"After all, it is a unique skill that took three years of hard work to achieve 'Small Success' in. If there were still no results to show for it by now, it would inevitably be too embarrassing."
Okabe's voice carried a sense of emotion.
It had only taken him one month to learn the Ephemeral Blossom Slash, yet it took three full years to elevate it to the level of 'Integration'.
During these three years, he constantly changed ingredients. Finally, he settled on creatures like shrimp and crabs—small in size but complete individual organisms. Each one processed with the Ephemeral Blossom Slash increased his proficiency by a single point.
Although the proficiency gain was not as high as processing small-to-medium-sized animals, and it didn't add to his Knife Skills proficiency, because processing this type of ingredient consumed less stamina and the cost of purchasing shrimp and crabs was relatively low, the overall cost-performance ratio was extremely high.
However, it was a pity that as the level of the Ephemeral Blossom Slash increased, he needed to process over a dozen of these shrimp and crab ingredients consecutively just to gain one proficiency point.
And this was only at the 'Integration' level. Once he reached 'Perfection', processing such small fish and shrimp would likely no longer increase his proficiency at all.
Aside from this.
[Growth Quest]: Kneading? I want to knead the smoothest dough in the world!
This quest was successfully completed two years ago, and his 'Softness Penetration' had successfully advanced to the 'Rotational Kneading Method', placing him just one step away from the 'White Luo Rotating Chain'.
[Rotational Kneading Method (Purple)]: With 'Round and Unending' as the core, utilizing a unique technique of alternating swirling hands, one transmits the force of penetration like ripples to every part of the dough.
This technique can further stimulate the activity of the dough, making its internal structure interweave like a silk net, resulting in extreme toughness.
[Proficiency]: Integration (5988/10000)
Unlike the predicament faced by the Ephemeral Blossom Slash, if he wanted to improve the Rotational Kneading Method, he had to improve the precision of his cooking.
Only by kneading dough that was recognized by the System would it count towards the proficiency added to the System panel. This required Okabe's undivided attention.
Once enough accumulation was reached and the proficiency level rose, the skill could sublimate into a brand-new form, and the flexibility of the dough would be further enhanced.
Various thoughts surfaced in his mind.
Okabe quickly processed the shrimp and sea bass in the bag properly, then placed them into a large basin, adding salt and yellow wine, along with a small amount of egg white, mixing them evenly.
Cornstarch was added to lock in the moisture, followed by a drizzle of sesame oil to remove fishiness while preventing sticking.
"Let's start according to the originally established division of labor."
Handing the processed shrimp and sea bass to Hisako Arato beside him, Okabe looked at the two of them and spoke.
"Received!"
At this moment, the oil temperature in the wok had already reached seventy percent heat.
Hisako Arato picked up the coated shrimp and sea bass and lowered them into the oil wok. Watching the seafood emit a "sizzling" sound, her eyes were serious. After 30 seconds, she scooped them out to drain the oil.
On the other side, after replying, Erina Nakiri also began to heat her wok, pouring in a little peanut oil.
Light salt was added to the egg liquid. After beating it with chopsticks, she poured it into the pan, holding the handle to spread it evenly, and finally folded it onto the cutting board, quickly slicing it into egg strips for later use.
The steamed high-stock ramen noodles were cooled and then placed into the stir-fry wok. When it was slightly shaken, a "Boom-Kai" sound resonated from the bottom of the wok.
Erina Nakiri's gaze sharpened. She lifted her wrist to raise the entire wok; the fried noodles inside flew up during this process, rotating one hundred and eighty degrees before falling back into the wok.
This was the key to yakisoba. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.
The scorched aroma is not a flaw for the dish of yakisoba, but an indispensable part of it. A yakisoba without that scorched aroma has no soul!
Soy sauce, oyster sauce, and pepper powder were mixed evenly in a bowl and placed on the cutting board for later use.
Just as the moisture in the noodles in the wok was drying up, she added bean sprouts and shredded onions, simultaneously turning the heat from medium to high to flash-fry for two minutes before pouring in the prawns, sea bass, and the seasoning sauce.
A rich, salty-fresh aroma diffused in all directions the instant the seasoning sauce was poured into the wok and made contact with the fried noodles.
Xie Lu, who was observing in secret, subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva when he smelled this soul-hooking fragrance, his body moving a step faster than his thoughts.
"This fragrance is definitely yakisoba, but if it were merely just yakisoba, it shouldn't be enough to drive people crazy..."
