"This is the flavor!"
In the kitchen, Liu Yu tasted the loach dish she had just finished cooking. An ecstatic expression appeared on her face, and her fists clenched unnaturally.
After practicing for two and a half days, she was finally seeing results!
"Congratulations! If it tastes like this on the day of the final, you'll definitely beat your opponent!"
Scooping up a spoonful of the loach dish herself, Wang Jing's face also showed astonishment. She clearly hadn't expected loach could be made so delicious.
One could say it brought out the inherent flavor of the loach to its absolute peak. The freshness, the tender meat—it was the ultimate tribute to the loach!
"I got really lucky. I never thought chili peppers and loach would be such a good match. Now, I just need to keep controlling the ratio of chili to loach, perfect it to the level of a Special Grade dish, and it will be hard to lose in the final!"
Liu Yu was in high spirits. After this period of visiting shops and researching, she had gained a deep understanding of loach as an ingredient, which led to the development of this new dish.
"Just keep working in this direction."
Wang Jing nodded in agreement, her eyes shimmering with excitement. If Liu Yu could take first place, it would be a victory for the Underground Cooking Society!
Although the Underground Cooking Society was a recently established organization, thanks to its leader, Dylan, it had many veteran Special Grade Chefs. In terms of high-level talent, it wouldn't lose to any major power.
Now, as long as the younger generation could achieve new glory, they could truly ensure a smooth succession, solidify their foundation, and prove to the world that the organization could endure.
"Time for intensive training! You should go back and rest. I want to focus on my research alone for the rest of it."
"Alright, you get some rest soon, too."
Liu Yu spoke softly, then sent Wang Jing back to her room to rest. She had found her opportunity to move forward. Now, she just needed to build on this foundation and advance steadily!
"Delicious! This has definitely reached the standard of a Special Grade dish! I can't believe a chef capable of making a Special Grade dish would be hidden in such an inconspicuous little shop. A true master hiding in plain sight!"
Inside a small but tidy shop, Megumi Tadokoro praised the loach ramen in front of her. The intense flavor told her that this dish had absolutely reached the level of a Special Grade dish!
The owner who created such a delicious dish was a robust man not yet thirty. The ramen he kneaded was exceptionally firm and exquisitely delicious!
Of course, the even more delicious part was the loach topping. Its texture was tender and crisp. It was clearly pan-fried before being added to the ramen to create a crispy outer layer, which is why it had this textu...
"No, it wasn't pan-fried then boiled, but boiled then pan-fried... that's not right either. This texture doesn't feel like it was flash-fried; the layers are so distinct..."
"It's drizzling! After the loach absorbed enough flavor from the broth, the oil was heated to an extremely high temperature, and then the drizzling-frying technique was used to quickly crisp up its softened surface."
Sensing the flavor of the loach on her tongue, Megumi Tadokoro closed her eyes and began to construct an analysis in her mind. She soon had an answer.
While she couldn't claim 100% accuracy, she was about 70-80% sure. This was a unique secret technique Dylan had taught her: by tasting a dish with a specific focus, she could quickly analyze its preparation method.
If someone with the God's Tongue or a Super Taste were to replicate it, they could copy it perfectly, and even make improvements on that foundation.
"And this broth... it's definitely a rich stock that's been simmered for over two days, filtered and seasoned multiple times. Otherwise, it would never impart such a deep flavor to the loach!"
Megumi Tadokoro lifted the bowl and drank some of the soup, her eyes instantly brightening. The stock was the soul of the ramen and also the key to the loach's deliciousness.
It could be said that the deliciousness of the loach depended heavily on the flavor of the stock.
Looking up, she noticed the rich stock the owner was simmering. It was filled with a great many bones, their essence permeating the soup, providing it with an endless depth of umami.
There were many people in the shop savoring the loach ramen with rapt attention; she herself had waited in line for half an hour to get in. A realization dawned in Megumi Tadokoro's heart.
"Check, please."
After saying this, Megumi Tadokoro silently placed the money on the table, put on her coat, and left the shop.
Half an hour later, she took a taxi and quickly returned to the inn. There, she saw Kitakaede sweeping fallen leaves in the courtyard and immediately jogged over.
"Is there something I can help you with, Miss Tadokoro?"
"May I please borrow the kitchen here?"
