princess You are eliminated Ah Ah Ah Ingredient selection failed I think the hot pot base is the biggest problem in the competition Is that hot pot base? Yes Did you make this hot pot base yourself? I didn’t make the hot pot base If the main flavor element isn’t made by yourself then this would be very unfair to the other contestants I hope you keep working hard Okay Thank you Sorry This should all be settled Teacher Old Rascal Congratulations on joining the competition Thank you The Kitchen Maverick has joined the competition It’s getting exciting Impressive I really like you Not at all The spiciness doesn’t overpower the crab’s natural sweetness So sweet The spicy and fresh flavors are all very clean The freshness of the crab The pure aroma is still preserved I think this is great I didn’t expect that Thank you, judges Thank you, everyone Keep it up Today, my must-try dish is the spicy crab That smoky aroma and chili fragrance It’s making my mouth water No way Did Brother Feng sneak another bite of the spicy crab? That’s right Yes Did he really go back for another bite of the spicy crab? Does he love it that much? Look at him Right? Really If this weren’t a competition I’d finish the whole plate Hello, teacher. Hello. This is a Sichuan-style yuxiang sauce. And a Western-style chicken roll fusion. So it’s a fusion of Sichuan cuisine and French cuisine. That’s right. Okay. He makes fine cuisine. Fine dining is about plating and design techniques. This time, I’m also making fine dining. But I’ll focus more on texture and flavor. This group looks cooler. Pretty cool. I hope his cooking skills are as impressive as he is. I’m from City University of Hong Kong, China. graduated from the Department of Chemistry. My chemistry background makes it easier for me to master and handle ingredients. That’s why I’m called the “Chemistry Chef.” I’m “Love Rolls to Win” from Shanghai. Some of the dishes I usually make are presented in the form of a roll. So I made a butter chicken roll. I removed the skin from the whole butter chicken separately. There are more tendons in the chicken thigh meat. So I made it into a separate meat filling. Since chicken breast is very tender, I don’t need to process it too much. This part looks like foie gras. But it’s not. It’s actually the chicken skin that’s been removed. Then the chicken meat is minced into a paste. Rolled up. It’s quite complicated. Yes. It is quite complicated. I think beef and lamb are relatively expensive. So making them well is a bit easier in comparison. Chicken is a relatively inexpensive ingredient. I try to make it more valuable. I think this is a skill that both chefs and restaurants need. Today, I’m making the signature dish from my restaurant. It’s also the unique rose liqueur foie gras sausage. French-style Beef Wellington. I’ve added our unique Hong Kong,China specialty, rose liqueur foie gras sausage. A dish like Wellington in Hong Kong, China. is one of the most troublesome dishes. Especially now, as she’s making the sautéed mushrooms, if they’re not dry enough, the juices from the Wellington will seep out. Right. Then the pastry will get soggy. Yes. It gets too wet, which isn’t good. Actually, making this dish is a big challenge for her. Traditional Beef Wellington cooks unevenly. The ends tend to be overcooked. That’s why I present it in a round shape. We can control the optimal temperature. So the guests get to enjoy it at its best. Beautiful. This looks beautiful. It looks even better after baking. You can see the layers. I’m quite amazed. I think she’s really impressive. There are fewer female head chefs in this field. But their sense of aesthetics is generally more unique than men’s. It’s cleaner and more delicate. This is a very traditional French presentation. I used foie gras sausage instead of traditional foie gras. But foie gras sausage Will it get tough after roasting? I removed the casing. Yes. I’m really looking forward to you trying this. Me too. The butter chicken is also done well. I’ve tried his (Ai Juan Cai Hui Ying’s) dishes before. He works as a private chef in Shanghai. Let’s see how it turns out. Hello. Hello, teacher. Please introduce your dish. Today I made a butter chicken roulade. There’s cauliflower purée underneath. Sichuan-style yuxiang sauce. The combination of these two is quite mild. The transparent part on top is an apple vinegar gel. It serves as a side for