"Yes and no. This is just one type of molecular gastronomy. To meet the high demand of rotating customers, I chose this type of molecular dish that can be assembled quickly. It increases the efficiency of my cooking."
Hearing Okabe's somewhat feeling full words, Alice Nakiri answered with a smile.
"Oh no, what I just made has been eaten again. Sorry, feel free to look around, I'm going back to cook. My goal is to qualify tonight, so remember to vote for me."
But just as she was speaking cheerfully, she suddenly noticed that the cooking station behind her had been cleared out.
So, without hesitation, she apologized to Okabe and the others and jogged back to her station, quickly getting back into the zone.
"Molecular gastronomy, huh? It feels novel, but due to its unique nature, it's not very suitable for a doubles match with a partner. On one hand, not everyone understands molecular gastronomy.
On the other, besides the novelty, it's pretty average in other aspects. But this probably isn't a problem with molecular gastronomy itself. It's likely because Alice is still young and doesn't have enough culinary experience to pair ingredients perfectly."
Watching the busy Alice Nakiri at her cooking station, Lan Kexin mentally crossed her off the list.
She was here today not just for the birthday banquet, but more importantly, to find suitable contestants. The Shokugeki was tonight, so time was extremely tight.
However, she had walked a full circle around the North Courtyard and hadn't found any suitable candidates. None of the truly skilled chefs had come to the Nakiri estate. After all, the Nakiri family was a clan far away in Japan.
Even if it offered a relatively good opportunity for exposure for young chefs, it would only attract second-rate geniuses. Those who were slightly more skilled didn't lack opportunities to make a name for themselves. Thus, the Nakiri estate held no attraction for them.
This was the current situation. After organizing her thoughts, a troubled look appeared on Lan Kexin's face. In this situation, even trying to pick the best of a bad bunch was very difficult.
"Let's go see Erina next. I wonder what kind of dish she has prepared."
Seeing that Alice Nakiri was getting busier, Leonora Nakiri didn't want to disturb her any longer and suggested this to Okabe and Lan Kexin beside her.
"Alright. Coincidentally, I also want to meet this great young lady of the Nakiri family."
Hearing Leonora Nakiri's words, Lan Kexin nodded after a brief moment of distraction.
Rumor had it that the Nakiri family had two granddaughters with extraordinary talent, and Erina Nakiri, in particular, had inherited the family's generational gift, the God's Tongue. Alice Nakiri's performance was already surprising enough, so she naturally began to look forward to seeing Erina Nakiri.
She wanted to see what a dish made by the legendary God's Tongue tasted like. It was known that throughout history, chefs with such extrasensory talents would display culinary skills far superior to their peers, even surpassing many adult chefs, from a young age.
Although what Erina Nakiri possessed wasn't an extrasensory talent, the God's Tongue was by no means inferior to the Super Taste in its ability to discern flavors in cooking, and was even superior in some aspects.
If not for the curse that plagued its bearers and its extremely low inheritance rate—perhaps only one in several hundred people—there would probably be droves of people wanting to marry into the Nakiri family.
For a mother and daughter like Mana Nakiri and Erina Nakiri to both possess the God's Tongue was a situation that could be described as one in ten thousand without any exaggeration.
While she was lost in thought, Okabe and Leonora Nakiri had already walked some distance ahead.
Seeing this, Lan Kexin quickly sped up to catch them.
"BOOM!"
A powerful flame shot towards the sky, riveting the eyes of the surrounding spectators. A pink-haired girl stood in the center of the crowd. Before her was a massive iron wok, half her size, currently roiling with flames. A closer look revealed ramen noodles inside, stir-fried to a black color.
Wait, black?!
"Little girl, your fried noodles are already black. Isn't the heat a bit too high?"
The raging flames combined with the black fried noodles clearly indicated that the noodles were carbonized. Some newly arrived spectators kindly reminded her. The little girl before them looked so delicate and sweet; she probably hadn't cooked much at home. Otherwise, it would be impossible for her to be unaware that her noodles had been fried black.
