After settling into an empty seat, Fulen looked at the menu. The menu in this world was not much different from those on Earth; both placed their signature dishes on the front page, while other delicious but less distinctive dishes were relegated to inconspicuous corners, waiting for returning customers and gourmands to discover them.
Fulen looked at the restaurant's most popular dish. Evidently, the famous dish from Desi Bay, located south of Loen, was well-known: the Desi pie. Fulen, thinking he would have both lunch and dinner here, then dismissed the awkward idea of only choosing one Desi pie.
Turning his head, Fulen scanned the dishes that, while not as famous as the Desi pie, were still very characteristic of Desi, with the discerning eye of a gourmand. After a long while, Fulen shook his head in frustration. As a gourmand with only one stomach, Fulen often regretted not being able to eat all the dishes on the menu at once. But then again, wasn't this also the pleasure of a gourmand? Each visit to taste was a Travel for the tongue and taste buds, and Fulen thoroughly enjoyed it.
Fulen raised his hand to signal a waiter. Once the waiter arrived beside Fulen, Fulen pointed at the menu and said, "Besides the Desi pie, what other dish pairs well with it?"
The waiter skillfully replied, "For our Desi Bay-themed restaurant, besides the Desi pie, there are several other dishes that are just below it in popularity, such as Desi Seafood Pot, Desi Style Risotto, and Desi Grilled Fish. But if you're asking about the dish that pairs best with the Desi pie, it is undoubtedly the Desi Deep Sea Soup. This soup is not only incredibly fresh but also perfectly complements the Desi pie. Oh, and this is what Mr. Jimmy Rhodes, who came to our restaurant for a food tasting, said after trying all the dishes."
Fulen usually wouldn't know Jimmy Rhodes, but coincidentally, Fulen had seen an article written by this person in the Trier Daily, which he had only read once during his transmigration. The Author's introduction described him as one of Trier's most renowned food critics.
In Trier, a city known for its openness and civilization, there was never a shortage of things that made people feel beautiful. And the critics, Authors, and artists who followed were countless. Nurtured by this environment, food connoisseurs, food critics, and even food Authors emerged.
Fortunately, for those who lived by words, Trier's newspapers provided them a place to survive. Newspapers would collect, adopt, and publish their articles, and food magazines, of course, were even more supportive. Thanks to this, Trier's food literature enjoyed widespread fame throughout the world, because newspapers in other places would never publish articles unrelated to politics, news, or major events.
Fulen said to the waiter, "In that case, please bring me a famous Desi pie and a Desi Deep Sea Soup."
The well-dressed waiter, wearing a white shirt, blue vest, and black trousers, bowed and said, "Then I will prepare the Desi pie and Desi Deep Sea Soup for you."
Although there were almost no customers at the moment, the chef needed to prepare, so while the serving speed was not slow, it was far from fast. So, after waiting for the time Fulen had anticipated, two dishes with distinct Desi characteristics were placed on Fulen's table.
The Desi pie lived up to its reputation. Its golden appearance not only stimulated one's appetite, but also indicated that the pie's crust was incredibly crispy. Fulen reached out to pick up the Desi pie, and surprisingly, he didn't feel the visual greasiness when holding it; instead, it felt like holding any normal food.
Fulen was very curious, but he didn't jump to conclusions, instead preparing to try it first. Biting into this pie that thousands of gourmands yearned for, Fulen felt a magical sensation with the first bite: a crispy crust that retained its original texture, and a mouthful of fresh and fragrant filling.
The filling of this restaurant's dixi pie was not overly greasy, and it didn't contain an excessive amount of fish meat. On the contrary, Fulen felt that the amount of fish meat in this pie was not as much as in other restaurants, but it was replaced by various fillings with unique textures.
Among the fillings were crispy fruits or vegetables, and also some vegetables and meats that, when paired with fish, created something greater than the sum of their parts. The indescribable taste in Fulen's mouth made him Can't help it slowly chew, savoring the pie's lingering presence in his mouth. When Fulen swallowed the pie, he still felt the lingering fragrance in his mouth.
Unlike the greasy feeling of meat pies after eating, perhaps due to the addition of some spices or vegetables that don't exist on Earth, Fulen's mouth now felt very refreshed. And the pie in his stomach not only didn't curb Fulen's appetite, but actually made it even more vigorous.
Fulen thought to himself, "Hmm, after I finish this, I'll order another pie."
Fulen contentedly took two more bites of the pie, then turned his attention to the Desi Deep Sea Soup, which was said to pair well with the Desi pie. The Desi Deep Sea Soup looked very ordinary: several kinds of fish meat combined with sea vegetables and a clear seafood broth. This soup didn't grab attention like some renowned soups, but it revealed a hint of extraordinary in its ordinariness.
With a slurp, Fulen scooped a spoonful of soup and inhaled it. This soup indeed had a very ordinary taste, but, influenced by some unknown factor, the lingering pie flavor in Fulen's mouth blended with this spoonful of soup, like drinking cold water when your mouth is very sensitive after eating a mint, but the sensation wasn't as intense. Fulen couldn't help but let out a contented groan.
When he came to his senses, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Fulen's usually unchanging face, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. He looked around; there were no other customers nearby, and the waiters in the distance were casually chatting. Fulen finally calmed his embarrassed feelings.
Fulen pretended nothing had happened and lowered his head, savoring the double stimulation of the dixi pie and Desi Seafood Soup. Fulen managed his eating pace, and when half of the seafood soup remained, he called a waiter to add another dixi pie.
This dixi pie arrived quickly. While the seafood soup hadn't completely cooled, Fulen devoured all the food.
After Fulen settled the bill, he realized that while the restaurant's food was impeccable, the price was not so pretty. It had almost emptied all the money Fulen had on him. One should know that the money Fulen carried was roughly equivalent to what a middle-class person could save in half a year without eating or drinking.
Fulen painfully rubbed his wallet, realizing he could only walk home, or walk directly to the family gathering. "I'm having such a hard time," Fulen thought, on the verge of tears.