the meat so it doesn’t taste too greasy. It’s recommended to eat the chicken breast and thigh together. How did you handle the chicken skin? I removed the skin from the whole chicken without tearing it. I took off the chicken skin. Then I added barbecue seasoning. I used transglutaminase to bind it. This is delicious. Feng was chosen for this dish. Hahaha. I have full confidence in my dish. A lot of the techniques are very obvious. Also, your direction and your vision are very clear. Your execution is even clearer. Thank you. Only by loving the roll can you win. Congratulations. You’re in the game now. Thank you, teacher. How should I put it… Loving the roll is the way to win and get in. That moment was really exciting and touching. I felt like I was about to tear up. The whole chicken roll is very neat and clean. If you ever feel that chicken skin is greasy, fatty, and oily, then it becomes something really unpleasant. But he made the chicken skin especially thin, and especially clean. After you finish the whole roll, you don’t even feel like you ate chicken skin. This kind of technique can’t be mastered in just a month or two. I know he wants to show off his skills, but he has the skills to back it up. The next dish is even better. You have to come and try it. Keep it up! Alright. Hello, Chef Tingfeng. Sorry. Okay. Let’s take a look together. Pink. Not bad. The colors are all well done. They’re spot on. So beautiful. The gray one is too dry. The red is too dark. The pink color represents that it still retains the steak’s tenderness. When we cut it open, there are many layers. Very clean. Even I think how could it be like this? No blood comes out. I think this is good. Thank you, Chef. This is my restaurant’s signature dish. You’ll see that the red part is foie gras sausage. You specifically removed the sausage casing. To get the most tender part inside. So it won’t get dried out when roasting, right? That’s right. I think this is a very clever fusion point. Thank you. Her mushrooms are just right. But it’s missing a sauce. It would be delicious with some sauce. So if the mushroom sauce inside is well preserved, that’s also a plus. I’m confident enough not to give you any sauce. The balance in every aspect has to be extremely precise. Try it. Chemistry Department’s talented chef You’re in the game. Thank you, teacher. Thank you. Thank you. Just by seeing you finish this double-layer puff pastry pie without preparing any sauce, I already knew how confident you are in your layering and combinations. Because these things dry out easily. If you cut it and it’s bleeding, or if it falls apart, there’s no need to even taste it. But even after so much time, yours still holds its shape. I think that’s amazing. Thank you, teacher. Nicholas Tse knows a lot about Beef Wellington. When she was baking it, I said, won’t it get tough if you bake it like that? Unless you remove the casing. She said yes, she removed it. I already knew that. In my mind, she already had half a spot. Reserved for this person. I’m really, really happy. There were so many things I didn’t mention, but he already knew. He truly understands what I want to do. This feeling is really amazing. Keep it up! Finally, a female contestant made it. Seems like she’s the first. A female contestant advanced. Thank you, I’m so happy. Look, what’s going on with that person over there? She looks a bit nervous. I’m really scared. Because I’m such an ordinary person, coming to such a big competition, with so many elites, I’m fifty-seven years old this year. Before I became a chef, I actually studied to be a secretary in the UK. I’ve been fired three times. Before, I really felt like a failure. But when I entered the kitchen, it was like I transformed into a superhero. So when I was forty-three, I opened a small private kitchen in Hong Kong, China. At that time, my signature dish was called “Special Soy Sauce Chicken.” It’s a classic Cantonese dish. Many customers gave me great reviews. It was delicious. Truly. Thank you. In the kitchen, I truly regained my confidence and sense of fulfillment. After opening that restaurant, about a year later, I appeared on the cover of a very famous food magazine in Hong Kong, China. In 2019, I went to Japan. I have a friend He says I’m the queen of private kitchens I don’t think I’m any kind of queen I’m just a chef So, for the first round, the dish I made was my