But logically, fried noodles this burnt should be giving off a burnt smell. Why did the wok smell so fragrant? And why did the other ingredients still look normal...
"This is squid ink pasta! It's supposed to be black!"
"This little girl is amazing. She can judge the doneness of the fried noodles without even looking at their color, cooking them to perfection. It's hard for me to describe in words, you'll know once you taste it!"
A man beside them spoke up, his face filled with longing as he stared at the squid ink noodles tossing in the wok. He had already eaten several plates.
"Back there is..."
"That seems to be her older brother. The squid ink noodles the little girl is frying are hand-pulled by him on the spot. I have to say, he's a highly skilled guy. In the hands of the dwarf-like man, the jet-black noodles seemed to have a life of their own, weaving between his fingers and dancing freely in the air before landing on the cutting board with a 'thwack', completing a portion of noodles."
Nearby, the pink-haired girl let out a breath and poured the seafood fried noodles from the wok onto a plate, garnished with a dozen large shrimp balls. Because there were quite a few spectators, the pink-haired girl didn't serve it all on one plate. She divided one wok of fried noodles into more than ten portions, each with only one shrimp ball.
"Sauté the onions until fragrant, stir-fry the carrots and shiitake mushrooms until cooked, then add the julienned green and red bell peppers, and bean sprouts with the heads and tails removed, leaving only the middle part. After the vegetables are cooked, add the freshly cooked and drained squid ink noodles. Stir-fry over high heat, then season with pepper, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce. Finally, add the fried shrimp balls, chives, and a little umami sauce before plating."
Okabe, Leonora Nakiri, and Lan Kexin arrived just as the fried noodles were being served. Smelling the tempting aroma in the air, Lan Kexin spoke.
Figuring they were already here, the three of them each went up and took a portion of the fried noodles.
"The aroma of the black pepper has been perfectly brought out, along with the dry fragrance of the noodles and the shrimp. The entire dish is of the dry and fragrant type. Because the black pepper isn't spicy enough, some white pepper must have been added to increase the heat, but the clever part is that the white pepper doesn't overpower the aroma of the black pepper itself."
Feeling the flavor on his tongue, Okabe gave a fair assessment.
"I have to say, the heat control is excellent. The sweet aroma of the onions, the rich flavor of the shiitake mushrooms, the sweetness of the carrots, and the crisp texture from the bean sprouts and bell peppers are perfectly coordinated with the dry fragrance of the noodles and shrimp balls!"
A look of surprise flashed in Lan Kexin's eyes.
As a very common dish for the masses, almost anyone can make fried noodles, but the difference in quality can be greater than that between a man and a dog. Some people can elevate simple fried noodles to a luminescent level, while others, even following the steps meticulously, will only end up with burnt noodles. This is a dish with a very wide range of potential outcomes.
If this little girl's family doesn't specialize in the fried noodle business, her ability to make them to this level is a testament to her mastery of heat control.
"The squid ink in the squid ink fried noodles is the essence. It gives the fried noodles a unique and deep savory flavor of the ocean. This umami is not direct like that of fish or shrimp, but a richer, more mysterious undertone."
Leonora Nakiri frowned, trying to think of the right adjective, but after a long while, she couldn't find a suitable one and could only say that much.
"Squid ink is hailed as the black gold gifted by the ocean. Its flavor is unique and complex, but because of its deep color, relatively few people use it."
Hearing Leonora Nakiri's explanation, Lan Kexin added a comment from the side.
"To combine squid ink with ramen to create squid ink noodles and coordinate it so closely with other ingredients is indeed a very good idea."
Okabe nodded in agreement. The complex flavor of the squid ink paired with fresh, sweet vegetables and fragrant fried noodles was simply the most perfect combination!
And then there were the shrimp balls. The shrimp balls, fried to a translucent crisp and then stir-fried in the wok, had a crunchy exterior and a plump, springy interior. Their pure, explosive umami was released the moment you chewed. This texture corresponded with the dry fragrance of the noodles, enhancing the flavors of both.
