Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

On the field, Hisako Shinto and Subaru Mimasaka's movements were almost perfectly synchronized, which made the audience hold their breath and look shocked.

"Although it's not the first time I've seen this, Subaru Mimasaka's ability is truly outrageous. The two of them followed the exact same steps, without the slightest difference!"

Looking at the scene before her, Ryoko Sakaki was shocked. Although she had expected it, she still couldn't help but feel her heart pound when she actually saw it.

By simulating daily life, one can master the other person's cooking skills. But what about everything else besides cooking? Has the other person mastered everything as well?

It's chilling to think about! It sends shivers down one's spine.

"It even replicated the use of lotus leaves! Could it have also copied Lady Erina? That's an unfair ability!"

Noticing that Subaru Mimasaka was taking out freshly picked lotus leaves from the cooking basket, Hisako Shinomiya frowned, a chill creeping into her heart.

Using lotus leaves was something she discussed with Lady Nakiri Erina yesterday. It wasn't originally part of the dish, but she actually copied it too.

"Next, here are the areas I'll improve!"

Feeling the disdainful or fearful gazes around him, Mimasaka Subaru revealed an exaggerated smile, and then added Chinese yam and white poria to the chicken wrapped in lotus leaves.

In addition, he added honey and lemon juice when marinating the chicken to enhance its sweetness and refreshing taste.

After adding the medicinal herbs, quickly wrap the chicken in lotus leaves, and then wrap it in tin foil on the outside to retain the fragrance of the lotus leaves while locking in the freshness of the chicken.

After completing these steps, Subaru Mimasaka immediately placed the chicken into the preheated steamer, while looking provocatively at Hisako Shinto, who was kneading the chicken to infuse it with flavor.

Little did he know that all his actions were being observed by Hisako Shinto, and he was even more unaware that the way Hisako looked at him was as if he were a clown.

"Improving the precision of cooking is definitely better than constantly adding new ingredients."

In the audience, Bai Yuan couldn't help but laugh when he saw this scene. He had already figured out Hisako Shinto's idea: to remain unchanged in the face of all changes.

Being adaptable is great, but wouldn't it be even more interesting to create dishes that far exceed the limits of your opponent's ability to replicate, based on your solid skills?

In a sense, it is a manifestation of strength.

"Aren't we going to make any changes?"

On the other side, Mimasaka Subaru kept a close eye on Shinoto Hisako. After noticing that the other party had not changed at all and that her expression was not flustered, he fell into deep thought.

"Fine, let me show you how big the gap is between us. Why should incompetent people like you be able to gain Teacher Bai Yuan's favor?!"

After a moment's thought, Mimasaka Subaru understood Hisako Shinoto's idea and immediately laughed in anger.

If Teacher Baiyuan used this method to deal with him, he wouldn't say anything, because his level was indeed much lower than Teacher Baiyuan's.

But Hisako Shinoto, he imitates everything she has done since entering school, including being taught by Hakubuchi and having her cooking improved by Erina Nakiri.

It could be said that he knew everything about Hisako Shinto, who was just an ordinary first-class chef.

At this moment, he is Hisako Shinto, Hisako Shinto is him, and when combined with Subaru Mimasaka's culinary experience, the result is the true face of the improved and innovative dish!

Right now, this guy dares to look down on him like this, daring to challenge the combination of Hisako Aragaki and Subaru Mimasaka with only Hisako Aragaki's strength.

How could this not make him furious!

Time passed slowly, and soon the steamed chicken in the steamer was ready. The fresh aroma of lotus leaves and steamed chicken wafted around, making both the judges and the audience swallow hard.

"Herbal Steamed Chicken - Advanced Version, please enjoy."

The steamers containing the medicinal steamed chicken were placed one by one in front of the judges, and Mimasaka Subaru gestured to them in a rather gentlemanly manner.

The judges all turned their attention to the dishes as soon as they were served.

"An advanced version of medicinal steamed chicken?"

