Chapter 99: Rainbow

Bai Renrong looked at the dish before him and raised an eyebrow. This is... French-style vegetable jelly?

But unlike conventional French-style vegetable jelly, which uses only four or five ingredients and is square-shaped, this one has seven ingredients in seven different colors and is arched like an arch bridge, like...

"Rainbow..." Bai Renrong smiled with interest and then looked at Han Jiayi.

"Hmm."

Han Jiayi smiled proudly, as if waiting for him to praise it.

"How did you manage to make it into this shape?"

"With an arched mold, I specially customized one." Han Jiayi replied with a smile.

Bai Renrong nodded in understanding, but before tasting, he carefully observed it.

"Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet... Seven colors of the rainbow, quite impressive." Bai Renrong muttered to himself.

Moreover, this is completely different from the crudely made vegetable jellies created by online video hosts, which rely only on beauty filters to enhance their visual appeal. From a visual standpoint, it's not even in the same league; the seven colors are distinct and don't blend with each other at all, truly a "rainbow," which immediately whets the appetite.

Upon closer inspection, the red is tomato, the orange is carrot, the yellow is pumpkin, the green is cauliflower, the blue-green is okra, the purple is purple cabbage, but the blue one I don't recognize...

"What color is this blue made from?" Bai Renrong asked curiously.

"Dayflower, also known as blue butterfly." Han Jiayi said cheerfully, "A pure natural blue pigment, rich in vitamin C, very beneficial for the body."

"Interesting... quite your style." Bai Renrong smiled at her. "But ultimately, it's the taste that counts."

With that, Bai Renrong cut a small piece of the vegetable jelly and took a bite, immediately sighing in admiration.

Because it was so rich, whether in texture, flavor, or aroma, it exploded in the mouth all at once. Even though he could discern each flavor, the explosion of such abundant flavors in such a short time left him at a loss to describe them all.

The most impressive aspect was that the shape of a rainbow wasn't just for show; there was a reason behind it.

With square vegetable jellies, since each ingredient has the same proportion, the variation when eating is less obvious.

But this "rainbow," being arched, has the outermost red—tomato—being the most, and the innermost purple—purple cabbage—the least, and this is the secret: irregularity.

Just like knife-cut noodles, irregular shapes can create multiple textures and flavors.

The drawback of vegetable jelly is that the taste is relatively light; the base is made with chicken broth and yogurt, and ingredients like cauliflower, okra, and carrots are all light-tasting, hard to create a strong impact. But this vegetable jelly, by adjusting proportions with the "arched shape," increased the tomato ratio, giving the entire dish an acidic-sweet foundation.

On this foundation, adding the distinct aromas of different vegetables made the whole thing feel completely different.

Each vegetable enriches the tomato jelly's sour-sweet base with its own unique fragrance and texture, creating a rich yet harmonious array of flavors.

Bai Renrong closed his eyes, tasting this dish like listening to a symphony, with the "Bat Symphony" playing in his mind: strong and impactful at the first bite, then mellowing out, becoming joyful and passionate again as emotions calm, finally leading to a satisfying conclusion.

Clap, clap, clap. Bai Renrong clapped his hands. "Impressive... has a gimmick, the taste is impeccable, and it perfectly fulfills its role as a 'starter.' Just now I was feeling a bit full, but now I'm hungry again."

"Hehe..." Han Jiayi smiled happily, like a little girl, twisting shyly, "I tried many combinations to find these pairings I think are the best."

"The most important thing..." Bai Renrong glanced at Han Jiayi, "It has an impact comparable to 'Cloud Ni'. These two dishes can be placed in the same set menu. And this should be your 'ultimate set menu,' right?"

"Uh-huh uh-huh!" Han Jiayi nodded repeatedly, "That's exactly how I planned it."

"Impressive, Han Mu Mu." Bai Renrong praised her wholeheartedly. "Such boundless imagination, mischievous and unrestrained style, and romantic styling... this is a dish infused with soul."

At this moment, Han Jiayi felt the same happiness as Yang Hua, the joy of being a chef, the feeling of someone understanding every one of her little thoughts. Looking at Bai Renrong, her inner admiration for him deepened.

"Tsk, if Yang Hua knew about your dish, he'd probably be so sour he'd cry." Bai Renrong suddenly teased.

"Then, when he invites us over next time with his chest puffed out, I'll take this out to deflate his pride!" Han Jiayi replied with fighting spirit, "I don't like picking fights like he does, but if he starts something with me, I'll fight back."

"Hmm." Bai Renrong nodded with satisfaction. "Work hard."

Han Jiayi smiled sweetly, then frowned and said, "You just called me Han Mu Mu!"

"You just came over now, so you should call me Han Mu Mu." Bai Renrong replied lightly.

"Don't call me Han Mu Mu!" Han Jiayi pouted and hit him.

Watching Han Jiayi act coquettish, Bai Renrong couldn't help but smile.

How pure and adorable this girl's soul poured into her cooking. Bai Renrong thought to himself: he really liked this girl more and more.

But just liking her wasn't enough; she needed to like him too.

"Rainbow?" Bai Renrong supported his chin and let out a long sigh.

"What's the matter?" Han Jiayi asked, smiling.

"Nothing, just a bit of worry." Bai Renrong said, "The presence of the appetizer and dessert is already so strong; what about the other dishes in your set menu?"

"Mmm..." Han Jiayi frowned in thought for a while, then shrugged, "We'll figure it out later; inspiration will solve it."

"Yes." Bai Renrong nodded with a smile, "Indeed, that's your style."

With that, Bai Renrong stood up and scanned the code to pay the bill: "I'll keep this starter dish as a reserved item for now. When the time comes, I'll make it into a video. Maybe to boost traffic for our studio, or to shock the third star for your restaurant."

"Okay!" Han Jiayi nodded happily, her heart already filled with joy.

"See you tonight?" Bai Renrong waved at her with a smile, "Looking forward to the day your ultimate set menu is complete."

"I'll complete it before Yang Hua does." Han Jiayi replied with a huff.

"Then we'll see about luck; after all, he's the technical type, while you're the inspirational type." Bai Renrong replied, "But who finishes first doesn't matter; who finishes better is what matters."

"Uh-huh!" Han Jiayi nodded with determination, waving at him. "Be careful on the road."

After seeing Bai Renrong leave the shop, Han Jiayi smiled happily, turned her head, and walked toward the kitchen.

"Han Mu Mu, two points, soft male, one point, Han Mu Mu is leading! Na na na..." Han Jiayi laughed cheerfully, hands behind her back, hopping and humming a little tune as she returned to the kitchen.

"The boss is so cute..." "Yeah, like a little girl." The two employees passing by whispered to each other.