The young woman's voice was extremely urgent, even pleading. This made Kitakaede pause for a moment, but she still nodded lightly.
"The kitchen is over there. You can use any of the ingredients inside. If it's not enough, just go out and turn left; there's a supermarket where you can buy most ingredients."
Not only did she agree, but she even permitted Megumi Tadokoro to use the ingredients in the kitchen and told her about the nearby supermarket. She was truly a kind person.
"Thank you!"
A wave of warmth filled Megumi Tadokoro's heart. Although she didn't know why the other woman was helping her so much, she expressed her sincere gratitude.
"You're welcome. But you must be a chef, right? Could I taste the dish you make? Our inn is also thinking of introducing some new dishes to attract customers."
The young woman's gentle voice carried a hint of anticipation. She now understood why the other person had come to Gunma Prefecture—she was most likely a chef.
"Of course."
Megumi Tadokoro readily agreed. It was no loss to her; on the contrary, she could use the inn's kitchen. It was an arrangement with all benefits and no drawbacks.
"Are you planning to make a loach dish? Speaking of which, for the final of the Summer Selection at the great culinary school, Totsuki Academy, I heard the final theme is loach..."
Kitakaede stopped there, her face full of expectation. Megumi Tadokoro knew exactly what she was implying; the woman had probably recognized her.
"That's right. I'm one of the contestants."
Without much hesitation, Megumi Tadokoro admitted her identity. It wasn't anything spectacular, at least in her own opinion.
"Really? That's amazing! I knew it! Very few young people come to Gunma Prefecture for tourism, and even fewer come specifically to taste loach dishes. You really are special!"
Tossing her ponytail slightly, Kitakaede said excitedly.
The students of Totsuki Academy could be considered the elite of the culinary world. To be able to participate in the school-wide Summer Selection and successfully reach the final meant they were the best of the best, the elite among the elite.
Having such a genius chef staying at her inn might not be useful now, but if she became famous in the future, she could perhaps use this to promote the inn and attract customers.
"I've just been lucky, I'm not as amazing as you think. Each time, I've only been a little bit better than my opponent, and sometimes I even relied on clever tricks."
Megumi Tadokoro humbly rubbed her nose. It was the first time she had been praised by someone other than Dylan, and she felt quite shy.
"Luck is a part of skill, and I don't think you've won by luck alone. Just being better than your opponent is already incredible!"
"You've been here for three days, and every day you've gone out to check out shops, persisting even through wind and rain."
"If nothing else, that persistent effort alone is enough to prove your skill. Come with me, I'll take you to the kitchen."
Seeing Megumi Tadokoro's shyness, Kitakaede took her hand directly, offered words of encouragement, and then personally led her to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, the two arrived at their destination.
The inn's kitchen wasn't large, only slightly bigger than a home kitchen. At that moment, a young man was sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, leisurely playing a game.
"Buye, this is a chef from Totsuki Academy. She's going to borrow the kitchen for a bit. I'm giving you a half-day off, you can do whatever you want."
Looking at the devil-may-care man in front of her, a flash of helplessness crossed Kitakaede's face.
"Oh? You're saying she's a chef from Totsuki Academy? She looks so young. A first-year student?"
Hearing the familiar call, the young man named Buye put down his phone. He then saw his childhood friend walking over with a short girl.
That girl had a youthful face, a small frame, and braided pigtails. She didn't look like an adult at all, so it was no wonder he would say that.
"I just became a second-year."
"Already a second-year, huh? That's strange. This should be the time for the Training Camp. Logically, you should be at the Totsuki Resort, getting put through the wringer by the alumni. Why are you here?"
"Oh, I get it. You were eliminated, weren't you? Makes sense. Totsuki's tests are brutal. Almost half the students are eliminated during the Training Camp every year."
"Some of those who get eliminated choose to go home and take over their family business, while others wander around to clear their heads. You must be the type who's out clearing her head."
Hearing that Megumi Tadokoro was a second-year student, the devil-may-care man immediately launched into a spiel, stroking his chin as he spoke.
Although he was just guessing, one could hear the malice in his words. From the very beginning, he assumed she had failed the test and was a loser.
"Sorry about that. He's just like this. Ever since he was expelled from Totsuki three years ago, he's spent his days complaining about his lot in life, enjoying speculating the worst about others for his own amusement."