He forcibly suppressed the throbbing in his heart and came to a halt as if braking, his gaze staring straight in the direction where Erina Nakiri was located, his face written with inquiry.
"The sauce? That's right, it's the sauce!"
Xie Lu closed his eyes and tried hard to twitch his nose, sensing the rich fragrance in the air. An image of a black, viscous, and umami-packed sauce floated in his mind.
Oyster sauce. Not the vegetarian oyster sauce sold in markets.
But a secret oyster sauce extracted from genuine raw oysters. Its umami was intense; just a little bit could fill the yakisoba with the flavor of the ocean!
Paired with the deep-fried prawns and sea bass, and adding the egg strips and chives just before serving, followed by a few tosses over a fierce fire, a plate of seafood yakisoba complete in color, aroma, and taste was finished.
The rich fragrance wafted into the surroundings. Many residents in the surrounding apartments opened their windows, sniffing the scent in the air with all their might, wanting to find the source of this fragrance.
Fortunately, the stall run by Okabe and the others was in the abandoned park, a very conspicuous place. The onlookers in the apartments very quickly locked onto his stall.
Xie Lu was no exception. Having figured out the core source of the cuisine's fragrance, he decided to go over and taste a mouthful personally.
As a Dim Sum Master currently traveling in Japan, he was full of interest in any cuisine related to flour, not to mention that this seafood yakisoba looked incredibly delicious!
"Boss, one portion of seafood yakisoba."
"Thank you for your patronage."
Just as he sat down in front of the seafood stall, Hisako Arato walked over carrying the fresh-out-of-the-oven seafood yakisoba, simultaneously serving a portion of the daily soup.
The instant he took the yakisoba, Xie Lu smelled a composite ocean umami that possessed immense impact.
The mellowness of the oyster sauce, the sweetness of the prawns and sea bass, and the scorched aroma of the 'Wok Hei' intertwined, hovering at the tip of the nose for a long time without dispersing. Besides this, there was also the clear scent of wheat.
He couldn't wait to extend his chopsticks.
Entangled among the golden-yellow noodles were shrimp meat that was white revealing pink, curled sea bass rings, and deep green chives. A few egg strips and shredded onions crisscrossed within.
The instant it entered his mouth, his eyes snapped wide open.
The outer layer of the noodles was slightly crisp, yet the inside was unusually flexible. As they bounced between his teeth, they released a rich wheat aroma. In addition to that, there was a faint fragrance of luffa and the fresh sweetness of fungus mushrooms.
The fresh sweetness of the oyster sauce evenly wrapped around every single ingredient, pushing forward layer by layer like ocean waves, perfectly highlighting the crisp sweetness of the shrimp meat and the springy texture of the sea bass.
The egg strips were soft, the chives spicy and fragrant.
With this one chopstick-full, not a single layer of texture was superfluous. The taste of every ingredient was extremely clear, blooming in sequence within the oral cavity along with the chewing.
"Putting the noodles into soup boiled from luffa and fungus mushrooms to cook them, draining the moisture, then adding a little cooking oil and mixing evenly, placing them on a steamer to steam for two minutes and letting them cool naturally."
"I see. Luffa is clear, sweet, and smooth, while fungus mushrooms can increase the composite umami of the soup itself, giving the soup's texture layers without appearing heavy."
"Moreover, the compatibility of these two ingredients with the shrimp meat and sea bass rings is extremely high. After being boiled into soup and absorbed by the noodles, they subsequently radiated new vitality in the stir-fry wok."
"To utilize the characteristics of the ingredients to this extent... just who on earth are these three fellows?!"
Looking at the noodles, which were golden yellow carrying some scorched brown, Xie Lu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. At the same time, he looked at Okabe's trio with a bewildered gaze, momentarily unable to figure out their background.
The portion of yakisoba before his eyes seemed ordinary, but in reality, it hid profound mysteries.
Utilizing high stock instead of clear water when boiling the noodles, and creating a resonance between the high stock and the subsequent ingredients—just this bold attempt alone was enough to show the ingenuity of the cook's conception. They were definitely no ordinary people.
"The soup is refreshing, relieving greasiness and palatable. It is simply a match made in heaven with this plate of yakisoba."
There was light in Xie Lu's eyes. Chopstick after chopstick, he delivered the yakisoba into his mouth. Before long, he had eaten the yakisoba in front of him clean. Just as he was preparing to ask for another portion...
"Boss, give me a portion of yakisoba!"
