Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

As Kitafuu's figure gradually disappeared, Tadokoro Megumi dragged her luggage into her room.

The room was simply furnished, with tatami mats on the floor and a square wooden table on the tatami mats, on which were placed tea sets.

Because she arrived at night, bedding had been laid out on the floor early and neatly arranged in the center of the room; that was all the things inside.

After putting down her luggage and taking out a few changes of clothes, Tadokoro Megumi closed and locked the door, then headed towards the bathroom as Kitafuuen had indicated, ready to enjoy a relaxing hot bath.

When they came out, there was a hot pot boiling at the door of the room, and Miss Beifengyuan was waiting at the door.

"I knew you went to take a shower, so I waited for you to come back here. This is a specialty dish from Gunma Prefecture, loach hot pot. Please let me bring it in for you."

When Kitafuu saw Tadokoro Megumi, a look of "I knew it" appeared on her face. She then picked up the dish on the ground, which was still bubbling.

"All the bones in the loach have been removed, so it can be eaten directly. This is deep-fried loach, made with small loaches. It's very crispy and has a rich flavor."

Upon hearing Kitafuuen's words, Tadokoro Megumi looked over and then noticed the dish next to the loach hot pot: a plate of small, golden-brown, crispy fried loaches.

When Kitafuen brought the dishes to the table and was about to get a lighter, Tadokoro Megumi picked up a crispy fried loach and started eating it.

The next moment, a rich flavor spread throughout the mouth.

"Before frying, the loach is marinated with seasonings such as ginger, garlic, chili powder, and Sichuan peppercorns. After being deep-fried at high temperature, its outer skin becomes golden and crispy, while the inside remains relatively tender."

That would make a decent snack to go with drinks.

Tadokoro Megumi mentally assessed the dish, saying that while the taste wasn't particularly amazing, it was still a decent meal.

With good ingredients and decent cooking skills, the final fried loach dish can be considered a second-class dish in terms of both taste and texture.

Would the guests like some wine?

"Give me a bottle."

"Ok."

Kitafuu nodded, then went to the bar outside, took a bottle of wine, handed it to Tadokoro Megumi with both hands, and then left the room.

After taking the sake, Tadokoro Megumi closed the door and poured a cup of sake into her teacup. She then enjoyed the fried loach with the sake, which had a unique flavor.

After finishing the fried loach, Tadokoro Megumi's attention finally turned to the hot pot in front of her.

The loach hot pot in front of me is less like a hot pot and more like a plate of fried loach. The pot is less than eight centimeters high and looks very short.

Under the high temperature, the loach made a sizzling sound. There was also a dish of vegetables next to it. Before leaving, Beifengyuan had instructed that the vegetables should be poured in before the dish was finished cooking so that the flavors of the two would blend together.

With this in mind, Tadokoro Megumi took action.

The vegetables on the plate are burdock, ginger, and scallions.

Ginger and scallions are essential ingredients that enhance the flavor of the food. Burdock has a crisp and tender texture, and when stewed with loach, it effectively adds to the flavor of the hot pot, making it equally valuable.

As the vegetables were added to the pot, they sizzled as they came into contact with the loach and the hot plate, followed by a fragrant aroma that wafted into the air.

"Let's have some more wine to get rid of the fishy smell."

Looking at the old-fashioned loach hot pot in front of her, Tadokoro poured the sake from her teacup into it. The sizzling sound became louder, and the aroma in the air became even stronger.

Once the food in the pot was fully cooked and the broth had evaporated, Tadokoro Megumi took it out, placed it on a plate, and tasted it with a touch of novelty.

"What a rich and satisfying flavor!"

As she put the loach and vegetables into her mouth together, the two textures intertwined on her lips and tongue at the same time, and Tadokoro Megumi's eyes lit up instantly.

During the cooking process, the loach can quickly absorb the broth, becoming plump and juicy. Every bite allows you to feel the richness of the broth and the delicacy of the loach.

