Manhanlou, which had been lagging behind in the first ten minutes, has now begun to catch up.
This process actually did not surprise Ye Chui. Because of the ingredients used in the Whole Pig Banquet, many people were interested in it, but not many people really wanted to taste it. Many people might come to see what the Whole Pig Banquet was like out of curiosity, but they had no intention of tasting it themselves. This was the reason why the voting for the Whole Pig Banquet did not get a lot of attention at the beginning.
In addition, compared to Manhanlou, Shenghuayuan has the support of Chinatown, Jingjialou has won the title of Spring Banquet Champion for three consecutive years, and Lao Huang BBQ House is truly the dark horse of this Spring Banquet.
It is natural that the whole pig banquet did not go high in the beginning.
However, as more and more judges tasted the dishes from other restaurants and gradually began to gather at Manhanlou, Shenghuayuan and Jingjialou, the beauty of the whole pig banquet gradually became apparent.
This is the truth that good wine needs no bush.
Although many people were intimidated by the ingredients of Manhanlou at first, the delicious dishes have a special charm that quickly makes people appreciate the deliciousness of the dishes.
A group of people have gathered around the whole pig banquet at Manhan Building. Most of those selected as judges are gourmets or people who have been strictly selected by the Gourmet Association. These people are quite cultured, so although it is very crowded at this time, it does not seem messy. Everyone is consciously abiding by their own rules.
Han Yuyan and Su Xin were so busy at this time that they kept introducing each dish to people.
"Hello, Miss Han. I am a gourmet. I have met Mr. Han several times before. You were also with Mr. Han at that time. I wonder if you still remember me." A gourmet in his fifties suddenly spoke to Han Yuyan.
Han Yuyan took a look at the gourmet. She had met so many people like him when she was with her grandfather that she had no impression of this person's face, so she could only smile embarrassedly.
The gourmet didn't care. He didn't talk to Han Yuyan to get close to him, but because he was interested in a dish on the whole pig banquet. He pointed at a dish on the table with chopsticks and said curiously, "This dish seems to be very similar to the braised pork on your Manhan Building menu. I've eaten this dish in Manhan Building and I can't forget the taste. Didn't you say that there are no dishes in the Manhan Banquet on this whole pig banquet?"
When Han Yuyan heard the other party asking this question, he immediately laughed and introduced: "Old sir, you are wrong. The name of this dish is not braised pork in red sauce, but braised pork in red sauce."
"Red-braised pork? What's the difference between this and braised pork?" the old man asked curiously.
Han Yuyan had already understood the question and answered immediately, "The cooking methods of these two dishes are similar, and the taste is also very similar, but they are not the same dish. The cooking method of braised pork is relatively homely and simpler than that of stewed pork. In terms of taste, both dishes use the best pork belly and boil it to make the meat fat but not greasy. However, braised pork focuses on collecting juice, the soup is thick, and the meat is harder, while stewed pork has more soup and the meat is tender. The two dishes have slightly different tastes, and the ingredients used in the two dishes are also slightly different, but this is a recipe secret."
When the gourmet heard Han Yuyan's words, he immediately showed an educated expression: "I see, there is actually such a difference. I do feel that this braised pork is quite different from the braised pork I've eaten before."
"Old sir, there are actually many similar cooking methods. Why don't you try this dish again?" Han Yuyan then continued to point to another dish and said to the gourmet.
The dish Han Yuyan was referring to was very similar to the braised pork, with the same bright red texture, but in larger pieces, neatly stacked together. It had a bright red color, a mellow flavor, and was garnished with a few sprigs of coriander. Perhaps it was because of the overly large pieces of meat and the obvious white texture, but no one has tasted this dish yet.
The gourmet old gentleman bent down and carefully looked at the dish, and said in surprise: "This dish is indeed similar to braised pork, but I think this dish should be completely different from braised pork. Miss Han, what is this dish?"
"The name of this dish is Dongpo Pork, and it is a dish that has something to do with the great writer Su Dongpo." Han Yuyan explained hurriedly, and hurriedly told some anecdotes that he had memorized earlier. "As we all know, the great writer Su Dongpo was a big foodie. When he was the prefect of Xuzhou, there was a flood. Su Shi fought with the soldiers and civilians and finally saved the city of Xuzhou. The men and women in the city thanked Su Dongpo for fighting with them, so they killed pigs and cattle to reward Su Dongpo. Su Dongpo couldn't refuse, so he managed to develop this delicious meat to give back to the people of the city. Therefore, Dongpo Pork is also called Return Meat. Later, Dongpo Pork became famous throughout the world with Su Dongpo's fame and became a famous dish."