signature dish Chef Tan, for dishes like this classic dishes like soy sauce poached chicken what’s the difficult part? There are different styles Some prefer more spices Some have a hint of wine aroma What must be achieved for it to be considered soy sauce poached chicken for it to be good The chicken must be good I’m very strict about the ingredients The choice of chicken breed is something I’ve determined through countless trials and finally chose the breed best suited for soy sauce chicken First, bring the soy sauce to a boil then soak everything in After soaking, pour the sauce over to give it color Then I pour the sauce because I don’t use dark soy sauce in my soy sauce chicken This soy sauce mixture I heard was specially prepared a week in advance here She worked really hard on this She had to keep pouring the sauce over and over Every step looks simple but each step really depends on your own experience. You have to keep adjusting the temperature. It can’t be too low or too high. Make sure the chicken turns out a bit tender. And the skin gets a little crispy. The whole process takes about forty minutes. Look at that soy sauce chicken. Look at its color. It’s really tempting. Yes. You can tell the meat is very tender just by looking at it. This is definitely a must-try dish that everyone loves. I really want to go down and have a piece. Or should I ask them to bring some up? Let’s give it a try. Sure. I feel so much pressure. I’m really nervous. You can do it! Nervous. That’s enough. Hello. This soy sauce poached chicken is also one of my signature dishes. It’s also a Cantonese dish. This dish has been with me for so many years. I’ve been making it all along. So today, for Mr. Zhang Judge Zhang I present it with all my sincerity. Actually, I’m very nervous. Sorry. It’s okay. Alright. Then I’ll give it a try. Okay. But I want to pair it with a little rice. That’s enough. That’s enough. (Be careful) It’s hot. I’ve taken a second bite. That’s enough. I’ve eaten it again. Uncle Rong, do you think this dish is tasty or not tasty, or do you think there’s a problem with it? This kind of soy sauce chicken, what is your verdict? Passes. Thank you. Thank you, Judge Zhang. I think your chicken is cooked perfectly. The texture of the skin is especially good. Also, the flavor of your dish is a bit different from traditional soy sauce poached chicken. There’s a slight difference. Traditional soy sauce poached chicken uses more soy sauce. Too much sugar. Yes. You made some changes to it. During my years in Japan, I kept blending our Chinese cuisine with some Japanese elements. I think this level of doneness and flavor is something I really like. After taking the first bite, you’ll feel that the chicken flavor is very rich. It looks quite ordinary, but inside, it’s actually a very thoughtfully made dish. Thank you. Congratulations. Thank you. That’s wonderful. Here, congratulations. My hands are oily. Sorry. They’re oily. Thank you. In the earlier part of my life, I wasn’t good at anything I did. But today, everyone liked my dish in the competition. I feel very content already. I never expected that something I love could bring me so much happiness. I’m truly so happy to see you succeed. I have an answer now. To myself. It’s also a kind of result of my life’s journey, I suppose. To my teacher, I need to learn a lot from you. Congratulations to everyone as well. Congratulations, everyone. Congratulations. That’s wonderful. There are many experts in the kitchen too. Yes. More and more people are joining in. Modern home-style cuisine. “Home-style” is only reflected in the flavors of homes from around the world. In terms of cooking techniques, there will be unexpected surprises. This pear is delicious. Your dishes aren’t exactly traditional home cooking. They’re complex, yet still have a sense of home. This is really fascinating. Modern home-style cuisine. You’re in. Thank you, Chef. Good luck! Thank you. Keep it up! I’m Xiao Jiao Ao from Changsha. Changsha has Zhang Yixing. The pride of Changsha. My “Jiao” means chili pepper. Today, the dish I’m presenting is Stewed fish head with green pepper and perilla. Tender and chewy. The soup is fresh and flavorful. The aftertaste is endless. Its biggest innovation is within Huaiyang cuisine, it uses Hunan perilla and pepper flavors. These two elements. Congratulations. You’re in. Thank you. Good luck! The two dishes