Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 330 - 329: Hase Ichiro’s ’Hidden

Chapter 330: Chapter 329: Hase Ichiro’s ’Hidden

Ah.

A group of people looked disappointed, and Xia Yu didn’t say much more. He just used his left hand to move a few small plates, neatly arranging them on the countertop, and went about mixing the sauce with great interest, as calm as a breeze in clear sky, showing no signs of the tension typical of a cooking competition.

"Then try mine first!"

Hase Ichiro went back to his cooking station, standing behind the deep-fryer.

The ingredients he prepared were mainly vegetables and fruits. Since Tempura is not a heavy dish to begin with, it prioritizes the ingredients themselves, preserving their natural flavors. The dipping sauces were simple: one dish contained delicate sea salt, another held finely grated radish, and of course, there was lemon juice, typically paired with slightly oilier food like eel. Hase Ichiro laid out these dips, their purpose ambiguous.

The crowd turned to surround his station.

At Xia Yu’s side, only Sen Tian Makoto and Tiqie Helinai remained.

"What are you all having?"

Hasegawa asked with a smile, addressing Yoshino Yuuki and Kobayakawa Ryodan, who were squeezed at the forefront.

In front of him were two pots of oil, and of note, Hasegawa placed a small basin filled with white batter within easy reach. This batter is crucial for Tempura.

"I’ll have this, this... uh, there’s no meat?" Yoshino Yuuki seemed hungry, clutching her stomach with a troubled expression.

Kobayakawa Ryodan, with sharp eyes, spotted a sac-like item among the ingredients and immediately pointed to it, saying, "I’ll have two cod milt Tempuras first!"

"Ah, there’s cod milt?"

Yoshino Yuuki’s face lit up with surprise.

Cod milt, also known as fish sperm sac, is a common colloquial term for it.

In Japanese cuisine, cod milt is a high-end ingredient, exemplified in dishes such as grilled cod milt, cod milt sushi, and cod milt Tempura, among many others. Primarily from pufferfish and cod, don’t think of it as disgusting. In fact, it’s incredibly tender, supremely smooth, although the slight fishy taste is inevitable, as it’s the inherent flavor of the ingredient.

"I also want cod milt Tempura!"

"I want it too..."

Xingping Chuangzhen pushed forward determinedly, indifferent to the angry looks from others.

Marui Shanji, initially towards the front of the queue, found himself squeezed out to the perimeter due to his archetypal otaku physique; he could only look up to the sky and cry out in frustration, "Have some decency, would you..."

But no one paid him any attention.

Mars and Elizabeth were also among the frenetic crowd.

Hase Ichiro remained calm and composed, picking up the milt with shiny stainless steel chopsticks, brushing just the right amount of white batter onto it, before immersing the prepared milt into the boiling oil.

Those who were attentive silently counted the time—around 23 seconds. When Hase Ichiro lifted the milt with his chopsticks, it was enveloped in a light golden crust, and the rich umami smell intoxicated the cluster of diners at the counter.

The efficiency was surprisingly high, yet it seemed unhurried and without a trace of being rushed.

This was the experience of Hase Ichiro as a front-line head chef.

He has hosted guests at the Hasegawa Workshop, and the scale of operations there was far more daunting than now.

On the plate, there was white lining paper, with several pieces of freshly fried cod milt Tempura steaming hot.

Yet, not a spot of oil stained the paper.

From this detail alone, one could tell the culinary skill of Hase Ichiro.

A skilled Japanese chef, when making Tempura, strives to completely drain off the oil. Ordinary restaurant Tempura would surely leave countless oil stains on the lining paper, but in a premium chef’s private kitchen, that would never happen; otherwise, it would be tantamount to failure.

"No wonder there was lemon juice!"

Kobayakawa Ryodan swallowed saliva eagerly, impatiently picked up a piece of cod milt Tempura with chopsticks, dipped it in sauce, and took a bite!

Umm!

The thin, crispy batter shattered with a crunch at the press of teeth.

A splendid texture, powdery and crisp, lacking the greasiness associated with deep-fried food.

Then came a wave of umami, as if opening Pandora’s box!

A piece of cod milt Tempura melted in his mouth without need for chewing. The slight acidity of the lemon beautifully highlighted the umami, while any potential fishy taste from the ingredient itself was cleverly masked.

Another bite.

With two bites, Kobayakawa Ryodan finished the cod milt Tempura. His eyes gleamed with a ravenous light, his appetite fully awakened. He reached for a second piece.

"Delicious! This texture... oh my heavens!"

Yoshino Yuuki’s fair neck stretched long, her cheeks bloomed with a strong blush, her left hand tightly covering her steaming face, her eyes filled with intoxicated little stars, "Different textures! The real, top-notch tempura!"

"Yes!"

Xingping Chuangzhen also tasted a shirako tempura and exclaimed, "The ingredients, the batter, the frying time! It seems like every detail is perfect, is this what special-grade tempura is?"

A commotion ensued.

The others then followed to taste Hase Ichiro’s tempura.

Ten minutes later, the basket of ingredients prepared by Hase Ichiro was completely devoured.

The kitchen went from disorderly to quiet.

After a while, Elizabeth opened her eyes, reining in the pleasure in her deep blue pupils, and hesitantly said, "...It seems, I mean, it seems that something is missing!"

"Yes, there is a flaw!"

Takai Masashi put down his chopsticks, staring at Hase Ichiro, "Your cooking, its true face is certainly not like this!"

Mars’s gaze was locked on the red wine that had been quietly simmering earlier.

"The secret is in here—" Mars pointed to the pot of wine.

"Please taste!"

Hase Ichiro laid out more than a dozen ceramic, classical cups on the countertop, the cups were shallow and couldn’t hold much wine, but if it were Western-style wine glasses, there surely wouldn’t have been enough to go around.

The apple slices and lemon slices from before had already been filtered out, and the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks had been removed.

In short, there was only red wine in the cups.

Oh no, the red wine had actually changed color, from an initial dark red to a now crystalline orange-red, just like the brilliant sunset.

If it were in glass cups, the color of the wine would be even prettier.

Kobayakawa Ryodan and Yoshino Yuuki, both big foodies, almost simultaneously grabbed a cup of the hot red wine.

"Glug~"

Taking just a small sip, their faces immediately filled with joy.

"Delicious!"

After swallowing,

the warmth flowed through their mouths, spreading throughout their bodies, Kobayakawa Ryodan and Yoshino Yuuki both clutched their limbs, their cheeks flushed.

"Such a strange flavor! It’s got the astringency of red wine, but there’s sweetness, a faint acidity!" Kobayakawa Ryodan muttered, her golden pupils like a window.

Outside the window was a colorful garden.

A fruit tree was covered with rose-like white delicate flowers, and its branches drooped with full fruits.

It was an apple tree.

However, the apples were not the common color but a snowy white, their skins smooth and delicate, shimmering with a blinding brightness.

She saw a hermit who planted the trees.

The hermit’s cottage was not far off, as he came with a hoe and went with a hoe, day after day, year after year. Eventually, the first mature apple fell, and the hermit picked up the fruit under the tree, showing a smile.

An indescribable emotion brewed in her heart.

"The character ’hidden’?"

Kobayakawa Ryodan murmured.

This ’hidden’ wasn’t Si Yingshi’s kitchen heart being concealed, but more a freehand painting, faint, abstract yet truly existing.

"How peculiar..."

The rest of the people successively tasted the hot red wine, and the kitchen grew even quieter.

"Platinum Apple!"

After a long while, Mars slowly said.