The story begins in Food Wars, when Alice took him home.

"At this rate, it won't be long before it upgrades from a stall to a shop. I really don't know where this chef came from, he has such skills."

With a touch of emotion in his voice, he thought, "If someone can make such delicious okonomiyaki, they must be able to cook other dishes with ease. Such a person shouldn't be found in a small alley, but in a grand restaurant."

As the sounds faded into the distance, Soma Yukihira and Takumi Aldini packed up their stall and headed toward the hotel they had rented.

"This is…"

Pushing the stroller and scrolling through his phone with one hand, Soma Yukihira looked at the hundreds of messages on LINE, his expression changed slightly, and then he hurriedly opened them.

The messages were from the Polar Star Dormitory members, all asking where he was and urging him to hurry over for his match against Hisako in the Moon and Sky Realm.

"What are you looking at? Your expression is so scary."

Beside him, Takmi Aldini was also looking at his phone, but apart from his brother's greeting, there were no other messages.

He turned off his phone, looked up, and saw Soma Yukihira looking unwell, so he asked him in confusion.

"It's a bit of a pity that I missed a game."

Soma Yukihira handed the phone to Takumi Aldini. After spending the last few days together, their relationship had improved considerably, and they could be considered friends.

"What's done is done; we can always try again next time."

After reading the message, Takumi Aldini sighed; it was truly a pity.

"That's true. The current goal is to earn enough for the trip to China. The Fujian Youth Chef Competition starts in ten days, which happens to be during the autumn break."

Because they were too busy, the two put their phones on silent to avoid being disturbed by such trivial matters, thus slowing down the cooking process.

In fact, even if Soma Yukihira received the news, it would be impossible for him to return to Totsuki.

After all, they weren't at the foot of Mount Totsuki, but in Kawasaki, a city on the outskirts of Tokyo, where chefs are allowed to set up stalls, so they came here.

Although it's already late, there are still many vendors and pedestrians around, showing that the city has a very vibrant nightlife.

Before long, the two followed a small path to a secluded inn.

Although the hotel is located in a remote area, it is decorated in a very cozy style. The overall color is light green and the structure is made of pure wood, which gives people a refreshing feeling.

"Oh, Yukihira and Takumi are back. Did the stall go well today? I was quite surprised to see you taking out such a huge amount of ingredients this morning!"

They've all come back empty-handed; looks like they bought everything. But then again, with your skills, someone's bound to buy something if you just set up a stall.

The sound came from inside the hotel. Looking up, they saw an older man wiping the front desk. He greeted the two of them as they entered.

"Today went quite smoothly, and I even had some new inspiration. Uncle Shanle, could I borrow the kitchen tonight? I'd like to research an advanced version of okonomiyaki."

"Use it as you like, but put everything back in its place when you're done. Don't make a mess of it. Also, give me a portion of the finished dish; dinner's been a while and I'm a little hungry."

With the dishcloth tossed aside, Uncle Sanraku had high expectations for Soma Yukihira's cooking.

"Of course, even if you didn't say anything, I would still save some for you to try."

Soma Yukihira nodded. His current improvements were based on advice given to him by an elderly man when he set up his stall at noon. He found the advice very reasonable, so he decided to try it out when he got back.

"I need to buy groceries tomorrow, so I'm going to bed now."

Although Takumi Aldini wanted to stay and study with them, he remembered his mission and headed towards the room after saying that.

"Okay, then you should get some rest."

Soma Yukihira greeted them and then went into the kitchen to prepare to modify the okonomiyaki. The uncle who was initially called Yamaku also came in.

He came to see Soma Yukihira's cooking and also to learn how to make this delicious okonomiyaki. He was completely won over by the taste the first time he tried it!

Unfortunately, his culinary talent was limited. Despite frequently watching Soma Yukihira's cooking videos, he only learned a tiny fraction of what he could make, and his okonomiyaki was merely edible.

"The ingredients are all there, so I don't need to go to the supermarket again. But the supermarket is closed at this time. It seems that Lady Luck is on my side."

Take out the cabbage, scallions, and ginger from under the counter, arrange them neatly on the cutting board, and chop them into small pieces with a sharp knife. Set them aside for later use.

"That knife skill is amazing!"

Soma Yukihira displayed superb knife skills, which drew admiration from Uncle Sanraku standing next to him.

"They're all just basic skills."

Soma Yukihira shook his head, not taking the praise to heart. It was impressive to a layman, but quite ordinary to an expert.

After preparing the cabbage, scallions, and ginger, Soma Yukihira opened the refrigerator and found seafood inside, so he decided to use it without hesitation.

The seafood selection is fairly standard, consisting of shrimp and squid, both of which are staples of seafood okonomiyaki, so their inclusion here is quite fitting.

"Is the focus on yams...?"

He chopped the shrimp and squid into small cubes, and then found some yams still covered in dirt under the counter. Soma Yukihira looked suspicious.

The old man said that although his Osaka-style okonomiyaki was delicious, it wasn't authentic because it lacked the most essential ingredient: yam. He still remembers that.

Okonomiyaki, a type of Japanese vegetable pancake, is a popular local dish in the Kansai region of Japan and a representative of Osaka's noodle culture.

Due to its appearance, some people also call Okonomiyaki "Japanese-style pizza".

Regular okonomiyaki mainly uses all-purpose flour, and Soma Yukihira also uses all-purpose flour.

Just then, an old man suddenly appeared and confidently told him that adding yam would make it even more delicious. How could he not be curious and give it a try?

Using gloves, grind the yam into a paste and set aside. Sift 100 grams of all-purpose flour, add an equal amount of Japanese dashi broth, season with white soy sauce, and stir until there are no lumps. Then add the yam paste, and the batter is complete.

