, 138th Palm, 3 Egg Shumai

Chapter 140, the 138th Palm: Three-Egg Shumai

"Wow! It's so lively here!"

A gentle voice rang out from behind the crowd.

The next second, a tall figure walked through the crowd and appeared in front of Lin Yu.

He was dressed in a pristine white chef's uniform with a green apron tied around his waist, and a gentle smile on his face.

"Hiroki Sena, the sous-chef?!"

The visitor was none other than Dojima Gin's deputy, the sous chef of the food and beverage department at the Totsuki Resort.

Compared to Lin Yu, Erina Nakiri recognized the newcomer immediately.

"Oh? It's Nakiri-kun!"

Hiromi Sena smiled as he looked at the young lady of the Supreme Commander's family, and also noticed the glittering dishes in front of her.

"Eggs Benedict?"

Sena Hiroshi looked at Nakiri Erina and said with a "I didn't expect it" smile, "This dish really suits Nakiri-san's flamboyant style! Just looking at its dazzling appearance makes one feel fond of it and can't help but want to try it!"

"Would you like one?" Erina Nakiri quickly asked.

"Of course!"

Hiroshi Sena had already agreed to Erina Nakiri's request, but then changed the subject.

"However, Nakiri-kun might need to wait a little while."

Sena Hiroshi pointed at Lin Yu, "I was drawn here by the aroma of this student's cooking, so there should at least be a first-come, first-served order, right?"

After saying that, he looked at Lin Yu and said with a smile, "Classmate, you agree, right?"

Thank you for your consideration!

Lin Yu confidently handed over his dish, saying, "This dish will definitely live up to your trust. I have that confidence."

Sena Hiroshi smiled and accepted the dish Lin Yu handed him. "It's certainly a good thing that young people have confidence!"

"However, my standards will be very strict."

Lin Yu's tone was firm, and the confidence in his eyes remained unwavering.

Please make yourself at home!

"Okay, I'll start eating then."

Compared to the steaming and fragrant congee with preserved egg and lean pork, Hiromi Sena's attention was drawn to another dish in the Lin Yu Cuisine Set Meal.

Judging from its appearance, it is a shumai with a golden-yellow outer skin.

Hiroshi Sena immediately recognized this traditional Chinese snack.

To his surprise, what was exposed at the top of the shumai was not the usual pork or shrimp, but a mysterious black granule that reflected a crystalline luster under the bright lights of the venue.

Sena Hiroshi brought the shumai in his hand to his eyes and examined it carefully.

"I've heard Chef Dojima mention you before, Lin Yu."

"Is this the ingredient you specifically sought out him to confirm?"

Lin Yu smiled and nodded: "Yes."

Sena Hiromi immediately showed an expression of "interest".

"I've had dishes made with preserved eggs before, but I don't know if Lin Yu's cooking will bring me any surprises."

As he spoke, Sena Hiroshi had already thrown the shumai in his hand into his mouth in one gulp.

Upon tasting, the first sensation on the tongue is the soft yet chewy dough, releasing a rich egg aroma.

When making the dough for shumai, Lin Yu not only used high-quality wheat flour, but also did not add water, using almost pure egg liquid to knead the dough.

To enhance the aroma and smooth texture, he also added some milk to the dough.

The resulting dough is naturally soft and chewy, with an excellent texture, and it also contains a rich aroma of eggs and milk.

The preserved egg wrapped in the shumai skin has been steamed for a long time and has almost melted, just like melted chocolate, with a very rich and thick taste.

As Sena Hiromi's teeth broke open the shumai, he immediately felt a thick, sticky liquid with a rich, savory flavor that enveloped his tongue and teeth without any hesitation.

But Sena Hiroshi no longer disliked this feeling; on the contrary, he was now deeply immersed in the thick texture and rich, delicious flavor of the preserved egg.

Just as Sena Hiromi was moved by this rich and delicious flavor.

The next moment, a fresh and delicious flavor from the water broke through the defenses formed by the preserved eggs, delivering a heavy impact that struck his tongue directly, making his taste buds tremble.

"It's a crab... no! It's a roe crab!"

Sena Hiroshi's eyes widened suddenly, and he let out an excited exclamation!

"Yes, crabs..."

'

Strictly speaking, crab roe is also a type of egg!

Sena Hiroshi had already swallowed the food in his mouth. When he looked at Lin Yu, his eyes were filled with admiration and praise that almost overflowed!

"Eggs, preserved eggs, and crab roe!"

