"Why did we suddenly get off at this station?" Getting off the train with two suitcases in tow, Kikuchi Sonoka looked at the somewhat desola
"Why did we suddenly get off at this station?"
Getting off the train with two suitcases in tow, Kikuchi Sonoka looked at the somewhat desolate streetscape and asked with a puzzled expression. The station where they had disembarked was located in an old district on the edge of the city and was not very prosperous.
"I'm taking you to a nice shop. It might be helpful for you when you open your own store in the future."
Dylan didn't explain much further. Instead, he looked around at the station entrance and grabbed a passerby.
"Excuse me, do you know where 'Restaurant Yukihira' is?"
"Restaurant Yukihira? What a rustic name. Never heard of it."
"But I know a very nice Western restaurant! I don't know if you're interested..."
Suddenly being approached, the young woman's expression was somewhat displeased. But the moment she turned and saw Dylan's face, all her displeasure turned into excitement and shyness.
The reason was simple: he was too handsome.
"Sorry, I have a girlfriend."
Looking at the chattering woman in front of him, Dylan felt a headache coming on. He then pulled Kikuchi Sonoka, who was watching the scene with amusement from the side, in front of him.
"Yes, this is how it is."
Suddenly being acknowledged as his girlfriend, Kikuchi Sonoka's heart skipped a few beats. She then puffed out her chest, took two steps forward, and met the gaze of the woman who had approached Dylan.
"Ah, my deepest apologies! I'll be taking my leave now!"
Looking at the 'aggressive' Kikuchi Sonoka, a flash of embarrassment crossed the woman's face, but she still forced a smile. After saying this, she trotted away.
"Hehe, it's useful to have me around, right~"
Seeing that she had played her part and driven away the woman who was hitting on Dylan, Kikuchi Sonoka showed a triumphant expression. She then turned to look at Dylan, her eyes clearly spelling out the words 'Praise me now.'
"Indeed, my dear Sonoka is the most useful!"
Understanding the young woman's expectation of praise, Dylan smiled and patted Kikuchi Sonoka's head.
"So what do we do now? Are we still going to look for that 'Restaurant Yukihira' you mentioned?"
Asking for directions had failed, and map navigation didn't show such a small street-side shop. Their plan to visit the shop had reached a standstill, and they stood in place for a long time without moving.
"We're going. Why wouldn't we?"
Dylan said as he picked up the two suitcases left by the roadside. Feeling their weight, he couldn't help but marvel at how all girls were masters of packing. Alice Nakiri was the same; one of her suitcases was heavier than two ordinary people's.
If he didn't exercise regularly, he might not have been able to lift it.
"Let me get that."
Seeing both of Dylan's hands were occupied, Kikuchi Sonoka trotted forward to grab the other suitcase. After all, these were her things; she naturally couldn't push them all onto Dylan.
Having a boyfriend could indeed be used to share the burden, but you couldn't give him all the pressure, or he might very well become an ex-boyfriend.
"You can take it then."
Seeing the proactive young woman, Dylan didn't refuse and followed her with the other suitcase.
"Yeah! Let's go! In search of the mysterious little shop!"
Raising her hand high, her face brimming with excitement, Kikuchi Sonoka said, full of energy.
An unknown amount of time passed. The sky outside had turned to dusk.
Office workers tired from a day's work, bachelors in their apartments who couldn't cook, students from the neighborhood whose homes were empty after school, and elderly people with mobility issues began to look for food.
A restaurant named "Yukihira," at the moment the clock struck five, changed its 'Closed' sign to 'Open for Business.'
"Welcome, Grandma Miwa. The usual today? Your legs aren't what they used to be; you can call to order, and I'll deliver it to you."
Seeing the old woman at the entrance, leaning on a cane and taking slow steps to patronize the shop, a red-haired teenager in an apron immediately went forward to support her into the small establishment.
"Why go to all that trouble? My legs are just a bit bad, it's not like I can't walk anymore. A little exercise is good. Besides, food like this is best when it's piping hot! By the time you deliver it to me, the taste would have gone bad. I'd rather not eat it! The usual, a bowl of tempura fried fish noodles. Put the tempura on a separate plate, and the sauce as usual."
