Super Zoo

Zhao Yun's family was particular about cooking healthily, so they rarely used MSG and other chemical products, and given that fish is inherently a fresh ingredient, there was no need for MSG, especially not in fish soup—to savor its pure, original flavor.

Zhaoqian took a sip of the soup and noticed something was amiss—the fish soup tasted much fresher than before, and it didn't seem like the artificial flavor of MSG or chicken essence.

"See, I tell you your cooking is improving, but you don't believe me," Zhao Yun said as he picked up a small piece of fish head to eat and nodded at Suming with satisfaction.

Zhaoqian quickly grabbed some fish from several dishes to taste and then had a moment of realization, saying, "Oh, Zhao, you must be flattering me, my cooking skills are still the same. It's the quality of this fish that's particularly good. Su, aren't all these fish raised in the lake? How come they taste even better than the wild ones? And there's a very special flavor, I can't quite put my finger on it, it's not common in other fish. Did you add any additives?"

Hearing Zhaoqian's comments, Suming finally relaxed. It proved that the fish from Shuijun Lake, nourished by the water where Tai Sui had soaked, indeed had an extraordinary taste.

The thing about "flavor" is that it's quite subtle and sometimes subject to psychological influence. The reason to have Zhao Yun and Zhaoqian taste the fish was to avoid being clouded by his own subjective views. They had no idea that the water these fish lived in was extraordinary, and considering Zhao Yun's experience, the fact that their family, who had seen and eaten a lot, gave their approval, was sufficient to prove that the fish from Shuijun Lake were truly exceptional. Enjoy more content from empire

"What additives? If there were any, I wouldn't be bringing them to your house. Our zoo has good water quality! Just look at the finless porpoises and the like; they all used to live in Shuijun Lake and they're all fine," Suming said while patting Su Meng, who was engrossed in devouring his meal. "This guy drinks directly from the lake water all the time, look how strong he's grown!"

"Oh, I see…" Zhaoqian, appeased by Suming's explanation, picked up a large piece of fish for Chengcheng. "Eat more, the fish today is especially delicious!"

Soon, all the fish on the table had been picked clean, leaving only bones. Chengcheng was sucking on a long blackfish spine, while Zhaoqian cleaned up the dishes and Zhao Yun sat on the sofa, brewing two cups of tea. Then he took out an antique-looking pipe, lit it, took a couple of puffs, and said to Suming, "Since the quality of your fish is top-notch, there's nothing more to say. I'll call them right now and have them order more of your fish!"

"No need, no need. Didn't I mention I have a plan? Now it seems I can put it into action…" Suming whispered his plan to Zhao Yun.

After hearing it, Zhao Yun was momentarily stunned before pointing at Suming and laughing helplessly. "I have stakes in those stores; you rascal, are you trying to sabotage my brand?"

"That's why I had to speak to you first," laughed Suming.

"Informing me before you sabotage my brand, you're incorrigible," Zhao Yun didn't object. He thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Alright then, just be careful not to overdo it. Not only are those store owners good friends of mine, but I also have shares in them."

"Don't worry…"

…

In the world, most industries earn money by providing services and products to others, selling their labor. However, there exists an industry where you do nothing, dine and drink everywhere, critique and nitpick to your heart's content after eating and drinking, and in the end, you don't even have to pick up the tab.

This kind of person is called a gourmet, or a gourmet food critic.

Food criticism is generally a side job. Gourmets themselves are famous chefs with considerable incomes, and they do not rely on sponsorships from businesses to make a living. At the same time, they possess a wealth of professional knowledge; their stance is relatively neutral, and the credibility of their reviews is comparatively high. A well-known gourmet's review can even greatly impact a restaurant's sales to a large extent.

However, in China, so-called food critics are mostly shills. Their literary skills are better than their knowledge of food, living off kickbacks from businesses.

Last year, Yangchuan City specifically launched a food column, airing once a week, introducing the delicacies of Yangchuan City and its surroundings. Initially, they invited a local so-called gourmet. This person's primary identity is an internet celebrity, living off promoting various foods to their online followers. In a nicer way, they are freelancers; bluntly put, they are idle drifters. The reviews from such people aren't very reliable, and they would only say good things in every episode. The viewers aren't fools and could tell at a glance that this was a shill, so the show never really took off.

A few months ago, just when the program was about to be cancelled, the television station made a big effort and invited a foreigner from the provincial capital to be a guest.

This person named Sibei'er was a Frenchman who had appeared on two episodes of 'The Flavor of Huaxia' and was famous for his characteristic reviews. He himself is a Michelin three-star certified chef with several of his own restaurants in France.

In the world of chefs, a three-star Michelin chef is basically the highest honor, essentially the pinnacle of the industry worldwide.

After Sibei'er made a few episodes at Yangchuan Television Station, because of his objective reviews and professional attitude, he suddenly boosted the ratings of the program quite a bit. Although it still couldn't compare with several popular variety shows, it has become well-known among the households of Yangchuan City, and when citizens have free time, many watch it with great interest.

The host of the Yangchuan Gourmet program and Nangong Yan have a good relationship; they are like workplace besties. Nangong Yan and she whispered some things these past days, and then the Yangchuan Gourmet was preparing to do a show about common freshwater fish.

"As everyone knows, freshwater fish are the highest-selling fish species in our country. Compared to other precious edible fish, the four major domestic fish might not taste quite as good, but because of their low cost and ease of breeding, they have become the most common delicacy on the citizens' dining tables. In this episode, I will join Mr. Seibel in embarking on a few restaurants that serve freshwater fish to find the tastiest freshwater fish."

The first stop was the Fish Joy Garden, where they had a dinner party at the zoo; this place can be regarded as the largest fish-specialized restaurant in Yangchuan City.

The restaurant was still open for business, and the filming spot was set up in a semi-open private dining room at a corner, where Seibel, despite being there to taste food, was dressed in a neat suit with his hair slicked back. Those who didn't know would think the old man was going to attend some banquet.

The server brought over various signature dishes made from fish one after another, and before long, the table was full.

"Wow, indeed, it's the largest specialized fish restaurant in Yangchuan City; it looks very appetizing. Mr. Seibel, please enjoy your tasting," said the host on the side.

However, Seibel did not pick up his chopsticks but looked at the fish in front of him and said in somewhat stiff Chinese, "Eastern people cherish presentation, aroma, and taste in their cooking; based solely on appearance, the chefs at this restaurant are undoubtedly skilled, with excellent color and fragrance. So much so, without even tasting, I can guess that these fish won't taste bad. However, in my personal opinion, as a chef, turning ingredients into a delicious meal is only the second step. The first step is to keenly select the best kind from among the many seemingly similar ingredients!"