One piece of pan-fried fish could not satisfy the dinner needs of three people.
This was beyond doubt.
So, after briefly dealing with Mejiro Ardan, Tokai Shizen returned to the kitchen.
Listening to the sizzling sounds from the kitchen, Chiyo O just looked at Al Dan.
"Is Tokai-nee that amazing?"
To Chiyo O's question, Mejiro Ardan just nodded: "Hmm, if the head chef of the Mejiro Family has a very high professional standard, then Miss Tokai is probably..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but Chiyo O already understood Mejiro Ardan's meaning.
"I'm home ~"
Along with the sound of the door opening, a very familiar voice to Tokai Shizen came through.
"Chiaki, you're back. Where's Maruzen?"
Hearing the voice from the kitchen, Representative Chiaki didn't rush to respond. She just looked at Chiyo O and the two people sitting with Chiyo O.
Yaeno Muteki and Mejiro Ardan, huh... After confirming their identities, Representative Chiaki responded: "Maruzen was dragged off to do summer training. She probably won't be back today."
"Is that so...?"
Listening to Tokai Shizen's slightly changed tone, Representative Chiaki didn't say much, just looked at Chiyo O: "Are you here for the tasting?"
"Yes, we've already had one serving. The evaluation..."
She looked at Mejiro Ardan, then Chiyo O spoke again: "It's all quite high."
"I see."
Saying this, Representative Chiaki sat in the fourth empty seat, which was opposite Yaeno Muteki: "Then there shouldn't be any need to worry about opening the shop, right?"
Saying these words, Representative Chiaki turned her head to look in the direction of the kitchen.
What happened between Tokai Shizen and Maruzensky.
Representative Chiaki could tell, but... Representative Chiaki didn't intend to ask further.
So, she just shifted her gaze back to Yaeno Muteki: "So, what's wrong with her?"
"Yaeno-san has been like this since she ate Miss Tokai's cooking."
Saying this, Mejiro Ardan shifted her gaze to the kitchen: "Miss Tokai's cooking skills are very high. It would be great if we could recruit her to the Mejiro Family."
"Recruit her to the Mejiro Family?"
"Hmm... Miss Tokai's standard is very high, but she didn't agree."
Saying this, Mejiro Ardan glanced at Representative Chiaki.
As the most meticulous among the three, Chiyo O, Mejiro Ardan could hear the change in Tokai Shizen's tone when she responded to Representative Chiaki's words.
Therefore, Al Dan had a rough guess as to who one of those two important people in Tokai Shizen's words was.
It was precisely because of this that Mejiro Ardan said such words to her.
Hearing this, Representative Chiaki thought for a few seconds: "The Mejiro Family, huh? That place does seem like a pretty good workplace."
Representative Chiaki, looking at Mejiro Ardan, was silent for a few seconds, then spoke again: "But I don't think it's a good idea ~"
"Is that so...?"
Hearing Representative Chiaki say this, Mejiro Ardan didn't say much. She just shifted her gaze back to the kitchen.
Judging from the smell inside, Tokai Shizen's second main dish should also be almost ready.
And just as Al Dan expected, soon after, Tokai Shizen brought another plate of what looked like a block of various roasted meats combined, and placed it in front of them.
"Simple roasted meat."
Saying this, Tokai Shizen placed knives and forks in front of the four people: "Try it."
After hearing Tokai Shizen say this, Mejiro Ardan first used a knife to cut the roasted meat, and then she noticed the inside, which was wrapped by those seemingly individual pieces of roasted meat.
"This is...?"
"Mashed potatoes. This is relatively simple to prepare. For an Uma Musume who has finished training, it should also provide a greater sense of fullness, right?"
Saying this, Tokai Shizen looked at Representative Chiaki.
Evidently, Tokai Shizen was waiting for Representative Chiaki's evaluation. Facing Tokai Shizen's gaze, Representative Chiaki merely cut off a piece with her dining knife, then speared it with her fork.
Unlike Mejiro Ardan, Representative Chiaki didn't exclaim; she simply ate it directly, then looked at Tokai Shizen: "It tastes better than what you usually make."
"It's because of the seasonings. The Maruzen Family doesn't have that many seasonings, but for a Western restaurant, you have to consider these things, so I bought some to flavor it."
"I see…"
Saying this, Representative Chiaki looked at Tokai Shizen: "I actually think it could be added to the menu in the restaurant, since you just said it was easy to prepare, right?"
"Yes, it's relatively simple to prepare. You just need mashed potatoes and some sautéed onions, mushrooms, and crumbled bacon mixed in. As for the sauce, it's not very difficult to make either." Saying this, Tokai Shizen looked at Chiyo O: "Chiyo O, what do you think?"
"I can't really tell good from bad, I just think it's very delicious."
Saying this, Chiyo O shifted her gaze slightly: "Tokai-nee's cooking is amazing."
"If it opens, there should be quite a few people, right?"
Speaking of her vision for the future, Chiyo O looked at Tokai Shizen: "Tokai-nee, when do you plan to open?"
"That, I'm not sure. After all, Mochizuki still needs someone to look after her."
Saying this, Tokai Shizen's gaze subtly shifted to Mejiro Ardan and Yaeno Muteki.
Mejiro Ardan was still savoring the taste of the mashed potatoes, while Yaeno Muteki had just put her first piece of mashed potato gratin into her mouth.
Watching the two of them, Tokai Shizen was still waiting for their answers.
"Hmm, compared to before, this dish of Miss Tokai's might lack a bit of carrot flavor for an Uma Musume. Although it's also very delicious, an Uma Musume might not find it as easy to accept."
"That's true. Compared to just now, the impact of this dish is a bit less, but it's still perfectly fine as a main dish for a restaurant."
Mejiro Ardan's description was very accurate, while Yaeno Muteki's evaluation leaned more towards her personal preference.
Listening to their descriptions, Tokai Shizen merely nodded, taking note of all these comments, then stood up: "There's a third dish coming up, please wait a moment."
Seeing Tokai Shizen about to leave, Mejiro Ardan simply looked at Representative Chiaki.
From their conversation just now, she already roughly knew that to recruit Tokai Shizen, she first had to properly handle Representative Chiaki and Maruzensky.
Thinking of this, Mejiro Ardan simply took a sip of the plain water in front of her, then stopped thinking.
After all, judging by Representative Chiaki's attitude towards Tokai Shizen, this might be a long-term endeavor.