"Drink some soup before the meal. This bowl of mushroom soup is the second course today. It's a dish made by simply seasoning and cooking fr
"Drink some soup before the meal. This bowl of mushroom soup is the second course today. It's a dish made by simply seasoning and cooking fresh button mushrooms."
Joichiro Yukihira steadily carried two large bowls of mushroom soup out from the kitchen. Looking at Dylan and Kikuchi Sonoka, he explained as he placed the bowls down.
"A pure mushroom soup? It's indeed a very good pre-meal soup. Let me see how it tastes..."
Dylan nodded, then picked up the soup Joichiro had placed before him, took a sip, and closed his eyes to savor it carefully. Savory, sweet, with a refreshing and non-greasy texture. It went down incredibly smoothly!
"Not bad. Thanks to the texture of the button mushrooms themselves, the soup manages to have a certain lightness while maintaining a rich flavor. Salt and pepper have been added as base seasonings, providing a foundational taste to the dish without overpowering the flavor of the mushrooms themselves."
Dylan nodded. The soup's flavor was very fresh, perfect as an appetizer. Its rich savory notes and sweet taste could quickly awaken the palate, and its refreshing texture wouldn't burden the stomach too much.
"I quite like this soup too. One sip and my eyebrows are about to fall off from the sheer freshness!"
Raising her eyebrows, Kikuchi Sonoka closed her eyes with a look of pure enjoyment, speaking words of praise. She then turned her gaze towards Joichiro Yukihira in the kitchen. At this moment, Joichiro Yukihira was busy in the kitchen, exclusively responsible for Dylan and her dishes, while Soma Yukihira was by his side, responsible for the other customers' meals.
Although the father and son didn't say a word, they coordinated with incredible closeness. When Joichiro Yukihira was stir-frying at the stove, Soma Yukihira would pass him the seasonings. When Soma Yukihira finished chopping something that needed marinating, Joichiro Yukihira would hand him an egg and a bowl.
After all, having fought side-by-side in the kitchen for so long, the two had already formed an astonishing rapport. Just watching them cook was a form of enjoyment.
After finishing the soup, Dylan watched Soma Yukihira's movements and nodded to himself. No wonder this guy could become a protagonist. Years of kitchen experience had laid a solid foundation for him, and his skills were at the upper level of a second-grade chef.
Without the special training Dylan had conducted recently, if Soma Yukihira were to take the transfer student exam, he could at least become one of the top five experts at Tōtsuki Academy.
But now...
Thinking of the Tōtsuki students whose strength had soared after training, the current Soma Yukihira would probably find it difficult to even rank in the top ten.
However, this was because he hadn't fallen into Dylan's hands. If he were strictly trained by him for a period, he should be able to reach the peak level of a second-grade chef in a short time.
"Next is the main course. We will serve the dishes according to the menu order. First up is the Eel Rice Bowl, please enjoy."
Bringing two exquisitely presented Eel Rice Bowls to Dylan's table, Soma Yukihira's voice sounded.
"Understood."
Taking one of the Eel Rice Bowls, Dylan nodded, then looked at the dish before him, a look of appreciation in his eyes. After being grilled, the eel's surface presented an alluring golden-brown color, forming a sharp contrast with the pure white rice below.
The rice was sprinkled with some shredded nori, sesame seeds, or chopped green onions as a garnish. The colors of these ingredients added a splash of brightness to the whole dish.
Just looking at such an Eel Rice Bowl was enough to whet one's appetite. Dylan swallowed, a greedy expression appearing on his face. Without hesitation, he picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of eel.
"Delicious! The grilled eel skin is crispy, and in sharp contrast to the crispy skin is the fresh, tender, and juicy meat inside!"
On the other side, Kikuchi Sonoka tasted it a step ahead of him, an expression of enjoyment on her face. Clearly, the taste of the Eel Rice Bowl had greatly exceeded her imagination.
"The crispy yet tender and juicy eel, combined with the perfectly seasoned sauce and the fragrant, soft, and delicious rice—the three blend together perfectly."