Just as he raised his hand wanting to hail the boss, a crisp female voice rang out from the distance.
"I want one too! Please!"
Immediately following was the voice of a middle-aged man.
"And me, make one for me, I'll do anything!"
"I want one too!"
More and more voices rang out. One silhouette after another appeared in front of the abandoned park, accompanied by burst after burst of frantic footsteps.
At first, it was one or two, then they successively converged into a stream of people. Countless figures rushed out from the stairwells, jogging to the front of Okabe's stall.
Even those who had closed their windows and hadn't smelled the fragrance couldn't help but open their windows to check the situation after hearing the commotion downstairs, and then they smelled that alluring fragrance.
And so.
"Daddy, the smell outside the window is so fragrant! It's the smell of yakisoba, I want to eat yakisoba!"
A tender voice rang out in a home; a little girl hugged her father's leg and shouted excitedly.
"Honey, are they selling yakisoba downstairs? This smell is so fragrant, more fragrant than any yakisoba I've eaten before! Just smelling the scent, I can feel it!"
A woman wearing pajamas spoke chatteringly, her large eyes written with craving.
"Do you want to eat some? Didn't you just say you weren't quite full? It's perfect to buy some back as a late-night snack."
The man pulled his head back from outside the window, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and looked at his wife. His eyes flickered with anticipation as he silently awaited her response in his heart.
"It's rare for you to be so thoughtful. Then go buy a portion to taste. Cook a bit more rice tomorrow, add another dish, so we don't run out of food again."
"You got it."
After saying this, the man threw on some clothes and prepared to go downstairs without stopping.
Just as his front foot stepped out the door, the next-door neighbor's door also opened. The two exchanged a glance; neither said hello, but instead, they tacitly ran downstairs.
Because both wanted to be a step faster, the two grown men secretly competed against each other.
"This is too exaggerated, isn't it? Can the fragrance drift that far..."
Watching the increasing number of guests, Xie Lu put down the chopsticks in his hand, a surprised expression appearing on his face. At this moment, at least twenty or thirty people were standing in front of the stall.
There were also five or six people seated at the adjacent stalls. More people were rushing over from the distance.
Although the yakisoba was delicious, it was already night, right? Most families had already eaten dinner, and this location was relatively remote; the number of people living here wasn't considered large.
Yet under these circumstances, the boss of this stall was still able to attract so many customers.
"Truly magical..."
"The yakisoba is just ordinary yakisoba. Although it's made with great care, and the chef's heat control is quite good, and the noodles' chewiness and texture are great, but..."
"No, wait!"
Because he was sitting in a leeward position, the fragrance Xie Lu smelled after sitting down had decreased a lot, but as he stepped forward, he once again felt the impact.
"This aroma... it's simply like it has life!"
Xie Lu suddenly increased his speed, running in the direction from which the aroma was coming.
He saw the steam rising above the stir-fry wok condensing into a shape in the night wind, appearing like a faint white silk ribbon, only spreading to the surroundings when it reached mid-air.
Only then did he notice that every time Erina Nakiri put effort into tossing the wok, that aroma would ripple out layer by layer, carrying a marvelous sense of rhythm.
"Is this... the aroma dancing?"
As soon as this thought popped up, Xie Lu himself felt it was absurd.
But when he focused his attention to look closely, he discovered that the diffusion of that aroma indeed contained some kind of law, as if carefully choreographed by an invisible hand.
This was done intentionally by the operator?!
In front of the food cart.
"Your stir-frying skills have improved again."
"Master Sakaki taught me well."
'Moreover, having been at Ryozanpaku for three years, I've learned at least a little something over these three years. Added to this month of high-intensity practice, running around everywhere frying noodles, with accumulated strength waiting to burst forth, I was bound to improve somehow!'
Hearing Okabe's emotional remark, the corners of Erina Nakiri's mouth raised slightly. Her voice carried a few degrees of pride; she was evidently very satisfied with her results during this period.
"Hisako too, the standard of your soup making has obviously improved. Your ultimate control over the heat has reached a hair-raising level!"
Smelling the faint clear fragrance diffusing in the air, Okabe praised Hisako Arato as well. As he spoke, he placed the freshly pulled ramen into her high stock.
"It's all because Kensei Ma taught me well."
Hisako Arato smiled shyly.
From Kensei Ma, she learned knowledge of various herbs every day, such as the nature and flavor of medicinal herbs, their efficacy, and the flavor characteristics of the medicine. This training method focused more on basic skills.
