Reborn in Japan as a Chef God -
Chapter 154: Entwined "Rope
Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Entwined "Rope
Turning the strips of ham, bamboo shoots, and fish fin into "rope," or rather "braids," was undoubtedly a meticulous task for a chef.
Xia Yu thought that if it were that childhood friend with an exquisite cooking style, this little challenge would be no problem for her.
However, Xia Yu spent an entire afternoon stuck on the first detail of the "Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage."
Why was it called Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage?
Because when you bit into the "rope," the tightly entwined strands would snap in your mouth and swirl wildly, creating a tornado-like sensation.
So, if the rope made of the three strands was merely for show and not tightly knit enough, and fell apart, the biggest secret of the "Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage" would crumble, equating to a complete failure in cooking.
Undoubtedly, the rope of three strands accounted for more than half of the cooking completion!
To create a dish that shines, this step had to be fully mastered.
Staring at the piled-up failures on the counter, Xia Yu felt that his mood wasn’t calm enough; culinary research required a clear mind.
"Boss Xia..."
Suddenly, a voice called from the counter window.
It was not yet six o’clock, and the first customer had already arrived; no, two had.
"Yo—"
Xia Yu waved at them behind the counter window, opening the window he usually used to pass dishes through, "So early today?"
He recognized the young couple; they had been frequent visitors to the shop recently.
The one with blue hair was Mashiro Takumi, a first-year high school student with little future plans but was good at drawing, having received the ’Minister’s Award’ at age seven. He once aspired to be a manga artist.
The one with brown hair was Takagi Shuutoku, a top student, ranking first in his grade, with good writing skills and a penchant for writing articles that often won awards. He shared this similarity with his friend Mashiro Takumi—also aspiring to be a manga artist.
"We submitted our second collaborative manga today!" Mashiro Takumi said excitedly after sitting down. "It’s the sci-fi manga I told you about last time, called ’One in a Billion’..."
"Oh?" Xia Yu was quite interested.
"Hattori Editor praised our sci-fi world setting, and both the storytelling and artwork have improved a lot since the first one. We might even get selected for the ’Tezuka Award’..." Mashiro Takumi said passionately.
"The Tezuka Award!"
Xia Yu was surprised; this was the highest rookie award in shōnen manga, and winning it meant a guaranteed debut.
"What would you like to eat today?" Xia Yu asked.
"We booked these three dishes on the website..." Takagi Shuutoku showed his phone with their reservation to Xia Yu.
"You must be pulling all-nighters working on your drafts, which will take a toll over time. Let me cook you some nourishing dishes, and I’ll only charge you what you originally booked." Xia Yu smiled slightly.
"Custom dishes? That’s too kind..." Takagi Shuutoku was pleasantly surprised.
Mashiro Takumi nudged his friend and clasped his hands together, "Please, Boss Xia."
Xia Yu turned to the kitchen to prepare meals for these aspiring manga artists.
He made porridge with black chicken, turtle medicinal soup, and a mountain vegetable hot pot with assorted vegetables and some Chinese medicinal herbs.
While cooking, the other guests who booked the six to seven o’clock dining time also began arriving at the shop. Xia Yu temporarily set aside his research on the Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage to focus entirely on hosting his guests.
"Delicious!"
"My appetite suddenly improved!"
After drinking a bowl of hot porridge, Mashiro Takumi, who had been staying up late for days, suddenly realized he was very hungry and eager to eat.
Takagi Shuutoku, on the other hand, drank the clear turtle soup, feeling warm and with healthy blush on his cheeks.
Standing in the kitchen, Xia Yu gazed through the transparent glass of the counter, watching as each guest enjoyed their meals with happiness on their faces, thinking quietly, "This is why the shop needs me to protect it..."
Thoughts of the real estate developer, thoughts of the Food Duel a week later made Xia Yu’s previously restless heart calm down all of a sudden.
Midnight.
The low chime of the clock still echoed in the shop.
In the days following his encounter with the monster, Xia Yu had been restless, considering ending the midnight shift, but a week passed, and he held on to the business rules left by the old man.
Mist rose from the steamer on the stove. Xia Yu withdrew his gaze from the door, turned to uncover the steamer, and glanced at a few intact sausages inside, a hint of joy in his eyes, "Did it work?"
Unable to resist, he grabbed chopsticks, picked up a sausage, and took a bite with eager anticipation.
Sizzle.
As his teeth bit through the "rope" inside the sausage, the tightly wound strips of ham, bamboo shoots, and fish fins suddenly unraveled in his mouth, causing Xia Yu’s shoulder to twitch.
But it was only that.
"Not enough—the structure has issues..." Xia Yu said, examining the sausage he had bitten into.
He retrieved the few fish fin sausages from the steamer and placed them in an empty white ceramic bowl, turning his attention back to pondering.
Since Aoki Motota dealt with that Two-Mouthed Woman, he hadn’t been to the shop lately, and because the shopping street was getting quieter with each passing day, there were no pedestrians at midnight. Xia Yu immersed himself in his culinary study without worrying about unexpected customers.
As for the monster? Xia Yu didn’t want to bother, knowing if something like that truly came, it couldn’t be stopped.
Without realizing it, the scattered fins he had bought in the afternoon were used up. Still unsatisfied, Xia Yu half-closed the shop door, found a chair in the store, and communicated with the Chef God Space to practice there.
...
The next day.
Many Far Moon students flocked to the exam hall in the teaching area, forming long queues outside, waiting for their tests.
It was Saturday, and it was the first real lesson for Xia Yu, Si Yingshi, and Aoki Motota.
The three sat at the instructor’s table, with Aoki Motota in the middle, Xia Yu, and Si Yingshi on either side, each with a long queue of Far Moon students holding steaming dishes, awaiting tasting and evaluation.
Xia Yu hadn’t slept well the night before but still tried to remain energized to taste the students’ dishes.
One had to admit, the average standard of Far Moon students was really high; some students’ carefully made dishes could be taken to Xia’s shop and earn a large crowd’s praise.
"Hmm, smoked meat?"
Without checking who the candidate was, he picked up a slice of smoked pork with his chopsticks, tasted it briefly, and sat up slightly, moved, "Such a skilled smoking technique..."
"Delicious!"
Xia Yu looked down at the smoked plate in front of him, which included smoked eggs, smoked bacon, and even two smoked sausages. The unique smoky aroma immediately whetted his appetite.
Looking up, as expected, it was Iwazaki Jun from the Polar Star Dormitory, the young man with his eyes covered by long bangs!
"Smoking Prince, is it? All the ingredients find ’smoky’ enlightenment in your hands!"
Xia Yu chewed the food in his mouth and swallowed it, "You’re qualified!"
"Wait!"
He stopped Iwazaki Jun, who was about to turn away, "I’ll come to Polar Star Dormitory at noon to ask you about some details of smoking sausage."
Iwazaki Jun and the surrounding students were momentarily stunned, but Xia Yu simply smiled slightly and said no more.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report