I made today are very simple and home-style. I want to prove that true seafood cooking isn’t about showing off skills, but about understanding the ingredients and finding the best way to cook them. I really like yours. The soy sauce you poured in didn’t completely overpower the fresh aroma of the fish. This kind of control can only come from experience that has been accumulated. Fish expert. Congratulations. You’ve made it in. Alright, thank you. My dish today is large yellow croaker from Nanji Island served with pork cheek and steamed baby cabbage. Using French cooking techniques to prepare a yellow croaker that Chinese people are familiar with. The yellow croaker was handled very well. There’s no fishy smell. And presenting yellow croaker in a Western style like this is also impressive. So, congratulations. You’re in. Thank you. Xiaohua is in. Your result is out. Thank you, but thank you anyway. Thank you. Nine young chefs have already made it in. On Vicky’s (Zheng Yongqi) side, none have made it in yet. Who do you think will be the first to get in among them? This one won the 2024 S.Pellegrino Young Chef Top Ten. I know him. They have won championships in French and Japanese cuisine competitions. They are already used to this kind of competition. They are very clear about the rhythm. As long as they follow the rhythm, they won’t go wrong. It’s very steady. Today’s dish is called “Freshness.” I believe this dish can let him feel what I want to express. This dish is called Burgundy Char Siu Steak. It uses red wine soy sauce to make a sauce similar to char siu style. Your idea for this char siu is very creative. This part is delicious. But There’s a bit of a gas smell. First, your sauce is too spicy and too strong. If you want to know how I feel after tasting it, it should be umami. But I really can’t taste it. None of them really meet my standards. The dishes are all unbalanced. Back kitchen ACE is eliminated. Double champion is eliminated. World champion (is also eliminated). The strictest one right now is Vicky (Zheng Yongqi). It’s always a straight no. A straight no. If it doesn’t work, it just doesn’t work. He doesn’t even give a “pending” status. His standards are high. Actually, I think it’s about whether you reach the point he wants. If you reach that point, he’ll acknowledge you. Under Vicky (Zheng Yongqi), so far, no one has passed easily. I am looking for someone who can reach my standards as a chef. Thank you. Your result is elimination. E Dali is eliminated. The result is elimination. Thank you. Dali is eliminated. It’s too cruel. Thank you. Your result is elimination. Thank you. The sushi chef “Brown Bear” is out. He is really very strict. We can even give him a little nickname. “The Hand of Death.” Hello. Hello, teacher. Today I’m making a lamb dish. Lamb. Yes, New Zealand lamb. You can look forward to it. Okay. Your name? Your code name? Ran Shao. Ran Shao, yes. What does it mean? “Ran” is the name of my restaurant. It’s called Ran Restaurant. And then, Because I’m quite young. I’m only twenty-three this year. Twenty-three? Yes, that’s right. And when I was twenty, I started my own restaurant business. Yes, after two years, I’ve achieved some pretty good results. Yes. Impressive. Thank you. So do you think your dish today can pass? Of course. Absolutely, yes. What I present is always the best I can offer at the moment. When I first went over to chat, he gave me a very confident impression. But if he doesn’t have a way to put that confidence into action, it just comes off as arrogance. Alright. Because I really enjoy competition, I like to compare myself with others, and I like to see who comes in first, second, or third. I know exactly what the customers want. I know exactly what the judges want. I’m sure I’ll make it to the end. This is about cooking lamb. Vicky is also really good at cooking lamb. He made that premium New Zealand lamb dish. He did a great job. Yes. The other person cooking lamb over there did well too. But if he goes up against Vicky, his chances aren’t looking good. This is really quick. Western Cuisine Encyclopedia I think he reacts very quickly. Haven’t you seen his videos? It’s said that even Gordon Ramsay has liked them. Videos of the dishes he makes. He often does live cooking tutorials. Live cooking streams. I think he should have a chance. I’ve been paying special attention to him today. I guess it