The tournament against the Underworld Cooking Society continues with round two.
Lakon, the King of Dim Sum, faces off against Super Dim Sum Chef Shell in Battle Dim Sum: Steamed Bun.
The dishes are finally done!
What kind of buns did these two proud dim sum masters make?
T-that's...
Super Dim Sum Battle! The Ultimate Decision!!
T-that's great!
I've never seen buns presented that way!
This is surely a battle that decides the best dim sum master in China.
Sanche, look at the colorful buns that fill the boat!
And the shining golden buns perched on the dragon's back.
My eyes are glazing over!
W-what a great bun battle!
Wow, Shell! Just look at your great golden buns!
It's a bit too early to be surprised, Mao!
What? What?
The geezer's buns only look good, but mine aren't merely skin deep!
Typical youngster. Your buns look nice, but that's all there is to them.
You'll know you're outmatched when you see my masterpiece, the best buns in dim sum history.
We'll begin the tasting. Let's start with Lakon, the King of Dim Sum!
I see. He cut all that bamboo to make this boat here.
And this is...?
Mao, what are the letters written on the four differently-colored buns?
I'm not sure.
Probably just to decorate.
That is...
Do you know, Leon?
As I said before, the Hakura Clan is closely intertwined with the history of dim sum.
They once calmed down the raging waves of a river that blocked the path of a victorious army.
To them, the basis for making dim sum is to calm the spirit.
So those buns are a Hakura Clan specialty designed to placate the spirits.
That's the closely-held family secret, the legendary "Four Gods' Ideal Topography" Buns!
Legendary Buns... Four Gods' Ideal Topography?
What's the Ideal Topography?
Yeah, what of it?
Those letters on the buns stand for Genbu, Suzaku, Seiryuu, and Byakko.
They are the legendary divine beasts that protect the country from four directions.
The proper placement of these Four Gods is called the "Four Gods' Ideal Topography."
When arranged in that manner, they're the most effective in soothing the spirits.
That's right.
For the green bun, the Azure Dragon of the East, I added spinach in the skin.
The black bun with black sesame added is the Black Tortoise of the North.
The Vermillion Bird of the South is represented by the red bun, using carrots.
Finally, the undyed bun represents the White Tiger of the West.
I called on the Four Gods who protect from all four directions.
With their aid, I can calm the spirits of the rivers and oceans.
The "Spirit Calming Buns" are a prayer that calms peoples' souls.
So those buns are the King of Dim Sum's Spirit-Calming Buns.
Oh, so these are the legendary Hakura Clan buns.
You can't get these anywhere else!
Let me see...
What? What?
What are those expressions?
Are they good or not? Which is it?
This bun is as soft as cotton.
The great filling that oozes out is mild on the tongue.
T-this is...!
What? What's inside?
Sea cucumbers! He dried them well in so short a time!
Look at the shark fin!
The bun's dancing with joy, happy to be eaten with such a great filling inside!
B-but...!
The abalone is soft and chewy!
Coupled with the scent of the bamboo boat...
This is a first-class dish!
Scallops!
There's crab here.
Sea cucumber, shark fin, abalone...
Mao! The fillings of Lakon's buns...!
Yes, they're the Big Eight of Seafood!
Brother Mao, what's the big eight of seafood?
There are many kinds of seafood, but the richest and most luxurious are...
Shark fin...
Abalone...
Sea Cucumber...
Scallops...
Crab...
Lobster...
Squid...
And Flounder.
These are the Big Eight of Seafood.
Happiness is created when all of the Big Eight are used as fillings.
On top of which, all eight are cooked in the best possible way.
The best possible way?
I get it. That's why he used eight earthenware pots, which have a soft boiling touch.
I see!
My body and soul are so peaceful. I'm all relaxed right now.
It's a treasure.
A treasure trove of buns!
L-look at the judges!
They're so relaxed!
I've never seen anybody so satisfied!
But the guild leaders are quite picky.
They are accustomed to eating the best of the best.
So just because he used the Big Eight won't cut it.
Sanche, the most important part of a bun is its skin.
A bun's skin?
But of course! He used the ultimate yeast that was passed down through 1,600 years of Hakura Clan tradition...
Shu Han Old Dough!
Buns made with this yeast enhance the savory taste of seafood even more!
Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk...
How is Shell going to win against awesome buns like these?
How's he supposed to win with fried steak buns whose skin didn't puff up?
I never thought I'd see the legendary buns in my lifetime.
What a man this Lakon, the King of Dim Sum, is!
He comes from a pedigreed dim sum family whose ancestors served Zhuge Liang.
Nothing can beat 1,600 years of history!
Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk.
My legendary buns of the Four Gods combine the special Shu Han Old Dough with the Big Eight of Seafood.
They calm down waves from all four directions.
This is the legacy of the Hakura Clan, which spans 1,600 years of history!
Our specialty bun...
The Eight Seafood Treasures of the Four Gods Bun!
Who... what's that? Who's mocking the legendary buns of the Hakura Clan?
Be quiet for once, gramps.
What?
Child, what's so funny?
Don't take this the wrong way, gramps.
The one who's laughing about your calming of the spirits and stupid logic is...
None other...
But my buns!
Ridiculous. Buns, laughing?
Th-they're laughing? The buns are laughing?!
What?
T-this is...
T-the bun is...?
T-the bun is laughing?!
Ludicrous! How can buns laugh?
No, it sounds like laughter is coming from the bun's crack.
What's going on?
What kind of dish is that?
What is going on?
What the heck is that?
Don't make such a fuss. Amateurs!
You can't judge the true quality of the bun solely by the fact that it laughs!
The crack in the side...
The use of two saucepans...
The awkwardly-sculpted dragon...