A bite of eel, a bite of rice. Feeling the flavors erupting in his mouth, Dylan couldn't help but praise. As a dish from a popular eatery, the taste of this Eel Rice Bowl was undoubtedly top-tier among top-tiers!
A few simple ingredients, yet when combined, they burst forth with such astonishing deliciousness. It was truly worthy of being one of Japan's classic dishes. Dylan praised inwardly, then looked forward to the upcoming dishes even more.
However, just at this moment, the originally calm kitchen suddenly erupted in a burst of golden light. A smile played on Joichiro Yukihira's lips, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.
"A glowing dish?!"
Seeing that dazzling golden light, Kikuchi Sonoka exclaimed, her face full of shock, clearly not expecting this small eatery to have a master capable of making glowing cuisine.
"The level of a Five-Star Special Grade Chef? No, it should be the upper level of a Four-Star Special Grade Chef. Otherwise, the frequency of producing glowing dishes would be higher. For Japan's top genius from over a decade ago, having such strength is understandable. But the step from Four-Star to Five-Star is still a long road!"
Compared to Kikuchi Sonoka's shock, Dylan appeared very calm. He had seen too many Special Grade Chefs on his journey, and he had also seen old men who were stuck at the Four-Star bottleneck for over thirty years and eventually died with regret.
"I think I understand why you said he is even more formidable than Head Chef Dojima. Even Head Chef Dojima has only just entered the Four-Star Special Grade level now. It's said he can only produce one glowing dish every dozen or so dishes."
Withdrawing her gaze, Kikuchi Sonoka looked at Dylan with an expression of sudden realization. No wonder her teacher was so concerned about that man. With such skill, he could not be taken lightly!
"So, never underestimate anyone. Sometimes, a seemingly unremarkable little shop might be hiding a formidable chef."
Dylan smiled faintly, and as he looked up, he saw Joichiro Yukihira walking towards him, holding the dish he had just finished cooking.
"This dish is called Three-Freshness Japanese Tofu..."
Looking at Dylan's incredibly calm gaze, Joichiro Yukihira's heart skipped a beat. He placed the dish in front of him, a strong fighting spirit igniting in his heart.
He refused to believe that he couldn't make a dish that would satisfy him!
And so, from opening to closing, Joichiro Yukihira never stopped cooking, while Dylan remained seated in a corner of the shop.
Kikuchi Sonoka had long since put down her chopsticks, being too full, but Dylan's stomach was like a bottomless pit, impossible to fill.
"This customer is really strange. He doesn't look very big, yet he can eat so many dishes. And no matter what delicious food Dad brings out, his expression never changes."
Wiping a table with a cloth, cleaning up the remnants left by the previous customer, Soma Yukihira secretly watched Dylan, such doubts appearing in his mind. By now, all the other customers had left, only Dylan and his companion remained in their seats.
No matter what dish Joichiro brought out, he could eat it, but he never seemed full, maintaining a leisurely demeanor like a fisherman calmly waiting for a bite.
"Sir, the shop is closing. All the dishes you ordered have been served. There aren't many ingredients left in the kitchen. How about we call it a day? This palate-cleansing cold dish is on the house."
Placing a palate-cleansing cold dish in front of Dylan and seeing his unfazed expression, Joichiro Yukihira was also getting slightly annoyed. A customer who could never be satisfied was not a good customer for a chef.
"Is this already your limit? It took a bit longer than I thought. I hear you still have some ingredients left in the kitchen. Let's use those to have a match. After eating so much, I feel like stretching my muscles a bit."
Hearing Joichiro Yukihira's words, Dylan put down the teacup in his hand, then turned to look at his face and said these words.
"You want to have a match with my old man?!"
The first to react was not Joichiro Yukihira, but Soma Yukihira, who was wiping the table. The young man's face showed shock, and he then took a few steps forward to stand before him.
"That's right. I'll leave after we compete. If you lose, you'll sign your name in here."
As he spoke, Dylan took a small booklet from his coat, tossed it onto the table in front of Joichiro Yukihira, revealing the large characters on it.
[Shokugeki Registry]
After that little test just now, he had already confirmed that Joichiro Yukihira possessed the strength of a Five-Star Special Grade Chef. He had underestimated him earlier.
