Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

"This tastes...it's similar to what I made, yet it's also completely different!"

Taking a deep breath and pressing her face close to the glass, Tadokoro Mieko murmured to herself, her face slightly flushed. She was puzzled as to why the dishes she and Shiro Akimoto made were so different.

At this moment, she was certain that Bai Yuan's fish offal stew would definitely attract all the customers across the street.

It smells so good!

"Actually, this dish would be better eaten while it's still hot, but due to limited resources, we can only serve it in small portions right now."

Divide the fish offal stew into bowls, then add a flatbread to each bowl, allowing it to fully absorb the essence of the stew's broth.

"Alright, give it a try."

There was no dazzling golden light; after being served in a bowl, the fish stew only had a layer of shimmering light on the surface, which looked very high-end.

Beside her, Mieko Tadokoro, unable to contain her desire any longer, picked up a spoon and scooped up a spoonful. The next moment, her body began to tremble violently.

"Ah! Hmm"

Mieko Tadokoro shifted slightly, her face flushed with an inexplicable blush, and she uttered sounds that were difficult to decipher.

Of course, most importantly, the deliciousness of the fish stew surges through the mouth before entering the throat and heading deeper into the mouth.

"This is simply a feast for the taste buds, with each layer building upon the last, leaving you wanting more!"

The moment it enters your mouth, a rich and savory aroma fills your palate.

The freshness of the fish offal and the soft, fragrant potatoes combine perfectly, creating a rich yet not greasy broth with a hint of fresh ocean flavor.

The pan-fried dough is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. After being soaked in the broth, the outer layer absorbs the deliciousness of the broth, while the inside still retains the chewy texture that noodles should have.

Take a bite, and the rich broth and the aroma of the noodles intertwine in your mouth, bringing a unique sense of satisfaction that makes you want to shout out!

No one can resist this kind of cuisine!

Chapter 226 The Glowing Cuisine Makes Its Debut, A Dimensional Reduction Attack!

"What smells so good?"

Outside Zhuang Huiyuan, the air was filled with a complex and rich aroma of freshness, which made passersby stop and take a look.

"Don't miss out! Accommodation includes free meals, first come, first served, while supplies last!"

Just as the pedestrians were curious and reluctant to leave, Bai Yuan's voice suddenly rang out, containing a great deal of internal energy, which could be heard throughout the entire street.

"Isn't providing free meals during accommodation a basic requirement for hotels? What's so special about that? People who don't know any better might think they're giving away a huge discount!"

Across from them, the manager of the Hundred Birds Pavilion was also drawn out by the aroma, and then heard Bai Yuan's shout. He immediately revealed a cold, mocking smile.

"Indeed, and the three meals provided by the hotel are very average. Although they are not bad, they are definitely not delicious. When you are traveling, you will definitely eat out. Providing three meals a day is not attractive at all!"

Most pedestrians on the road thought the same way; even when they heard Bai Yuan's voice, they remained unmoved and continued searching for the fragrance in the air.

After searching for a long time, I found nothing. There were no restaurants around, only two hotels and some food stalls. Where was the aroma coming from?

until...

"This is the food provided by our hotel, a local specialty: fish offal stew. All guests staying at our hotel can enjoy it for free."

Wearing a chef's uniform, Tadokoro Megumi strode out of Zhuanghui Garden, carrying a large iron pot in her hand, and placed it directly on the wooden table in front of Bai Yuan.

As soon as the lid was lifted, dazzling golden light burst forth from the pot, blotting out the sky and instantly attracting the attention of everyone present.

To their astonishment, they discovered that the source of the aroma they had been searching for was right there in that iron pot!

What surprised them even more was...

"What...what is this? The food is glowing?!"

"Fluorescent agent! Did she pour fluorescent agent into it?!"

"Could it be...could it be the legendary luminous dish! A top-tier delicacy that only a master chef can reliably produce, with a chance of being made by a master chef and only a five-star master chef can consistently produce?!"

Although most people were puzzled by the glowing dish, and even suspected that Megumi Tadokoro had put fluorescent agents in it.

However, there were also many discerning people in the crowd who knew that great dishes would glow, and they immediately recognized that this was a glowing dish that only a master chef could make!

Only a top-tier five-star chef can casually present glowing dishes in public.

Only top-tier five-star characters can reliably produce glowing dishes and are willing to share them with others.

When an ordinary master chef creates a dish that shines like a light, he either tastes it himself, disassembles it for research, or even enshrines it for blessings.

Could this young girl be a top-tier, five-star chef?!

How could that be? She's so young!

“The number of places is limited and it’s on a first-come, first-served basis.”

Seeing that everyone was momentarily stunned by the sight of the golden light, Tadokoro Megumi's voice rang out again. This sentence was like flipping a switch, and in an instant, everyone on the street ran towards Zhuang Huiyuan.

Some people had just arrived in town and hadn't even checked in yet, but they immediately went up to register and moved in with just their bags.

Some had already checked into other hotels and were now asking Tadokoro Megumi if she could pay for it, but were ruthlessly refused.

Only those who stay at this hotel can enjoy the food served at this restaurant; otherwise, no matter how much money you spend, you can't buy it. This is the only mandatory condition.

Unfortunately, those who were originally staying at other hotels checked in directly on the spot in order to enjoy a top-notch meal, and then went back to get their luggage.

The hotel's Hundred Birds Gate was the most affected because it was right across the street. Large numbers of guests rushed out of it to check in on the other side, and then came back to check out, dragging their suitcases across.

This action infuriated the manager of the Hundred Birds Pavilion. He knew that the other party was targeting them, but there was nothing they could do.

Once a luminous dish is presented, all beings are equal; the only way to counter it is to bring out a dish of the same level.