"A tiny siu mai actually incorporates three types of egg ingredients! And the flavor balance among the three ingredients is almost perfect!"

Hiromi Sena couldn't help but clap his hands and applaud. "Lin Yu, just as Chef Dojima said, you are truly outstanding! So outstanding that it's beyond the level expected of a student!"

Behind Sena Hiroki, the crowd watching was quite surprised to see such a seemingly impressive person praising Lin Yu so highly.

Those who had tasted Lin Yu's cuisine naturally followed suit, while those who hadn't tasted it were even more intrigued.

This naturally included the cooking station next door, where Erina Nakiri had been quietly observing.

Because she knew Sena Hiroki's identity, she was increasingly surprised and increasingly...resentful.

"Why do you look so grumpy?" Lin Yu suddenly turned to look at Erina Nakiri and asked jokingly.

Startled by being discovered, Erina Nakiri turned her head away and retorted defiantly, "Which eye of yours saw that I was dissatisfied!"

Why should I be dissatisfied with you?

"You mean your cooking is better than mine?"

"Alright!" Faced with Erina Nakiri's series of excuses, Lin Yu gave a helpless smile.

"Not dissatisfied? Then why are you pouting so much?"

"I didn't!"

As Erina Nakiri retorted, she subconsciously raised her hand to touch her lips.

But seeing Lin Yu's suppressed laughter, she realized she had been tricked by him.

"Ha ha!"

Lin Yu let out a boisterous laugh, and at the same time handed a portion of his own dish to Nakiri Erina.

"Here you go!"

"You think I'll eat it just because you tell me to? I'm not eating it!"

"Why should I, this young lady, listen to you?"

Erina Nakiri snorted coldly, a look of disdain on her face, but her words were more of a sullen remark.

"Come on!"

Lin Yu wasn't annoyed. He smiled and advised, "Even if you want to find fault with me, you should at least find a starting point, right?"

'

"If you don't eat it, wouldn't your review be too unconvincing?"

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, Erina Nakiri's stubborn expression wavered slightly.

"Hmph! I'm telling you beforehand, I didn't just want to eat it myself, you begged me to do the tasting for you!"

As she spoke, Erina Nakiri snatched the dish Lin Yu was handing her with lightning speed.

"Understood, my dear lady!"

Erina Nakiri didn't refute the teasing title of "young lady" this time, whether she was too busy to do so or had already gotten used to the banter with Lin Yu.

She picked up a spoon and stirred the steaming porridge a few times, the steam carrying a rich aroma rising from the bowl.

Erina Nakiri miraculously felt a slight tremor in her tongue.

That's her "God Tongue" yearning!

How is that possible?

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Erina Nakiri scooped up a spoonful of congee with preserved egg and lean pork and put it in her mouth.

"It tastes great!"

The moment the rice porridge entered her throat, Erina Nakiri's eyes lit up, even though she had been somewhat skeptical.

Rice, preserved eggs, lean meat, dried shallots, seaweed, carrots, shrimp—one by one, these flavorful ingredients appear on Erina Nakiri's tongue.

The rice is sweet, the preserved egg and lean meat are rich and delicious, and the other vegetables bring a refreshing sweetness.

The flavors of all the ingredients are fully brought out and infused into the rice porridge during the long cooking process.

The rice, now fully cooked, forms a solid foundation, like a stage.

On the stage, preserved eggs and lean meat are the main ingredients, while other ingredients are supporting roles.

All the ingredients worked together to create a magnificent yet heartwarming stage play, and all the actors' performances were so perfect and just right.

The flavors of all the ingredients blend together in the white rice porridge, creating a harmonious and perfectly natural fusion.

As the lingering flavor of the preserved egg and lean pork congee faded in my mouth, a gentle, savory aroma quietly emerged, bringing the entire stage play to a final close.

Erina Nakiri raised an eyebrow, her eyes gleaming.

What's with that last savory aroma?

Unconvinced, Erina Nakiri took another spoonful of the congee with preserved egg and lean pork, then looked up at Lin Yu.

"Is it chicken soup?"

Erina Nakiri said decisively, "Your little trick for cleaning up the mess..."

'

Seeing that Erina Nakiri had hit the nail on the head, Lin Yu nodded and readily admitted it.

"To be precise, it's chicken soup jelly!"

Lin Yu pulled out a large basin from behind him, filled with a basin of dark, transparent jelly that trembled and emitted...

It has a faint fragrance.

"I use old chicken and pork bones as the soup base to ensure a rich and savory flavor."

