The dragon meat miso soup made by Bai Mo truly earned high praise from Kobayashi Rō.
But the problem was just as obvious — even Bai Mo himself knew he was merely borrowing the power of the ingredients.
If he wanted to reach the level of someone like Kobayashi Kaoru, who could turn an ordinary pork miso soup priced at just 600 yen into something that radiated warmth and comfort… that was something he still couldn't do.
In the world of Shokugeki no Soma, this kind of ability was called Chef's Heart.
As for Bai Mo's current skill — being able to adjust dishes according to ingredient properties, seasonal changes, and the personal preferences of customers to present the best taste and visual effect — that had already reached the level known as Heavenly Culinary Intent.
He could even integrate cooking styles and ingredients from various regions and cultures, creating brand-new dishes.
But Chef's Heart went beyond that — it was a state of total immersion in the act of cooking, a transcendental mindset. A chef with Chef's Heart didn't just care about choosing and handling ingredients. They focused on every single detail in the cooking process, striving to make each dish perfect.
More than that, they infused their own love for food, understanding of life, and care for their diners into every meal — allowing the person eating to feel a deep sense of warmth and emotion.
Kobayashi Kaoru's explanation was simple but profound. In fact, he nearly laid bare his entire understanding of Chef's Heart for Bai Mo to learn.
Even so, Bai Mo still looked somewhat confused.
Looking at Bai Mo's pure, college-student-like expression, Kobayashi Kaoru chuckled.
"Haha, seems like you've still got a lot to learn, huh?"
Bai Mo immediately played along, stepping behind him and starting to massage his shoulders.
"Ahem~ Well, that's why I need you to teach me, right, Grandpa Kobayashi?"
"Oi, oi — enough of that!"
Kaoru struggled out from Bai Mo's hands.
"Damn brat, your strength's grown again. You sure you're not meant to be a weightlifter?"
He wasn't wrong. At this point, Bai Mo could probably push boats across a river without breaking a sweat.
"In any case, if you want to comprehend Chef's Heart, your technique and culinary knowledge are already sufficient. What's truly important now—"
"—is finding your original intent."
"Original intent?"
Sure, it sounded like something overused in novels and dramas, but that didn't make it any less meaningful.
Maybe a great chef started their journey simply because they once tasted a warm, home-cooked meal made by their mother, and wanted to recreate that feeling.
Or maybe they were chasing a childhood memory, seeking to reproduce that familiar flavor from long ago.
That dish wouldn't just hold flavor — it would hold the essence of home, and the taste of a mother's love.
And that… that was the essence of Chef's Heart — transforming emotion into food.
Reflecting on his own journey into cooking, Bai Mo realized his motivation was pretty straightforward.
He simply wanted to eat delicious food.
Not something the system implanted in him.
Not even the desire born from his enhanced appetite due to the Gourmet Cells.
But his own, genuine wish — he just wanted to experience more delicious things!
Yet, how could such a feeling nurture a Chef's Heart?
Moreover, the culinary path he followed wasn't even confined to one world.
As someone who could travel between countless worlds… did something like "Chef's Heart" even apply to him?
While Bai Mo pondered, Kobayashi Kaoru didn't interrupt. He just continued preparing food.
As for Bai Mo, he slipped into a state of enlightenment, silently standing in the kitchen for a long time, not even noticing when new customers arrived.
Seeing this, Kobayashi quietly shut the back kitchen door to let him remain undisturbed.
That state lasted several hours — until the aroma of cooking finally pulled Bai Mo back.
At that moment, Kaoru was preparing two dishes: Stir-fried Pork Liver with Chives and Chive Stir-fry with Pork Liver.
They were both essentially the same dish, but the proportions differed. Regular customers — two detectives — liked it that way.
A small difference in ingredients, yet it made the dishes feel distinct.
It was amusing in its own way.
And come to think of it — wasn't Bai Mo's own culinary path also like this?
Taking ingredients from all sorts of otherworldly realms and combining them with his own techniques to create something entirely new?
Whether it was Sumeru's Butter Chicken, the Spiced Fruit Wood Roast Chicken he learned before, or the self-created Herbivore Dragon Miso Soup — every dish incorporated exotic ingredients from different worlds.
This latest soup even combined the herbivore dragon meat from the Monster Hunter universe with matsutake mushrooms from the world of Teyvat.
If his original intent was to taste more kinds of delicious food, then wasn't this process — studying otherworldly ingredients, discovering their properties, and combining them with local spices and methods to create new cuisine — the best path forward?
Just like Yukihira Jōichirō, Soma's father.
Jōichirō traveled across the world, learning techniques and collecting ingredients, making them all part of his own culinary growth.
But Bai Mo's scope was even greater — he was learning across entire worlds.
Maybe… he could be a true pioneer of gourmet cuisine.
After all, fusing flavors from multiple worlds might result in combinations no one had ever imagined before!
At that realization, Bai Mo's confusion vanished.
Chef's Heart. Original Intent.
Maybe his original intent… was to explore!
To become a pioneer on the path of gourmet discovery!
His body didn't transform — no sudden evolution or breakthrough in his stats.
But mentally, his conviction became stronger than ever.
Perhaps on the path of becoming a mad (or magnetic) cooking martial god, he could now go even farther.
Watching Bai Mo recover from his trance, Kobayashi Kaoru's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"Looks like you figured it out — your original intent."
"Yeah, Store Manager. Just a humble wish, really. I just want to eat more amazing food."
"That's no small wish, kid. If you really want to make it come true, you've got to keep working hard."
"Your path… might be a lonely one."
Bai Mo wasn't surprised.
Yukihira Jōichirō — no, Saiba Jōichirō — his story had already told him what it meant to walk that road.
Leading an entire culinary era alone was never easy.
But Bai Mo had no intention of walking it alone either.
"Don't worry, Store Manager — I'll find people to walk with me!"
"Mm." Kobayashi Kaoru gave him a deep look, then smiled.
"Alright. Go wash the vegetables. We've got red ginger tempura to fry next. That's your job."
"Got it!" Bai Mo nodded enthusiastically.
As he passed by the large pot of miso soup, he noticed something — barely any of it had been eaten.
Indeed, the regular customers of this late-night diner rarely strayed from their usual picks. Most hadn't even tried the pork miso soup, much less the dragon meat variant.
Looking at the still-full pot, Bai Mo made a quick decision.
Once he finished frying the red ginger tempura, he scooped a small bowl of the dragon meat miso soup and brought it out together with the tempura.
The girl who had ordered the tempura — a teenage girl from Osaka named Kasumi — stared at the unfamiliar bowl.
"I… didn't order this?"
"I made it. Just wanted you to try it. No charge."
Hearing that it was free, Kasumi's eyes sparkled.
She took a sniff. "Wow… it smells amazing! And it's really free?"
"Yup. Just one bowl though — not made by the Store Manager, so think of it as a surprise special from me."
"Delishhhh~! Then I'll eat it! Would be a waste not to!"
And with that, she dug in eagerly.
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T/N:
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