Chapter 255: Chapter 176: Senior Brother, Is This the Surprise You Mentioned? The Secret to Delicious Garlic Sauce! [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_2
As I pulled apart the char siu bun, the thick and aromatic char siu filling revealed itself.
Taking a bite, the salty-sweet flavors intertwined. The texture was rich and moist but not greasy, and the chunks of char siu within made every chew rich and delicious.
Combined with the dough, it was nothing short of perfect.
"Not bad, very tasty!" Lin Xu remarked.
In the past, Lin Xu had often gone to Finance University’s Cantonese cuisine window and had char siu buns and lava buns like these.
Compared to what his senior brother made, the Cantonese cuisine window at Finance University was slightly lacking.
"It’s on par with our school’s chefs now," Lin Xu added.
Hearing his junior brother’s compliments, Xie Baomin immediately felt somewhat deflated.
"Just on par with the school chefs’ skills?"
Lin Xu took another bite of the char siu bun.
"It’s already good. Don’t forget you were completely defeated when it came to Braised Eggplant."
Well, this char siu bun is truly great, Lin Xu thought. Senior brother is Fishing Platform’s champion chef, after all. Even if he doesn’t specialize in pastries, the char siu buns he makes have already surpassed those of many professional chefs.
The mention of Braised Eggplant instantly made Xie Baomin lose his indignation.
"Now that you mention it, that’s indeed an improvement."
He pointed at the steamer and said, "Try them all later. There are other snacks in the steamer. You can help me taste each one."
Am I just a taste tester now? Lin Xu mused. If I had known, I would have called Yue Liyue over. Having someone from Lingnan taste them would probably make it easier to discern the difference from a master’s, right? But then again, considering there’s a Cantonese cuisine master in Building Number Ten, it seems like a hassle to find Yue Liyue.
"Senior Brother," Lin Xu asked, "why don’t you ask Chef Guo to help you evaluate them?"
"Him? What standing does a defeated opponent have?"
Xie Baomin sounded stubborn, but Lin Xu heard a hint of insecurity in his words.
Tsk... Senior Brother is quite a competitive person, Lin Xu thought. Too bad I can’t afford the Eye of Discrimination special item right now. Otherwise, I’d definitely grade Senior Brother’s skills and pinpoint the gap between him and a ranked Pastry Chef.
After finishing the char siu bun, Lin Xu picked up a lava bun to try.
The lava bun filling was made with salted egg yolks, Butter, sugar, and Wheat Flour. The ’Wheat Flour’ mentioned here is flour that has had its gluten washed out. Cold skins are a typical product made from this Wheat Flour. Furthermore, due to its smooth and non-sticky texture, this Wheat Flour is widely used in various pastries.
He bit into the lava bun.
The texture changed completely.
The char siu bun was soft and mildly sweet, but the lava bun’s dough was slightly chewier. The dough wasn’t as thick as the char siu bun’s, only a little over a centimeter.
Upon biting through, the golden, semi-liquid filling inside was exposed, exuding a rich, eggy aroma that was incredibly tempting.
In Cantonese morning tea, the lava bun has always been very popular. Not only because it looks good and is aesthetically pleasing, but most importantly because it tastes good. Savoring it carefully, one could even feel the sandy texture of the salted egg yolk. That’s precisely where the name ’lava’ comes from, referring to its flowing, sandy texture.
Lin Xu tasted the filled dough. The semi-liquid filling was rich and unctuous, its fragrance mixed with sweetness instantly whetting his appetite. The saltiness of the salted egg yolk made the filling’s flavor even more complex and rich.
As he tasted it carefully, his tongue could clearly feel the sandy little granules in the filling. These granules carried the unique salty-savory flavor of salted egg yolk, not only enriching the filling’s taste but also adding an element of fun to eating the lava bun.
Delicious. Senior Brother’s lava buns are even tastier than his char siu buns. This flavor is absolutely incredible!
After eating both the char siu bun and the lava bun, Lin Xu was already half full, but he still tried the other pastries.
Senior Brother’s talent is truly undeniable. With just a little effort, the pastries he makes are so delicious. It’s no wonder Master took him as an apprentice back then and brought him to Fishing Platform. With talent like this, anyone who saw it would be impressed.
After eating and drinking his fill, Lin Xu said, "Senior Brother, your skills are unquestionably great. I don’t even think the head chef of Building Number Ten is as good as you. You could definitely go compete with Chef Guo."
Xie Baomin was currently making Dough with duck eggs. Next to him lay a cleaned bamboo pole.
Is he preparing to make Bamboo Noodles? Lin Xu wondered.
Xie Baomin kept busy as he spoke, "The time isn’t right yet. Your competition really set the internet ablaze. I’ve heard the head chefs from the other buildings are eager to restart the middle-aged group competition. They seem to have completely forgotten the fear of being dominated by me. So, I plan to show them once again the gap between them and a five-time champion."
Oh? So all this hard work was for that! Lin Xu’s interest was piqued.
"How do you plan to make them face reality, Senior Brother?"
Normally, Senior Brother can be quite prickly even when others don’t provoke him. Now that other head chefs are issuing challenges, he must be preparing something big, right? I didn’t expect there would be such entertainment before the competition. Worth it!
Xie Baomin kneaded the duck egg dough into a ball, covered it on the board to let it rest, and said, "I’m planning to compete against Guo Weidong again, to knock him down once more."
????? Lin Xu was dumbfounded. What kind of move is this? Making an example out of him to warn the others? Chef Guo hasn’t provoked you, so why are you going after him?
Suddenly, Lin Xu felt a bit sorry for Chef Guo. It seems like knowing Senior Brother has never brought him any good luck.
With a laugh, Xie Baomin said, "That Guo Weidong fellow is quite proud. He always needs to vent his frustrations somewhere. For example, back when I won five championships in a row, he went and thrashed the other head chefs pretty hard."