"Tempura noodles, you got it!"
Glancing at Soma Yukihira, who was helping the old woman to a chair, Joichiro Yukihira, who was in the kitchen doing prep work, poked his head out and shouted.
Then he began to work in the kitchen.
The menu items on the shop's wall, the side dishes they prepared every day, were all the most frequently ordered dishes by these old customers from the neighborhood. Occasionally, new items would be rotated in.
The reason for this was that Restaurant Yukihira's main customers were all the surrounding neighbors. Very few outside customers came by.
It could be said that this was a popular eatery that served the local community!
"Yukihira is open! So punctual, opens at six every evening without fail."
"Joichiro, give me a Tonkatsu set meal!"
A few minutes after opening, a sound came from the entrance. A pot-bellied man walked in from outside, shouting loudly towards the kitchen as he walked.
"You got it! Please wait a moment."
Joichiro Yukihira shouted to the outside while frying tempura, his movements of lifting and pulling incredibly practiced, fully displaying the beauty of cooking.
"Joichiro, get me a beef rice bowl!"
"I want a beef rice bowl too, and also some assorted fried goods."
"Joichiro, give me today's special, Yukihira-style Honey-Glazed Charcoal-Grilled Eel Rice Bowl. This is a new dish developed by Soma, right?"
"A new dish developed by Soma? Then I have to try it. I'll have one of those too!"
As Restaurant Yukihira opened, customers streamed in one after another.
The first thing everyone did upon entering was to greet Joichiro Yukihira, then chat with those around them. Their weary bodies from a day's work were healed at this moment.
Creak~
"Welcome! What can I get for you two?"
The door creaked open again. Soma Yukihira, who had just finished serving the previous customers, approached to serve them, holding a tray. At this moment, he had a ribbon tied around his head, which was gently fluttering in the wind. From moving back and forth in the shop, the ribbon already had traces of sweat.
"Kid, from here to here, give me one of everything."
Following Soma Yukihira to an empty table and sitting down, placing the luggage he carried in the innermost part of his seat. The man took the menu Soma Yukihira handed him, glanced at it briefly, then returned the menu, asking him to bring one of every dish.
Coincidentally, he hadn't eaten breakfast yet, and his stomach was empty, so he could fully enjoy the restaurant's cuisine.
"From here to here? Isn't that our entire menu? Our portions are quite large; one meal can basically fill up an adult male. Bro, if you just want to try the flavors, you can consider ordering a tasting portion of each dish. The price is also much cheaper."
Seeing the man order everything on the menu, Soma Yukihira's brow furrowed slightly. He then thoughtfully pointed to the dishes below which had the words 'Tasting Portion' written, priced at one-third of the regular version, with a correspondingly smaller portion size.
This was also to give first-time customers a chance to try. If they found the taste to their liking, they would naturally come back to order a full meal.
"No need, we can finish this much. Just make it the regular size."
Shaking his head, the man refused Soma Yukihira's suggestion and said so.
"Alright then. Dad, one of everything on the menu!"
Since his advice was not heeded, Soma Yukihira didn't bother to entangle further. He turned and shouted towards the kitchen, then went to serve other customers.
"Dylan Sensei, this shop looks very ordinary and is even located in such an inconspicuous corner. Why did you specifically come here?"
That's right, the two people who entered this restaurant were Dylan and Kikuchi Sonoka. As Soma Yukihira went to serve other customers, Kikuchi Sonoka, sitting opposite Dylan, got up from her seat and sat down next to him.
At the same time, she asked with a curious expression. Such a remote shop, logically speaking, should have no connection with Dylan. Could it be that the owner here was a friend he knew?
"Do you know who opened this shop?"
Without rushing to answer Kikuchi Sonoka's question, Dylan instead picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and looked at her, speaking slowly.
"Who? Is the reason you came here related to the owner of this shop, Dylan Sensei? Could it be an old acquaintance of yours?"