Reaching out, Kakuzaki unwrapped the tin foil and looked at the lotus leaves underneath. He muttered to himself as he used chopsticks to separate the lotus leaves.

In an instant, the previously subtle fragrance of lotus leaves spread in all directions, and the rich aroma of steamed chicken entered her nostrils.

"The fragrance of lotus leaves is as beautiful as the prelude to a piece of music, gently brushing past the tip of the nose, bringing a touch of natural charm and the coolness of summer."

Sniffing, Kakuzaki Taki closed his eyes. The delicate fragrance intertwined with the savory taste of the chicken, creating a unique aroma.

At this moment, she felt as if she were by a lotus pond in the early morning, feeling the gentle breeze on her face and the lotus leaves swaying softly.

Immediately afterwards, the aroma of the medicinal herbs slowly rose, like the main melody of a piece of music, melodious and profound.

The aromas of medicinal herbs such as Codonopsis pilosula, red dates, and Angelica sinensis intertwine, layer upon layer, to create a rich and harmonious medicinal fragrance.

It made her body feel slightly warm.

"Because it is cooked by steaming, the steamed chicken has a firmer and more delicate texture than other methods. With every bite, you can feel the freshness and chewiness of the chicken."

Furthermore, the honey and lemon juice added during marinating give the chicken a sweet and refreshing flavor, making the overall taste of the dish more complex.

Hinako Inui spoke with a satisfied expression, saying that compared to cooking methods such as stir-frying, deep-frying, and grilling, steaming can retain more juice and flavor.

This cooking method brings out the original flavor of the ingredients. It can be said that the fresher the ingredients, the more suitable they are for steaming.

"The ingenious combination of lotus leaves and tin foil not only preserves the fragrance of lotus leaves but also locks in the freshness of the chicken, making the flavor of the whole dish richer and longer-lasting."

Licking the chicken fat residue off her fingers, Kikuchi Sonoka's expression lit up with joy; the wonderful taste was truly delightful!

"And this sauce dish, the main ingredients should be made from Sichuan peppercorn oil and garlic sauce, right?"

With its rich flavor, a perfect blend of spiciness and aroma, it's an absolutely delicious combination with chicken!

Beside her, Fuyumi Mizuhara's voice rang out. Compared to the plain chicken, she preferred to eat it with dipping sauce. One bite was incredibly satisfying!

"My dish is now ready. Please enjoy it, judges."

Just as everyone was enjoying themselves, Hisako Shinto walked over from a short distance away and distributed the carefully prepared dishes to the judges, her face full of confidence.

"This looks pretty good too, with a rich and fragrant aroma. It even smells better than the previous one. This flavor is simply amazing!"

Sniffed, Kakuzaki Taki's voice was tinged with doubt. Logically speaking, the two of them followed the exact same steps, and Mimasaka Subaru even added his own ingredients. This dish should have been completely outclassed.

But now, something seems a little off.

"Fei Sha..."

In the audience, watching the medicinal steamed chicken projected on the big screen in the sky, it looked almost exactly like the one from Mimasaka Subaru, only a bit more yellow.

Miyoko Hojo placed her hand on her chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall of her heartbeat, a hint of something unreadable in her eyes.

An hour before the match started, Hisako Shinto suddenly found her and insisted that she come to watch the match, promising to tell her the correct answer.

Since they were both students under Bai Yuan, their relationship was not bad. However, because they wanted to get more attention from their teacher, they had a feeling of being both rivals and friends.

Miyoko Hojo knew that the other party wanted to avenge her, so they brought her here to witness it firsthand. However, if the revenge was successful under these circumstances, she would be even more unwilling to accept it.

After all, her strength and Hisako Shinoto's are roughly equal; Shinoto is slightly stronger, but only by a limited margin. Their usual food battles are about 40/60 in terms of outcome.

"Your unmodified steamed chicken with medicinal herbs has no chance of beating my advanced version of steamed chicken with medicinal herbs. If I were you, I would have given up the moment I started improving the dish!"

