Hojo Miyoko snapped back to reality, her eyes still fixed on him. After a long moment, she finally mustered the courage to ask him a difficult question: "Chef, among the many Chinese dishes, which one do you think is the most delicious?"
If Kuga Terunori were to answer this question, he would undoubtedly blurt out spicy dishes like Mapo Tofu, Saliva Chicken, Gong Bao Chicken, and so on!
But now, Hojo Miyoko wanted to hear Sosuke's answer in his heart, which dish would it be?
Boiled chinese cabbage?
Peking Duck?
Mapo Tofu?
Dandan Noodles?
Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles?
Wenchang Chicken Rice?
Or tonight's bowl of… Dongpo Pork?
"Chinese cuisine itself is a very broad concept."
"Divided by geographical location, there are eight major cuisines; divided by target consumers, there are home-style dishes, official dishes, market dishes, temple and monastery dishes, imperial dishes, medicinal dishes, and so on."
"It can be said that the Celestial Dynasty possesses one of the most diverse culinary scenes in the world."
"It's almost impossible to present a single list that truly contains the 'best' dishes."
"Furthermore, are the most delicious, the worst, the least tasty, the most amazing, the first, the second, the ordinary, the complex… are these all that important?"
"Any culinary dish certainly has its value. As long as it makes diners feel delicious and happy, isn't that enough?!"
After hearing this, Hojo Miyoko remained silent for a long time.
Yes!
The world's cuisine should naturally be colorful and diverse.
No matter where one goes, what one sees will surely be those lively foods.
In Japan, a piece of sushi, a serving of Tempura, a small rice ball, each can have many touching stories behind it.
And in the Celestial Dynasty, there is also a century-old broth, a piece of aged ham, or a carefully preserved old starter, a chicken practiced for two and a half years...
Even in the same place, the same cuisine.
The style, taste, and texture of the dishes, and even the culinary culture they embody, may not be entirely the same!
As the saying goes:
One dish, one style; a hundred dishes, a hundred flavors.
Perhaps Sosuke was right, in the diverse Chinese cuisine, what is the most delicious dish?
It's simply that every dish has its unique charm and flavor!
...
"I say, Gin-senpai, aren't you being stingy?"
"You promised to treat us to a big meal after the Practical Training to thank us for our efforts, and this is it?"
As soon as she pushed the door open and saw the scene inside the Izakaya, Fuyumi Mizuhara turned her head unhappily and said to Gin Dojima.
"An Izakaya? I remember during that assessment, Tadokoro Megumi said the place she most wanted to go in the future was…"
Hinata-ko, who followed closely behind, rubbed her chin with one hand, her expression dazed.
"Don't you think this place is very interesting?"
"Whether it's the dining atmosphere or the dishes the diners eat, they are completely different from other Izakayas!"
Shinomiya Kojiro, after looking around, couldn't help but slightly push up his glasses and said indifferently.
"Everyone, please have dinner here before we part."
"It's not that I'm narrow-minded or unwilling to spend money on you, but the Chef of this Izakaya, his cooking skills often make even the General and me linger!"
Gin Dojima, who had brought them to the Izakaya, quickly explained.
"General? Even he likes it here?"
Hinata-ko gasped at the mention of the General, then she continued to observe seriously.
Then, she saw Kuguchi Sonoka, and Nakiri Erina, who had shown outstanding performance during the Practical Training!
...
"Kikuchi?"
"Why is she here too? She looks like… an Izakaya waitress?"
During last year's Practical Training, Hinata-ko and Kuguchi Sonoka served as examiners together, so they knew each other.
She just didn't expect that after only a year, this Totsuki graduate, who was once like her, would end up working at an Izakaya?
"Isn't this Gin Dojima?"
"You're really helping my business tonight, bringing so many people."
Sosuke, as the Chef, stepped forward and greeted Gin Dojima first.
"Chef, these are all examiners from the Practical Training, and they were all Totsuki graduates."
"They are all leaving Far Moon Resort tomorrow morning, so I must treat them to a delicious meal here at your place, as a token of my gratitude!"
Gin Dojima said with a chuckle.
"Hmm, you've come at a good time. I just happen to have a brand new dish, Soul Requiem Noodles!"
After glancing at Shinomiya Kojiro, Fuyumi Mizuhara, Hinata-ko, Guan Shou Ping, Donato Gotoda, and the others, Sosuke then withdrew his gaze and spoke to Gin again.
"Soul Requiem Noodles?"
"Alright, I'll have a bowl for now. How about you all?"
Gin Dojima nodded after a moment of thought, then turned to them and asked.
"Okay!"
"I'll have a bowl too."
"The dish name is quite strange, but it successfully piqued my interest."
Finally, Shinomiya and the others probably didn't know what to eat for a while, or perhaps they were all very curious about the Soul Requiem Noodles that Sosuke actively recommended, so they all ordered the same dish.
"Alright, then you all please wait here."
After speaking, Sosuke turned and returned to the cooking station to get busy.
"I knew he had developed a new dish again."
"Soul Requiem Noodles… what kind of Ramen dish is this?"
And Nakiri Erina, who was acting as a temporary worker, upon learning that Sosuke had a new dish, couldn't help but look forward to it.
...
During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of Han said:
"According to physiognomy, the longer one's philtrum, the longer one's lifespan. If one's philtrum is one inch long, one can live to be 100 years old."
Dongfang Shuo heard this and continued, "Peng Zu lived for 800 years, so his philtrum would be eight inches long. How long would his face be then?"
Face means noodles.
Long face means long noodles.
Thus, people used long noodles to wish for longevity.
Gradually, this practice evolved into the custom of eating noodles on birthdays, known as eating "Longevity Noodles," or simply long noodles.
Later, after combining traditional pharmacology with dietary principles, continuously improving the recipe, and then applying Ramen techniques, the world-renowned "One-Strand Noodle" finally emerged.
In fact, don't be fooled by it being just one strand of noodles.
From the initial kneading of the dough to being served at the table after preparation, it requires a full dozen or so particularly complex steps.
Therefore, generally speaking, very few Ramen Chefs are willing to make this kind of one-strand noodle dish. (End of Chapter)
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