"We also added chicken feet and wing tips to increase collagen."

"Simmer these soup ingredients together with old ginger, shiitake mushrooms, kelp, winter melon and other ingredients to make a thick broth. After the broth cools down, it will turn into this kind of jelly."

Erina Nakiri raised her question, "Then why not add the chicken broth when you first start cooking the porridge?"

"Wouldn't this allow the flavors of the chicken soup to blend more harmoniously with the rice porridge and other ingredients in it?"

Lin Yu shook his head. "I did it on purpose."

Lin Yu tossed a jelly into his mouth, and with a flick of his tongue, the chicken soup jelly instantly melted into a rich and delicious chicken soup.

"I deliberately add the chicken broth jelly just before serving it to the guests. One reason is that the porridge is very hot when it is fresh out of the pot. Adding the jelly helps to quickly cool the porridge to a temperature that is suitable for human consumption without ruining its flavor."

"Another reason is that I deliberately wanted to create a gap between the original flavor of the congee and the flavor of the chicken broth jelly."

"Century egg, lean pork, and other ingredients are enough to help the flavors blend perfectly with the rice porridge!"

"What I want is for the flavors of the chicken soup and rice porridge to be distinct, creating a strong contrast in taste!"

Lin Yu looked at Erina Nakiri and revealed a smug smile.

"Judging from your reaction, my idea seems to have been quite successful, doesn't it?"

"How was it, young lady? My congee with preserved egg and lean pork didn't disappoint your 'God Tongue,' did it?"

"Ahem! Let's say you barely pass..."

'

Faced with Lin Yu's teasing gaze, Erina Nakiri felt a little embarrassed, but she still stubbornly said a few words before preparing to taste the next dish.

"And what about this siu mai?"

Erina Nakiri's gaze fell upon the golden shumai.

"Given such praise, it must be quite something, right?"

Erina Nakiri also shoveled the shumai into her mouth in one go.

The soft, fluffy yet chewy outer layer of the shumai releases a rich aroma of eggs and milk, enveloping the filling.

The preserved egg, now melted into a thick liquid, delivers a rich and satisfying umami flavor that hits you right in the head!

The tooth fell, revealing the crab buried deep inside the siu mai.

The crab roe bursts open one by one under the pressure of your teeth, creating a truly magical taste.

Alongside it is the freshness of river delicacies, unlike that of preserved eggs, which is clear, refreshing, and mild, forming a stark contrast to the rich and heavy flavor of preserved eggs.

The crab roe continued to burst inside Erina Nakiri's mouth.

The sensation was like bubbles bursting inside Erina Nakiri's mouth, with countless tiny forces impacting the inside of her mouth and tongue, giving her a strange and comfortable feeling as if her mouth was being massaged.

Erina Nakiri instinctively raised her hand to cover her mouth and nose, preventing the delicious aroma from escaping.

"Ah~"

Erina Nakiri let out a long sigh of relief, her expression one of pleasure and great comfort.

"How is it?"

Seeing the blissful expression on Erina Nakiri's face, Lin Yu asked knowingly with a smile, "How does my [Three-Egg Shumai] taste?"

Erina Nakiri wanted to say "delicious," but seeing Lin Yu's smiling face and his staring intently at her, she suddenly felt a pang of shame.

It was as if if she said the word "delicious," she would be inferior to Lin Yu from then on.

It's alright!

Erina Nakiri stammered out the word "generally," her tone uncertain.

Not to mention Lin Yu, even Erina Nakiri herself could tell that she didn't have any confidence in saying those words.

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing, "So-so... then why were you enjoying your meal so much?"

Erina Nakiri, with her strong sense of self-respect, suddenly felt a wave of shame.

But being competitive, she always felt a strong sense of shame when she admitted that other people's cooking was delicious, especially Lin Yu's cooking...

Erina Nakiri doesn't think she's such a sore loser, does she?

But admitting that Lin Yu's cooking is delicious seems to give the illusion of admitting defeat to him...

I just really didn't want to lose to him...

In the end, Erina Nakiri decided to forcibly change the subject.

Anyway, if it were him, he probably wouldn't really be angry with me, right?

"Who's happy? I don't know! Don't talk nonsense!"

Erina Nakiri tossed a strand of golden hair behind her ear, ignoring the blush spreading across her cheeks, and glared at Lin Yu with a reproachful look before putting on a disgusted expression.

"Hmph! Get out of the way!"

"I'm going to continue tasting it now, so please don't bother me!"