Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 460 - 459: The Deduction of Tentacles

Chapter 460: Chapter 459: The Deduction of Tentacles

Xia Yu looked up, only to unexpectedly lock eyes with a pair of bloodshot eyes.

Thump! Thump!

Taking two steps forward, Sekiya Takashi resembled a raging beast, fixating his glare on Xia Yu.

"You, now prove it to me!"

He growled lowly.

Having his dream menu challenged, its flaws pointed out in rapid succession, even a giant with good composure could snap and transform into a wild beast in an instant. Sekiya Takashi was truly infuriated.

It could be said that a ’life menu’ was the business card of these high-level chefs.

How skilled a high-level chef was could be deduced from their ’life menu’—such as how many hunting-grade Fantasy Ingredients were used for the appetizers or how many of the eight slots on the ’life menu’ boasted recipes hung upon them.

Even some Dragon Chefs’ ’life menus’ were still works in progress, incomplete.

"Prove it, huh? No problem!"

Meeting Sekiya Takashi’s gaze, Xia Yu uttered an internal groan. He decided to hold back a little and not provoke the giant any further.

If he admitted that he could already cook ’Molten Lava Seafood Soup,’ Sekiya Takashi would probably go mad.

So.

Sekiya Takashi moved into the glass kitchen and donned a chef’s hat.

The staff rolled in a second cart, carrying an untrimmed Four-finned Bannerfish to the counter.

"Let’s begin!"

He ordered.

"Cough!"

"The first step, cutting off the fins, the marinating process follows the original recipe." Xia Yu immediately entered a state of instruction.

Sekiya Takashi sliced off the four bloodied fins, tossing them into a basin of cold water to soak and clean. Then he took them out, chopped off the bony tips of the fins, leaving the juicy meaty parts, peeled off the skin, sprinkled salt, and dashed a little pepper powder.

Now, it was time to process the second main ingredient—

’Mitateru Kelp’!

"First, get some rice rinse water!" Xia Yu commanded.

Sekiya Takashi complied.

"Do not cut the kelp strips yet, place them into a steaming basket, steam for 30 minutes over water!"

"Take out the kelp and soak it in the rice rinse water for 30 minutes; after it expands, steam it again for another 15 minutes, and then it’s ready to be put into the pot to start the thick soup!"

During the kelp-steaming process, Xia Yu, with a clear train of thought, issued instruction after instruction.

"Fry the fish fins; apply a thin layer of olive oil in a flat pan, and be careful not to use too much oil—a thin layer will do... almost there, it’s been frying for 4 minutes, the fish meat is starting to brown, seventy percent done, good! Turn off the heat!"

Next was the handling of shrimp and shellfish, which Sekiya Takashi executed perfectly, beyond reproach.

However, Xia Yu’s guided and modified version added a new seafood ingredient—

Squid.

While melting butter in a flat pan and stir-frying onions and garlic, Xia Yu delayed the heat adjustment by three seconds and reduced the white wine added by one-third.

The tense moment of stewing that had everyone holding their breath quickly arrived.

Fish fins, kelp, and other seafood ingredients were tossed into the cooking pot. Yet Xia Yu’s voice of instruction still sounded so calm and unhurried as he said, "Now you can add the tomato paste, pour in the whole can, 4 cups of water, 2 spoons of cream, bring it to a boil on high heat, then switch to low heat, and slow-cook for 20 minutes!"

"Alright, about right, lift the lid, proceed with the final seasoning!"

Xia Yu paused briefly and shrugged, saying, "As for the amount of salt and black pepper, since I’m not in the kitchen, Mr. Sekiya, you taste it and finish it based on your experience."

With that,

Xia Yu, his mouth parched and tongue dry, was about to turn around and grab a bottle of mineral water when, unexpectedly, the fragrant breeze blew, and a paper cup was handed to him.

Without the chance to see who it was clearly, Xia Yu drained the paper cup in one gulp, casually wiping the moisture from his lips with the back of his hand, and looked up to meet the gleeful eyes of Yuchuan Meisha.

"Nice!" And with that, Xia Yu gave a thumbs-up, feeling content.

"Would you like more?"

Yuchuan Ayaka also extended a cup of water somewhat stiffly.

Xia Yu accepted it and drank it down once more.

Kasuga Shigeru, Kikuchi Musashi, and the rest of the giants watched silently.

"Mr. Sekiya!"

