Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 331 - 330: Double Layered Seal

Chapter 331: Chapter 330: Double Layered Seal

Platinum Apple!

Hearing this, the people from Polar Star Dormitory looked at each other in bewilderment.

"So it’s that kind of Fantasy Ingredient! From the plant kingdom!"

Takai Masashi was astonished.

He hadn’t recognized it earlier, as Hase Ichiro had used spices to mask the taste of the ’Platinum Apple’, allowing this fantasy ingredient to completely meld into the hot red wine. The taste buds only detected a unique fruit flavor.

"No wonder..."

Elizabeth, however, shook her head, coming to her senses completely.

"The Platinum Fruit Tree is a type of Rosaceae deciduous tallwood that blooms white flowers in late spring—just the perfect time for the season!" Elizabeth exclaimed with emotion, "No wonder when I drank the hot red wine, I saw blooming white roses! Now it’s early June, which still catches the tail end of late spring!"

"Yes, never underestimate the choice of ingredients!"

Mars nodded and said, "There’s a saying in French cuisine, ’Eat what the season brings.’ The ’Platinum Apple’ not only matches the season but is also a type of plant that is very suitable for wine-making!"

"Many Western chefs like to juice the ’Platinum Apple’ and mix it with alcohol to make cocktails, giving them the new name ’Platinum Cocktail’. A single cup can often fetch the exorbitant price of 100,000 US dollars..."

"In my opinion, the hot red wine that Mr. Hase made is a perfect example of utilizing the ’Platinum Apple’!"

A paradigm!

A textbook-level masterpiece!

Mars passed his judgment on Hase Ichiro.

"And!" Mars’s voice filled with excitement, "A cup of hot red wine, paired with Japanese Tempura, is just perfect!"

"A palate-cleanser..."

"Accompanied by a cup of slightly sour, slightly sweet fruit wine!"

"That poetic pastoral life, indeed makes one yearn for it!" Mars sighed deeply.

As a Westerner, he initially didn’t understand East Asian culture.

But cuisine is a medium through which a chef communicates with their diners. A true master is meticulous when cooking, without saying a word they let their voice, the message they want to convey, resonate within the food, leaving it to the taster to enjoy.

Alcohol is indispensable in hermit culture.

The hermit would wash the apples they picked, the wild vegetables and young sprouts, and the fruits and vegetables they grew in front of and behind their house, in the clear mountain streams before cooking them in hot oil.

With a gulp of alcohol and hot food, the whole body fills with warmth.

Besides "warmth," the elegant and carefree atmosphere woven into the cuisine captivates one’s heart.

"Hermit culture..." Mars understood.

"So this is Mr. Hase’s ’chef’s intent’."

Tanaka Hikari and Morioka Makoto are conversing in low voices.

Makoto and Eriina had also tasted Hase Ichiro’s Tempura just now.

"It’s somewhat similar to my chef’s intent," Tanaka Hikari whispered, her large eyes sparkling, "Instructor Xia said, my chef’s intent, is what’s called ’the imprint of the pasture’. Mr. Hase’s is ’the imprint of the hermit’."

"It’s different, though."

Makoto chuckled, "Your chef’s intent emphasizes warmth and memories, while Mr. Hase’s intent is an escapism that feels light and carefree. In the cuisine, I felt as if I saw green mountains and clear waters. Apart from seclusion, there’s also a sense of appreciating the majestic scenery of the great outdoors..."

Her voice was soft, but the kitchen was quiet and everyone heard her clearly.

Hase Ichiro was momentarily taken aback before casting a kindly look at Morioka Makoto, his eyes unmistakably filled with fondness.

Indeed, this is what it means to have a kindred spirit.

Just like in that historical anecdote, where Boya played the zither for Ziqi, and Ziqi could hear from the music the very landscapes Boya had in mind.

Now, Morioka Makoto had tasted the true meaning behind Hase Ichiro’s cuisine.

An old horse in the stable!

Xia Yu, not far away, glanced up.

"I thought as much; that old man Hase, how could he casually initiate a culinary showdown? It turns out this fellow just couldn’t stand losing..." He chuckled inwardly. Although a hermit by nature, who’s to say a hermit lacks a competitive spirit? In the culinary world, one can perhaps be unmoved by ’profit’, but a single ’reputation’ can be enough to lure one like a moth to flame.

Everyone treated Hase Ichiro with a newfound respect.

The key isn’t the ’Platinum Apple’, but the imprint within the cuisine, which is the essential thing that distinguishes Special Grade Cuisine.

Intent! Imprint!

