Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 293 - 292: I Have a Stick

Chapter 293: Chapter 292: I Have a Stick

Branch kitchen.

Xia Yu had been standing for a full hour when he suddenly came to his senses, and without a word, began cleaning the countertop.

"It’s eleven o’clock at night now..."

Liangzi Lina glanced at the bustling Xia Yu, then turned back to look at the kitchen clock.

It was perhaps a coincidence that the short hand was precisely on the "11," while the slightly longer minute hand had just passed the "12," advancing toward the "1."

Exactly eleven o’clock at night.

There was only one hour left until the review was over.

It was late at night and all was quiet outside; the kitchen hadn’t received any orders for a while, so Xia Yu had the leisure to stand for so long.

Tap tap tap.

The sound of frantic footsteps.

Turning around, Liangzi Lina caught sight of Mars entering, and her brow lifted in preparation to scold him when, unexpectedly, Tiqie Eriina, Shinohara Shigetaro, and a distinguished-looking woman in a business suit entered the kitchen together.

"Governor Yuchuan!"

Upon seeing the Mayor of Tokyo City, Liangzi Lina’s expression softened and she bowed slightly in greeting.

With a hum, Yuchuan Yuriko, who clearly recognized Liangzi Lina, said with a smile, "I heard from Minister Shinohara that you, Liangzi, have been stationed in this district recently, and that young chef who needs special attention—is that him?"

The Governor said this while casting curious glances at the male high school student standing resolutely before the countertop, observing him closely.

So young!

Yet, in his eyes, there was a steady quality that his peers lacked.

His movements exuded the demeanor of a head chef.

Even a casual diner visiting would likely recognize Xia Yu’s status as the head chef at a glance. It was a strange intuitive reaction, maybe described as "presence" and "spirit." And this kitchen, no doubt, was Xia Yu’s main battlefield, his dominion—he was the master!

"Oh, so young!" Yuchuan Yuriko chuckled lightly. "So those glowing dishes we had today were made by him, it’s truly unbelievable."

Thoroughly cleaning the countertop.

Xia Yu cleared all the unnecessary items from the countertop, then spread a layer of dry flour over it.

"Whoosh"

Smoothly, he picked up a small bag of flour that he had brought back from the main shop, and with a flick of his hand, the entire bag of flour poured out onto the countertop, forming a small hill several centimeters high. Then, he turned around to grab a salt spoon and casually sprinkled some salt grains into the flour pile—seeming quite arbitrary, yet Xia Yu was precisely controlling the amount of salt, holding firm command over every detail.

Eh.

Ichise Hui and Kobayakawa Ryodan entered the kitchen, standing behind Tiqie Eriina, the three interns saw Xia Yu take out a dark stick, about three feet long and very much like a cane, from underneath the countertop, their eyes went wide.

"That, that is what?" Eriina’s gaze wavered.

"It looks like it’s some kind of rolling pin, right?"

Kobayakawa Ryodan touched his chin, saying uncertainly.

"Let’s just watch and see." Ichise Hui could only smile wryly. His gaze fixed on Xia Yu, he couldn’t help but contemplate inwardly about how many secrets this guy had hidden about himself.

"Rolling pin!"

A clear voice came from behind them.

Dojima Yin, Qiushan Hong, and Tiqie Xianzuowen, these three distinguished guests who were seated in private room 2, likewise arrived together.

Qiushan Hong continued where Dojima Yin left off, saying with a smile, "This kind of rolling pin is the cooking tool of a pastry chef, just as vital as the knife is to a Red Case Chef. I don’t need to spell out its importance, do I?"

"Pastry chefs, Red Case Chefs?"

Ichise Hui, Kobayakawa Ryodan, and Tiqie Eriina looked at each other, obviously unaware of what these Chinese terms meant. These weren’t mentioned in Far Moon’s modern professional courses.

"A pastry chef is what we refer to as ’White Case.’"

"Red Case refers to chefs who wield knives, those outside of the pastry domain."

Qiushan Hong explained to the three students among them, with the grace of a university professor.