In addition, she also tasted the complex flavor created by a combination of various spices such as chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, garlic, and broad bean paste.

The flavor was spicy and savory, spicy but not overpowering, with a numbing and fragrant taste that greatly stimulated her appetite, making her unable to stop eating it.

Especially with the addition of scallions and ginger, its earthy taste was perfectly removed, while the aroma of scallions was added, making it even more flavorful!

"So this is what loach tastes like. To be honest, it's a bit like fish, but thanks to the nature of the ingredient, it absorbs the delicious broth very well..."

Savoring the taste in her mouth, Megumi Tadokoro murmured to herself that this was the first time in her life she had ever eaten loach, and to be honest, it was quite novel.

I thought it would have a subtle flavor, but after tasting it carefully, it felt somewhat familiar. The most important thing is its characteristic: it can absorb the broth very well.

As she picked up food with her chopsticks, savoring the unique flavor of the loach, Megumi Tadokoro's mind raced, and she began to conjure up new loach dishes.

Soon, the basic idea of ​​the dish was formed in Tadokoro Megumi's mind, but this was far from enough. She needed to taste more loach dishes to continue to improve it.

"You should get some rest early tonight."

Putting down the bowl in her hand, Tadokoro Megumi had an idea in mind. She decided to go to bed early that night and get up early the next morning to see if there were any new loach dishes.

As Ms. Kitakaze said, Gunma Prefecture is famous for its high-quality loach, and she is passionate about loach and has the best loach cooking skills in all of Japan.

"Bang bang bang."

However, just as Tadokoro Megumi was pondering her schedule for tomorrow, there was a knock on the door, bringing her back to her senses.

"Ms. Tadokoro, I'm here to collect the dishes. Please open the door."

"Okay, come right away."

Tadokoro Megumi stood up and let Kitafuuen in. Looking at the empty loach hot pot in front of her, the girl smiled and said, "How is it? Isn't our Gunma Prefecture loach hot pot delicious!"

"The food was quite good; the loaches were large and plump, and the flavors were distinct. However, I'd like to try more loach dishes. Where's a good place to go?"

Seeing Kitafuuen coming over to clear the dishes, Tadokoro Megumi had a sudden inspiration.

The other person was a local and seemed to be a fan of loach dishes, so they might know which restaurants in the area serve the best loach.

"Where is the best place to eat? There are many options. Each restaurant has its own unique flavor, and to be honest, I think they are all equally good."

Upon hearing Tadokoro Megumi's question, Kitafuuen looked conflicted, unsure which restaurant to recommend, since the food at each one was quite good.

"Could you tell me everything? I'll be staying here for a while, and then I'll visit each family one by one."

Compared to Kitafuu's dilemma, Tadokoro Megumi's eyes lit up.

She needs a large number of high-quality shops, and it's good that they have unique features. Otherwise, it would be too boring if the streets were full of identical shops.

"There is a restaurant in the east of the county called 'Loach Flavor'. That restaurant has been making loach dishes for over 20 years and has its own understanding of loach."

There is a company to the west called...

When asked, Beifengyuan didn't hide anything and talked non-stop, telling everyone he knew about good loach restaurants.

"I'll remember that, I'll go check it out then."

Closing her notebook, Megumi Tadokoro nodded seriously, deciding to visit all the stores during this time to learn from their experience.

"Then you should get some rest. I'll be going now."

After clearing the dishes from the table, Kitafuu nodded to Tadokoro Megumi, then left the room and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

Business at their shop wasn't good. Only she and a chef were working there. The chef was her childhood friend who came to help out.

inside the room.

Instead of immediately crawling into bed, Megumi Tadokoro sat at the wooden table, took out a notebook, and wrote down all her thoughts from earlier.

This is something she does every time she develops a new dish.

Because human memory is limited, even if something is vividly remembered now, it will gradually fade away after a few days.

