Siheyuan: Tathagata's Palm suppresses the entire courtyard!

He prepared meticulously in the kitchen, taking extra care when handling the duck meat, striving for perfection in every step. The preparation of the sauce, the control of the heat, all the details were strictly controlled by him. Xu Mingjie hopes to show the essence of his cooking skills through this dish.

After the dish was ready, Xu Mingjie personally brought it out. The critic sat at the table, his expression calm and his eyes sharp. He took the dish handed over by Xu Mingjie, took a close look at it, and then picked up a piece of duck meat and put it into his mouth.

Xu Mingjie stood aside, full of expectation, staring at the critic's expression, trying to find a clue from it. However, the critic did not show any emotion, just chewed slowly, as if carefully savoring every subtle taste. Xu Mingjie's heartbeat seemed to speed up with the critic's chewing rhythm. He prayed in his heart that this dish would win the other party's approval.

However, when the critic put down his chopsticks, he slowly frowned. He glanced at Xu Mingjie and said in a calm but somewhat indifferent tone: "The taste of this dish is OK, but the sour and sweet ratio of the sauce is a bit unbalanced. The sour taste is too strong, which covers the freshness of the duck meat."

This sentence was like a bucket of cold water poured over Xu Mingjie's head. He was stunned, and his inner expectation instantly turned into disappointment and anger. He poured all his efforts into this dish, repeatedly adjusting the proportion of the sauce, striving to achieve the most perfect balance, but now he was questioned about the imbalance of the sweet and sour ratio? This was hard for him to accept.

"I'm sorry, sir. I think it may be a problem with your taste." Xu Mingjie tried hard to suppress his inner emotions and remained polite in his tone, but he could feel the subtle stiffness in his voice.

When the critic heard this, he looked up at him with a hint of disdain in his eyes: "As a chef, you should understand that the taste of each dish is to serve the guests, not yourself. If you can't even understand this, then no matter how many skills you have, it will be in vain."

Xu Mingjie's face turned slightly pale, and the anger in his heart was like a burning flame. He felt that his efforts and hard work were completely negated at this moment, and this feeling made him extremely frustrated. He resisted the urge to vent his anger, but just lowered his head silently and took the plate back to the kitchen.

After returning to the kitchen, Xu Mingjie placed the plate heavily on the table and clenched his fists. His mind kept replaying the critic's words, and his heart was in a mess. He had put so much effort into this dish, repeatedly adjusted it, and carefully prepared it, so why was it so easily rejected? He was unwilling and unconvinced.

Just when he was getting emotional, He Yuzhu came over and saw his expression, and guessed something. He sighed softly and said in a gentle tone: "Mingjie, I know you are unhappy, but sometimes, the evaluation is not necessarily completely fair. Everyone has different tastes, and we can't satisfy everyone. I don't understand, I have obviously tried my best, why does he say the taste is not right?" Xu Mingjie raised his head, his eyes flashing with anger and grievance. There was a bit of relief in his tone: "Everyone's perception of taste is subjective. This critic may be accustomed to a certain balance of tastes, and he has a different understanding of the ratio of sour and sweet. But this does not mean that your dish is bad or that your efforts are worthless."

After listening to He Yuzhu's words, Xu Mingjie's anger subsided a little, but the loss in his heart still could not be dissipated. He lowered his head and remained silent, feeling as if he had fallen into a deep quagmire and could not get out.

Seeing him like this, He Yuzhu continued, "Mingjie, you are an excellent chef, but sometimes we need to accept criticism from others. This is not to make us feel sad, but to make us grow. Don't deny yourself because of a question, but take it as an opportunity to think and improve."

Xu Mingjie was silent for a moment, and the waves in his heart gradually calmed down. He knew that He Yuzhu was right, and he couldn't deny all his efforts because of one failure. Every chef will encounter doubts and criticisms. The key is how to learn lessons from them and make yourself better.

"Thank you, Brother He." Xu Mingjie said in a low voice, with a hint of fatigue in his tone, but also some determination.

He Yuzhu nodded and smiled, "Remember, cooking is endless and no dish is perfect. Every doubt is our motivation to move forward."

In the following days, Xu Mingjie began to focus more on the details of each dish. He no longer pursued perfection blindly, but paid more attention to customer feedback and needs. Every time he encountered criticism, he carefully analyzed the reasons and worked hard to improve, instead of rushing to deny or defend himself.

Once, another customer ordered the sweet and sour duck and complained to the waiter that the sauce was a bit too sour. After Xu Mingjie learned about it, he went to the customer's table and humbly asked about the customer's taste preference, and readjusted the proportion of the sauce for them on the spot. After tasting it, the customer repeatedly praised Xu Mingjie's attentiveness and said that he was very satisfied with the taste this time.

Xu Mingjie felt a little comforted in his heart. He understood that a real chef does not pursue the so-called "perfection" alone in the kitchen, but constantly adjusts and improves in communication with customers. Every dish is a kind of communication, and every feedback is an opportunity for growth.

In this process, Xu Mingjie gradually learned how to find room for improvement amidst doubts and how to find the direction of self-improvement amidst criticisms. He no longer felt angry at doubts, but instead saw them as a mirror that showed him where he needed to improve.

A few days later, in the early morning, the hotel staff were busy preparing for the day's work. Xu Mingjie walked into the kitchen, holding a new newspaper of the day in his hand, his face gloomy and his brows furrowed. His eyes were fixed on an article in the newspaper, his fingers trembling slightly, and he was obviously very emotional.

"Mingjie, what's wrong?" His colleague Xiao Li noticed his abnormality and asked with concern.

Xu Mingjie did not answer immediately. He just slammed the newspaper on the table, pointed at the article, and said in a low but angry voice: "Look for yourself!"

Xiao Li quickly picked up the newspaper and read it carefully. The title of the article read: "Sweet and sour duck meat? Or sour duck meat that will make your teeth fall out!" Below was the food critic's fierce criticism of Xu Mingjie's dishes. He not only questioned the taste of the dishes, but also mercilessly mocked Xu Mingjie's cooking skills, and even used exaggerated language to describe the failure of the dishes.

After reading it, Xiao Li's face turned ugly: "This is too much! It's simply a personal attack!"