According to Kensei Ma's words, only by honing the basic skills of medicinal cuisine until they were solid could the road ahead be wide and long, preventing one from running out of road halfway.
This was also the most obvious difference between having a master to guide you and not having one. Knowing what one currently needed the most.
"Let's continue. When we close up today, tomorrow we can use the money earned today to buy some high-quality Wagyu beef for aging. I've been wanting to eat steak recently."
Thinking of the deliciousness of dry-aged steak, Okabe swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Aside from training themselves, the more important reason they came out to set up a stall was to alleviate the financial pressure on Ryozanpaku. Besides that, it was to burden the expenses of their own training.
After two and a half years of basic skill training, the masters began to successively pass on their true kung fu to Erina Nakiri and the others, but the ingredients used for training had to be purchased at their own expense.
After all, Ryozanpaku's finances were tight; they simply couldn't bring out that much money to let them practice.
Although they could borrow the power of the Nakiri family. But Okabe felt that wouldn't achieve the effect of training themselves, so he proposed the 'Stall Setup to Get Rich Plan' to Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato.
Simply put, every day after the three finished their daytime training and ate dinner, they would push the cart out to set up the stall.
On one hand, they could exercise the culinary arts they had learned; on the other hand, they could earn money, making it convenient to purchase ingredients for subsequent learning. It could be said to be a great thing that achieved two goals with one stone!
And during this process, the growth speed of Okabe, Hisako Arato, and Erina Nakiri's cooking techniques was obviously much faster than when training at Ryozanpaku.
"Aged steak..."
Hisako Arato's eyes lit up.
"Buy some medicinal herbs for me too. The price of medicinal herbs is so expensive. The ones from some time ago are almost used up. I hope to receive organizational support."
Hisako Arato said with a serious face.
"Sure thing. It just so happens tomorrow is a rest day. Let's go shopping together then."
"I want to cast a new wok. The one from Ryozanpaku is a bit too heavy for me right now. If the time spent making cuisine is slightly longer, my hands feel sore."
While speaking, Erina Nakiri's wrist flicked, and the stir-fry wok drew a graceful arc in the air; the golden yakisoba flew into the sky once again.
Feeling the force coming from the wok handle, feeling the rotation of the noodles in the air, feeling the aroma expanding like ripples, an intoxicated expression appeared on her face.
The scene of Shio Sakaki teaching her force-generation techniques naturally surfaced in her mind.
"Waist and stance as one, power rises from the ground."
"Tossing the wok doesn't use the wrist; it uses the entire arm, pouring out the power of the entire body!"
At first, she couldn't understand. It wasn't until she practiced constantly and felt that power rising from the soles of her feet, penetrating her waist and abdomen, and reaching straight to her fingertips while tossing the wok, that she suddenly saw the light.
This method of tossing the wok not only had higher control over the ingredients in the wok but was also considerably energy-saving.
Using the wrist to toss the wok allowed for a few dozen times at most, but using the power of the arm and even the whole body, one could toss the wok at least hundreds of times in one breath, greatly enhancing cooking endurance.
"Next portion of yakisoba, extra spicy."
Okabe's voice pulled her back from her memories.
Erina Nakiri nodded, the movements in her hands not pausing in the slightest.
The moment the chili powder was sprinkled into the yakisoba and contacted the hot oil, an even more stimulating aroma exploded, causing the diners waiting in line to take a deep breath in unison.
"This chili fragrance... is too authentic!"
A middle-aged man queuing behind couldn't help but exclaim in admiration: "Boss, add spice to my portion too!"
"Me too!"
"Give me a spicy one too!"
Orders came one after another, and the line in front of the stall grew longer and longer.
Hisako Arato had to increase her speed, constantly putting noodles into the pot, scooping them out after boiling, drizzling oil and mixing them, then putting them on the steamer, adding ingredients and water to replenish the soup in between.
After all, the soup was not infinite.
As the number of guests increased, the consumption of soup also increased. How to coordinate this ratio well was currently her most important job.
With more noodles entering the pot, there was the influence of flour. Before adding new ingredients, she needed to sweep the soup first to let the taste of the soup become clear, ensuring that the taste of the ramen boiled later remained unchanged.
This was the most important quality control issue in the kitchen.
"The Way of Medicinal Cuisine lies in balance."
Master Ma always narrowed his eyes, his tone gentle yet allowing no doubt.
"If the heat is one degree more, it is excessive; one degree less, it is insufficient. You must learn to use your body to feel the changes in temperature, rather than relying on a thermometer."