tastes pretty good. He even brushed on some sauce. Hello. Hello. So where are you originally from? I’m originally from Vancouver. I’ve been studying, living, and working there. Okay. So where do you usually cook? I used to work in a restaurant. Then I started doing my own social media content. That’s why I’m called Western Cuisine Encyclopedia. I started posting professional tutorials on Western cuisine. Really looking forward to it. Alright, looking forward to your review. From my perspective as a traditional competition contestant, since I’ve participated in many world competitions, I think I can beat anyone. His technique is very professional. My dish is not only flavorful but also showcases my skills. I think advancing is possible. I believe I have the ability. The goal is definitely to win the championship. Champion. Everyone made lamb. I don’t know who Zheng Yongqi will prefer. Hello. Hello, judge. This is a charcoal-grilled lamb chop. This dish is called “The Way of Lamb.” It’s based on my understanding of lamb from childhood until now. Eating lamb eventually inspired me to create this dish. The lamb chop is cleaned very thoroughly. Then, I prepared it using a French technique. It’s wrapped with Merguez sausage. Then topped with harissa sauce, red pepper and olive tapenade, and also added a saffron cauliflower with mayonnaise. Yours is made with pork. The pork and the trimmings from the lamb chop are wrapped together. Okay, hello teacher. Because I am a native of Guangdong. So all of my flavors are Cantonese flavors. For this time, I used three parts of the lamb to make a roll. The lamb’s large tenderloin, the small tenderloin, and the trimmings were made into a mousse. Beautiful. For this dish, the starch is pumpkin and potato. The seasonal vegetable is bamboo shoot. Another lamb part used is the lamb brisket. When I got such good ingredients, I thought about trying to capture the flavor of lamb char siu. The slight fattiness of the lamb combined with the marinated flavor of char siu was amazing when I tried it. The sauce is inspired by the flavor of Guangdong lamb brisket stew. It also uses some sugarcane and water chestnut. All the trimmings are used in the starch, and in the sauce. Zero waste. I suggest starting with a lamb brisket rib. Then pair it with some lamb rolls. Eat it together with seasonal vegetables. Thank you. Okay. Yes. But if you want options, there are choices. It’s lamb tenderloin. In the middle. There’s a hint of fermented bean curd flavor inside. This is also how we cook lamb in Guangdong. You can add a little fermented bean curd sauce. Yes. That’s fine. Then I’ll start with this. Yes. I suggest starting with the char siu. The lamb here. Here. And here. Alright. And here. So I should eat them together. I suggest starting with the small tenderloin. You can start with the small tenderloin. Yes, that’s right. Start with the small tenderloin. Its flavor is already rich enough on its own. It’s very flavorful. Okay. Your result is Let’s see if there’s a miracle. Because Vicky (Zheng Yongqi) hasn’t given a single vote so far. Eliminated. This sauce is good. It’s a bit spicy. There’s a bit of smokiness. I like it. But the problem is this. Your dish has three different sauces, right? There’s this saffron one, and this spicy sauce, and this meat. It’s too much. The lamb he chose is good. But the different things he added to the dish overpowered the natural flavor of the lamb. A well-balanced dish must have a main star. The side ingredients and sauces should enhance what the main ingredient already has. Flavor. Umami. The encyclopedia of Western cuisine. Eliminated. Alright. Your result is Enter the competition Thank you Congratulations Thank you, judges I think the cut you chose is excellent Of course, the meat just now and the fat and the texture That’s exactly how char siu should feel Yes, that’s right When I take a bite I can taste a hint of sweetness inside and the natural aroma of the lamb Overall I think this dish is a very well-balanced dish He has a certain confidence in executing the pairing He delivers what he promises I think this chef is quite interesting Ran Shao enters the competition This is the first one Vicky (Zheng Yongqi) approved The first one approved “Let go” Vicky (Zheng Yongqi) Beautiful Since I’m here I want to challenge the person I think is the strongest right now In my mind he’s like a mountain But