Third-person POV
The next morning in Ichigaya can be best described as a feast of different cultures when the MPC agents, recovered and refreshed by the JSDF headquarters' sleeping quarters, went out to scour ingredients for a multicultural feast as early as 5:40 a.m. For some ingredients that can be expensive, they saved up some money by selecting cheap alternatives that still provided the essential aspects of their dishes. The stores they went into were flabbergasted to open their doors at this hour when they presented their credentials and payments (both from their pockets and reserved funds from their respective intelligence agencies). In the kitchen at 6:20 a.m., these agents of culture cooked up, whipped out, and crafted their cultural dishes with skills of a master chef. The rest of the JSDF and the Special Region were still asleep from last night's intense standoff at the Hakaze Inn and the sweet bites of Estevao's Pâve.
They made their dishes with a symphony of a busy restaurant kitchen:
Odesa made some Tapsilog from overnight marinated pork and beef, while Theofylaktos cooked plates of Strapatsada (or Kayanas). Bartu Kuşçu, a 32-year-old Istanbul-native MİT agent, cooked some Sucuklu Yumurta with sucuk sausages sourced from wholesale import shops of Kawasaki. Buana and Rahman made some Indomie with Indonesian noodle packs. Cesare and his Italian AISE coworker, 28-year-old, Rome-native Elio Agostino, skillfully baked sweet buns of Maritozzo in ovens. James and one Spanish agent, 30-year-old Malaga CNI agent Matias Mario, made and just pulled out trays of Spanish Ensaimada and its Filipino counterparts, Ensaymadas at 6:50 a.m.
Rahman, Buana, Bayu, and another fellow Indonesian BIN agent made a few plates of Nasi Goreng (Indonesian-style fried rice tossed with sweet soy sauce/kecap manis, garlic, chili, and topped with a fried egg) and Nasi Kuning (Festive yellow rice colored with turmeric and coconut milk, often served shaped into a cone or plated with shredded omelet, chicken, and potato fritters)
Barış and his cousin, fellow MİT agent Mavi, baked fresh Simit (a circular sesame-crusted bread), bazlama (flatbread), and börek (flaky phyllo pastry stuffed with cheese or spinach) breads and placed them neatly on plates next to feta, cheap cheddar, fresh beyaz peynir (a salty feta-like white cheese), aged kaşar, and olives.
Jerome and James made some Pancit Canton and fried Hungarian sausages, fried eggplants, red hotdogs, and eggs.
Esther and Armando made some Brazilian Misto Quente and Cuscuz Nordestino as well.
Margaret and her Madrid-native friend and fellow CNI agent, Elias Juan, made some Tortilla Española and Pan con Tomate.
All of them had intended to postpone the making of drinks so they would be refreshed and hot when everyone entered the mess hall.
So, by 7 a.m., everyone in the headquarters headed to the mess hall for breakfast, only for diverse smells to hit them hard. "What was that smell?" Itami asked while sniffing the smell.
When they entered, they were astonished at what the MPC agents had cooked up.
"Good morning, guys," Jerome said to them with a smile. "Your part in this culinary exchange or head straight for the foreign food?"
And so, a few JSDF soldiers got their chances to show their Japanese cuisine by making Japanese omelette, nattō, and some miso soup and vegetables. After that, once a collective "Thanks for the food" was said, they ate up. Itami, Rory, and Kurata were mesmerized at their first bites at the Filipino Tapsilog and Pancit Canton and Greek Strapatsada.
"This is delicious…" Itami muttered.
"This is exquisite…" Rory added.
Furibayashi was busy devouring a bowl of Indomie and a small plate of a piece of Simit and 2 pieces of aged kaşar.
Now, the MPC agents prepared glasses of water and brewed their various types of teas, coffee, and some juices. James and the other Filipino agents introduced their various brands of Filipino packs of 3-in-1 coffee and neatly placed them on trays for anyone who wanted to try any of them. Anastasios and her Greek coworkers made irresistible Greek Frappé, one of the easiest drinks anyone can make. The morning atmosphere was mesmerizing and full of unity and harmony. Other MPC agents tried each other's food and drinks for a change of taste. Bayu and an Italian agent playfully argued on who will have the last Simit, only for Barış to place a small plate of 6 Simit they may have 3 pieces each. The two agents eventually settled with that while doing a fist bump to each other.
Even Hazama, Wataru, and Mari couldn't stop eating fried eggplants and Misto Quente they paired with nattō.
Kazufumi Ryuzaki and Hayato Sasagawa ate Pancit Canton and small servings of Nasi Goreng and some Feta cheese pieces.
Ruy, Anastasios, Margaret, and Mavi tried some Nasi Goreng and Filipino tapsilog and Ensaymada.
At this hour, everyone was enjoying the most diverse food exchange the history of Japan and the JSDF had ever seen.