Only by recording these experiences and verifying them with each other can culinary research be advanced more effectively—a method unique to her.

"It absorbs broth very easily, and its meat is tender and flavorful. Let's take advantage of that to make its flavor even richer!"

Putting down her pen, Tadokoro Megumi murmured to herself, then closed her eyes and began to further develop the recipe in her mind.

I sat there for an hour.

Chapter 216 Kitchen in Another Location, Accepting the Challenge

"This is the taste!"

In the kitchen, Liu Yu tasted the freshly cooked loach dish in the pot, her face showing an expression of ecstatic joy, her fists clenching involuntarily.

After two and a half days of practice, I've finally seen some results!

"Congratulations! If this flavor were available on the day of the finals, we would definitely be able to defeat them!"

Wang Jing also scooped up a spoonful of the loach dish in front of her, and a look of amazement appeared on her face. She obviously did not expect that loach could be made so delicious.

It can be said that the flavor of the loach itself is brought to its fullest potential; the freshness and the tender texture of the meat are simply the best funeral song for the loach!

"I'm really lucky. I didn't expect chili peppers and loach to be such a perfect match. As long as I continue to control the ratio of chili peppers and loach to make it perfect and reach the level of a top-grade dish, it will be hard to lose on the day of the finals!"

Liu Yu was quite spirited. After visiting restaurants and doing research for a while, she had gained a deep understanding of loach as an ingredient, which led her to develop a new dish.

"Let's keep working in this direction."

Wang Jing nodded in agreement, her eyes sparkling with excitement. If Liu Yu could win first place, it would be a great honor for the dark cuisine world!

Although the Dark Cuisine World is a newly established organization, thanks to its leader Bai Yuan, it has many veteran top-level chefs, and its high-end combat strength is comparable to any major power.

Today, as long as the younger generation creates new glories, we can truly ensure a smooth transition and a solid foundation, proving to the world that it can be passed down.

"Go into seclusion! You should go back and rest first. I want to focus on the rest on my own."

"Okay, then you should go to bed early."

Liu Yu whispered, then told Wang Jing to go back to her room to rest. She had already found an opportunity to move forward, and all she needed to do next was to build on that and proceed steadily!

"Delicious! This is absolutely top-tier cuisine! I never imagined that a chef capable of creating top-tier dishes would be hiding in such an inconspicuous little shop. Truly, great masters are hidden in plain sight!"

Inside a small but tidy shop, Megumi Tadokoro tasted the loach ramen in front of her and exclaimed in admiration. The intense deliciousness told her that this dish was definitely of the highest quality!

The shop owner who created this delicious dish is a young and strong man who is not yet thirty years old. The noodles he kneads are exceptionally chewy and incredibly delicious!

Of course, the even more delicious side dish, loach, has a tender and crisp texture. This is clearly because it's first pan-fried in oil before being served, creating a crispy outer layer, which gives it its unique flavor...

"No, it's not frying first and then boiling, but boiling first and then frying... No, that's not right either, the texture doesn't feel like it was fried instantly, the layers are so distinct..."

It's a process called "pouring!" After the loach has absorbed enough of the broth's flavor, the oil is heated to extremely high temperatures, and then a "pouring" technique is used to quickly crisp its softened surface.

Savoring the taste of loach on her tongue, Megumi Tadokoro closed her eyes and began to analyze the situation in her mind. Soon, she had an answer.

While not 100% accurate, it's about 70-80% correct. This is a unique technique Bai Yuan taught her: by focusing on the flavors of the dish, she can quickly analyze how it was made.

If God's Tongue, or even Super Taste, were to replicate it, it could be completely copied, and could even be improved upon.

"And this broth, it's definitely a rich broth that's been simmering for more than two days, filtered and flavored several times, otherwise it would never have given the loach such a deep flavor!"

Megumi Tadokoro picked up her bowl and drank some soup. Her eyes immediately lit up. Broth is the soul of ramen and the key to giving loach its delicious flavor.