Looking at Hisako Aragaki, who seemed completely at ease, Subaru Mimasaka suddenly had a bad feeling.

But he quickly suppressed his anger and instead spoke in a playful, provocative tone, trying to test her sincerity through words.

"If you were really that confident, you wouldn't be babbling on here now."

To his surprise, Hisako Shinto only glanced at him before speaking in a disdainful tone. Her contemptuous look made him clench his fists involuntarily.

"Hmph, I hope you can still be stubborn later."

After saying this, Subaru Mimasaka stopped trying to embarrass himself and turned his gaze to the judges who were unpacking lotus leaves, awaiting their evaluation.

In his view, from the moment Hisako Niito chose to keep things as they were and make no adjustments, the opponent had already lost completely.

If his improved and more delicious dish still can't beat Hisako Shinto's original dish, then he can only suspect that the competition is rigged.

Seeing the judges devouring the medicinal steamed chicken without even taking the time to offer their evaluations, a look of astonishment appeared on Mimasaka Subaru's face.

Were these guys really that crazy about eating his food?!

"Bang bang bang."

As a series of sounds rang out, Subaru Mimasaka stiffly turned his head and found that the judges had all pressed the buttons in front of them.

Then Hisako Shinto's name appeared on the big screen, which made him angry, followed by intense dissatisfaction.

It wasn't just because the score was 5-0, but more so because his improved dish actually lost!

"I feel I need an explanation for why my improved, more delicious dish is still inferior to this guy's original!"

Subaru Mimasaka slammed his hand on the table, unable to accept it. He glared angrily at the judges, especially Gin Dojima, who was the first to press the button.

"Does this need any explanation? Of course, it's because Hisako Shinoto's cooking is more delicious."

Dojima Gin gave Mimasaka Subaru a strange look. Isn't the way to win a cooking competition simply whichever side's dish is more delicious?

"I..."

Such blunt words, coupled with the look of disbelief in the other person's eyes, made Subaru Mimasaka pause for a moment, then grit his teeth: "Just how good is it?"

"You'll know once you try it."

Dojima Gin thought for a moment, then pushed the remaining medicinal steamed chicken in front of Mimasaka Subaru, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes.

He deliberately saved a chicken leg to enjoy at the end, but judging from the other party's expression, the only way to truly win him over would probably be to eat Hisako Shinto's cooking.

The difference between the two dishes was too obvious to be made up for by simple imitation, so they did not hesitate and chose Hisako Aragaki.

"You'll know once you try it..."

A hint of doubt arose in Mimasaka Subaru's mind, but his hands continued to move. He reached out and tore off the chicken leg that Dojima Gin valued most. He first brought it to his nose to smell it, and then took a big bite.

Rich gravy, tender chicken, unique aroma of herbs, and the fragrance of lotus leaves—a symphony of flavors unfolds in your mouth, a true feast for the senses!

If there's one major difference between the two, it's probably that Hisako Aragaki's cooking blends flavors seamlessly, multiplying them, while his cooking simply adds ingredients, adding more to the dish.

The difference here is enormous.

For example, Hisako Shinto's cooking has reached the level of a top-grade dish, while his cooking is only at the peak of a first-grade dish.

He closed his eyes, and a hen with long feathers spread its wings in front of him, like a phoenix spreading its wings, looking very majestic and domineering!

"You are too confident and think too little of others. Your arrogance is the key to your defeat, Mimasaka Subaru."

Looking at Mimasaka Subaru, who had lowered his hands and no longer voiced his objections, Hisako Shinoto said coldly.

This guy relied on his ability to track and copy other people's dishes, so he never took his opponents seriously. This mentality was the key to his defeat.

Am I too proud?

Hearing Hisako Niito's words and looking at the score on the big screen, Subaru Mimasaka muttered to himself, his face filled with resentment.

I originally thought I could sweep all the way up until I won the number one spot, enter Master Bai Yuan's field of vision, and become his disciple.