Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

Xu Hui stared fixedly at the Jewel Meat in Haruto’s hand, his breathing growing noticeably heavier.

As an accomplished Cantonese chef, he had handled countless ingredients over the years.

But the moment Haruto brought out that piece of meat, its color and aroma alone told him that this was something extraordinarily rare.

"This is Jewel Meat."

Haruto looked at Xu Hui and spoke seriously.

"If I lose this match, it’s yours."

Xu Hui’s entire body jolted.

He snapped his head up toward Haruto and answered almost immediately.

"Fine! I accept!"

"If I lose, I’ll take down Xu Ji Restaurant’s signboard and hand it over to you myself!"

Xu Hui gritted his teeth as he spoke, clearly prepared to stake everything on this match.

He had already decided to bring out every bit of skill he possessed and fight for victory with everything he had.

Haruto’s precise criticism of his dishes had already proven that he was no ordinary young chef. He had clearly come prepared.

Even so, the Jewel Meat was simply too tempting for Xu Hui to refuse.

If the challenge had to happen, then he might as well go all in.

"That really isn’t necessary."

Haruto hurriedly waved him off.

"I only want to exchange skills with you."

His goal was to establish a reputation, not destroy someone’s livelihood.

Besides, he had absolutely no use for a restaurant signboard.

Xu Hui looked genuinely surprised by the refusal.

He had assumed Haruto had deliberately come here with some ulterior motive, yet now it seemed the young man really did only want a cooking match.

His impression of Haruto improved slightly.

That said, one thing still puzzled him.

If Haruto merely wanted a friendly competition, why offer something as precious as the Jewel Meat?

Whatever the reason, Xu Hui still had no intention of holding back.

Word that Haruto and Xu Hui were about to compete spread through the restaurant almost immediately.

The entire dining room erupted with excitement.

Customers crowded closer to watch, and some even hurried outside to call friends over before the match began.

None of that distracted either chef.

After a brief discussion, they settled on abalone as the theme, with a time limit of one traditional two-hour period.

Xu Ji Restaurant had both fresh and dried abalone in stock, including dried abalone that had already been fully rehydrated.

The kitchen staff quickly cleared two cooking stations and arranged them side by side in the center of the dining hall.

Then both chefs began selecting their ingredients.

Xu Hui chose a slightly smaller piece of rehydrated dried abalone.

He intended to make his specialty—braised abalone.

He began by carefully blanching the rehydrated abalone in scallion-and-ginger water, removing impurities and any unwanted odor from the surface.

Then he used his knife to score a fine crosshatch pattern across the top so the flavors could penetrate more easily.

Next, Xu Hui brought out a superior stock that had been simmered for a full twelve hours using old hen, pork bones, ribs, Jinhua ham, dried scallops, and chicken feet.

The moment the milky-white stock entered the clay pot, an intensely savory aroma spread through the room.

Xu Hui placed the abalone inside and carefully weighed it down with a bamboo mat so it would not float and cook unevenly.

Then he reduced the flame to its lowest setting, keeping the stock at the faintest simmer.

His expression became completely focused.

Fine beads of sweat appeared across his forehead as he watched the heat without blinking.

Every fifteen minutes, he carefully lifted the lid and turned the abalone so every side could absorb the broth evenly.

At the neighboring station, Haruto selected a larger three-head abalone that had been fully rehydrated and possessed excellent elasticity.

He intended to make Clay-Pot Braised Soft-Center Abalone.

The traditional method required more than ten hours of slow braising before the sauce could penetrate every fiber, producing the ideal combination of soft, glutinous tenderness, springy texture, and a rich, almost molten center.

Haruto obviously did not have that much time.

Fortunately, he already had a solution.

He picked up the rehydrated abalone and swept his palm over its surface.

A fine mesh of Nen formed around it.

As the invisible web flowed over the abalone, it drew out every impurity hidden in the crevices along with the lingering odor buried deep within the flesh.

It was far faster than blanching with scallion and ginger, and more importantly, it did not damage the abalone’s muscle fibers at all.

Haruto then began preparing his braising liquid.

He used Xu Ji Restaurant’s superior stock as the base but added several additional seasonings of his own.

Once the abalone had been placed inside a specially prepared clay pot, Haruto mobilized his Nen again.

This time, the aura formed an invisible shell around the entire vessel, precisely stabilizing the internal temperature at the ideal level.

At the same time, the Nen inside the pot divided into countless microscopic needles.

Following the natural grain of the abalone, they penetrated gradually through the flesh, carrying the concentrated savoriness of the stock into every individual fiber.

Those same strands of Nen continuously relaxed and reorganized the muscle structure as well, turning the naturally firm dried abalone softer and more yielding without allowing it to fall apart.

The meat retained exactly the right degree of elasticity.

Time passed steadily.

Eventually, Xu Hui’s braised abalone was finished.