After hearing Han Yuyan's explanation, the gourmet nodded repeatedly and became even more interested in the Dongpo pork. He hurriedly picked up a piece with chopsticks and put it into his mouth. He felt that the meat was fragrant and glutinous, fat but not greasy, and crispy but not broken when bitten. It was very delicious. The taste was indeed very similar to braised pork and stewed pork in red sauce, but also completely different.
The gourmet couldn't help but whispered: "Yes, this straw is really delicious. In my opinion, it seems to be even better than the braised pork."
"Master said that the origin of braised pork is actually Dongpo pork. It is a delicacy that was formed after Dongpo pork became famous all over the world. The cooking methods of the two are very similar, but braised pork is more inclined to stewing, while the authentic cooking method of Dongpo pork is steaming. The two are similar, but also very different. In the eyes of gourmets, they are two completely different dishes."
Braised pork, stewed pork, and Dongbo pork, these three dishes are very similar, with only slight differences. However, from the perspective of gourmets, these are already three dishes with various different flavors.
"I have no regrets participating in this spring banquet and being able to eat the braised pork and Dongpo pork." After tasting two pieces of Dongpo pork, the gourmet smiled proudly.
And his conversation with Han Yuyan just now obviously aroused other people's great interest in this Dongpo pork, and they all stood by and watched eagerly.
So the gourmet took another bite reluctantly, stepped aside, took out the voting machine from his pocket, and simply voted for Manhanlou.
"After having eaten at so many restaurants, I still think the braised pork at Manhanlou is the most memorable."
…
"We have already received 19 votes!" An Xiaoxiao and Wang Shiyu cheered in unison in the lounge next to them.
The number of votes for Manhanlou increased so quickly that the two naughty kids were extremely happy. Apart from them, everyone else was also very excited and happy.
In such a short period of time, the number of votes for Manhanlou has increased by seven votes. Now it has completely left Lao Huang BBQ Restaurant behind and become the third place, and is only two votes away from the second place Jingjialou. The number of votes for Shenghuayuan now is 35 votes, which has only increased by two votes from just now to now.
This directly illustrates a fact: without the votes of those foreign gourmets who were previously lured in, the growth rate of votes for Shenghuayuan is not as fast as that of Lao Huang BBQ Restaurant, which is now ranked fourth.
Jim, who was standing next to Ye Chui and others, seemed to have completely lost his previous pride and pride. He stared at the big screen on one side of the square with his eyes wide open, and his fists were clenched tightly.
He had worked very hard to get to this point. In order to make Chinatown cuisine independent of Chinese cuisine, the many chefs in Chinatown had put in countless efforts and hard work, and finally formed the current situation. As long as Shenghuayuan could become the champion of the Spring Banquet, they would be successful.
"Now Shenghuayuan still has a huge advantage. We will win. We will definitely win..." Jim said to himself silently in his heart.
…
One side of the square is now crowded with people. Many of them have no chance to be judges of the Spring Banquet, but that does not stop their interest in the banquet. They are waiting outside, and even if they cannot eat the food, at least they can enjoy the sight.
On the outskirts of the crowd, in a parking lot on one side, a not-so-luxurious car was parked there. Sitting in the car were a man and a woman. In the car, one could vaguely see the display board on one side of the square.
The woman sitting in the driver's seat gave off an elegant temperament. It was none other than Sheng Qiuyue, whom Ye Chui had met once before. She was the owner of Jingjialou and had won the championship of the Spring Banquet for three consecutive years, earning Jingjialou the title of China's No. 1 Restaurant. However, this year the title would obviously be replaced, but there was no regret on her face.
Instead, the middle-aged man sitting in the passenger seat stared at the score ranking on the display board with a very unconvinced expression and was extremely nervous.
Sheng Qiuyue seemed to notice his expression, so she reached out and grabbed his stiff hand: "Sanjin, why are you still so upset? We have won the championship for three consecutive years, which is enough. It's okay to give it to someone else this year."
"I just feel a little unwilling." The man called Sanjin said with a wry smile.
"We opened the Jingjialou Restaurant just to make a living, but slowly the restaurant has grown so big, and you have become a six-star chef. Compared to the beginning, we have gained a lot, and we should be content." Sheng Qiuyue comforted softly.
“Ah, you are just like that, you don’t want to compete with others at all…” The man named Sanjin shook his head and then laughed, “But it’s also fortunate that it’s your personality that has gradually made Jingjialou so big… Alas, I’ll listen to you, we lose this time, we just have to make sure that the first place is not snatched away by Shenghuayuan.”
"No, Manhanlou will definitely win the first place in the Spring Banquet." Sheng Qiuyue said confidently, "Although I have only met Master Ye Chui once, I feel that he has that ability." (~^~)