“The first face-off between the Li and the Shen families! Isn’t that exciting?!”

“They both finished their dish at the same time!”

Everyone was excited to witness this one of a kind face-off! This was supposed to be the first time for the Shen family to join the other big families in a competition. Many of the spectators wondered who Lu Xinyi was and what made the Shen family take her to represent them. The name Lu Xinyi wasn’t known in the culinary world; neither to any locals that visited famous restaurants within the country.

The judges licked their lips in anticipation. They had huge expectations from the two and expect that they’d present another wonderful dish this time.

Ye Xieren and Lu Xinyi served their dishes at the same time. Their eyes met but reflected different emotions. There was amusement in Ye Xieren’s eyes as he looked at Lu Xinyi. He could tell that she was older than him, but that didn’t bother him a bit. Within the culinary world, age didn’t matter that much. One’s skills as a chef would determine how far one could go.

Lu Xinyi gave him a curt nod and turned her attention to the judges. She was aware that the young man was looking for competition, and everyone wanted to see them compete for this round.

“Since Ye Xieren was the first to complete his dish, we’ll start with his. Is this alright with you, Miss Lu?” Jun Simin asked.

“I don’t see why not. Please go head.” Lu Xinyi radiated a calm demeanor, but inside, she was in a panic. She could only hope that she’d done the noodle dish decently unlike her previous attempts.

The judges removed the cover of Ye Xieren’s dish, and gentle steam was released from within. Just by the scent alone, they were reminded of the essence of the sea. Ye Xieren made Soba Noodles in a Dashi Broth.

A beautiful, exotic, and delicious bowl of soba was presented to them. The not-too-soft, nutty buckwheat noodles sitting in mahogany-colored broth—dashi—that’s as clear and glossy as beef consommé. They expected it not only to be salty and umami-complex but sweet as well. A Tamago Toji (Japanese-Style Scrambled Eggs) was added on top. The egg was almost foamy, soft-scrambled, and tender while being deliciously flavored by the dashi out of absorbing a bit of it.

Qu Shaowei eyed at the dish served to him.

‘So Ye Xieren choose to do a soba noodle. It makes sense since it wouldn’t take too much time to make one,’ he thought.

Similar to ramen noodle soup, this dish used soba (buckwheat) noodles, which are higher in fiber, protein, and amino acids than other noodles—as well as having a naturally nutty flavor that nicely complemented dashi broths. Qu Shaowei thought that Ye Xieren made the right choice for this round.

The judges took their chopsticks and quietly took a taste on Ye Xieren’s soba noodles. Their taste buds were instantly assaulted by the taste of the ocean. It came wave after wave that they almost felt they were being dragged by the sea waves on a hot summer day. It was refreshing and invigorating. The tiredness of their bodies grew forgotten as they ate.

“Awase Dashi…” Jun Simin muttered. The rest of the judges nodded, agreeing to her observation.

A lot of people think dashi was made of fish so vegetarians and vegans can’t use dashi. No, that wasn’t true at all. There are several types of dashi, and one could choose and decide which kind of dashi to use for a particular dish. There was no rule for this.

The broth Ye Xieren used was made with both kombu kelp and bonito fish flakes. It was one of the most common seafood-based stocks. Awase Dashi had a more complex and rounded flavor. The deep umami flavor was what set dashi apart from other stocks. It was rich yet delicate.

Thanks to the naturally-occurring glutamates in the ingredients used to make dashi, the stock would immediately enhance and intensify the flavor of foods which it was cooked with. Dashi created a savory umami flavor from all the ingredients used, and one wouldn’t need to season the food much if one had good dashi.

“And using the nidashi method.” The other judge added.

Ye Xieren nodded.

“I removed the kombu just before the broth comes to a boil and then add in the bonito fish flakes. Once the broth reached a boil, I removed it from heat and let it stand a few minutes until the dried fish flakes absorb the liquid and sink to the bottom,” he explained.

“Then straining the broth for delicate-tasting dashi with a light-yellow color and refined flavor.” Qu Shaowei said thoughtfully. Truly, Ye Xieren’s dish had met his expectation.

“Why didn’t you use Niban Dashi instead?” Jun Simin asked. Niban Dashi was the second dashi produced if the kombu and bonito flakes were reserved and boiled a second time.

Ye Xieren shook his head. “I prefer to use the dashi broth with a clear and refined flavor. Using Niban Dashi would produce a broth with a cloudier and stronger flavor.”

The judges looked impressed and satisfied with his answers. They then turned to the young woman who was waiting patiently on the side. They eyed at the covered bowls on her tray. If Lu Xinyi couldn’t present a better noodle dish, she could never surpass Ye Xieren’s Soba Noodles.