Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 446 - 445: Whim

Chapter 446: Chapter 445: Whim

"This is my bento!"

A faint smile of confidence graced Ailisha’s face.

She placed five trays, one by one, in front of the five judges.

"This..."

The expression of each judge subtly changed.

"What’s happening!"

As the camera revealed the bento, once the steam had dissipated, the audience gasped in disbelief, their eyes widening.

"Why has this happened!"

Dojima Yin’s voice deepened, "Miss Ailisha, what is this dish you’ve brought up? Your bento has lost the flashy aspect of molecular gastronomy—it’s too ordinary, lacking any visual shock! I remember you’ve said more than once, ’Cooking is an art, the deeper you delve, the more it shines beautifully’..."

"And now, your dish is like a jewel whose shine has dimmed!"

Dojima Yin looked heartbroken.

In fact, in his heart, Liang Yashan and Tiqie Ailisha had always been the strongest contenders for the elite ten.

Now that one contender was about to fall, how could he not be distressed?

"Ailisha’s bento is unexpectedly ordinary!" Eriina muttered, biting her thumb.

"Even though she used many precise molecular instruments..."

The audience was also puzzled.

But Ailisha kept her smile, softly speaking, "Not at all."

"President Dojima, and all the judges, I too have only recently realized that a bento, as a type of cuisine, doesn’t need to excel in appearance; instead, joy and freshness are the essence of bento culture. And now, my bento has evolved!"

"Oh?"

Apart from Xia Yu, the four judges were all visibly moved.

After a pause, Dojima Yin gave a thumbs up, "Then I must properly taste your bento!"

The audience and judges turned their attention back to the lunch box.

Twelve compartments, each containing sushi, resembled a delicate jewelry box. Yet, the sushi inside, devoid of any luster, was a disappointment.

"Temari sushi..."

The judges began to eat, with Xia Yu tasting it last. Ailisha quietly winked at him, her smile turning playful for a moment.

As expected, a chorus of praise ensued.

Including Chef Indira from Lin Chef, who couldn’t help but exclaim, "The first sushi was so rich. A molecular mousse layer, a frothy kelp broth, its flavor so refined, instantly permeating the mouth upon contact with the tongue! The condiments are made into a ’kelp pickle’ style, appropriately removing moisture, allowing longer preservation of the bento... Such small processing details, but they reveal the delicate, tender heart of a chef!"

The atmosphere had shifted.

Shinohara Shigetaro’s cheeks puffed as he grabbed the second sushi and stuffed it into his mouth.

"A treasure trove... a real treasure trove!" he exclaimed, tugging at his tie, sweat dripping from his forehead, seemingly very excited, "Why can sushi contain such a beautiful world? Now I see, the subdued glamour of sushi, paired with profound molecular techniques, truly soul-stirring..."

One by one, they tasted.

By the time the twelfth piece of sushi was eaten and the lunch box was empty, the eyes of the judges seemed to turn into crystals, reflecting a bizarre world of ingredients.

"The General’s jacket has burst open!"

Suddenly, a shout arose.

The audience was in turmoil,

"How does it feel like all the judges have been coated with a layer of colorful luster! Have they turned into a fantastical art themselves after eating the sushi?!"

Tiqie Xianzuowen had already removed his kimono top, revealing his sturdy upper body.

"If I could give a score, it would be full marks!" Indira stated.

"Full marks!"

Dojima Yin, Shinohara Shigetaro also responded.

Boom.

Was this the strength of Tiqie Ailisha?

The students were stunned; many off-campus adult viewers silently nodded, "After all, she has the blood of the Tiqie family."

"Senior Sister Morioka, can she really defeat her?"

A group of Far Moon junior high students who came to support Makki were shaken.

"The Jade Generation... the quarter-finals are already so intense; the upcoming finals could showcase works close to a special grade, right?"

Discussions filled the venue.

At this moment, probably the calmest person was Xia Yu.

Tiqie Ailisha let people discuss her as those eyes that could speak glanced at the youth judge sitting at the end.