After that one glowing dish, Joichiro Yukihira produced a glowing dish almost every two dishes, clearly not having been serious before.
"Sign my name? What is this..."
Hearing Dylan's words, a thoughtful expression appeared on Joichiro Yukihira's face. He then picked up the small booklet and opened it.
"Six-Star Special Grade Chef Wang Beihai, defeated by Dylan in September of '15. Signature: Wang Beihai."
"Five-Star Special Grade Chef Ning Laomian, defeated by Dylan in October of '15. Signature: Ning Laomian."
"Six-Star Special Grade Chef..."
The thick booklet, on every page, recorded the defeat and signature of a certain Special Grade Chef. A quick flip through revealed it had eleven pages.
"These are all famous Special Grade Chefs from China. How can this be?!"
Swallowing hard and closing the booklet in his hands, Joichiro Yukihira was beyond shocked, because he had heard of more than half the names in the booklet. He looked up at the young man before him, who looked to be no more than twenty! How could a young man of such an age possess such terrifying strength?!
"As a Five-Star Special Grade Chef, you should have heard of the conditions to become a Dragon Chef, right?"
Dylan showed little reaction to Joichiro Yukihira's shock, instead getting up and walking towards the kitchen.
"The conditions to become a Dragon Chef? What's a Dragon Chef?"
Before Joichiro Yukihira could speak, Soma Yukihira asked with confusion first. Beside them, Kikuchi Sonoka also cast a curious gaze, clearly hearing this title for the first time.
In her view, a Five-Star Special Grade Chef was already an existence to be looked up to. How could she be concerned with the even more distant Dragon Chef?
"A Dragon Chef is a legend. A legend who stands above all other chefs."
After a moment of silence, looking at Dylan's back, Joichiro Yukihira's voice slowly echoed in the hall.
"A legend who stands above all other chefs?"
The moment Joichiro Yukihira's words fell, Soma Yukihira cried out in shock, the cloth in his hand falling onto the table.
"That's right. I only learned about this last year, about the method to become a Dragon Chef in this world. I had originally decided to travel abroad in another year. I didn't expect to encounter someone who was already on that journey."
Joichiro Yukihira shook his head with a wry smile. It seemed there were quite a few people in this world who wanted to become a Dragon Chef. He had only been a Five-Star Special Grade Chef for a year, and someone had already come to his door, even though he had no fame at all.
"What exactly is the method to become a Dragon Chef?"
Kikuchi Sonoka asked with a face full of curiosity. Setting aside everything else, just the phrase 'a legend who stands above all other chefs' made her feel a surge of excitement, as if something was burning inside her.
"There are two conditions to become a Dragon Chef. The first condition is to defeat 100 chefs of Five-Star Special Grade or higher and have them write their names in a book signifying their defeat. The second is to hold a three-month-long Dragon Chef Gauntlet, where you must accept challenges from famous chefs from all over the world in a wheel-battle format. At that time, the World Gourmet Organization will send invitations to all existing experts above Five-Star Special Grade. Defeating the host grants a direct two-star promotion. Faced with such a temptation, basically no chef will refuse. Likewise, the pressure on the challenger is also immense."
Joichiro Yukihira's voice was rarely so serious, because this was also the path he was about to walk, and he had done a lot of research for it. After becoming a Five-Star Special Grade Chef, one needed to register with the World Chef Association and would receive a small booklet.
This booklet would record all battles after Five-Star, with a total of one hundred and three pages. Only after winning 100 Shokugekis would one be qualified to open the Dragon Chef Gauntlet.
The last one to open the Dragon Chef Gauntlet was a God of Cookery named Feng Qingzheng from fifty years ago, who was proficient in all Eight Great Cuisines of China.
An Eight-Star Special Grade Chef, who actually possessed the strength of a Nine-Star Special Grade Chef.
He spent three years defeating one hundred chefs above Five-Star Special Grade, and finally, due to old age and lack of energy, he was defeated in the three-month-long wheel battle, his streak ended by an Eight-Star Special Grade Chef.
"Wait, Dad, you never said you were a Five-Star Special Grade Chef! Also, last year? When did you take the exam?!"
