Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 289 - 288: The Sudden Inspection!

Chapter 289: Chapter 288: The Sudden Inspection!

Kitchen.

Xia Yu wielded the spatula, quickly plating the just-fried double-cooked pork.

Behind him was an entire row of hot dishes.

Tiqie Eriina tensed her little face. She was the assistant chef; apart from transporting ingredients, her job was to place each dish in a tray, add a cover, and, if Kobayakawa Ryodan was too busy, she would also double as a server, carrying dishes out to the front of house.

Liangzi Lina was in charge of processing ingredients, while Xia Yu stayed stationed in front of the cook station, with four or five stoves in front of him. One stove held a pot of broth, which had been simmering on low heat since the day, two stoves held flat pans, and the rest supported Chinese stir-fry pans.

The flame under the stir-fry pan tended to concentrate, making it suitable for cooking methods like stir-frying, dry frying, and stewing.

Flat pans, also known as frying pans, provide a more even heat distribution than stir-fry pans, which are concentrated, making them suitable for low heat cooking.

The different heat settings meant that dishes cooked in these two types of pans would have distinctly different flavors.

Dishes cooked in a stir-fry pan have a strong and rich taste, which is also a characteristic of Chinese cuisine.

The frying pan, on the other hand, is suitable for those who prefer a light taste and value healthy and nutritious food.

He cleared the backlog of orders on hand.

For the moment, no new orders were coming in from the front of house, perhaps because the place was full. Old customers hadn’t finished eating and left, and there was no space for new customers. Taking advantage of this lull, Xia Yu finally managed to get a towel to wipe off his sweat and take a brief rest.

"Instructor Xia—"

Ichise Hui suddenly burst into the kitchen, hustling and bustling.

"Minister Shinohara has arrived!"

"Take him to private room number 1," Xia Yu paused and waved his hand.

"No, no!" Ichise Hui gasped, "The Governor of Tokyo, Yuchuan Yuriko, has also come!"

The Governor of Tokyo is the executive officer of Tokyo’s government, essentially the Tokyo Mayor.

This position is much more comfortable than being the Neon Prime Minister.

Tokyo is undoubtedly Neon’s capital and also the largest economic zone, typically accounting for more than one-sixth of Neon’s GDP in the region, influencing the country’s economy. The annual fiscal budget controlled is 130 trillion yen.

Right, the new Tokyo Mayor seems to be a woman!

"Eriina, you go and host them in my place!"

He was the head chef and it wasn’t appropriate to leave his main battlefield. Xia Yu gave it a little thought and then turned his gaze towards "Divine Tongue."

"Alright!"

Ichise Hui and Eriina left one after another.

"Is that alright?"

Liangzi Lina was also wiping sweat with a towel, wiping, and asking.

"Eriina going is more than enough. Her face carries much more weight than mine," Xia Yu chuckled lightly.

Bang bang!

Suddenly, someone knocked on the kitchen door.

"Come in—"

The door was ajar, not locked, Xia Yu casually said.

He turned back to get busy making charcoal. Some customers ordered ’Flame Roasted Pork’ and ’Heavenly Hero Grilled Bluefish’ and Xia Yu had to get the dishes on the table within one hour.

In the midst of the bustle, he realized the kitchen had become unusually quiet.

Xia Yu, who was broiling several suckling pigs over the charcoal oven, recalled the recent knock on the door and couldn’t help but look up in surprise.

Two tall figures entered his sight.

His pupils constricted slightly.

One of them was ’Food Demon King’ Tiqie Xianzuowen, still dressed in his samurai attire, arms folded, standing staunchly, face as impassive as an ancient well.

And standing shoulder to shoulder with the ’Food Demon King’, was a middle-aged man of a calm demeanor, also wearing Neon traditional clothing.

"General!"

Xia Yu gestured towards them in his spare moment.

He then intently observed the middle-aged man, his eyes burning with speculation.

"Are you Xia Yu?"