He was the only one who had not voiced his critique yet.

The crowd gradually quieted down, their attention turned toward him.

"Do you have a piano?"

Xia Yu suddenly asked, like tossing a stone into a calm deep pool, immediately stirring ripples.

"Ah, a piano?"

The female host, Kawashima Reika, stuttered.

Dojima Yin was slightly taken aback, then quickly flashed a peculiar smile and gestured to the staff below.

A few minutes later, there was a piano placed between Makki and Ailisha’s stage in the center of the stage. One had to praise the work efficiency of the Far Moon staff.

The audience looked at each other.

Why would he need a piano? What does a piano, or music in general, have to do with critiquing food?

The Polar Star Dormitory buddies stared at each other, wide-eyed.

"Hey, does Instructor Xia know how to play the piano?" Yoshino Yuuki exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Who knows..."

"Hey, hey, the focus seems a bit off, doesn’t it? Don’t get hung up on whether Instructor Xia can play the piano or not; the key point is, playing the piano seems to have nothing to do with critiquing food..." Xingping Chuangzhen muttered.

Reiko Shen’s smiling face couldn’t hold up either, rigidly saying, "Maybe, Instructor Xia has his unique method of critique, let’s just watch quietly."

Due to his food battle against Yuchuan Ayaka, Xia Yu had angrily made a well-known face in the Neon Food World, so there was no one present who did not recognize him.

There were doubts and scoffs.

In short, a multitude of voices buzzed, turning the entire venue into a beehive.

"This kid!"

Dojima Yin slightly regretted it and laughed self-deprecatingly, "I shouldn’t have brought him a piano... After all, this is the ’Autumn Selection,’ the hottest session. Such unconventional critiquing might cause a lot of controversy, and if it forms a public opinion it might affect our Far Moon image!"

Thinking of media like the ’Food Review Conference,’ he just shook his head.

Far Moon had a big family and business, and too many mad dogs were chasing after them.

He looked toward the Far Moon Commander in the center, only to find Tiqie Xianzuowen had silently pulled up his sleeves, sitting cross-armed, looking at the youth approaching the piano with extremely interested eyes.

"Interesting..." the Far Moon Commander whispered, and the three judges beside him heard it.

"Ding!"

While sitting down, he casually pressed a piano key, listening to the pleasant sound it made, Xia Yu coughed seriously.

What, cannot play the piano?

It didn’t matter, with the system he could master it quickly.

Just about a minute or two ago, Xia Yu had generously spent his Fame Points and directly upgraded the ’piano playing’ skill to advanced level, costing him about as much as his previous martial training. The more skills, the better.

He felt that using mere words, it was difficult to convey his true thoughts to the audience.

If that was the case, then he would convey it in another form.

Music was very good, wasn’t it?

"Instructor Xia—"

Kawashima Reika helped position a boom microphone near the piano, and just as she stood firm, the stumbling piano sounds started, freezing her smile on her face, her heart roaring with countless alpacas.

This didn’t seem right!

The audience was stunned for a moment and then burst into laughter.

Yoshino Yuuki held her stomach, laughing so hard tears came out, "Is Instructor Xia really critiquing, or is he sabotaging the show? It must be sabotage, he’s so bad..."

"Prank? Surely not, not in front of such a large crowd..." Tanaka Hikari exaggeratedly widened her eyes.

Beside the jury’s seat, Tiqie Ailisha, listening to the echoing laughter, lost her smile, her lips pursed into a pout, looking rather distressed.

The piano sound was very chaotic, out of tune.

However, after one minute, as Xia Yu casually finished a practice piece, the laughter gradually died down.

Everyone could hear, in just that brief minute, how the piano sound went from child-like doodling and rather ear-piercing, to that of an expert or master, casually played yet surprisingly pleasant and melodious...

He took a deep breath.

"Practice finished, not bad, got used to it quickly!"

"The feeling is still there!"

Xia Yu recalled the shock Ailisha’s dish had brought him, slightly solemn, placed his hands on the piano keys.

Next would be the piece he actually wanted to play!