He removed it from the pot and poured over the reduced, glossy red-brown abalone sauce.

The color was rich and inviting, the aroma deep and mellow, and the finished dish looked virtually flawless.

The surrounding crowd immediately broke into cheers.

Not long afterward, Haruto opened his clay pot.

An indescribably intense burst of savory fragrance exploded through the dining hall.

Layer after layer of rich umami spread through the entire restaurant, strong enough that even people standing on the street outside could smell it.

Everyone nearby froze.

Eyes widened.

Saliva began gathering uncontrollably in their mouths.

Haruto used tongs to lift the abalone from the clay pot and placed it onto a spotless white porcelain plate.

Its entire surface had taken on an even, warm amber color.

A thick layer of glossy abalone sauce coated the outside like flowing gold, reflecting a soft sheen beneath the light.

The edges had curled slightly, yet the flesh had not shrunk or distorted at all.

It remained plump and beautifully rounded.

Haruto then took a spoon, turned the heat to high, and began reducing the remaining sauce in the clay pot.

He stirred gently as the liquid gradually thickened.

Once it reached the perfect consistency, he poured it evenly over the abalone.

A faint golden light flashed across the dish.

Haruto’s Clay-Pot Braised Soft-Center Abalone was complete.

He and Xu Hui placed their finished dishes side by side on the table.

The surrounding spectators stared eagerly at both plates.

Now came the judging.

To avoid any accusation of favoritism, Xu Hui asked Haruto to select the judges.

Haruto did not refuse.

He simply chose five people at random from the crowd.

Once they had taken their seats, the tasting began immediately.

Xu Hui’s braised abalone came first.

The judges picked up portions and placed them in their mouths.

The tender abalone carried the concentrated aroma of the sauce, while the richness of the superior stock, the savory depth of Jinhua ham, and the sweetness of dried scallops unfolded in layers.

The flesh was soft yet pleasantly springy, and the center had absorbed the flavor beautifully.

The judges immediately nodded in approval.

"Delicious! Chef Xu’s skill really is extraordinary!"

"The braising on this abalone is perfect!"

"As expected of Chef Xu!"

Hearing their praise, Xu Hui allowed himself the slightest hint of pride.

But the moment he looked toward Haruto’s dish, his expression became serious again.

Then the judges began tasting Haruto’s Clay-Pot Braised Soft-Center Abalone.

Using the table knives Haruto had provided, they sliced easily through the abalone.

The rich center inside slowly flowed from the cut like molten gold.

The moment they tasted it, all five judges’ eyes widened.

Their expressions shifted from confusion, to shock, and finally to complete intoxication.

The flesh possessed exactly the right degree of resilience.

Its center was soft and glutinous like a cloud, yet still retained the slightest gentle springiness.

It was neither mushy nor dry nor tough.

Every single fiber had absorbed the essence of the braising sauce.

With the slightest chewing, that concentrated liquid burst free, flooding the tongue with waves of intense umami that continued unfolding one after another.

The deep natural savoriness of the abalone itself, the layered richness of old hen, ham, and dried scallops from the superior stock, and the aromas of several additional spices had merged seamlessly.

The flavor spread from the tongue down the throat and even seemed to fill the nose and head with its extraordinary fragrance.

But the most remarkable part was the soft center.

It melted the instant it entered the mouth, almost like warm honey or softened rich cream, carrying an intense sweetness and savoriness that blended perfectly with the deeper flavor of the abalone.

Even after swallowing, a lingering sweetness remained for an astonishingly long time.

It was the sort of dish that made someone want to swallow their own tongue just to chase the flavor.

At that moment, only one word remained in the minds of all five judges.

Delicious.

When they finally recovered, the judges looked hesitantly toward Xu Hui, clearly unsure how to phrase what came next.

No winner had been announced yet.

But from their expressions alone, Xu Hui already understood.

He had probably lost.

He picked up a knife, cut off a small piece of Haruto’s abalone, and placed it in his mouth.

If he was going to lose, he at least wanted to understand why.

The instant he tasted it, Xu Hui went completely rigid.

The texture.

The flavor.

The endless progression of deep, layered umami.

Every aspect surpassed his own braised abalone.

Compared with Haruto’s Clay-Pot Braised Soft-Center Abalone, his own dish suddenly seemed no better than an ordinary meal from a roadside stall.

There was simply no comparison.

Xu Hui remained silent for nearly half a minute before finally recovering.

When he looked at Haruto again, his expression was extraordinarily complicated—shame, shock, admiration, and respect all mixed together.

"Chef Haruto... I lost."

He slowly exhaled.

"And I have no complaints. You beat me completely."

Haruto nodded, unsurprised by the result.

The five judges visibly relaxed.

At least now they would not have to awkwardly announce the verdict themselves.

The dining hall fell silent for one brief moment.

Then it exploded.

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted throughout Xu Ji Restaurant, loud enough to nearly shake the roof.

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