Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 244 - 243: VIP’s Ten Gourmet Dishes (Part 1)

Chapter 244: Chapter 243: VIP’s Ten Gourmet Dishes (Part 1)

"Are you here to dine?"

Xia Yu had not yet changed into her work uniform and had just returned from school, her black school uniform still on her, making it hard to believe that she was the chef and manager of the little restaurant.

Lancelot, of course, she remembered.

So, she scrutinized the two middle-aged men beside Lancelot.

One of the middle-aged men, with short black hair, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a square face, bore the standard Chinese facial features. Xia Yu could not help but reveal a hint of doubt, thinking to herself, "Has the ’Food Association’ also started recruiting Chinese chefs?"

As for the other middle-aged man, with a hooked nose and a sullen look, it was immediately clear that he was not easy to get along with.

Xia Yu observed the two men.

Cao Chun and Professor Smith were likewise observing Xia Yu.

"He’s too young,"

Chinese chef Cao Chun couldn’t help but smirk inwardly, puzzled and thinking, "How could Mars’s proud disciple, a top graduate from Orlando Academy, and the future star of American culinary world lose to a mere... high school student?"

Yes.

A high school student, no doubt.

Professor Smith’s gaze fell on the badge on Xia Yu’s uniform chest, his brows twitched, and his face became even more somber.

Without a word from the two middle-aged men, Lancelot too remained silent.

"Hey, are you all mute?"

Xia Yu, annoyed, waved her hand and said, "It’s not our business hours yet, and besides, our little shop switched to a reservation-only system a long time ago. If you haven’t made a reservation online, I’m really sorry, but please leave—"

Saying this, she turned to go upstairs to change into her uniform and prepare for the six o’clock opening.

Lancelot, provoked by her rudeness, exclaimed, "Wait!"

He paused slightly.

"Do you know who these two culinary world elders beside me are?" Lancelot said loudly, his eyes challenging.

"This gentleman—"

He introduced Professor Smith, "from the United States Orlando College, Professor Smith, a true master chef recognized by the IGO, famously renowned across the international culinary world!"

"And this gentleman!" Lancelot said, bowing slightly, respect emanating from within, "Mr. Cao Chun, the head chef of Cao’s Restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown!"

Upon hearing this.

Eriina Tiqie stood up in astonishment, examining Cao Chun and Professor Smith closely, her expression changing slightly.

"No wonder he looked so familiar!" Eriina’s heart jumped, as she had read about many international culinary magazines and newspapers, and these two master chefs were regulars in the culinary media. Naturally, she remembered their appearances and profiles.

Professor Smith, in Orlando College, akin to Roland Chapele at Far Moon.

However, students did not respect Professor Smith, but rather feared him.

As for Chef Cao Chun.

His Cao’s Chinese Restaurant, headquartered in San Francisco, had grown into a culinary giant across the United States, with a presence in almost every Chinatown in various cities.

"Eriina Tiqie!"

She turned around, and Lancelot recognized her at first glance.

"That one deemed to have the strongest taste buds in human history, the ’Divine Tongue’?" Cao Chun cast a curious glance.

However, Professor Smith, with a cold stare, made Eriina feel uneasy, as if she had been targeted by an evil spirit.

Seeing this, Xia Yu stepped slightly forward.

"No matter who you are, this is my place, my territory!"

Pointing to the ground beneath her feet, Xia Yu said with a half-smile, "You are free to stay against my wishes, but I can only serve you with the standards reserved for VIP guests."

"VIP guests, huh?"

Professor Smith, seemingly really here for a meal, took a seat at the bar.

Cao Chun and Lancelot followed suit.

"Where’s the menu?" Professor Smith asked, as he glanced at the establishment, not seeing today’s menu.

"Sorry, we have prepared a separate gourmet menu for VIP guests," Xia Yu coughed and called out, "Stir-fried Qingjiang Vegetable, Furong Crab Meat Egg, Magical Mapo Tofu, Big Blast Fried Pork, Flame-Roasted Suckling Pig."

"Rising Dragon Dumplings, Nine Feathered Phoenix, Heavenly Hero Grilled Bluefish, Flame Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage, Shuangjiang Magical Mapo Tofu."

