Unable to bear Hoshino Sora's polite remarks, Kojiro Shinomiya abruptly changed the subject, pushed up his glasses, pulled out a chair beside him, and invited Hoshino Sora to taste Tadokoro Megumi's dish together.
"Then I shall not refuse."
Naturally, Hoshino Sora readily agreed to this; after all, that was part of his original purpose in coming.
Afterward, the three chatted for a while. Hoshino Sora consulted Kojiro Shinomiya on a lot of French cuisine-related knowledge, and he, in turn, did his best to share everything he knew.
At the same time, he also asked Hoshino Sora about Chinese cuisine.
This was Hoshino Sora, who had earned a spot in the Elite Ten in his first year. If it were anyone else, Kojiro Shinomiya certainly wouldn't have the leisure to converse with him, much less humble himself to ask questions.
After a period of exchange, both gained a lot, and Tadokoro Megumi also listened with great interest.
"That's about enough, I'll go turn off the heat."
Soon, the dish on the stove was ready. Tadokoro Megumi excused herself, got up, walked to the pot, and turned off the heat. The steaming French waterless vegetables were successfully served.
"Please enjoy, Chef Shinomiya, Hoshino-kun."
Placing the dish on their table, Tadokoro Megumi's voice was gentle. The moment the lid was lifted, a rich aroma instantly diffused around them.
"French waterless vegetables, meaning the entire dish is cooked without a single drop of water, using the vegetables' own juices to create the broth. This maximizes the retention of the vegetables' freshness."
Picking up a spoon and scooping a portion of the dish in front of him, Kojiro Shinomiya began to explain as he spoke, then brought the dish to his mouth.
"Thump, thump."
His eyes instantly widened a few points. One bite was like entering a bountiful field! Countless vegetable sprites sang and surrounded him, the hot liquid lingering in his mouth, finally sliding down his throat!
To express vegetables so vividly, this little girl has truly grown a lot during this time!
Noticing the unpeeled potatoes, Kojiro Shinomiya's eyes subtly shifted. Although this was a minor detail, it still revealed the chef's skill level.
Unpeeled potatoes absorb less water, maximizing the moisture retention of the vegetables in French waterless vegetables. Only a chef who pays attention to every detail can truly master a dish.
"You passed the assessment, Tadokoro Megumi. These vegetables taste excellent and are of high quality. Your discerning eye is commendable!"
When he came to his senses, the dish in his bowl had already been completely consumed. The brilliance of this dish was not only in its preparation but also in the selection of vegetables.
Kojiro Shinomiya absolutely did not believe that no effort was put into selecting such high-quality vegetables. On the contrary, selecting vegetables of such quality must have required a great deal of effort.
And for an excellent chef, selecting ingredients is undoubtedly the most fundamental compulsory course!
"I will continue to work hard, Shinomiya-senpai!"
Seeing Hoshino Sora finish the dish she had meticulously prepared, Tadokoro Megumi's face was full of smiles, and upon hearing Kojiro Shinomiya's praise, she replied with great focus.
"It's getting late. We'll go have lunch now, Shinomiya-senpai."
The assessment ended, and it was time for lunch. The two bid farewell to Kojiro Shinomiya. Leaving the assessment room, they soon arrived at a famous nearby restaurant, where they unexpectedly met Alice Nakiri and Erina Nakiri.
At this moment, the two sisters sat together, and the atmosphere seemed a bit awkward.
"Sora, over here, over here!"
Upon seeing Hoshino Sora, Alice Nakiri waved her hands, beckoning him over. However, her movements were so exaggerated that they drew the attention of everyone around them.
"You're eating here too? How's the food at this place? Never mind, you haven't ordered yet, so you probably wouldn't know. Let's try it together then."
Bathed in the gazes of those around him, Hoshino Sora walked forward somewhat awkwardly and sat down opposite the two with Tadokoro Megumi.
"Any restaurant that can survive in Hokkaido isn't bad, and this place is where Saito-senpai trained before going to Far Moon, so the quality is naturally beyond question."
"Saito-senpai? The Saito-senpai who specializes in sushi?"
Hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Hoshino Sora quickly thought of Saito Somei, then tentatively asked.
He hadn't paid much attention when they arrived, but looking closely, this restaurant indeed seemed to sell sushi, and there were many customers, even though the menu was about 1.5 times more expensive than a typical sushi restaurant.
"That's right, it's that Saito-senpai. And today's head chef at this restaurant is the master who taught Saito-senpai how to make sushi, Mr. Fujishima.
Moreover, the sushi menu at this restaurant changes every quarter, with different flavors each season. They always use the best seasonal ingredients for cooking, maximizing quality and taste!"
"It's rare to hear Erina praise a restaurant so much. It seems this place's food is truly good."
