I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 590 - 282: The Rice Killer’s Reputation is Well Deserved! A New Special Item Has Spawned, Exchange! [Subscribe Please]

Chapter 590: Chapter 282: The Rice Killer’s Reputation is Well Deserved! A New Special Item Has Spawned, Exchange! [Subscribe Please]

Phew...

Finally, it’s done.

When Lin Xu was cooking just now, all his nerves were tense.

Now that the dish was successful, he relaxed, and only then did he feel the fatigue in his body.

He focused his gaze on the bowl of Mapo Chicken Cake on the workbench, its ruddy color and rich spicy aroma captivating him. As soon as his attention settled, a line of text appeared before his eyes:

"A Mapo Chicken Cake made from ingredients such as Chicken Cake, beef cubes, and Doubanjiang, Grade: Perfect Level."

Wow, success on the first try. Should’ve popped open a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

Lin Xu blinked, and the prompt disappeared.

He was just about to taste how delicious the Perfect Level Mapo Chicken Cake was when suddenly the system’s notification tone rang in his mind:

"Host has successfully made a Perfect Level innovative Mapo dish, completing the Skill Trial Task. The host permanently acquires the Perfect Level Cooking Technique—Mapo Tofu. Congratulations to the host."

"Host has successfully made a Superior or above Mapo Chicken Cake, completing the side task ’Dish Innovation.’ You have earned a Perfect Level rare Sichuan dish draw. Would you like to draw immediately?"

The consecutive notifications made Lin Xu feel a wave of relief wash over him.

Finally, it’s complete.

While he was feeling contemplative, Wei Qian and Zhuang Yizhou started making a ruckus, exclaiming in admiration:

"Holy moly! This Chicken Cake is unbelievably tender!"

"I regret it so much; I should have livestreamed just now. Such a perfect dish should have been witnessed by the netizens too."

"It literally melts in your mouth, it’s so delicious!"

"It’s fresh, tender, numbing, spicy, and burning hot. It has all the characteristics of Mapo Tofu—so satisfying!"

Wei Qian and the others each held a bowl of rice, spoon in hand, and scooped up a piece of Mapo Chicken Cake onto their rice, eating it together just like Mapo Tofu.

Although their mouths were burning hot, they couldn’t help but continue eating.

"Boss, get some rice; you try it too," Che Zi said, bringing over two bowls of rice, each topped with a soup spoon.

It was clear that everyone knew the rule for eating Mapo Tofu—with a spoon.

The ingredients in this dish were all minced, so there was no need to worry about biting into whole Sichuan peppercorns, chunks of Doubanjiang, or large pieces of chili. You just scooped and ate whatever came up.

Under these circumstances, it was normal for the rice to not last long.

Lin Xu took a bowl and used a spoon to scoop up a piece of the Mapo Chicken Cake, coated in a thick sauce, from the Red Oil-laden dish. After blowing on it, he put it in his mouth.

"Damn, that’s hot!"

Despite being mentally prepared, the moment it touched his mouth, it still burned.

At the instant of being burned, the sensations of numbness, spiciness, and aroma surged simultaneously into his mouth, activating his taste buds instantly. As it entered his mouth, his tongue could distinctly feel the tender smoothness of the Chicken Cake’s surface.

Having been thickened three times, the smoothness was remarkably pronounced.

Taking a bite, the inside of the Chicken Cake was even hotter, but the unique umami flavor of the chicken also burst forth, distinctly detectable amidst the strong spicy aroma.

The tenderness and freshness of the Chicken Cake stood out more against the backdrop of the spicy and numbing taste.

It was like a lotus emerging unsoiled from the mud.

Such texture and flavor rendered the entire dish even more enchanting.

No wonder Wei Qian and the others were reacting this way. This dish indeed offered a novel experience that Mapo Tofu did not possess.

After savoring the Chicken Cake, another mouthful of rice was simply too delightful.

After tasting the Chicken Cake, Lin Xu scooped up some beef cubes to try them as well.

The beef had been salted to draw out moisture and marinated with Cooking Wine, resulting in significant dehydration. Despite being stir-fried until dry and then simmered in Beef Bone Soup, the beef still maintained its crispy and fragrant texture.

When tasted, it provided a stark contrast to the tender Chicken Cake.

In this dish, the crispy texture of the beef cubes contrasted sharply with the soft tenderness of the Chicken Cake. The umami flavor of the Chicken Cake, the spicy numbness of the sauce, the richness of the Red Oil, and the fresh taste of minced garlic—all these elements created intense contrasts.

It was no wonder that the whole dish tasted so good and was utterly irresistible.

Lin Xu scooped some more Chicken Cake into his bowl and started mixing and eating it with rice. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Indeed, this way of eating was the most satisfying.

"Lin Xu, are we going to introduce this dish at our restaurant?" Wei Qian asked, sitting down and eating at the same time.

The others also turned their heads curiously, wanting to hear the boss’s answer.

Lin Xu took a bite of rice and smiled as he said, "We can’t do that. The difficulty of steaming the Chicken Cake is so high, plus you have to pound the Chicken Meatball by hand. How much would we have to charge for this dish just to break even?"

The Mapo Chicken Cake couldn’t be put on the menu. But Mapo Tofu, that was a different story. Even the previously thought-of Mapo Tofu could be tried out.

Lin Xu said to Che Zi, "From tomorrow on, we’ll start serving Mapo Tofu in our restaurant. Remember to buy more Plaster Tofu. For Mapo Tofu, a softer tofu texture is better."

Soft tofu would allow the dish to feature that delightful contrast between the crispy toppings and its own tender texture.

If firm tofu were used, that contrast would be lost.

Having just heard from the boss that Mapo Chicken Cake wouldn’t be served in the restaurant, everyone felt a hint of disappointment, as it meant they wouldn’t be able to enjoy this delicacy often in the future.

But hearing that Mapo Tofu was going to be introduced, their spirits lifted again.

Mapo Tofu would be fine too; such a dish that pairs well with rice had low costs and was suitable for a new restaurant menu item.

Wei Qian shoveled his rice while discussing with Che Zi the ingredients to purchase for the next day, saying, "Apart from tofu, don’t forget to buy more garlic shoots and beef. Oh, and Beef Bones as well. Since we’re making it, let’s make this dish to perfection."

In Beijing, there was no shortage of restaurants selling Mapo Tofu.

But those adding Beef Bone Soup were truly rare.