Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 207 - 206: Shigong’s Earliest Memories

Chapter 207: Chapter 206: Shigong’s Earliest Memories

The fish dish itself had no problems.

What made Xia Yu want to laugh was that Shigong Xiaoci Lang, this rigid fellow, had actually learned on the fly, transferring the feelings and insights he had gleaned from Tanaka Hikari’s cooking directly onto his own dishes.

Even the slight "clumsiness" of Xiao Hui’s had been inherited by him.

This was where Xia Yu found amusement.

Shigong was undoubtedly an expert in the realm of French cuisine, and perhaps even deserved the title of "master," but when it came to the craft of "lacing the dish," his skills felt raw and unpracticed.

Now, he was attempting to imitate sentiment.

The object of imitation was none other than Tanaka Hikari, whom he had personally decided to expel!

As the tasting went on, the sense of familiarity grew stronger. Xia Yu simply buried his head low, so that no one would see his face contorting as he struggled to suppress his laughter.

"That is, Senior Shigong, there’s a familiar taste in the dish?"

Qian Rixiangzi cautiously observed Shigong’s expression.

Someone had finally pointed it out. Otherwise, the mysterious silence in the underground kitchen knew no end

"Exactly, it’s the taste of mom’s cooking."

Surprisingly, Shigong Xiaoci Lang didn’t get irritated, but freely admitted it with ease.

"The taste of mom’s cooking?" Qian Rixiangzi and everyone else at the table wore even stranger expressions, including Tanaka Hikari, who covered her mouth in shock, seeming a bit at a loss.

Her cooking had been imitated by a senior.

And this senior was the Ten Outstanding Chief graduate of the 79th term.

Unbelievable!

Shigong Xiaoci Lang glanced at Xia Yu with his head bowed, thinking he had been struck a blow, and with a good-natured air, patted Xia Yu on the shoulder, saying, "Instructor Xia, this dish is actually my ace in the hole that I treasure in my heart; I wouldn’t make it lightly."

"Is it surprising?" Shigong’s eyes shimmered with reminiscence, "When I was very young, perhaps just when I started remembering things, my deepest impression of cooking was the pan-fried sea bass my mother once made for me. The method of preparing sea bass came from my mother. The rest, the vegetable medley and sauce, as well as the plating and decorations, were my own creativity."

"And in Tanaka Hikari’s cooking, I perceived the ’taste of mom’s cooking,’ so I tried to awaken the deepest culinary memories buried within my heart..."

"Now, this ’White Wine Pan-fried Sea Bass’ carries the memories of that taste!"

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly understood.

No wonder, such imprints as ’the taste of mom’s cooking’ weren’t easily imitable or learnable.

It turned out that deep within Shigong Xiaoci Lang’s heart, he treasured a dish infused with childhood memories.

Xia Yu immediately curbed his laughter, looking at the Ten Outstanding Chief graduate in amazement.

It had to be said that the reason he could graduate as a Ten Outstanding Chief, the reason he could open and establish a restaurant in France Paris, was fundamentally because of Shigong Xiaoci Lang’s exceptional talent, and of course, persistence and sweat.

Now, Shigong Xiaoci Lang had found the right path, remembered the initial taste that moved him, and perhaps it was that very taste that drove him tirelessly forward in the culinary field.

What came next was a clear sentiment waiting to mature, and then, the Far Moon faction would welcome a new Special Grade chef in the domain of French cuisine.

At this moment, Shigong Xiaoci Lang had surpassed the practitioners of Chiyoda Shrine, with one hand already touching at the door to the Special Grade!

"Phew..."

Xia Yu then showed a smile.

Because with this Shokugeki, he held the winning ticket.

"Shigong’s cuisine, with a variety of vegetables, creates the ultimate taste of vegetables, and the culinary skill alone has Special Grade One Star quality. Now, he’s placed the memory of that initial taste together with the dish on a single plate, adding a power that touches the heart!"