Looking at Erina Nakiri's earnest and eloquent demeanor, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but smile. Ever since the Azami Nakiri incident was resolved, he noticed that she had become noticeably more lively.
"You'll know once you've eaten it anyway."
Seeing Hoshino Sora's half-smile, Erina Nakiri lowered her head, her face slightly flushed. She genuinely liked this restaurant; every time she came to Hokkaido, she would visit it for a business tasting.
Every visit, this restaurant gave her a different experience.
The top-tier sushi in the country, that's probably what this place is!
"Four Grand Slam sets, by that old man, please. Thank you."
Looking at the menu, Hoshino Sora didn't hesitate to choose the most expensive one. Besides, it said "Grand Slam" on it, so it should mean all the sushi in the restaurant served in sequence.
Also, this restaurant allowed choosing the sushi chef, and the old man Erina praised was among them. His price was double that of the other sushi chefs below, and he was currently available.
"Alright, Chef Fujishima, table four, four Grand Slams."
Flipping a towel over his shoulder, the waiter shouted to a robust old man who was resting nearby, then went to attend to other customers.
"Coming. We meet again, young lady of the Nakitiri Family."
The old man slowly got up. He had initially thought this was just an ordinary order and was about to go through the motions, but then he saw Erina Nakiri sitting at table four. He immediately shed his carefree attitude.
After all, the woman before him possessed the God Tongue. If he were to perform below standard in front of her, it would be a slap in the face for this restaurant.
As the most renowned veteran chef of this establishment, Fujishima Nakayama naturally did not want to see such a thing happen, so he had to go all out, putting in one hundred and twenty percent effort!
"It's been a long time. My visit today is rather presumptuous, please forgive me."
"Guests are guests, there's nothing presumptuous about it. Please wait here for a moment; I've already sent my assistant to get the tools."
Standing at the counter serving customers, his gaze swept over Hoshino Sora and the others. One man and three women, they seemed very close. This young man was also a passionate person, with the demeanor of his younger self!
After observing for a while, Fujishima Nakayama understood their relationships. After all, he was an old hand, and he hadn't been bad-looking in his youth, surrounded by many women.
"Looking at your relationships, they must not be simple."
Taking the equipment handed by his assistant, Fujishima Nakayama casually spoke while arranging his tools. He was genuinely curious about the relationships among these individuals.
He had also recognized the one next to Erina Nakiri after careful observation: Alice Nakiri, a descendant of Azami Nakiri's legitimate heir, and a cousin to this God Tongue.
However, recognizing it was one thing; getting them to admit it themselves was another. He enjoyed seeing men fall into a state of anxious turmoil in a love triangle, because that's how he had experienced it in his youth.
Jealousy and rivalry, those guys were always fighting over him, making him so annoyed that he wished he wasn't popular.
"Girlfriend."
"Fiancée."
"Girlfriend."
Three distinct but identically meaning answers. Hearing the replies, Fujishima Nakayama's face showed a schadenfreude expression. So, how will Your Excellency respond next?
"First dish, seaweed mixed with minced tuna. Enjoy your meal."
Placing four portions of simply prepared minced tuna at the pick-up counter, Fujishima Nakayama, though he enjoyed watching drama, didn't intend to simply let things unfold. So, he used a dish as a conciliator for the group.
This way, even if a love triangle erupted later, the atmosphere wouldn't be as stiff, and delicious food was also an essential element for a love triangle to unfold.
For example, someone might say, "Try this one of mine," in a mouth-to-mouth fashion.
Then, someone who couldn't stand it would retaliate in another way.
With such back-and-forth, a love triangle would naturally form.
However, he miscalculated. The three girls, hearing the different but identically meaning answers from each other, merely smiled, then focused their attention on the dish in front of them.
This behavior utterly bewildered the old man. How was this different from what he had imagined? Where was the argument? Where was the love triangle? None of it happened!
Could it be that relationships in this era were different from theirs? Girls wouldn't fight over a man anymore, but instead coexisted harmoniously!?
Strange, how did this guy manage that?!
A master of romance!
"This is so delicious! Below is scallop soy sauce, mixed with minced ginger and green onions. The texture is sticky yet incredibly fresh and sweet, perfectly highlighting the original flavor of the ingredients."
"Such a thick texture, they must have added yam to it."
A familiar sensation on his tongue, Hoshino Sora showed an expression of sudden understanding. No wonder the refreshingly light minced tuna could have a sticky texture while maintaining its freshness and sweetness—it was because of the yam added as a binding agent!
"That's right, a little yam was added to this."
Hearing Tadokoro Megumi and Hoshino Sora's voices, Fujishima Nakayama nodded, then brought out the second dish, a very distinctly Japanese-style jelly shirako!
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