27 Lotus Eggs

  The doors of the banquet hall opened, and the waiters in the Western restaurant, dressed in black vests and white shirts, stood neatly outside the banquet hall. After hearing the instructions, they slowly walked in with golden trays, holding various precious red wines. They carefully placed the red wine on another long dining table, where 36 old and new world red wines were wrapped in gold cloth strips covering their years and places of origin.

  The general manager glanced at the list on top of the first sommelier and said: "First candidate: Jack"

  The sound of footsteps came from outside the door, and a French old man, dressed in a black suit, wearing white gloves, walked in with a professional smile on his face, standing in the center, slightly nodding to Jiang Tiankuai.

  Jiang Tiankuai's eyes flickered, looking at him with a slight smile.

  The restaurant manager saw the sommelier coming and immediately gave a signal to the head chef.

  The head chef nodded slightly, then immediately stood up and walked out the door with big strides. Several assistant chefs had been waiting outside the door early on and asked anxiously: "What's the big dish we're going to make this time? I heard that this is the highest-level sommelier exam, so our side dishes must be the most precious ones?"

  The head chef walked silently, taking big strides towards the kitchen at the back of the banquet hall. He pushed open the double doors and twenty chefs stood in their positions, wearing white chef uniforms, waiting for orders. The head chef walked to the large pot, grabbed three eggs with one hand, turned up the stove fire, and a blue-red flame roared to life...

  All the chefs stared at him.

  The head chef made no sound, swiftly picked up the large spoon, scooped a bit and poured it into the high pot, cracked three eggs with one hand, immediately lifted the hot pot, swung it in mid-air, and then poured a perfect plate of fragrant, creamy, and smooth egg foo young onto a white porcelain dish. He dripped a few drops of soy sauce on top, casually picked up a few sprigs of scallions, placed them among the half-cooked egg flowers, wiped the oil stain from the rim of the dish with a white cloth, and quickly walked out under the astonished gaze of the other chefs.

  The chefs looked at each other in surprise and whispered: "Fu Rong Egg?"

  The head chef quickly carried the plate of steamed eggs into the banquet hall, placed it on a round dining table, and added a cup of clear water beside it.

  Jack saw the plate of steamed eggs and slightly surprised said: "Mon dieu!"

  Dong Ying ignored the astonished gaze of the wine steward and smiled as he asked: "Please, Lawrence..."

  As the double doors of the Golden Gate swung open, a French old man in his seventies, dressed in a neat black hotel uniform, with the last name "Gold" on his badge, silver hair combed back, bright eyes shining, rosy cheeks and a smiling demeanor walked in.

  All hotel staff in the banquet hall stood up almost simultaneously and applauded with a smile.

  Lawrence first waved at everyone, then walked up to Jiang Tiankuai and stretched out his hand: "Director Jiang..."

  Jiang Tiankuai smiled and stood up, buttoning his suit jacket before extending a hand to Lawrence and saying respectfully, "Thank you for attending this selection."

  Lawrence said with a hint of regret in perfect Mandarin: "After using my sense of smell for seventy years, it failed me overnight, as if to remind me that I should spend the rest of my life accompanying my family. I hope this time at the Asia Hotel, we can select the world's most outstanding sommelier."

  Jiang Tiankuai immediately smiled and said: "Thank you for your dedication to the hotel all these years. I hope that after returning home, your body can recover as soon as possible, we are waiting for your return."

  The two of them smiled together, and Lawrence let go of his hand. First, he took a look at the poached eggs on the dining table, and he exclaimed, "GOOD!"

  He finished speaking and sat down in a position below Jiang Tiankuai, smiling up at the wine servant who was about to take the exam.

  "The exam is starting......" Dong Ying lightly clapped her hands.

  The waiters in the French restaurant, after a long preparation, came forward with white gloves on, and at the same time, they skillfully opened each bottle of red wine with a corkscrew, filling the entire banquet hall with a strong aroma of wine.

  The first sommelier, Jack, came to the foie gras, checked its color, then picked up a silver chopstick, took a small piece of foie gras into his mouth, savored it carefully, and then went to each bottle of red wine, picking up the cork to smell the aroma of the brewed red wine.

  Dong Ying ordered three secretaries to ask the next sommelier to come on stage.

  The waitress walked in first, took a look at the poached egg on the plate, and also showed an expression of surprise. However, she went to the red wine first, picked up the wooden stopper and smelled the aroma of the red wine...

  The third sommelier also walked in continuously...

  The fourth sommelier also walked in closely behind.

  Dong Ying picked up the file and called out softly: "Fifth candidate, Tang Ke Xin..."

  Jiang Tiankuang's eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained silent.