The process was the same as before, except that an extra portion of mashed yam was added in the middle, which Soma Yukihira had never tried before, so he wanted to give it a try.

Even if the taste wasn't good in the end, he accepted it, after all, it was his own choice.

Add four spoonfuls of cabbage, one spoonful of scallions, one spoonful of red ginger, one spoonful of shrimp, and one spoonful of squid to the batter. The proportions can vary, but not too much.

After this period of training, Soma Yukihira has mastered a unique skill: perfectly controlling the proportions of ingredients with an error of no more than two grams.

Osaka-style okonomiyaki made in this way has a very standard flavor, which is the secret to its deliciousness.

Add the eggs to the prepared filling and stir clockwise with a spoon until well combined, constantly lifting the spoon to incorporate more air, which will make the fried filling softer.

Pour the prepared Osaka-style okonomiyaki batter into a pot, then add slices of smoked pork belly on top. Once the bottom has slightly solidified, flip the pork belly over.

Soma Yukihira's favorite moment is when the pot and pork belly make a sizzling sound, which is especially exciting.

After frying for three minutes, flip it over and use the rendered pork fat to fry the other side of the pancake until fragrant. Fry each side for two to three minutes before removing it from the pan.

However, before taking it out of the pot, Soma Yukihira brushed it with a special okonomiyaki sauce, which he had prepared in advance and was ready to use.

After brushing on the sauce, continue to fry the okonomiyaki for a while until the sauce thickens and blends perfectly with the okonomiyaki before serving.

"Try it, Uncle Shanle. After you've tasted it, tell me how it's different from before."

Soma Yukihira handed the finished okonomiyaki to Yamaku with a bright smile. He was curious to see how the improved dish would be received; it probably wouldn't be too bad.

"this…"

Smelling the rich aroma in front of him, Uncle Shanle snapped out of his daze, took the chopsticks from his hand, picked up a piece, and put it into his mouth.

"Such a subtle texture, but I can assure you it's better than before, with an exceptionally richer flavor profile!"

The addition of herbal paste brings an unexpectedly delicate and smooth texture to the traditional batter.

Moreover, it gives the pancake a subtle natural sweetness and a slightly sticky texture, creating a more layered overall taste.

"So this is what it feels like. The crispness of the cabbage, the spiciness of the scallions, the slight spiciness of the red ginger, the sweetness of the shrimp and the chewy texture of the squid, the meaty and smoky aroma of the smoked pork belly slices, and the crispy skin are all blended together by the mashed yam."

It's an indescribable, but very mysterious feeling.

Soma Yukihira also picked up a piece with his chopsticks and tasted it. Then his eyes lit up. This yam was simply the best harmonizer, making everything blend together without any sense of separation.

The outermost layer of sauce has a complex flavor that is slightly sweet and slightly salty. After being pan-fried, it becomes thick and tightly coats every part of the ingredients, allowing them to blend together more harmoniously.

The sweetness of the sauce blends perfectly with the freshness of the seafood, the crispness of the vegetables, and the gentleness of the yam, elevating the dish to a whole new level of deliciousness.

"This is it!"

A glint flashed in Yukihira Soma's eyes, but when he came to his senses and wanted to take another bite, he was shocked to find that the dish in front of him had been eaten by Uncle Sanraku.

"If you take this dish out, it will definitely be a huge hit!"

As he spoke, he gave a thumbs up, his voice filled with approval of Soma Yukihira's cooking, and a hint of apprehension. It was hard to imagine that such top-notch cuisine could come from the hands of a young boy.

"I accept your good words."

Reluctantly putting down his chopsticks, Soma Yukihira left a note on the table, instructing Takumi Aldini to prepare the ingredients according to the note the next day.

This is also the tacit understanding they have developed over the past few days.

Chapter 220 Tadokoro Megumi's Request, Heading to Shoe-en

"So, should we all go on this trip to China together?"

The peaceful days lasted for three days.

Bai Yuan gave everyone a three-day break. Although some people couldn't stand the boredom and came over, he managed to get rid of them all.

This continued for three days until Bai Yuan called everyone together for a short meeting.

At the end of the meeting, Hisako Shinto raised her hand and asked the question on behalf of everyone.

"That's right, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even if you don't participate in the competition, you can still gain experience and learn something by watching the masters compete, thereby improving your own cooking skills."

Bai Yuan nodded, explaining that the main reason for calling everyone over was to learn something, not to watch a competition, and he hoped they would gain something from this trip.

"This time, Erina Nakiri, Alice Nakiri, Megumi Tadokoro, Hisako Shinto, and Yu Liu will be competing. I hope you can all do your best."

The age range of participants in this competition is very wide, from thirty to twelve.

Anyone within this age range can participate, so you will be facing opponents who have studied cooking for several years, or even more than ten years, longer than you.

Even if you lose to an opponent like this, it's not shameful. Don't put too much pressure on yourselves, after all, you are still very young.

Of course, if you can win, don't think about losing. I look forward to seeing you at the top!

Bai Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally moving. When he spoke of meeting at the summit, everyone's bodies trembled slightly.

That wasn't fear, but intense excitement!

According to what Teacher Bai Yuan said, he seems to be participating in the competition as well. As long as he keeps winning, there will eventually be a day when he meets and competes with him.

"And this is also what I prepared for you: masks and pure black cloaks, symbolizing your identities in the Dark Cuisine World. You cannot use the identities of Totsuki in this competition."

As he spoke, Bai Yuan picked up the box at his feet and gently placed it on the table. The box was filled with masks of various shapes and black cloaks.

"Such fertile soil..."

Yoshino Yuuki looked at the contents of the box and couldn't help but purse her lips in disapproval. Then she picked up a mask that looked somewhat like butterfly wings and put it on.