Qiushan Hong carried his hands behind his back, circled around the charcoal oven, and after casting several admiring glances at the hissing, golden, and beautifully colored roasted suckling pigs on the high-temperature charcoal fire, he could not help but praise, "Your control over the heat is extraordinary, even among top-class chefs!"

"Thank you."

Xia Yu pursed his lips, tending the grill fire while casting a questioning glance at Qiushan Hong.

"How should I address you?" he asked, his demeanor very humble and polite.

Seeing this, Qiushan Hong’s eyes shone with even deeper admiration.

At the young age of sixteen, to have achieved far beyond his peers, trampling a group of older predecessors underfoot, ready to advance into the top-tier domain, yet still possessing such modesty was indeed rare.

Most young geniuses are known for being hot-blooded and impulsive.

Take Shigong Xiaoci Lang, for example. Isn’t he impressive? Graduating as the top student of the Ten Outstanding Chiefs, he established his own restaurant castle in France’s battle zone, achieving great success while nearly losing himself on the culinary path.

Mindset, after all, can be seen as a reflection of a chef’s vision.

The humility of Xia Yu, as observed by Qiushan Hong, invisibly conveyed many messages.

He was not content with his current achievements.

He wanted to climb higher.

His sights were not limited to the ranks of top chefs but aimed at an even loftier view.

The truth was just so.

Xia Yu didn’t feel he had any reason to be proud or look down on everything. Even as a top-tier chef, he would still rank at the bottom in the strictly hierarchical elite chef domain.

Moreover, there were Lin Chef and Dragon Chef above him.

For now, Xia Yu had yet to penetrate the fog shrouding the old man. Indeed, he’d been chasing after the old man’s tail for so long without catching a glimpse of his family’s backs ahead.

"I am Qiushan Hong."

Qiushan Hong introduced himself casually, with a meaningful look in his eyes.

"Head of Development at IGO International Headquarters... and the ’Special Reviewer’ sent especially back to Neon for you!"

Upon hearing this, Xia Yu felt a jolt in his mind.

But his hands remained steady as he flipped the suckling pig on the charcoal grill, without a single mistake.

"...Has the review started?" he asked with a raspy voice.

"It’s in progress right now," Qiushan Hong said.

"What’s the theme?"

Xia Yu immediately inquired, but Qiushan Hong did not answer; instead, he watched intently as Xia Yu prepared the ’Flame Roasted Pork’ and the ’Heavenly Hero Grilled Bluefish.’

After Kobayakawa Ryodan took the plated dishes away,

One hour later, Xia Yu was washing his hands, getting ready to cook the next batch of dishes.

"Your specialty menu doesn’t include any noodle dishes?"

A voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Yes, ’Ascending Dragon Dumplings’ are one!"

Xia Yu was busy with the hot oil in the skillet, too occupied to turn around.

"The dish you presented at the residence study reward dinner? I want you to bring out a real noodle dish—mind you, noodles. My review theme is ’noodle dishes’!"

Qiushan Hong spoke with an ease, while Xia Yu, with his back turned, rolled his eyes openly.

This was surely not a theme concocted on the fly, but rather one prepared from the start to hit him right where it hurt!

"So you’ve been doing nothing for over a week just to gather my information, right?" Xia Yu thought to himself, feeling a chill on his back. Targeting a weak spot with a question was indeed unexpected.

"How about it?"

Qiushan Hong continued, "If you agree, the review will last until the restaurant closes at midnight. During the business hours of the restaurant, you must present a noodle dish that satisfies me!" Qiushan Hong’s lips curled into a sly, fox-like grin. "It’s 8 p.m. now, you have four hours to prepare, ample time!"

’Ample time,’ my foot!

Xia Yu internally ranted vehemently.

A ’noodle dish’ that struck at his weakness was one thing, but damned if he wasn’t busy serving restaurant guests at the same time, expected to present a dish for the review!

Four hours he might have, but Xia Yu knew he probably wouldn’t even have one hour to spare!

To pass the ’review’?

Or to continue entertaining guests on the opening day?

It seemed impossible to manage both.

Taking a deep breath, Xia Yu summoned his taskbar to check two tasks closely associated with his actions.