Kikuchi Sonoka voiced her doubts. Hearing his words, she became even more certain of the guess in her heart and turned her gaze towards the restaurant's back kitchen.
Because it was a small restaurant that valued maintaining neighborhood relationships, the back kitchen of Restaurant Yukihira was not fully enclosed.
From where they were sitting, they could clearly see the busy figure in the kitchen—a middle-aged uncle with dark red hair and a scruffy beard, with regular and rather handsome features. And next to the middle-aged man was the boy who had just served them, a teenager who also had red hair and a youthful face.
If nothing unexpected, the two should be father and son.
"That's right. Do you know about Tōtsuki's 69th graduating class?"
Playing with the teacup in his hand, Dylan suddenly asked.
"I know. The 69th class was an incredibly strong cohort."
"The graduate with the highest score in Tōtsuki's history was the first seat of the 69th class, the current Head Chef of the Tōtsuki Resort, Gin Dojima-senpai. I heard that after graduating, he rejected invitations from 800 famous restaurants across the country and chose to work at the Tōtsuki Resort. It was a sensation at the time, and he is the pinnacle of all Tōtsuki graduates!"
When speaking of Gin Dojima, an expression of reverence appeared on Kikuchi Sonoka's face. Every student who entered Tōtsuki Academy had basically heard of the 69th graduating class because it produced a Gin Dojima.
"Gin Dojima was the most outstanding graduate of the 69th class, but not the strongest."
Dylan nodded, his gaze turning towards the man working leisurely in the kitchen. When he watched the anime back then, he already felt this guy was incredibly strong, belonging to the ceiling-level existence in the series.
Even though he was later defeated by Asahi Saiba, he only considered it a plot device, with Joichiro Yukihira intentionally losing the match to motivate his son and help him grow.
"Let me see your skills, Joichiro Yukihira."
Looking at the busy figure in the kitchen, a fighting spirit surged in Dylan's eyes. The main reason he chose to come here today was to see how the most dazzling genius of Japan from over a decade ago had grown!
"Not the strongest... But he was the first seat of the Elite Ten."
Kikuchi Sonoka was a bit puzzled. She looked at Dylan and happened to see him looking at the kitchen, so she followed his gaze.
"Could it be that the person you're talking about is him?"
Kikuchi Sonoka was no fool. Connecting Dylan's words, she quickly guessed who the 'stronger' person he was referring to was. This ordinary-looking restaurant owner before her?
"That's right. You'll know the specifics after you taste it. Food is the one thing that doesn't lie."
As he spoke, there was movement from the kitchen. Soma Yukihira came to their table holding a beautifully plated appetizer.
"This is our shop's signature appetizer, Fried Arrowhead Slices with Sea Urchin. The arrowhead is sliced and fried until crispy, then brushed with sea urchin sauce. The texture is rich and unique. Go on, give it a try!"
Placing a plate of exquisitely shaped cuisine in front of Dylan, Soma Yukihira introduced it with enthusiasm, his eyes full of expectation as he looked at the two of them.
"Let me try."
Taking a pair of chopsticks from the side and handing them to Kikuchi Sonoka, Dylan picked up a slice of fried arrowhead and put it in his mouth.
The next moment, the fresh taste of sea urchin mixed with the savory flavor of the fried arrowhead blossomed in his mouth.
"The sea urchin here is quite fresh. It should have been harvested yesterday and delivered to the shop today. The taste is fresh, sweet, and melts in your mouth."
"I personally selected all of these at the seafood market this morning and shucked them one by one. The freshness is absolutely guaranteed!"
Hearing Dylan's praise, Soma Yukihira said with considerable pride.
"The arrowhead is also fried very crispy, the heat control is just right. Food really tastes best when it's just out of the kitchen!"
Kikuchi Sonoka also said with a happy expression. Such quality cuisine, she really didn't expect to find it in a popular eatery.
"Right! The fried arrowhead slices with sea urchin at 'Yukihira' are my favorite! I have to order a portion every time I come. A little sip of sake, a bite of fried arrowhead... slowly savoring it is pure enjoyment."
As newcomers to the shop, Dylan and Kikuchi Sonoka's arrival attracted the attention of many.