And vaguely, the crowds tasted more than one ’imprint’.

The construction from fruits and vegetables creates a fresh impression.

As for the alcohol, after swallowing it, the body becomes hot, and the lingering taste lasts for a long time. The chef uses these ingredients to adorn their aspirations, gifting the diner a profound sense of aging like fine wine. Even Morioka Makoto isn’t sure how to categorize that kind of imprint.

"Two kinds of ’culinary heart’! Impressive!"

Takai Masashi’s gaze toward Hasegawa completely changed.

"You, you..."

His words got stuck in his throat, eventually turning into a sigh, "Indeed, such profound accumulation!"

"The Hermit Heart, The Dusk Heart!" Mars spoke offhandedly, picking terms he was accustomed to. The marks of a chef were myriad and peculiar. Even the IGO and the ’Gourmet Council’ couldn’t possibly tally them all.

What was the concept of two kinds of ’culinary heart’?

The group from Polar Star Dormitory didn’t quite understand the pyramid hierarchy of the Special Grades, but Ichise Hui, Kobayakawa Ryodan, and Tiqie Helinai remembered.

"A Special Grade One-star Chef possesses a single ’culinary heart,’ one ultimate flavor."

"Two Stars, a single ’culinary heart,’ two ultimate flavors."

"Three Stars, at least two ’culinary hearts,’ three or more ultimate flavors!"

Ichise Hui explained in detail.

Xingping Chuangzhen propped his chin, pondering, "Does this mean that ultimate flavors are easier to obtain, while ’culinary hearts’ are harder to comprehend?"

"Nonsense!"

Yoshino Yuuki rolled her eyes and said, "Top chefs above three stars are only required to have two ’culinary hearts’!"

"Doesn’t that mean that the very next day after Mr. Hase was promoted to Special Grade, he had already met one of the criteria for ’Special Level Three Stars’?"

Everyone looked at the veteran chef with admiration, suddenly thinking that he was extremely impressive.

"Special Grade Two Stars!"

Mars seemed to be commenting on Hase Ichiro’s skill level as well as his cuisine grade.

In any case, Hase Ichiro’s true ability was far stronger than what the outside public had discussed.

He was not just another bottom-level figure in the Special Grade pyramid.

He was securely in the upper-mid-tier.

The kitchen returned to a quiet atmosphere. For at least seven or eight minutes, no one spoke.

Silently appreciating the gastronomic landscape woven by Hase Ichiro, including Sen Tian Makoto and Tiqie Helinai, everyone seemed to have an inkling of understanding. Tasting was also a form of learning, especially since, at the moment, Hase’s cuisine was more heartfelt than the dishes presented at the Special Grade examination.

It seemed that the "beauty" of food was not solely about exquisite appearance.

Like with humans, it had to have an inner beauty.

A mere pretty face was not enough.

After digesting the experience, everyone came back to their senses. The young members of Polar Star Dormitory, along with Mars and Elizabeth, subconsciously looked toward Xia Yu’s side.

Doubt was written in everyone’s eyes.

Even Sen Tian Makoto and Tiqie Helinai began to speak, worry clearly written on their faces.

The mood was heavy!

Once that atmosphere dissipated, a heavy emotion began to grow.

Even the quirky Yoshino Yuji and the lively third-year senior Kobayakawa Ryodan tightened their faces.

"Mr. Hase is not just any new Special Grade chef!" Tanaka Hikari stood in the corner, pulling out her amulet from her pocket and clutching it tightly in her palm, inwardly cheering herself on, "Instructor Xia will surely win!"

Win?

They exchanged bitter smiles. Even Ichise Hui felt it was not looking good.

"Hey, hey!" Xingping Chuangzhen pointed at Xia Yu, "Before losing to me, you can’t lose to anyone else!"

"Lose your sister!"

At that moment, Xia Yu looked up and clapped his hands.

"Well then, the sauce is ready. You all should taste my cuisine first!"

As Xia Yu spoke, he glanced at Takai Masashi and asked, "Mr. Takai, your dish will be the grand finale, is that okay?"

Takai’s gaze snapped back.

"Alright!"

A subtle look of joy flitted across his eyes.

Exactly what he’d hoped for!

Hasegawa’s dual emblem cuisine had given him quite the psychological pressure.

The two were engaged in a private culinary battle with Xia Yu, but they were also competing against each other.

"The double emblem of cuisine is about building an impregnable fortress in the diner’s mouth and soul!" Takai Masashi thought to himself, breathing a sigh of relief, "Serving now would be a death wish!"