Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

As the aroma of the Golden Broth Dumplings spread through the competition grounds, quite a few people who had only been passing by stopped in their tracks.

The moment they saw the crystal-clear dumplings on Haruto’s counter, their curiosity immediately turned into interest.

"Whoa! Those dumplings are gorgeous. They look like crystal!"

"Seriously! You can see the whole shrimp through the wrapper. How is the skin that thin without tearing when it’s boiled?"

More and more people gathered around as the discussion grew louder.

Eventually, a middle-aged man squeezed his way to the front and called out to Haruto.

"Chef! Give me one serving of those dumplings!"

"No problem."

Haruto nodded and placed nine freshly cooked dumplings onto a plate.

Then he took the dipping sauce he had prepared in advance and poured a small spoonful into a side dish.

The sauce had been specially blended for the Golden Broth Dumplings.

Haruto used ten-year-aged mature vinegar, combining it with light soy sauce, sesame oil, shredded ginger, and just a touch of sugar.

The acidity was mellow rather than harsh. It cut through the richness of the meat filling while amplifying the dumplings’ natural savoriness without overpowering their main flavor.

Haruto handed the finished serving to the customer.

Nine glossy Golden Broth Dumplings sat on the plate, their translucent wrappers glistening softly.

Through the delicate skin, the man could clearly see pale pink meat, bright-red shrimp, and golden broth shifting slightly inside. Steam rose continuously from the dumplings, carrying a rich savory aroma straight into his nose.

He swallowed hard.

Unable to wait any longer, he picked one up with his chopsticks, blew on it twice, and bit down.

The first thing his teeth encountered was the wrapper.

Thin but resilient, springy without being tough, smooth without sticking to his teeth.

With the slightest pressure—

Pop.

The wrapper split open.

The Golden Abalone Broth trapped inside burst across his tongue.

The piping-hot liquid carried the deep richness of abalone, the clean savoriness of old hen, the salty fragrance of Jinhua ham, and the lingering sweetness of dried scallops.

Layer after layer of umami swept across his palate, so intensely savory that his scalp tingled.

Yet despite its richness, there was no heaviness at all.

Only an extraordinarily pure concentration of natural flavor.

Then the finely textured meat filling began to unfold.

Because it had been chopped entirely by hand, the pork retained just the right amount of texture—neither dry and coarse nor soft and mushy.

The deep aroma of black pork blended with the smooth tenderness and delicate sweetness of the minced chicken, merging perfectly with the burst of golden broth.

The meat supported the broth.

The broth elevated the meat.

Every bite felt rich and satisfying without even the slightest trace of gaminess.

Then came the whole shrimp.

Its firm, springy flesh bounced lightly between his teeth, releasing the distinctive sweetness of fresh seafood and creating a striking contrast against the softer meat filling.

Beneath everything, the dried scallop and dried shrimp quietly deepened the flavor.

The rich savoriness of pork, the clean freshness of chicken, the sweetness of shrimp, and the concentrated umami of dried seafood unfolded one after another.

Every flavor remained distinct, yet all four blended seamlessly into a single whole without becoming muddled.

Finally, the tiny pieces of water chestnut and winter bamboo shoot burst crisply between his teeth.

Their refreshing crunch cut through the previous richness.

The mild sweetness of water chestnut and the delicate freshness of bamboo shoot brought a bright, clean finish to the intense savoriness.

The experience moved from a powerful burst of umami, to soft lingering richness, to springy seafood sweetness, and finally to a crisp refreshing finish.

It formed a perfect cycle of flavor.

One small dumpling somehow felt like an entire culinary journey.

There was far more hidden inside than its size had any right to contain.

The dipping sauce was just as carefully balanced.

The mellow acidity of the aged vinegar softened the richness, the faint heat of shredded ginger removed the final trace of heaviness, and the tiny amount of sugar amplified the ingredients’ natural sweetness.

When the sweet, sour, salty, and savory sauce met the dumpling’s overwhelming umami, the flavor rose another level entirely.

One bite naturally led to another.

Before long, the middle-aged man had finished the entire plate.

He wiped his mouth, still clearly unsatisfied, and shouted toward Haruto.

"Chef! These are incredible! Give me three more servings!"

The moment the surrounding crowd heard that, any remaining hesitation vanished.

"Chef! One serving for me!"

"I want one too! They already look amazing!"

"Hey, stop pushing! I was here first!"