Everyone was looking forward to their shocked reactions upon tasting the cooking of the Yukihira father and son.
As for why they were so expectant.
It was probably a feeling akin to seeing one's own child succeed and being eager to let others know.
That kind of psychology existed.
"Indeed, it's very good to be able to present a dish of this level in a popular eatery. But this dish has two not-so-major flaws."
After finishing his praise, Dylan paused and began to point out the shortcomings of the dish.
"Flaws?"
Soma Yukihira was puzzled, a bad premonition instantly rising in his heart.
"That's right. The biggest problem with this dish is that the sea urchin sauce is not spread evenly. In some parts, the taste of the arrowhead is obviously too strong. Other than that, too much seasoning was used, which affected the sweetness of the sea urchin and the freshness of the arrowhead to a certain extent. Of course, setting these two points aside, everything else was handled very well. Especially using fresh sea urchin at such a cheap price, it can be said to be of great value for money."
Dylan nodded in praise. If evaluated by the standards of a popular eatery, the taste of this dish was definitely above the passing line.
"So, be more attentive when serving customers. Don't be so hasty. You've practiced this appetizer no less than a thousand times; you should be able to do it well."
Picking up a slice of fried arrowhead with sea urchin with his chopsticks, Joichiro Yukihira appeared at their side at some unknown time. He tasted the dish while speaking to Soma Yukihira with a helpless tone.
"My sincerest apologies, my son's skills are unrefined. This dish is on the house."
After reprimanding Soma Yukihira, Joichiro Yukihira rubbed his head and apologized to Dylan, at the same time comping the dish they had eaten.
"Sir, to be able to taste the flaws in the dish, you must be a connoisseur. I will personally cook the next few dishes. I won't let you down."
Sensing the lingering taste on his tongue, Joichiro Yukihira spoke. Such a subtle change in flavor, even he couldn't taste it without careful attention. Yet this young man before him noticed it upon the first bite, which spoke volumes about the acuity of his tongue.
Such a customer, logically speaking, shouldn't appear here.
But since he had appeared, Joichiro Yukihira would not have any fear; he would only think about how to satisfy his taste buds.
The more discerning the diner, the greater the sense of accomplishment the chef who made the dish would feel when they tasted the food and showed a happy expression!
"I'll be looking forward to it."
Dylan nodded, expressing his anticipation. There were two chefs in this shop: Joichiro Yukihira and Soma Yukihira.
An ordinary diner couldn't tell the difference between their cooking, but he could clearly distinguish it. That fellow Soma Yukihira was still too green.
"Mm. Soma, go attend to the other customers."
"Ah? Oh."
Hearing Dylan's words, Joichiro Yukihira nodded and instructed Soma, who was standing by in a bit of a daze. He then turned and walked towards the kitchen, at the same time taking out a hair tie from his pocket and tying up his hair, a serious expression appearing on his face.
"That dish just now, was it made by that boy?"
Coming to her senses, Kikuchi Sonoka's expression revealed surprise, as if she couldn't believe a dish of such a high standard would come from the hands of a teenager. The standard of that dish had definitely reached first-grade. A first-grade head chef of such a young age would be a rare find even at Tōtsuki!
"If one practices a single dish thousands of times, even the dullest chef can polish that dish to the standard of a first-grade dish. But that doesn't mean he is a first-grade head chef. However, with his talent and diligence, becoming a first-grade head chef is only a matter of time."
"Even so, that's already very impressive. At least at his age, I couldn't make a first-grade level dish."
Glancing at Kikuchi Sonoka, Dylan said so, then turned his gaze towards the boy who was serving customers, somewhat absentmindedly. The other party seemed to sense it and also looked over at this moment.
Their eyes met. Dylan gave him a friendly smile, and Soma Yukihira nodded in acknowledgment as well, his heart full of curiosity about this mysterious man.
For the other to be able to so easily point out the flaws in his cooking, he must also be a skilled chef; otherwise, his old man wouldn't treat him so cautiously.
But, why would such a skilled chef come to their small eatery?
It was truly hard to understand.
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