However, they run a hotel, and although the chef's cooking skills are good, they are not at the level where they can casually serve up dishes that are considered "glowing" in quality.

"No wonder they dared to challenge us to a food battle. There's a chef on the other side who can make dishes that are absolutely amazing. Luckily, we didn't accept the challenge rashly."

The manager's name was Bai Niao Yi, the third young master of the Bai Niao Group. At this moment, he was gritting his teeth, because this was a practice project given to him by his father, and he could not afford to fail, otherwise he would lose his inheritance rights in the group's hotel business.

The Bai Niao Group has businesses in various fields, the most famous of which are hotels, restaurants, and poultry meat products.

His two older brothers had already taken over the restaurant and poultry sectors, leaving him with only the inn.

A field with relatively low profit margins, but strong stability.

Below him are a younger brother and two younger sisters. If he fails this test, he will not inherit the hotel business and will only be able to live a life of idleness in some smaller businesses.

For a person with lofty ambitions, this is something he absolutely cannot accept; he must get the guests back no matter what!

At this point, the only option seems to be a food battle.

Looking at Zhuang Huiyuan not far away, Bai Niaoyi frowned so much that he could almost trap a fly. Since the other party was so stubborn, he didn't mind using some extreme measures.

"I never imagined that the daughter of a rural innkeeper would be a top student at Totsuki Academy, and even the champion of this year's Summer Selection, capable of creating luminous dishes..."

Because his underlings had just been taught a lesson the day before, he ordered people to investigate Bai Yuan and Tadokoro Megumi's identities overnight, but in the end they only found out about Tadokoro Megumi.

As for Bai Yuan, there is no mention of him in the records, so he is most likely an insignificant figure.

She might also be a student of Totsuki Academy, but her strength is probably not as good as Tadokoro Megumi's, otherwise she wouldn't be so unknown.

"Manager, what should we do now?"

Beside the Hundred Birds Wing, the burly man who had come to the door yesterday had recovered from his injuries and was now wearing a black suit.

Looking at Zhuang Huiyuan across the street, where people were crowding together and the threshold was almost worn down, he spoke with utmost respect and behaved very meekly.

Has Old Wang arrived?

Bai Niaoyi glanced at the big man and asked about the location of the outside help he had requested. The other party was his secretary, who was responsible for handling and conveying his instructions.

"We said it would take a while, so we didn't notify him. We just got a last-minute notification that even if he takes a plane, the earliest he can arrive is tomorrow afternoon."

The big man opened the document in his hand, took out Old Wang's schedule and handed it to Bai Niaoyi in front of him, then stepped aside and said nothing more.

"I can wait a day. If it's Old Wang, even if the other party is a top-level chef, we still have a great chance of winning."

"Let's go see what's going on. Maybe we won't even need Old Wang's help. I don't believe that little girl alone can make a luminous dish; it must be the recipe's power."

Looking in the direction of Zhuang Huiyuan and smelling the rich aroma of fish stew in the air, Bai Niaoyi thought of this possibility.

Judging from their age, they cannot be a top-tier five-star chef; there are very few chefs of that caliber in all of Japan.

The only possibility is a high-precision formula.

If you have the skills of a master chef, coupled with a recipe accurate to the gram, there is a high chance that you can replicate a dish that shines.

This is not uncommon in the culinary world.

Many head chefs in large hotels do not cook themselves; they are only responsible for developing new dishes, writing down detailed recipes, and controlling the quality of the food.

As a student of Totsuki Academy, it's not surprising that Tadokoro Megumi has one or two such high-precision formulas.

A true culinary showdown always involves an impromptu theme and a time limit, which is when her true colors will be revealed!

With a hint of malice in his eyes, Bai Niaoyi left the Hundred Birds Pavilion and, feeling rather humiliated, joined the queue at Zhuang Huiyuan, preparing to personally taste the dishes that the other party used to attract customers.

As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

However, just as he had been queuing for almost half an hour and it was about to be his turn to register, a staff member in uniform walked out of Zhuang Huiyuan, first standing still to count the number of people, and then came straight to him and bowed.

"I'm so sorry, we've calculated the remaining rooms, and the one in front of you is the last one. So we'll have to ask you and the guests after you to come back tomorrow."

After saying this, the staff member ignored their reaction and quickened her pace to leave; she didn't want to hear a bunch of complaints.

"Huh? How come this is! We've been queuing for ages already."

"Unfortunately, it seems I'll have to come earlier tomorrow."

"We were just two short! Damn it! If we had arrived five or six minutes earlier, it would have been perfect! We'll just have to make do at the hotel across the street for now."

Complaints like these arose one after another. They had only arrived a little late, but there were no rooms available. Are hotel rooms really that sought after now?

As for Bai Niaoyi, who already harbored strong hostility towards Zhuang Huiyuan, his face was now even more gloomy, and he eventually returned without saying a word.

Zhuang Huiyuan, kitchen.

Megumi Tadokoro was operating three iron pots at the same time, watching the guests waiting outside for their meals. She was so busy that her feet barely touched the ground, but she was enjoying herself.

Mieko Tadokoro helped out while she served the prepared fish stew to the guests, one small portion per person with a bowl of rice, which could be refilled.

"When the number of dishes made at the same time is slightly increased, the quality drops very quickly. Even with the same proportions, it is no longer possible to make dishes that are truly 'glowing'."

Looking at the dishes being completed one after another, Megumi Tadokoro couldn't help but sigh. Although these dishes all reached the special grade level, none of them were glowing dishes; they were generally special grade two stars.

However, even the fish offal stew, which was of a special two-star standard, still left the guests who came and stayed there extremely satisfied, their faces filled with enjoyment and contentment.