In Chinese culinary culture, three invasive animals have gradually become beloved by foodies:
Alligator.
Crab.
Frog.
And alligator meat has quickly emerged in the culinary world.
At this moment, laid out before Kobayashi Rindo were several alligator dishes, such as Teppanyaki Alligator Belly, Stewed Alligator Soup, Braised Alligator Paw, Stone Pot Alligator Meat, and Leek and Fermented Black Bean Stir-fried Alligator Tail... It could be considered a full alligator feast!
The Teppanyaki Alligator Belly, enveloped in black pepper, looked very fashionable, imbued with the vitality of Western cuisine, and was very delicious, also giving a sense of ceremony.
Of course, when eating alligator meat, the alligator paw is not to be missed.
Its rich gelatin made every bite soft and chewy, and it was also very good for beauty.
Then.
The braised method.
Best highlights the deliciousness of the alligator paw.
At the Izakaya, although traditional braising ingredients like garlic and roasted pork belly were used, the alluring aroma was both familiar and uniquely flavored.
Especially after the alligator paw was slowly deep-fried at low temperature, its surface skin had become soft, smooth, fragrant, and crinkled, and then paired with a sauce made with fish soup as the base, the sweet and fresh taste was all within.
In short, no matter which alligator dish it was, and no matter which part of the alligator it was, Sosuke followed the procedures exactly, without cutting corners.
The tenderness of the alligator belly, the smoothness of the alligator tail, the crispness of the alligator paw...
Almost every different part had a different texture when eaten.
As a result, after Kobayashi Rindo first collected various alligator parts, she indulged in a big feast.
...
"Mmm~"
"Absolutely delightful!"
The moment she finished eating, Kobayashi Rindo suddenly felt incredibly refreshed.
Undoubtedly, whether it was the bear paw last time or the alligator meat this time, these two rare ingredients, when handled by Sosuke, could be made into food that she would devour completely!
And at the same time, accompanied by anxious footsteps, a short-haired girl with light red hair quietly walked in.
She looked at Nakiri Erina from a distance, saw her handling beef at the cooking counter, and couldn't help but pause, then walked forward with great joy.
"Miss."
"You... are you really here?"
"Wuwuwu, this is great, I thought you were missing, and your phone always went unanswered, making me worry about you all this time."
Before Erina could react, Hisako Arato rushed over and hugged her tightly.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault for not telling you beforehand. I've been working part-time here at the Izakaya since last night, and also... also... temporarily staying here."
Seeing her so worried, Erina collected herself slightly, then couldn't help but feel a slight pang in her nose, and her eyes actually reddened a bit.
Truly, it wasn't her fault.
She simply couldn't control this emotion.
Although she and Hisako had no blood relation, they had been inseparable for this lifetime, and even her daily life depended on Hisako's care.
It could be said that this emotional connection, integrated into their lives, had long bound the two of them together forever.
"No, Miss, I... how dare I blame you?"
"It's just that if you suddenly leave my side in the future, could you please tell me in advance?"
Hisako looked up, feeling wronged.
Gazing deeply into those pitiful bright eyes, Erina felt both guilt and helplessness.
Finally, she could only cast a "pleading" look towards Sosuke nearby.
"Go and comfort her first, leave the rest of the work to me!"
Sosuke understood and said softly.
...
An Izakaya itself is a place for mutual confidences.
At this moment, Hisako, who had casually found a seat, was able to calm down a little.
She recalled the moment she first walked into the Izakaya, and Nakiri Erina was cutting beef at the cooking counter, so she couldn't help but ask, "Miss, are you really working part-time at the Izakaya?"
"Yes, that's right."
"And I won't be returning to Totsuki for a while; I'll be staying here."
Erina, sitting next to her, secretly glanced at Sosuke, who was busy over there, then nodded.
"Oh, if outsiders knew that the Miss of Nakiri, who once served as a supervisor for various major restaurants, was willingly working part-time at a small Izakaya, it would probably cause a sensation in the culinary world, wouldn't it?"
Hearing this, Hisako covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"What's wrong with that? Mother is also a Special Executive of the WGO Gourmet Organization, and she also likes Sosuke...'s cooking."
Erina's cheeks flushed, and she replied with some shyness.
"That's true; even Mana couldn't resist Sosuke's cooking, let alone you, Miss."
"So, does that mean you and Sosuke are living together now?"
Hisako blinked, curious.
"I guess so?"
"But here, I have my own room, so my daily life hasn't been affected too much."
Erina continued, her face still red.
"It rained heavily and there was thunder all night last night, and your phone was always unreachable, Miss."
"Only I know that you're usually most afraid of thunder, and without me by your side, you find it hard to sleep, so I... I was really worried about you."
"But now that I know you've moved into the Izakaya and have Sosuke taking care of you, I don't feel there's anything to worry about."
"By the way, Miss, did you sleep alone last night?"
As she spoke, Hisako's tone became anxious, as if this question was very important to her.
"This... that..."
"Of course I slept alone. As long as I cover my head and put on earplugs, not listening to the thunder outside, I can fall asleep quickly."
Erina's face was as red as a monkey's bottom at this moment, she said guiltily.
"Eh?"
"It seems, Miss, you've grown a lot too."
Hisako was startled, then a faint smile appeared on her face, completely believing Erina's words.
"Ahem, Hisako."
To cover up the embarrassment, Erina could only pretend to cough twice.
Then she quickly got up and added, "Speaking of which, it seems you haven't tasted my cooking in a long time. Tonight, why don't you be a customer of the Izakaya, and I'll make a few small dishes?"
"Really?"
"I... I can taste your cooking, Miss?"
Upon hearing this, Hisako was so excited she almost jumped like a rabbit.
"Of course you can."
Erina reached out and patted her shoulder.
Finally, she tidied her pristine white chef's uniform and returned to the cooking counter.
...
Cities built of steel and concrete seem to only have superficial prosperity.
→
Everyone is busy on their life's journey, with no time for other things, and human warmth is becoming increasingly diluted.
But some say that an Izakaya in Japan still has more human warmth, especially reflected in its various dishes.
Take a frying pan, place the chicken thigh skin-side down, no oil needed.
Fry until oil comes out and the chicken skin turns golden, then flip, cover, and fry for another 1 minute.
------------------------
There are already 70+ chapters available on my Patreon!
The story will continue to update 1 chapter per day on Webnovel,
while early access chapters are posted on Patreon.
Maybe it's not worth it today but it could be later
[email protected]/Kazenova223
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"