Chapter 564 It’s a Pity You Didn’t Become an Artist
Before the judges had even tasted the kebabs, everyone was already salivating incessantly at the sight of Amy enjoying hers. If the word “adorable” had to be epitomized in the form of a single person, Amy was clearly the ideal candidate.
The beef kebabs were already exuding a heavenly smell, and they were made to look even more delicious by her. Her sweet and adorable smile—coupled with her blissful expression-made it look as if the kebabs were the most delicious food in this world.
“That must be the new dish Boss Mag was procuring ingredients for, right? As expected, Boss Mag always gives us a surprise after his ingredient-procurement trips. I’m going to come here first thing tomorrow morning to taste this delicious kebab!”
“I wonder if Boss Mag will open his restaurant for the dinner service tonight. I don’t think I can even hold on for an entire night after watching Amy eat her kebab.”
“There’s no way that could happen. Boss Mag is a very principled man; if he says he’s taking the day off, then he’s definitely taking the entire day off, so don’t even think about tasting his food tonight.”
All of Mamy Restaurant’s regular customers were completely at ease now. They were beginning to look forward to this new dish appearing on Mamy Restaurant’s menu.
As for the people who were only hearing about Mamy Restaurant for the first time, they were also developing an interest in this restaurant. The little girl was clearly having the time of her life. But, they still wanted to hear the reviews from the judging panel to see who would emerge victorious in the end.
The five plates of kebabs were placed in front of the five judges before Yabemiya made her way back to Mag. Mag whispered something in her ear, and she faltered momentarily before entering the restaurant with a quick nod.
Mag looked on at the judges with a smile, quietly awaiting their reviews. He was still somewhat excited given that this was the first time his food would be reviewed by a panel of professionals, two of whom used to be his colleagues.
In contrast, Ricky wore an extremely grim expression, and his hands were balled up into tight fists behind his back. Cold sweat was already pouring down his face. If he had known that Mag was so proficient at cooking roast meat, he would’ve never issued this challenge. Even if he wanted to draw some popularity to his rotisserie, at least he would have refrained from stating the final two conditions of the contest. If he were to lose his recipes and his restaurant, he would have nothing left.
There was a plate of roast mutton and a plate of freshly roasted kebabs sitting in front of each of the judges. Three of the five judges had already tasted the roast mutton and expressed praise for the dish, with only Scheer and Robert yet to taste it.
Robert sliced off a piece of mutton rib and leg before consuming them one after the other. He nodded, and said, “The mutton rib is very crispy and fragrant, with just the right amount of sauce and condiments applied as well as perfect control over the timing and heat of the fire. This is an exceptional mutton rib. The leg is very tender and juicy, with a smooth texture, and its natural flavor has been brought out very well by the cooking process. When roasting an entire goat, it’s very difficult to cook all parts of the body just right, yet you have managed to do just that here. This is undoubtedly a very successful roast goat.”
Scheer looked at Robert and contemplated momentarily before also placing a morsel of goat leg into her mouth. She chewed on the meat for a moment before nodding with a smile as she said, “Hmm, this mutton leg is indeed very delicious. The skin’s crispy while the meat is very tender and delicious. It’s even better than Ducas Restaurant’s roast mutton; of course, their specialty dish is their roast pig.”
Ricky and his employees were feeling better after hearing those remarks. At the very least, they had received positive reviews from all five judges. However, none of them had tasted Mag’s kebabs yet, so the end result was still a mystery.
“Let me taste this beef kebab first.” Febid had picked up his knife and fork, but then caught sight of Amy eating the cubes of meat straight off the skewer. He hesitated momentarily before following suit, putting down his knife and fork and picking up a kebab in his hand.
The aroma of roast meat came wafting toward him, and the glittering and translucent beads of oil hung like crystals off the surface of the beef. The sauce had been applied very smoothly and evenly, giving the roast meat a faint oily hue that made it all the more appealing
However, what was perplexing to Febid was that all three cubes of beef were slightly different in color. He didn’t know whether that was due to an error in sauce application or fallacies in controlling the flames. In any case, on the surface, that appeared to be a factor that warranted a point deduction.
“To think that you can make roast beef of three different colors on the same skewer; it’s a pity you didn’t become an artist.” Febid turned to Mag with his lips pursed in mockery. The roast beef did smell very good, but he had to uphold his harsh and sharp-tongued image, one that he had forged his career relying upon.
Febid’s words drew a chorus of laughter from the spectators. Those who liked to read Febid’s food reviews didn’t necessarily read them for food suggestions. Instead, they were looking forward more to seeing him criticize the dishes he tasted in his customary vicious manner. His reviews would often draw laughter as opposed to salivation from its readers.
“Controlling the flames in the oven is a basic skill in roasting meat.” A hint elation immediately appeared on Ricky’s face at the sight of the kebab in Febid’s hand. No matter how good the roast meat smelled, it would be a failed end product if the kebab was unevenly cooked.
Everyone’s expressions became even more intrigued upon hearing that. However, to them, the color of kebab didn’t matter. What was important was whether it tasted good or not.
Mag remained silent with a confident smile on his face. The different colors were not a result of uneven roasting temperatures. However, his food would speak in his stead, so there was no need for him to explain anything.
Febid was preparing for retaliation from Mag, and was rather disappointed to see him remain silent instead. The aroma of the kebab squirmed incessantly into his nose, and the most p.r.o.nounced smell was that of garlic. He had never seen anyone use garlic as a condiment when cooking beef in the past. He couldn’t imagine what kind of flavor combination that would result in, and became even more displeased with the kebab. He had been thoroughly looking forward to tasting it when he had first caught a whiff of its irresistible aroma, but now that it was sitting in his hand, his appet.i.te had instead tapered off a little.
I should try it anyway. I hope he didn’t ruin such a superb cut of Ironhide Bull beef, Febid thought to himself as he bit off the first cube of beef on the kebab.
“This flavor… It’s absolutely incredible!”
Febid’s stern expression immediately lit up. As the cube of beef entered his mouth, the flavors of its slightly charred surface and the garlic sauce immediately melted in his mouth. He normally wasn’t a fan of garlic due to its overwhelming taste, but it somehow presented a very mellow and delicious flavor in the kebab. As he began chewing, the tender beef immediately fell apart in his mouth, sending an even stronger burst of meaty aroma coursing over his taste buds. He simply couldn’t top eating after taking the first bite.
“This beef is simply too delicious; I almost bit my own tongue! It’s absolutely incredible to think that there exists a person in this world who can make beef taste so delicious.” Febid was filled with genuine praise and amazement. He bit off the second cube of beef, upon which his eyes immediately widened. After chewing and swallowing, a stunned look appeared on his face as he exclaimed, “The second cube of beef has a completely different flavor than the first cube, but it’s just as irresistible!”