"This terminology originated from the Chinese Continent, where before the modern era, White Case and Red Case chefs belonged to two distinct realms that did not intersect, akin to the now-lost court cuisine of that mysterious continent where, at banquets, White Case and Red Case each had their duties, without a trace of disorder or mix-up."

Qiushan Hong went on slowly:

"However, in more recent times, the distinction between White Case and Red Case isn’t as clear as it was in ancient days. Red Case chefs have also started to learn pastry skills, exploring more domains and thus becoming more well-rounded in their culinary arts..."

As he spoke, Qiushan Hong suddenly stopped, his gaze intensifying.

The three interns quietly digested the knowledge, then looked surprised. Who was this guy?

The kitchen was silent. No one spoke, and pairs of eyes unanimously focused on Xia Yu, who was immersed in the world of cooking and promptly ignored the irrelevant people around him.

Thwack!

A shadow flashed!

The black stick skimmed over the mound of all-purpose flour, leveling the peak!

With a strike of the stick!

The leveled peak suddenly caved in, Xia Yu’s left hand lifting the basin set aside, and with a swoosh, water coursed into the flour pile, forming a landscape akin to a volcanic lake.

"Cold water!"

Seeing this, Kobayakawa Ryodan exclaimed in a low voice.

Yes, cold water.

This detail was telling.

Kneading dough, this process required three types of water: cold water, warm water, hot water.

It was Qiushan Hong who once again broke the silence to explain, "Hot water dough, also known as boiling water dough or scalded dough. The water temperature is generally between 60-100 degrees Celsius. This type of dough coagulates the proteins, breaks down the gluten, and decomposes the starch into monosaccharides and disaccharides. Though the dough may have a poorer color, it features a smooth and slippery texture with a sweet flavor."

"Hot water dough is suitable for making buns, steamed dumplings, shaomai and potstickers," Tiqie Helinai said softly.

The Governor of Tokyo, Yuchuan Yuriko, who had been quiet until then, said with a smile, "As for warm water dough, the temperature is about 50 degrees Celsius. It is generally used for various steamed cakes. Like the sea bream cake, it’s made from warm water dough. As for the texture, it’s soft but with tenacity—very delicious indeed!"

Ichise Hui and Tiqie Helinai gave the Governor of Tokyo a surprised look, not expecting this governor to have such a handy grasp of cooking knowledge.

"Lastly, we have the cold water dough."

Dojima Yin held up three fingers, his voice grave:

"Cold water dough has three characteristics: strong toughness, great elasticity, and stiff!"

Saying this, several big shots present nodded silently.

"Dough!"

"It must be for noodle-making!"

"Ramen, perhaps?"

There were whispered murmurs, each with their own speculation.

"Look quick—"

Kobayakawa Ryodan suddenly covered his mouth, as if he saw an unbelievable sight, his golden eyes filled with amazement.

Thwack!

The black stick plunged at least halfway into the milky white mound of dough!

Witnessing this scene, Qiushan Hong and Tiqie Xianzuowen unconsciously exchanged glances, saying, "Using a stick to knead the dough!"

Exactly!

As others watched with doubt, Xia Yu, gripping the black rolling pin, circled around the "volcanic lake" atop the mound, and with each swirl, the crisp water mixed gradually with the flour.

Xia Yu’s lips barely moved as he muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear:

"Dough isn’t made by brute force..."

"The rotation of the fingers!"

"The rotation of the wrist!"

"The rotation of the arm!"

As Xia Yu murmured to himself, the black rolling pin spun faster and faster, until only a blur of black remained!

Whoosh, whoosh.

It was like a whirlwind had started up in the kitchen.

There was a sudden change in the air currents, and including the Governor of Tokyo, Yuchuan Yuriko, which chef didn’t have sharp senses, they all immediately sensed this anomaly.

"What’s he doing?!"

The scene, defying common knowledge, made Ichise Hui, Kobayakawa Ryodan, and Tiqie Helinai exclaim in disbelief, their eyes wide.

Dojima Yin, Qiushan Hong, and the Far Moon Commander, the heavyweights, all shared the same look of shock that lingered for a long time.

This...