I want to defeat him I want to take on the strongest The era of young chefs like us has arrived This time, I’m going to topple you Go for it Consecutive Congratulations on becoming rivals I can’t take it, this smells amazing. I’m so jealous of those three judges downstairs. Seriously, so many different dishes. From all over the country. Everyone who comes here can find something on their must-eat list. Speaking of must-eats, I think it really matches Meituan’s Must-Eat Festival. This Must-Eat Festival happens every summer. Both Meituan and Dazhong Dianping host this food extravaganza. Hundreds of cities across the country take part, covering millions of businesses. Every restaurant brings their signature dishes. It’s just like joining us on “A Bite to Remember.” We hope every diner can find, at our Must-Eat Festival, delicious and affordable must-try restaurants and dishes. I’ve also prepared a must-eat dish for everyone to try. No problem, we’re looking forward to it, Chef Chen. Hello, teacher. Hello. The Dark Horse of Lion City My ancestral home is Huizhou, Guangdong, and I’m Hakka. So, I am a Hakka. I am a Malaysian Chinese, born and raised here. I was born in Ampang, Malaysia. It’s a small place. Malay food is delicious. Malay food. All kinds of dishes are tasty. The place where I live has many, many Hakka people. There are some very authentic Hakka dishes. I learned them all from my elders. This is what we commonly call “ban mian” here. Hakka people call it “dao ma qie.” And when we usually eat it, we pair it with some local chili. That’s how we eat it together. And then there’s stuffed tofu. Yellow wine chicken. I’ve been influenced by these since I was little. I watched my grandma and mom cook. I think we must not forget our roots. After all, you know very well who you really are today. For Hakka people, anything can be used for stuffing. So I decided to make Hakka-style lobster rice soup. The main focus is on the freshness of the flavors. Inside the morel mushrooms and green onions, I used the stuffing technique. I stuffed them with scallop meat and lobster claw. I believe that freshness should not be masked by too much seasoning. So I didn’t use any chicken powder or MSG at all. Nor did I use salt for seasoning. I used lobster shells and some dried ingredients to make a clear broth. I added some butter to the rice, along with lemongrass and galangal, and a bit of white pepper for seasoning. On top, I added some crispy black rice. I soaked the lobster in spiced butter, cooked it at a low temperature, and finally smoked it over charcoal. By using the natural freshness of different ingredients, I present the unique layers of Hakka cuisine. The Hakka I belong to is not the same branch as Black Horse from Lion City. Our people used to live in the mountains a long time ago. So the Hakka cuisine from our area isn’t known for stuffed dishes, but for fermentation and pickling. Hello everyone, I’m Plum Blossom from Treasure Island. I’m a Hakka from Miaoli, Taiwan, China. Today, what I’m presenting is a dish that combines Hakka pickled mustard greens with preserved mustard greens, oil-poached spotted grouper with wild pepper, served with a clam soup. Are there any special ingredients? Using both Hakka preserved and pickled mustard greens together is something I haven’t seen much. Also, something I learned abroad: after reducing seaweed sauce, I make it into a crispy chip to add more texture to the dish. I bought the spotted grouper here in Changsha. It’s marinated with wild pepper oil for flavor. This brings in the taste of our local ingredients. This is a dish that represents my Hakka identity. And it also has the characteristics of Changsha. As a Hakka person, I personally place great importance on heritage. I hope to use my own way to preserve the flavors from my memories. Actually, making this kind of traditional dish is very difficult. With each generation of inheritance, even a 0.1% deviation will make it worse and worse over time. You definitely need to bring something new to the table. Yes. Can you introduce it? This dish is called Hakka Lobster Rice Soup. It’s simply clear broth with rice. But taken to the extreme. So this is a dish that emphasizes umami. Umami. Understood. Thank you, Chef. What’s inside the morel mushroom? It’s the lobster claw. I didn’t waste anything. Then I mixed in a bit of scallop mousse. Mixed it all together. He