All these positive factors came together, culminating in this small plate—a small dish of squid ink seafood fried noodles with a three-bite portion for each person!
"Brother, we're out of squid ink noodles!"
Looking at the empty noodle bag, the pink-haired girl shouted to the dwarf-like man behind her.
Hearing her, the dwarf-like man didn't respond immediately. He silently pulled a piece of dough from the board and began his performance in front of everyone. Okabe watched as his hands moved like fluttering butterflies, stretching, flinging, and pulling the ink-black dough. The once-thick dough instantly transformed into countless fine threads.
"Amazing! He pulled the ramen in an instant. Without at least five years of study in flour-based foods, you could never achieve such smoothness."
Okabe couldn't help but praise him.
As a pasta boy who had studied flour-based foods for three years, he could see the technique at a glance. Simply put, it was about stretching the ramen at an astonishing speed and then folding it continuously several times. This method was much faster than repeatedly stretching and folding the ramen. The downside was that if you didn't control the force well, the ramen would stick together into a clump, making it impossible to pull such clearly separated strands.
"Catch!"
As Okabe was thinking, the dwarf-like man tossed the squid ink noodles without even looking, and they landed securely in the pink-haired girl's noodle bag.
In addition, another portion of squid ink noodles went into the boiling stockpot nearby. The stockpot bubbled, quickly cooking the squid ink noodles. The pink-haired girl then scooped them out, gave them a powerful shake to drain the water, and set them aside. The next moment, onions went into the wok...
"It's them! If they can cook ordinary fried noodles to this level, their own skills must be formidable. Moreover, as siblings, they coordinate closely. While I wouldn't say they have a telepathic connection, they're definitely better than an ordinary pair. They're absolutely the best choice for the doubles match!"
Thinking this, Lan Kexin took a few steps forward.
Seeing her do this, Okabe and Leonora Nakiri silently stopped to wait, a curious look appearing in their eyes, wondering what she was about to do.
"Hello, my name is Lan Kexin, the only daughter of Lan Tianqiu, a Special-Grade Chef from Guangzhou, China. I would like to invite you to participate in a competition. If you win, the Lan family will give you an incredibly generous reward, and it will also be a chance for you to make a name for yourselves. I wonder if you would be willing."
Thinking about her wording, Lan Kexin spoke to the pink-haired girl, her voice full of sincerity.
"Sorry, we have no intention of participating in any competition."
The pink-haired girl tossed the noodles high into the air from the wok. As they fell, she gave Lan Kexin a bright smile and then bluntly refused.
"Why? Didn't you come to the Nakiri estate and set up a booth here to make a name for yourselves?"
Lan Kexin's brows furrowed slightly. She had thought this invitation was a sure thing. After all, winning prize money and fame was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Since they came to the Nakiri estate and were showcasing their cooking skills in public, dividing their fried noodles into a dozen portions for people to taste... She absolutely refused to believe that such people had no desire for fame whatsoever.
"They did indeed come to make a name for themselves."
However, at that moment, a voice came from a distance. A tall man, leading a yellow ox by a rope, slowly approached with steady steps.
"Qingfeng!?"
Finding the voice vaguely familiar, Lan Kexin looked towards the source, and her expression turned cold.
"We meet again, Miss Lan."
Seeing Lan Kexin's displeased expression, Qingfeng returned a faint smile, then led the old yellow ox to her, a large saber strapped to his back.
"Although I knew you were short on people, I didn't realize it was to this extent, trying to poach members from our Dark Culinary World."
"They did come here to make a name for themselves, but not for you, for us. We also hope you can find opponents worthy of their skill."
As Qingfeng's words fell, Lan Kexin's face turned shades of red and pale.
She had tried to poach people from the Dark Culinary World, and was rejected in front of this large crowd. No matter how thick-skinned she was, she felt embarrassed at this moment. Furthermore, such powerful experts were actually contestants from the Dark Culinary World?! This discovery made her heart sink. From morning until now, she hadn't found a single contestant at the Nakiri estate who could match their skills. If she let those others compete, they would likely be crushed.