Keiru Kuushou suddenly called out.

The giants turned their heads, only then noticing Sekiya Takashi standing foolishly in the glass kitchen, a small, pristine white bowl in his hand, filled with richly colored seafood soup, steaming hot.

"Mr. Sekiya!"

Seeing Sekiya Takashi not responding, Keiru Kuushou issued a stern reminder again, "Please finish preparing the dish! Don’t delay on purpose!"

His face turned green, then red.

Sekiya Takashi exhaled, his hands trembling as he sprinkled a little salt and black pepper powder into the pot where the thick fog was rising.

Witnessing this scene,

"What’s going on?"

"It seems, something’s not quite right!"

The villainous magnates exclaimed in shock.

Kikuchi Musashi, his face dark with anger, "Could it be, Sekiya Takashi’s ideal recipe has really been improved upon?"

"Let’s wait and see, let’s wait and see!"

Kasuga Shigeru’s voice too lost its previous calm.

After a while, everyone gathered around the dining table.

On this large dining table, two clean white ceramic plates holding tofu and two pots for boiling soup had been placed.

Clean bowls and utensils were arranged in a circle around the table.

Sekiya Takashi stood a few steps away, his fists clenching and unclenching intermittently.

Seeing this, Xia Yu took the initiative to pick up the soup ladle and serve the steaming hot seafood soup to each of the tasters, that is, the judges.

"The soup, it seems redder!"

Tiqie Eriina stared into the swaying soup in her bowl, slightly lost in thought.

"Is there something different?"

"But just by looking at the color of the soup and the handling of the ingredients, this pot of seafood soup has already shed the label of failure!"

Dojima Yin and Tiqie Zongwei were discussing.

"Let’s taste it!"

Tiqie Xianzuowen was the first to scoop up a spoonful of the thick soup, blow on it to cool, and then bring it to his mouth.

Hmm?!

His authoritative eyes suddenly widened, whoosh.

The Far Moon General’s "bursting jacket" came so suddenly, so swiftly, that it stunned a group of staff outside the perimeter.

Keiru Kuushou was taken aback.

"Hot!"

Dojima Yin drank a spoonful of the soup, and his handsome face became tinged with a rosy hue.

This Western-style thick soup had not only a strong ocean flavor but also cream, onions, tomato sauce, and white wine, which were simply the underlying melody of the soup – no, it should be said they were a blended performance.

"The fin, seared to seventy percent done, seems to add an unbelievable aroma to the thick soup, wait, kelp? Where’s the kelp?" Dojima Yin scooped up a strand of kelp, cut into thin threads, and chewed thoughtfully, his eyes revealing shock, "It’s completely different! The previous ’Mitosui kelp’ was overcooked, soft, and lacked the refreshing and delicious texture it has now..."

Crack!

His teeth bit down, and the strand of kelp snapped crisply in his mouth, both fresh and crunchy.

His eyes slowly became hazy.

Amid the seductive siren song, Dojima Yin felt as if he had been transported to a fantastical ocean. He was the captain at the helm, now enchanted by the siren’s song, involuntarily steering towards the rocks from whence it came.

In the night, he saw her, a sea demon with a slender body, playing a seven-stringed instrument on the rocks, exposed.

Suddenly, there was a commotion on the deck.

"Look—"

"The ocean is shaking!"

The cries sounded familiar. Dojima Yin looked and saw the Far Moon magnates dressed in sailor uniforms, each of them running to the ship’s railings, staring out at the ocean, rippling in the night, their faces showing fear.

With screams, the seductive sea demon dived into the water to escape.

Slap!

A long, thick, slime-dripping tentacle suddenly burst from the depths of the sea. Several magnates hadn’t reacted before they were grabbed by the tentacle and carried off into the sea. To Dojima Yin’s astonishment, these tentacles were entwined with many shiny strips of kelp, seemingly brought up from the deep by the monster.

The sea demons floated nearby on the water’s surface, trembling and pleading.

"Da Gun, king of the deep sea, you are so powerful, you are so majestic, the shadowy abyss cannot contain your grand stature..." The sea demon praised the giant creature surfacing slowly with a clear, melodious voice.

Back to reality.

The Far Moon Commander, Tiqie Xianzuowen, stared at a small piece of cuttlefish meat on his spoon, which came with some tentacles.

"Another type of seafood has been added, the soup, it’s even more aggressive now!"

Amazement filled his eyes.