took several bites. Not sure if he likes it or not. Here, try this first. I know you’ve eaten a lot of things. So I prepared a sorbet for you. I hope it can cleanse your palate. I used fragrant pears from Xinjiang and baijiu bought in Changsha to make this sorbet. So the judges’ palates can return to a neutral state. What I made isn’t traditional Western cuisine or traditional French cuisine. This kind of more adventurous flavor I think he will like it. I saw him take a bite. It looked really good. Not bad. Okay, that should be it. When he took a second and third bite, I felt there was a chance. Your fish was cooked just right. Thank you. Her way of pairing it was also correct. This should work. Your result is Your result is pending. Pending, okay. I think your pickled vegetables aren’t enough. There’s not enough sourness. That makes it a bit salty. Okay, I understand. Overall, it’s actually pretty good. But it’s just a bit lacking in layers. Your result is Entered the competition Thank you, teacher. This clear soup is very fresh and sweet. It has the flavor it should have. Everything is in the morel mushrooms. It’s the idea of not wasting anything. I like it very much too. Thank you, teacher. Congratulations. Thank you, teacher. I’m honored to enter the competition with a Hakka dish. Because I think when it comes to identity, we Malaysian Chinese are actually quite firm about it. We must pass down the culture that should be preserved. It’s a way to show respect to our ancestors. It’s not easy. Another contestant has entered the competition on Vicky’s side. Actually, you still have to consider each person’s strengths. Create your own local specialties. Your own flavors. Just be yourself. That’s right. Is he wearing traditional clothes to recreate ancient dishes? I am Antique Canteen. Now, I work in self-media. The videos I update mainly recreate some ancient dishes. We hope that by restoring these ancient delicacies as authentically as possible, people will pay attention to the history behind them. The dishes I made this time come from over 900 years ago, from a very famous banquet in the Southern Song Dynasty. The entire banquet had over a hundred dishes. I selected four of them. There still needs to be inheritance. We need to know where we come from. So, when making these old recipes, are there any special considerations? In the past, resources were very scarce. Most seasonings were basically based on fermentation. Look, this soy sauce is fermented. Things from ancient times are still quite different from what we use today. Yes. It seems that to restore authentic Chinese flavors, we still need to use our traditional brewing techniques. Like the 400-year-old Chinese brand, Haitian soy sauce. Right. The flavor sun-brewed in China is truly authentic. I’ve been using Haitian for over thirty years. That’s right. That’s convincing. Bro, What’s up? I have something really embarrassing. What is it? Can you lend me a big ladle? Just take one yourself. You use it first. I forgot to bring my spatula. Forgot to bring my ladle. You take one first. Thanks. Good thing no one else noticed. There was just an introduction. He doesn’t seem to be a professional chef. He used to do singing and dancing. He was an entertainer. An entertainer changing careers. I started out singing. I also performed on stage. In the end, I set up a food stall. For me, this is like re-employment after being laid off. Feels like there are quite a few who switched from other industries. I’m a social media blogger. Don’t underestimate these career-changing chefs. Sometimes, they come up with some really creative tricks. It’s actually pretty interesting. Your muscles are really well-trained. This one will definitely be popular. Yeah. It’s so healthy. Whenever people talk about losing weight, they probably think of dieting, going hungry, and nibbling on vegetable leaves. But actually, if the nutrition is well balanced, you’ll find you can feel full and still lose weight. Today’s dish has a bit of a gimmick. It’s pretty efficient. I’m not here for gimmicks. I’m here to showcase my cooking skills. At home, I’ve hosted Janice Man, Myolie Wu, and Charlene Choi. Everyone thinks I should open a restaurant. The dish I’m presenting this round is called “Golden House XO Crab Legs with Crab Roe Rice Rolls.” This is a healthy meal. Yes, this is a healthy meal. This serving is about 500 