Within moments, a long line had formed in front of Haruto’s stall.

Its popularity was already rivaling the Dumpling Brothers nearby.

Haruto remained completely unhurried.

Boil the dumplings.

Plate them.

Prepare the dipping sauce.

Every movement stayed calm and precise.

No matter how long the line became, the quality of each serving remained exactly the same.

Plate after plate of steaming dumplings left the stall, followed by wave after wave of praise.

"My god! These dumplings are insane! They burst with soup the second you bite them!"

"The wrapper is unbelievable! It’s practically paper-thin, but it’s still chewy and doesn’t tear at all!"

"That shrimp is huge! And there’s water chestnut inside too. It stays so crisp that the filling doesn’t feel heavy at all!"

"I was originally lining up for the Dumpling Brothers, but I’m glad I came over here. I think these are even better than their Flame Dumplings!"

The praise only drew in more customers.

Quite a few people immediately went to drag their friends over after finishing their own portions, causing Haruto’s line to stretch farther and farther across the square.

At the judges’ area not far away, Elder Guan watched the crowd around Haruto’s stall and smiled.

"He really did defeat all those famous chefs for a reason."

The other elders nodded, their gazes filled with approval.

The Dumpling Brothers naturally noticed what was happening as well.

When Wu Xiong saw the growing crowd at Haruto’s stall, the smile on his face stiffened.

"Brother, what’s wrong?"

A Lu followed his gaze.

The moment he saw Haruto’s line, his expression darkened too.

They knew very little about Haruto personally.

But anyone capable of making dumplings that attracted this much attention was clearly no ordinary chef.

Unfortunately, the competition had already begun.

Even if they wanted to interfere somehow, it was too late now.

Wu Xiong gritted his teeth and lowered his voice.

"Forget him. Focus on our customers first!"

"We’ve spent days building up our reputation. He can’t possibly steal that many people from us."

That was what he said.

Yet his eyes kept drifting back toward Haruto’s stall.

Haruto noticed the wary hostility in Wu Xiong’s stare but paid it no attention.

After all, he had never planned on fighting for the championship in the first place.

Just as Haruto finished plating another batch of dumplings, a commotion suddenly spread through the crowd in front of his stall.

The tightly packed customers hurriedly moved aside.

Haruto looked up.

An elderly man with an extremely scruffy appearance was walking through the passage that had opened.

He looked disheveled enough that the nearby diners instinctively shifted away from him.

Haruto recognized him immediately.

Master Lang Wen, the former Chief Supervisor of the Imperial Kitchen.

Haruto did not make any special effort to greet him.

He simply watched calmly as Master Lang Wen walked straight to the stall.

"These look pretty good."

The old man smiled.

"I think I’ll have a taste."

He picked up a plate, took one dumpling with his chopsticks, and placed it into his mouth.

His teeth broke through the thin, resilient wrapper.

The broth trapped inside immediately burst across his tongue, carrying the sweetness of shrimp, the richness of pork, and the deep savoriness of abalone broth.

Layer after layer of flavor unfolded in his mouth without becoming greasy in the slightest, leaving nothing but pure, lingering umami.

Master Lang Wen’s eyes immediately lit up.

His previously casual expression turned serious.

Before long, the entire plate was empty.

"Delicious!"

He set down the empty plate and praised the dish without reservation.

Then he reached for another.

"One more."

Only after finishing the second plate did Master Lang Wen wipe his mouth with obvious satisfaction and give Haruto an approving nod.

He did not continue eating.

There were far too many stalls at the Guangzhou Dumpling Contest, and he still had plenty of other dumplings to try.

Naturally, he needed to save some room.

Master Lang Wen turned and disappeared back into the crowd.

Haruto showed little reaction to his departure.

Less than fifteen minutes later, however, every dumpling Haruto had prepared was gone.

He looked at the long line still waiting in front of his stall and finally set down his ladle.

Haruto bowed slightly toward the crowd, sounding genuinely apologetic.

"Sorry, everyone. I’m afraid I’ve sold out of everything I prepared for today."

The announcement immediately drew a chorus of complaints.

"What?! I’ve been waiting almost half an hour!"

"Chef Haruto, can’t you make a few more?"

"They look so good and I didn’t even get one! What a waste!"

The customers were reluctant to give up, but there was simply nothing Haruto could do.

Not a single spare ingredient remained at his stall.

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