Dojima Yin commented with a deep voice, "If the personal imprint were as strong as that of Tanaka Hikari or Morioka Makki, this dish would be a true Special Grade Cuisine—"

Xia Yu understood, and then exhaled.

Without any "lacing," Shigong’s dish was of the same quality as the ’Flame Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage’ he had explosively created during his Shokugeki with Lancelot.

[Subordinate] Special Grade Cuisine!

"Agreed!" Qian Rixiangzi raised her hand.

"Indeed, it’s just like Senior Shigong; even without that ’initial memory,’ creating a Special Grade dish out of ordinary ingredients is not something students can easily manage."

Sekishou Hei, Wutongtian, and Mizuhara Fuyumi nodded in agreement.

"Uh."

Xingping Chuangzhen’s heart tightened. What he saw in Senior Shigong’s cuisine was profound skill!

Just the cooking alone was enough for him to chase for a long time.

Tanaka Hikari, Morioka Makoto, and Tiqie Eriina, on the other hand, cast worried glances at Xia Yu.

The opponent was too strong!

As for Liangzi Lina, she stayed silent throughout, wearing oversized sunglasses.

"Lift the lid—"

Dojima Yin focused on the palm Xia Yu rested on the stainless steel lid.

"We’re very eager to taste Instructor Xia’s creation!"

"Alright."

Xia Yu slightly tilted the corners of his mouth, without intentionally keeping everyone in suspense, and stepped slightly back. With his right palm, he lifted the lid in one swift motion!

Whoosh.

Dazzling light.

A blinding brightness, together with the vivid red of the cuisine, reflected off the table, making it impossible to look directly at it.

A few seconds later, the light had completely dissipated, and the kitchen fell silent.

Dojima Yin, Liangzi Lina, Xingping Chuangzhen, Tiqie Eriina, and the others, while not new to witnessing cuisine that glowed, were still left agape.

The graduates who had never seen glowing cuisine before, including Shigong Xiaoci Lang, were rendered indescribably stunned.

Simultaneously, the "Devil’s Spice Bottle," which had been forcibly sealed earlier, was opened again, releasing a seductive aroma that enticed everyone’s appetite.

"It smells so good!"

Qian Rixiangzi sniffed, struggling to swallow the saliva between her lips.

"Chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, Japanese peppercorns."

"Wait, there’s also black bean sauce, broad bean paste, sweet flour sauce..."

Tiqie Eriina even felt a bit disheveled.

"And the light!"

Shigong Xiaoci Lang was startled. The earlier could be explained away as a trick of the eyes or an illusion, but upon closer examination of the mapo tofu in the dish, one could discern subdued glimmers of light nestled atop the soft tofu, complementing the beautiful snowflake patterns.

"What is this light...?"

The light eluded detailed scrutiny, disappearing without a trace.

"Is it the ’cornstarch’ thickening that’s causing the sauce to reflect light?" Dojima Yin also noticed and muttered to himself.

"Thickening can indeed improve the color of a dish, but glowing..."

The other graduates couldn’t continue.

It defied scientific common sense!

Illogical!

"Everyone, please have a taste—" Xia Yu pointed to a wooden tray beside him, laden with clean chopsticks and spoons.

As for cutlery, it’s up to personal habits and preferences to choose.

This time, Qian Rixiangzi, who didn’t particularly like spicy food, didn’t rush to be the first to try; rather, it was Liangzi Lina who discreetly scooped up a piece of tofu with a spoon.

Bringing it to her mouth, smelling the sauce that dyed the white porcelain spoon red, Liangzi Lina’s eyes conveyed a hint of enjoyment.

Her red lips parted slightly, and the tofu entered her mouth.

"It really is different!"

The female Special Grade chef, witnessing Xia Yu’s recipe changes over a month, marveled at the transformation of the mapo tofu at this moment.

A complete renewal!