Seasoning, heat control, taste. Only when all three reached a balance would the flavor and medicinal properties be at their best.
Turning bitter medicine into top-tier gourmet food, letting sick people drink it down with satisfaction—this is the fate of chefs like us. You must become a controller of medicinal ingredients!
The Doctrine of the Mean. This was the foundation Kensei Ma passed on to Hisako Arato.
Medicinal cuisine is not pure cooking. Compared to the taste, everyone values its effect more.
As the saying goes, medicine borrows the power of food, and food aids the might of medicine.
Powerful Medicinal Cuisine Chefs are more popular than top-tier chefs because they can quietly condition the employer's body while they enjoy gourmet food.
However, there are also vicious Medicinal Cuisine Chefs. They will utilize the characteristics of incompatible ingredients to make cuisine that causes weakness or is even fatal.
This kind of method is particularly common in the Dark Culinary World.
"Use luffa and crab mushrooms as the base to clear heat and open the meridians. Dried scallops to increase umami, nourishing yin and harmonizing the stomach. Then slice fresh ginger and add it to warm the middle and dispel cold, effectively resolving the cold energy in the seafood. Goji berries are used to nourish the liver and kidneys."
Hisako Arato picked up a spoon to taste a little; the flavor of the luffa mushroom soup froze on the tip of her tongue, allowing her to recall the taste determined at that time.
She effortlessly processed the ingredients and medicinal herbs, calculating the ratio in her heart, putting them all into the pot, and then pouring in boiling hot water.
"The saltiness is a bit light..."
Mixing a little salt into the soup pot to which hot water had been added, a satisfied expression appeared on Hisako Arato's face.
The three were like precision instruments, completing their respective work methodically, serving plate after plate of yakisoba to the hands of the guests in front of the yakisoba stall.
The dining tables behind were also filled because of this.
Ikaros constantly weaved through them, responsible for serving dishes and clearing tables. Although she didn't say a word the whole time, no one felt dissatisfied about it.
There was no other reason: beauty is justice.
Ikaros was so beautiful, beautiful to the point that people couldn't bear to blame her with words. Just being served by her made them feel incomparably happy.
"Truly an inseparable Iron Triangle. One person responsible for making ramen and processing ingredients—trivia at the ingredient processing level. One person responsible for boiling and steaming noodles, and pre-processing seafood ingredients. The last person concentrates on frying the noodles, focusing all attention on the noodles."
Everyone's job was irreplaceable; lacking any single one wouldn't work. Only when the three combined into one could this shop's yakisoba possess such flavor.
What Okabe and the others didn't notice was that Xie Lu had been paying attention to them the whole time, his eyes revealing the excitement of a hunter seeing prey, the blood in his whole body uncontrollably becoming hot.
"However, among the three, it has always been that boy leading. In other words, that boy is the absolute leader among the three, the existence with the strongest strength."
The culinary world is a place that stresses the law of the jungle. The weak find it difficult to command the strong. Even if granted authority temporarily, no one would listen.
Contrary to this. The strong possess absolute right of speech.
Even if it's just the first time coming to a kitchen they haven't been in before, as long as his cooking skills can be recognized by the masses, everyone will listen to him, subconsciously thinking he is right.
He had an idea in his heart.
Xie Lu sat on the chair, closing his eyes to rest his mind.
Beside his ears were the customers' evaluations of the seafood yakisoba—uniform praise. Furthermore, there were no instances of memory loss occurring because of eating the yakisoba.
Sure enough, urban legends are just rumors. People like to make up stories to increase interest.
As time passed, the guests in front of the stall became fewer and fewer. After everyone ate and drank their fill, they successively returned home. After 11:00 PM, the street was once again empty of people.
And just at this moment.
Watching Okabe and the others packing up, Xie Lu slowly stood up from his seat and walked over holding a steel staff.
"Kid, have a dim sum duel with me!"
His gaze stared straight at Okabe, raging flames burning in his eyes. As he spoke, he pointed the steel staff straight at the tip of Okabe's nose; the provocative implication was extremely heavy.
No man could endure this in front of girls.
This was also the reason he attacked directly!"
____
New Story: Stardew Valley: What Do You Mean They All Became My Servants
✅ Jump 40 chapters ahead of the public release!
✅ Get access to special perks and news!
Help smash these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter (for everyone)
🚀 180 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters (for all stories)!
👻 P - Walnutchan