Tasting!
Still ongoing!
After devouring the entire beef burger in one go, Erina smacked her lips, feeling unsatisfied. She then picked up a portion of anchovy fries nearby and continued to munch on them!
Only then did she fully awaken from the shock of the beef burger. The handsome Shopkeeper Sosuke's Restaurant truly was the strongest among the many chefs she had met in her life!
Fragrant!
Crispy!
Sweet!
Savory!
The anchovy fries, which blended these complex flavors, still prevented Erina from tasting the original flavor of the tofu dregs.
The fries had a very unique texture; the crispy fries paired with tender anchovies instantly made her fall in love with them upon tasting.
Especially the perfect fusion of the anchovies' deliciousness and the fries' own crispness made her feel the beauty of the blend of ocean and land!
At the same time.
A little bit of chopped green onion.
Plus the seasoning of salt and pepper.
Made this unassuming Western fast food snack even more delicious!
"This taste."
"How should I describe it?"
"It's like... hmm, soldiers in golden armor bravely crossing an unknown ocean to adventure, explore, and conquer!"
At this moment, as Erina began to think about which words to use to describe the taste of the anchovy fries, suddenly, her taste buds were enveloped by the crispy texture and rich potato aroma of the fries.
Every fry seemed to be telling her its story, narrating its journey to becoming the bravest soldier.
So much so that she seemed to feel the courage and persistence of these tiny soldiers as they tumbled in the frying pan, even using their own lives to interpret what deliciousness truly was!
"Huh?"
"How strange."
"Why am I starting to shed tears?"
Unintentionally.
A tear from the corner of her eye slowly dripped down Erina's exquisite cheek onto the ground.
In her mind, a very blurry figure suddenly came to mind: her mother, who had once suffered from being unable to escape the curse of the God Tongue.
She had quietly chosen to leave home, turning her back on her.
Over the years.
Her feelings for her mother.
Were very complex, containing both hatred and longing!
Now, after continuously eating the beef burger and anchovy fries, Erina actually thought of her mother, Nagiri Mana, again!
...
A special taste.
Erina, of course, would use her God Tongue to analyze it carefully.
However, for the memories deeply etched in her mind, she could not use any power to forget or erase them!
In her childhood.
She was also quite interested in these mediocre dishes.
But her father, Nakiri Azami, in order to fully unleash the potential of the God Tongue, actually forced upon her the extreme educational philosophy that "mediocre cuisine is garbage, and absolutely cannot lead a new era of cooking."
Ultimately.
Directly led to.
Erina began to pursue higher-grade ingredients in her cooking.
She would even accept any upper-class food and fixed methods, while completely rejecting commoner cuisine!
But at this moment, Sosuke, using cheap, almost free ingredients like toast, tofu dregs, and rice bran, made three Western fast food items, once again subverting Erina's perception of commoner cuisine!
His cooking.
Was like a lamp, beginning to illuminate the path ahead.
Allowing Erina, who was deeply mired in darkness, to gradually find her direction in life!
...
"Although."
"I... I really don't want to admit it."
"But the dishes you make truly satisfy me."
"Whether it was the beef burger just now, or these crispy anchovy fries, whether it was the toast and tofu dregs, or the beef patty and fries..."
"These flavors all amaze me and will be unforgettable for a lifetime!"
Then, wiping away her tears and composing herself, Erina, blushing, said softly.
At this moment, she was wondering if she could truly be like Sosuke, using simple ingredients to make simple dishes.
But could such simple dishes satisfy all diners, and even satisfy her own God Tongue?
After much thought, the answer she gave herself was:
Impossible!
She, absolutely could not make such dishes!
...
"People!
"May have distinctions of nobility and commonness, but cuisine does not.
"Although affordable ingredients are often the most common, you can easily buy them at any supermarket or meat and vegetable market.
"But if you analyze them from the perspective of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other beneficial components for the human body, you will find that rare ingredients and affordable ingredients seem to be no different!
"Ultimately."
"Whether it's mediocre or noble!"
"These are nothing more than human subjective consciousness at work."
"As a chef, you only need to make dishes that satisfy all diners, and that is enough."
These words.
Is there any problem with them?
In fact, if you ponder them carefully, you will find that what Sosuke said was somewhat ambiguous, but there was no problem at all.
And he was indeed proving this point with his own actions.
However.
No matter what.
This argument deeply struck Erina!
But she couldn't find any reason to refute it.
Helplessly, Erina had no choice but to raise her head and carefully examine Sosuke again.
It seemed she desperately wanted to peek into all the secrets of this Izakaya Shopkeeper.
She even wanted to engrave his handsome face and tall figure one by one in her mind, so she would never forget him in this life!