Chapter 43
A few simple suggestions from Mineo instantly brought a flash of enlightenment to Alice. The second young lady of the Nakiri family immediately pointed to another dish and spoke up.
"Mineo-kun! You have to taste this one too!"
"This is my very own La Cocina Molecular!"
"Molecular Egg Yolk La Cocina Molecular, is it?"
Mineo looked at the dish the young lady was pointing at and gave a thin smile.
"This dish looks incredibly beautiful as well. I'll give it a taste first..."
Mineo was just about to take a bite when a cold snort suddenly rang out.
Instinctively, Mineo looked up and saw Erina staring at him, her eyes clouded with a hint of irritation.
"Mineo-kun! You haven't even tasted my cooking yet!"
"You already evaluated Alice's appetizer, so now it's your turn to judge the appetizer I prepared myself!"
Was the young lady feeling jealous? Seeing Mineo looking at her, a faint crimson flush spread across Erina's fair face.
"Mineo-kun, I put my whole heart into cooking this French Orange Smoked Duck Breast as well!"
"Yesterday at your restaurant, I was the one receiving your hospitality."
"Now, I would like to ask you to give me your evaluation of my dish."
Hearing this, Senzaemon also became intrigued. As a fellow possessor of the God's Tongue, what kind of advice would Mineo offer Erina?
Seeing the expectant gaze from the young lady, Mineo nodded with a smile. He picked up his knife and fork, sliced off a corner of the smoked duck breast, and placed it in his mouth, closing his eyes to savor the flavors.
"Erina's skill is also very, very extraordinary. In terms of flavor, this French orange smoked duck is truly beyond reproach."
"However..."
Seeing Mineo trail off, Senzaemon spoke calmly.
"Just say whatever is on your mind or any suggestions you have, Mineo-kun."
"No one here is a stranger. I believe Erina will certainly listen to your advice."
Erina also spoke to Mineo at that moment.
"Mineo-kun! Please, give me your full evaluation. I also hope to improve my culinary skills under your guidance."
Seeing that both Erina and Senzaemon had said so, Mineo nodded.
"If that's the case, I'll speak plainly."
"Erina, we've known each other for quite a while now. Even though we talk about many interesting things on the internet, we've never deeply discussed the nature of this God's Tongue ability."
"As fellow owners of the God's Tongue, the way we apply our abilities is clearly different."
"I want to ask you first—has your cooking ability been stuck at its current level for a long time? During this period, have you felt like there has been no tangible progress?"
Hearing Mineo's words, Erina's heart trembled. Mineo had actually realized it. After a few seconds of silence, Erina gave a slow nod.
"These past few days, I haven't exactly been in my best condition while cooking. I want to create a grander flavor, but I find myself lacking ideas... Does Mineo-kun know what's happening?"
"I can't be one hundred percent sure, but I can offer my perspective."
Mineo glanced at the dishes on the dining table before continuing.
"The God's Tongue is technically just a specialized talent regarding the sense of taste. When creating a dish, Erina, you must frequently taste your own cooking."
"Through the process of tasting your own food, you use your tongue to seek out any flaws that might exist, then you fix and refine them. This must be your daily practice routine."
"Using the method of fixing flaws to create a perfect dish isn't wrong. However, by doing this, you become far too dependent on your own tongue."
"In China, there is an old saying that your greatest talent can become your greatest weakness."
"This sentence applies to you; being too reliant on the God's Tongue has actually turned that ability into a barrier to your development."
"In cooking, what should be used the most are your heart and your brain, not your tongue."
"Simply making a dish without flaws is not enough."
"If you want to move the hearts of those who taste it through flavor, then we need to make further breakthroughs on a dish that is already 'perfect'."
"It's like the saying goes: 'taking another step forward from the highest peak.' When cooking skills reach a certain level, we can see that a chef's sincerity is more important than the techniques used."
"Taste has its limits, but human imagination and creativity have no end point."
"My advice for you, Erina, is that in your future practice, try to use your brain and heart more to contemplate flavor, and use your tongue less to sense it."
"Only in that way can you broaden your thoughts and perspectives."
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