kilocalories. This dish is really addictive after you eat it. So I always look forward to the judges’ reactions after they try it. I really like your creativity. But the flavor isn’t very balanced. Your result is elimination. Okay. Thank you. I think sometimes temperature is more important than how pretty it looks. Because for this dish, we still need to keep it warm. Mm. My decision is you’re eliminated. Thank you. Alright. Thank you. Thank you, judges. I did spend a lot of time plating. I wasted quite a bit of time. If I could do it again, I would arrange everything else first before stir-frying the crab. That guy who makes duck dishes I’ve watched quite a few of his videos. He probably switched careers to become a food blogger. He must have tens of millions of followers by now. Are you a trained chef? No, I’m self-taught. You learned on your own? That’s right. I love food. I’m always searching for authentic flavors. Wherever there’s good food, I go there. I’m just a wild chef. What do you mean by “wild chef”? It means I’ve never formally apprenticed under a master. Back then, I had just returned from the army. I started by making cold dishes at the market. Then I gradually fell in love with food. So I started buying books to study. I took it one step at a time. It’s been decades now. My cooking comes from the people. The “Ten Ways to Eat Duck” dish changed my life. It brought me tens of millions of followers overnight. It’s the dish that best represents my style. That “Ten Ways to Eat Duck” dish. He finally completed his masterpiece. That was a lot of work. How do you make “Ten Ways to Eat Duck”? I think he did it to showcase his style. Uncle Mei I’ll get you some chopsticks. Here they are. You made all these dishes? Yes. I just finished making them. That’s right. Ten dishes from one duck. The duck only weighs about seven or eight jin. Honestly, it’s quite difficult to make ten dishes from it. Actually, it depends on how you break it down. First, you need to separate the large parts like the head, neck, and tail. Remove those parts and set them aside. Next, remove the duck breast and slice it into strips. Debone the duck legs and wing roots, then slice them. Cut off the fattier parts of the duck and mince them into a paste. Peel off the remaining duck skin. A master chef works with such efficiency. Clean and fast. Starting with the duck skin, that’s the crispy duck coating. Its two backbones. Spicy pepper duck spine. The duck breast is made into shredded duck with wild ginger. I will use six different methods to cook different parts of the duck. They are: pan-frying, deep-frying, stir-frying, braising, steaming, and stewing. This way, I can fully make use of every part of the duck without any waste. What is the purpose of doing this? It is to carry on our Chinese culinary heritage. That is, not to waste anything. I was amazed. In just 120 minutes, such a short time, he prepared a whole table of dishes. And for this dish, which one should I start with? If I start with the lighter flavors, I think I should have the soup first. Start with the soup. There’s no MSG or anything like that in it. It’s just the original flavor. I added some Chinese yam. And a bit of dried scallop to balance the taste. Then for the second dish, I suggest adding some seasoning for the second one. Use a bit of light spicy sauce. Eat the part at the bottom. This is called numbing pepper duck spine. This method is for the base flavor. It has a bit of a numbing pepper taste. This is shredded duck with wild ginger. It has a slight spiciness. Five-spice duck roll. It’s made using the method for five-spice meat rolls, but with duck. That’s right. This is osmanthus-flavored duck skin. It’s just duck skin. Try it and see if you can taste the osmanthus flavor. It has a subtle osmanthus aroma. I added osmanthus flowers. This dish is my own creation. Thank you. So I will give you my verdict. There are even fewer spots to advance now. The remaining contestants are in danger. With pressure, mistakes are more likely. Now it’s over. I cut my hand. This pressure is overwhelming. Your result is… I’m getting a bit of a tingling sensation. The format of this round is a one-on-one chef showdown. This scene is so intense. For me, this battle is a fight for honor. My intuition tells me total victory. This time, I’m going to defeat you. Interesting. The chef advancing from the one-on-one showdown is…