"Currently, there are only these ten dishes, but I guarantee that each one is a masterpiece, worth tasting!"

Xia Yu said calmly.

He was not intimidated by the VIP status of Cao Chun and Professor Smith.

As a gourmet chef, Xia Yu believed that his dazzling cuisine would satisfy them.

"Bring out all your specialties!" Professor Smith demanded directly.

"The ten dishes mentioned, I am skilled in all of them, are you sure you want to order them?"

Professor Smith nodded.

"Very well..."

Seeing the big business opportunity, Xia Yu quickly wrote down the menu, marked the prices, provided a total cost, and handed the bill to Professor Smith, "Due to the complexity of preparation and time consumption, please make your payment in advance."

Taking the bill, Professor Smith’s hand trembled, his eyes flashing with shock and anger.

Lancelot suddenly stood up, pointing at the total cost at the bottom of the bill and angrily exclaimed, "This is extortion! Extortion!"

Cao Chun also lowered his voice, "Stir-fried Qingjiang Vegetable costs 100,000 yen?"

"Yes, ’Stir-fried Qingjiang Vegetable’, ’Furong Crab Meat Egg’, and ’Magical Mapo Tofu’ are the three cheapest dishes. ’Big Blast Fried Pork’ and ’Flame-Roasted Suckling Pig’ cost 200,000 yen each, ’Rising Dragon Dumplings’ and ’Heavenly Hero Grilled Bluefish’ 300,000 yen each, ’Nine Feathered Phoenix’, ’Flame Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage’, and ’Shuangjiang Magical Mapo Tofu’ 500,000 yen each..." Xia Yu said without blinking, listing the prices of the ten radiant dishes in one breath.

Silence.

Eriina, along with everyone else, was stunned by these prices, almost suffocating.

"Even elite restaurants don’t charge this much, do they?" Eriina’s forehead broke out in cold sweat, but she reconsidered, recognizing that although Xia Yu was not an elite chef, he was close to becoming one.

Moreover, having tasted Xia Yu’s radiant cuisine multiple times, Eriina felt that the prices were acceptable, not amounting to extortion or fraud.

Especially for ’Nine Feathered Phoenix’, ’Flame Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage’, and ’Shuangjiang Magical Mapo Tofu’, 500,000 yen each, which when converted to US dollars, was less than five thousand dollars.

Eriina felt it necessary to clarify on behalf of Xia’s shop and the chef himself.

"Chef Cao, Professor Smith, this pricing is reasonable," Eriina coughed, "I guarantee in the name of the ’Divine Tongue’ that these ten VIP dishes are all masterpieces!"

Lancelot opened his mouth.

With the discernment of the ’Divine Tongue’, he found it difficult to question further.

But the terrifying prices were still hard for Lancelot to accept.

"Professor Smith..." he whispered, seeking Smith’s opinion. Actually, their visit to Xia’s shop today had been purely coincidental, during an inspection of the shopping district.

To this day, Lancelot still didn’t understand how Professor Smith would handle Xia Yu.

A cooking competition?

A world-renowned elite chef initiating a cooking competition against an obscure high school student chef?

Professor Smith couldn’t afford to lose face.

The United States Orlando College and the Food Association behind it didn’t want to be criticized by public opinion, losing face.

"Serve the dishes—"

Professor Smith tapped his fingers on the bar counter, a gloomy smile at the corner of his mouth: "Serve them one by one, and if any dish fails to satisfy me, then sorry, I will, as an elite chef, report your shop to the IGO and the Neon Food Association."

"Let’s start with the simplest Stir-fried Qingjiang Vegetable."

Xia Yu nodded.

"Eriina, collect the money, and please also take care of the shop."

Eriina watched Xia Yu enter the kitchen with astonishment, then briskly moved to the cash register, fingers tapping on the keyboard as she lowered her head to speak:

"The first dish, ’Stir-fried Qingjiang Vegetable’, 100,000 yen even, cash or card..."

"Professor."

Lancelot’s face was ashen.

"Pay!" Professor Smith said coldly.

Lancelot had no choice but to grit his teeth and pull out a credit card, listening to the beeping of the cash register, his entire face twitching.