Imbecile. I thought you'd put up a good fight against me.
And you come up with these pathetic buns?
Next, we'll taste Shell's buns!
Let me see...
What a unique and amusing bun!
It's fun, but it has to taste as good as it looks.
Shell's bun is fried rather than steamed, but it's no use...
Why's that, Mao?
Well, if he fried it at a high temperature, the fiavor of the filling will leech out of the crack during the process.
What? What?
That's right!
If you don't have a strong filling, the taste won't be any good! It's just an empty crust.
Boy, your laughing bun is just a weird and curious gimmick you concocted.
You don't have any right to laugh at the Hakura Clan's legendary Four Gods buns.
It's almost painful to watch!
Is that so?
Hot hot hot! Hot hot hot!
What?
Mao, look!
There's a deliciously deep sauce, but it's not too strong.
It has a nice and fresh flavor!
The sauce synergizes well with the crispy fried bun of the outside!
This is an excellent snack.
He didn't just go for novelty.
This is a masterpiece that's both fun and delicious.
Ouch!
It's good!
Delicious!
A few minutes, they were so relaxed.
Now they're all hot and excited.
I wanna eat it too.
Super dim sum...
How did Shell make that bun?
How can this be? There shouldn't be any flavor left inside!
Honored judges, why don't you cut the buns in half? Take a peek at what's inside.
T-This is...
This is vermicelli!
That's right. You want the filling to remain fresh inside the bun.
That's why I added vermicelli to absorb and retain all the good sauce.
I see! You used the steak to provide the savory sauce.
If you minced the beef, the really good flavor would have dissipated.
Therefore...
Got it in one, Mao!
I cooked the beef like a steak to seal in its good taste.
Then, I diced it into cubes and placed them inside the bun.
Did you get that, gramps?
Awesome, you're awesome, Big Brother Shell!
But how did you get the gold sheen?
It's egg yolk, right Mao?
That must be it.
If you spread egg yolk on the skin, it becames golden when fried.
It enhances the taste of the bun, allowing me to make a deep-fried bun!
Child, I'll ask one more thing. How—
How did I make this bun laugh?
Y-yes.
That's a good question.
I'll tell you, oh King of Dim Sum.
The crack was made on purpose. It didn't happen accidentally.
What?
First, I make a small incision before cooking.
The bun was very flat, so I have to puff it up with something.
So I added in some baking powder.
Under pressure from high heat, the crack widened when fried.
This is why the buns laugh.
That's the...
This is a diced beef cube without any juice left.
Cubes? How could those cubes cause the bun to laugh?
I got it, Shell!
You figured out how it works? That's my Mao!
How does it happen, Mao?
Brother Mao, please tell us.
Sure.
The oil floods into the bun through the crack that Shell made.
It hardens the cubes, the interior walls of the bun, and the vermicelli.
The crack is forced shut by pressure, trapping the juices completely inside the bun.
The superheated juices inside the bun expands into steam.
I got it! The steam causes the laughter!
That's right. As the steam expands inside the bun, the cubes inside fly around inside like wind chimes.
This motion creates a laughing sound that you can hear coming out of the bun's crack.
This is my golden mouth smile! The Golden Laughing Bun!
Golden Laughing Bun?! This contest is serious business!
I don't give a whit about the Hakura Clan legend or tradition.
Dim sum isn't supposed to be something strict and ancient.
It's something to be enjoyed as a snack by everyone, right?
Not only does this taste good, it's also a fun snack!
Agreed. When I listen to the buns laughing, I want to laugh too!
Do you see that, Gramps?
Shanghai's guild leaders are all excited, like little children.
Dim sum should be fun just like that, King of Dim Sum!
Shut your mouth!
All right, Shell!
Fight on with your laughing buns!
Yay!
Shell is amazing. We'll win for sure and save my father!
Shell and the King of Dim Sum. They're both very good. What a battle!
A legendary bun that calms the spirit.
A novel bun that excites everyone's hearts.
All right. We'll move on to the judging.
Lakon, the King of Dim Sum, has his Eight Seafood Treasures of the Four Gods Buns.
Shell, the self-professed Best Super Dim Sum Chef in the continent, has his Golden Laughing Buns.
Come on, let us know what you think!
Who will win?
There's no need to even compare, Brother Mao.
They were more excited by Shell's buns!
Big Brother Shell will win all the votes and the round.
We'll be much closer to getting the Legendary cookware!
It looks like this won't be an easy decision, Shilou.
They can't make up their minds?!
It looks like they can't forget the taste of the King of Dim Sum's four-colored buns.
This may well be a split decision.
Will it be the King of Dim Sum's traditional buns?
Or will it be Shell's imaginative, fun, and innovative buns?
Okay, I've decided!
What about you?
Decision's made!
I've decided.
Same here.
All right!
Sanche?
Sanche!
Sanche?
I'd like the judges to render their verdict now!
You dare?
Please lift the red spoon if you prefer Steel Stick Shell's buns.
Raise the white spoon if you vote for the buns of Lakon, the King of Dim Sum.
The judges who vote for Steel Stick Shell, please lift the red spoons now.
Please.
H-how come?
Nobody's raising a red spoon!
N-no way!
Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk...
FREE AS THE WIND
Every night when I fall fast asleep I can hear you whispering in my dreams, feel me.
Then a bluish flame burns bright within Shining, sparkling hotter than ordinary fire.
Look at all the rain gently falling down, Filling over the dry lake bed with freshwater streams.
If we both go down like this inside our hearts, Who knows what places we will find and explore?
Destiny ensured that we both meet at the same present.
Free to frolic like the wandering wind.
Ohhh, can we stay like this until the very end of time?
This intensity I feel for you, is from Cosmic Power...