While Joichiro Yukihira was lost in shock, Soma's focus, however, was on a different, critical detail, and he asked with a face full of disbelief.
"Hahaha, wasn't I afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it and wouldn't dare to compete with me anymore? That's why I kept it from you."
Hearing Soma Yukihira's words, Joichiro Yukihira let out a laugh, trying to gloss it over, but his son's determined gaze made him shake his head slightly.
"I'll tell you about this matter after the competition ends. Let's put it aside for now."
"Okay."
Looking at Dylan, who was surveying the kitchen, Joichiro Yukihira said this, then strode in and stood beside him.
"The ingredients in the kitchen aren't quite enough for me to perform at my best. Since this is a challenge, I hope to use my best dishes for this match. So please, come again tomorrow night."
Looking at Dylan, who was looking left and right in the kitchen with a probing look in his eyes, Joichiro Yukihira spoke. The other party was able to defeat so many experts above Five-Star Special Grade; his strength was certainly not to be underestimated. Rushing into battle would likely end in defeat.
As the one being challenged, he naturally hoped to cook in his best state, rather than easily wasting this opportunity.
"Alright. I will pay a visit again tomorrow night."
Hearing Joichiro Yukihira's words, Dylan didn't say much, just nodded. He could understand the other's thoughts and naturally wouldn't object.
He was never afraid of people preparing; on the contrary, he was afraid they wouldn't prepare, as that would be no fun at all.
"If there are no problems, let's set the theme of this Shokugeki to popular cuisine. We will not use any high-grade ingredients and will create an original popular dish. The people from the shopping district will be the judges."
"That sounds interesting. Okay, I accept this theme."
Hearing Joichiro Yukihira's words, Dylan nodded and said in agreement. He liked interesting duels, and he liked chefs with ideas even more, because only then could he enjoy the fun of cooking.
"Then let's set the time for five o'clock tomorrow evening, here. We'll provide our own ingredients, and the winner will be decided by the number of dishes sold. How about that?"
Joichiro Yukihira hesitated slightly. Selling popular cuisine here, no matter how he thought about it, he had the advantage, as the customers here were all his regulars.
Based on past friendship, everyone would definitely support him more, which was not very favorable for Dylan in any aspect.
"That's fine."
He had expected Dylan to refuse, or at least suggest a different location. But to Joichiro Yukihira's surprise, Dylan agreed immediately, without a shred of hesitation.
"Are you sure? This place is very advantageous for us..."
Soma Yukihira asked with confusion. He had the same thought as Joichiro Yukihira, believing the current situation was favorable to them and that the other party should propose a change of venue.
"What does it matter? In a cooking duel, you compete on skill, not on personal connections. There's a kitchen here, and there are customers. Finding another place would be a hassle."
Hearing his words, Dylan shrugged, then took the suitcase he had placed by his seat.
"If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving now."
As he spoke, Dylan looked at Kikuchi Sonoka beside him. At this moment, the young woman was holding the small booklet he had just dropped, her eyes full of admiration as she looked at him. Seeing his gaze, she immediately came forward to help.
"Take care on your way. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Seeing Dylan and Kikuchi Sonoka off at the door, Joichiro Yukihira stood inside the shop and said his farewells, then closed the shop door.
"Dad, is that guy really strong? Even you don't have the confidence to beat him?"
Closing the shop door and looking at his father's grave expression, Soma Yukihira asked hesitantly, a bad premonition suddenly welling up in his heart.
"There are countless skilled chefs in this world. Before the competition ends, I don't know what the final result will be, let alone speak of confidence. But as long as I give it my all and leave no regrets, the outcome of winning or losing isn't actually that important. However, I will win."
Looking out the shop door at the receding backs of Dylan and Kikuchi Sonoka as they dragged their luggage away, Joichiro Yukihira spoke with a serious expression.
"Tell me everything after you win."
Following Joichiro Yukihira's gaze, Dylan and their figures had already disappeared. Soma Yukihira looked at his father's face and said.
"Mm. Let's start cooking! That guy is a formidable opponent. If we don't prepare well, we might very well lose."
"Alright! Let me be your opponent!"
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