"Hiss, that hurts! What'd you pinch me for?"
Hearing her childhood friend's extremely rude words, Kitakaede immediately became embarrassed. She reached out and gave him a sharp pinch while explaining.
"Is this gentleman also a Totsuki student?"
Hearing Kitakaede's words, a surprised expression appeared on Megumi Tadokoro's face. The devil-may-care young man before her was actually also a Totsuki student.
"He was, I should say. He was mercilessly eliminated during the promotion from first to second year because his skills weren't good enough. By the way, this guy is Yamagami Buye, and he's eighteen."
Looking at the young man who was still yelping in pain, Kitakaede spoke irritably, introduced him by name, and then turned to face him with her hands on her hips.
"This young lady is one of the two finalists in the Summer Selection, unlike a guy like you who was eliminated before even starting the second year."
"Also, there was no Training Camp this year; they went straight to the Summer Selection. As a chef, don't you pay any attention to Totsuki at all?"
This sentence served both to vindicate Megumi Tadokoro and to warn Yamagami Buye to stop his thoughtless chatter and just be quiet.
She had worked hard to build a good rapport with this girl and couldn't let it be ruined so easily. This Yamagami Buye guy had a nasty mouth and was completely unreliable.
Even though it had been three years since his expulsion from Totsuki, he was like a child who hadn't grown up, never moving on, and his cooking skills hadn't improved one bit.
As if remembering something, Kitakaede pouted. If he weren't her childhood friend, a connection she had to accommodate, she would have replaced him as a chef long ago given his personality. There was no way she would have kept him until now.
"Why should I pay attention to Totsuki? There's nothing worth paying attention to, that piece of tra..."
Yamagami Buye pouted, seeming to want to say something bad about Totsuki Academy, but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he glanced at Megumi Tadokoro and ultimately held back.
"You! Get moving already. Miss Tadokoro needs to use the kitchen now."
Kitakaede "scolded" him with a tone of exasperation, then looked back at Megumi Tadokoro. "Miss Tadokoro, you can use anything in the kitchen. I'm looking forward to your dish."
Megumi Tadokoro thanked her again.
"Hey, hey, you two! Don't just decide things on your own here. This is my territory! How can you let an outsider use it without my permission!"
Learning that Megumi Tadokoro was a genius from Totsuki Academy, the frivolous expression on Yamagami Buye's face faded considerably. But when he heard Kitakaede loaning out his kitchen without his consent, he couldn't help but curse.
"What do you mean, your kitchen? This is clearly my inn's kitchen!"
"Besides, she's just borrowing it, not taking it from you. The kitchen is sitting idle anyway, so it's better to lend it to someone who needs it and let it be put to good use."
Hearing Yamagami Buye's words, Kitakaede was instantly displeased.
His kitchen? The entire inn belonged to her, Kitakaede. When did the kitchen get partitioned off as his? This guy was getting arrogant.
"I don't care. I'm the one in charge here right now. If she wants to use the kitchen, she has to have a Shokugeki with me. If I lose, I'll let her use it."
Recalling what Kitakaede had just said—that Megumi Tadokoro was a top-tier genius who had reached the finals—he thought that if he could compete against such a genius, and maybe even win, it would resolve his lingering regrets about Totsuki.
"What nonsense are you talking about? She's so busy, how could she possibly have time to compete with a nobody like you! Just shut up."
Kitakaede shot Yamagami Buye a glare, seemingly warning him to stop being so ridiculous. But despite her words, she had no intention of stopping him.
"I don't care. Anyway, if you want to use this kitchen, you have to beat me in a cook-off! Don't tell me you're scared to accept the challenge, little girl!"
Yamagami Buye snorted, then looked at Megumi Tadokoro, who hadn't spoken, hoping for a good match to test what he had learned.
"I'm willing to accept your challenge. However, may I set the theme of the cook-off as a loach dish?"
Megumi Tadokoro's voice finally rang out. She was no longer the timid, cowardly girl from before. Faced with a challenge, she would naturally rise to meet it.
Of course, even though her opponent was an expelled Totsuki student, Megumi Tadokoro didn't dare to underestimate him in the slightest. If she were to fail, it would be a great disservice to Dylan-sensei.
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