"What are you doing here?"
At this thought, she couldn't help but feel annoyed and asked Qingfeng with a cold expression.
"Miss Lan is truly a busy person. Has it only been a day and you've already forgotten our prior agreement? We are here, of course, for the Shokugeki."
"According to our agreement, the first round is a match between you and me. The theme, as stated by Senior Lan, is 'create a dish using parts of a cow other than the meat.' I've even brought the cow for you. Isn't that considerate?"
As he spoke, Qingfeng patted the old yellow ox following him. He was leading the first match, and before coming, he had sworn an oath to defeat Lan Kexin.
"How can it be so soon? I thought our agreed time was tonight..."
Hearing Qingfeng's words, Lan Kexin's face turned slightly pale, but remembering their agreement, she still spoke with a cold expression.
"The agreed location was the Nakiri estate, and the time was when the Nakiri estate is at its liveliest. We haven't broken any rules."
Qingfeng's voice was light and teasing. As he finished speaking, a group of members from the Dark Culinary World, wearing masks and black robes, appeared behind him.
As soon as these members appeared, they scattered in all directions, making the atmosphere on site exceptionally lively, or more accurately, tumultuous. Many guests who had come for the birthday banquet showed expressions of terror upon seeing the Dark Culinary World. Even those who didn't recognize them turned pale after hearing their name and deeds from others nearby. And just as agreed, this was the liveliest moment at the Nakiri estate!
"So this was your plan, to strike when my father hasn't found contestants for the doubles match. What a despicable organization!"
Lan Kexin said angrily.
"We are called the Dark Culinary World, after all. 'Despicable' is naturally our byword. If we weren't a little despicable, what would be the difference between us and you?!"
In response to Lan Kexin's scolding, Qingfeng laughed heartily. As long as he could win the Shokugeki and get his hands on the Garuda Knife, he wouldn't care if Lan Kexin called him despicable, or even if she cursed his entire family. After all, his entire family was already dead.
"Creak, creak"
Lan Kexin clenched her fists tightly, desperately wanting to go up and punch him, but she ultimately restrained herself. Now was not the time to lose her composure.
She hadn't had any luck here, but maybe her father had found suitable people. If worst comes to worst, she and her father would just have to win their matches. It's best two out of three, they could still win!
"I don't want to go anywhere else, this stage right in the center is quite nice. I hear it's for the chefs who get voted for tonight? It's prepared quite well."
Looking at the central cooking station, which was clearly more high-end than the others, Qingfeng couldn't help but exclaim, gently patting the head of the old yellow ox beside him.
"Let's start the match now!"
"The time limit is one hour. The theme is 'create a dish using parts of a cow other than the meat'. If there are no objections, please take the stage."
Looking at Lan Kexin, Qingfeng spoke with great authority.
"The cow hasn't even been slaughtered yet. Let's wait for the professional butchering team to arrive."
Lan Kexin could only try her best to delay at this point.
Due to the arrival of Qingfeng and the Dark Culinary World, the surrounding spectators either dispersed or gathered in a crowd. The chefs who had been demonstrating their cooking also stopped what they were doing, watching the Dark Culinary World with a mixture of curiosity, surprise, longing, and admiration.
"Miss Lan need not worry about that. Since I brought the ox here, I naturally have a way to slaughter and process it."
"Fierce Bull Azure Dragon Slash!"
Feeling the gazes of the crowd gathering around him, a look of intoxication appeared on Qingfeng's face. He then drew the large saber from his back, his expression suddenly becoming serious.
The next moment, the ox let out a "moo," seeming to sense its fatal destiny and wanting to struggle, but Qingfeng gave it no chance. The large saber in his hand slashed repeatedly. His eyes grew sharper, and the large yellow ox fell to the ground, its eyes not even having had time to close.
"Hoo..."
After a flurry of slashes, he sheathed his large saber again.
____
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