Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Tadokoro Megumi closed her eyes, looking at the scene before her, a gentle expression on her face.

My heart, which had become somewhat restless while waiting for the match results, instantly returned to calm.

"Then comes the last soup, Sea Moon."

As they were talking, Isshiki Satoshi brought his soup to the table, and the people gathered around him also came over to watch. Soma Yukihira was no exception.

"Such a clear soup. It must have been blended with fish paste before serving, otherwise it wouldn't be so clear."

Looking at the completely transparent, pale golden broth in front of her, Tadokoro Megumi expressed her guess, glancing at Isshiki Satoshi as she spoke.

"That's right, this is a fairly common technique."

I've created three layers of flavor: umami, sweetness, and floral notes, from the outside in. You'll understand once you taste it.

"Gudu."

Upon hearing Isshiki Satoshi's words, everyone present swallowed hard, picked up their spoons almost simultaneously, scooped up a spoonful of broth from the large bowl, closed their eyes as they brought it to their lips, and then their bodies stiffened.

The first taste is the aroma of jasmine tea, accompanied by the sweetness of shrimp soup. It feels just like the sea breeze blowing across the dock in the early morning!

"I see. So, Is it true that all three of your dishes were inspired by the fragrance of jasmine?"

Feeling the jasmine fragrance in the seafood soup, which subtly resonated with the jasmine fragrance of the previous dishes, Oomido Fumio opened his eyes and looked at Isshiki Satoshi.

"That's right, jasmine blooms from May to August, and now is the end of their peak blooming season."

Isshiki Satoshi wore a faint smile. Jasmine, at the end of its bloom, was just like him now, a wave of the Yangtze River where the new wave pushes the old wave aside, and the old wave dies on the beach.

However, before he was completely crushed, he had to demonstrate his authority as a senior.

"The first layer of umami comes from dried scallops and clams, which are simmered over low heat to fully extract their flavor. Then, we add... the flavor of white asparagus, which adds a touch of sweetness to the dish. Finally, we have the aroma of jasmine, which sets the final tone for the dish."

Upon hearing Isshiki Satoshi's answer, Oomido Fumio continued to savor the soup and then described all the flavors in it.

"Your soup with Yukihira is like steel and snow on a technical level."

Yukihira used a scorching hot stone pot to char the fish bones, pushing the Maillard reaction to its limit and violently extracting the umami flavor.

You, on the other hand, used a sous-vide cooking method to perfectly extract the umami flavor of the scallops and clams, while using jasmine flowers as a connecting element to string together the flavors of the previous dishes...

After putting down Isshiki Satoshi's soup, Oomido Fumio remained silent for a moment before giving him a fair assessment.

Both soups were equally good, with no clear winner.

It's hard to imagine that Soma Yukihira could make such tremendous progress after just one trip to Fujian! He's now on par with Isshiki Satoshi, the seventh seat of the Elite Ten!

So who really won?

"Yukihira, his cuisine incorporates everything he's seen and heard in Fuzhou, truly embodying the essence of an entire province!"

Ryoko Sakaki stroked her chin as if deep in thought. As someone who had returned from Fujian, she felt a great responsibility to understand just how terrifying the culinary heritage of a province truly was.

Even if Soma Yukihira only learned the basics, it would be enough for him to defeat Isshiki-senpai!

"But isn't it also impressive that Isshiki-senpai used jasmine as a thread to connect his culinary path?!"

Furthermore, while Yukihira's cooking is impressive, it doesn't quite reach the exaggerated level of encompassing the essence of an entire prefecture!

Yoshino Yuuki argued that she didn't think Yukihira Soma's cooking was that amazing.

Admittedly, Soma Yukihira became much stronger after his trip to Fujian, but it shouldn't have been such a rapid improvement!

"But compared to Isshiki-senpai's cooking, Yukihira's cooking is more creative!"

Upon hearing Fumio Oomido's words, a brief commotion broke out in the room, and the core of everyone's debate was the same: who would be the winner of this match?!

Such a scene usually only occurs when both sides are evenly matched.

"Alright, stop arguing. Let the two of them decide the outcome of the match."

Seeing the two arguing endlessly until they were even red in the face, Fumio Oomido raised his hand and slammed it on the table to stop them from arguing. At the same time, he turned his gaze to Soma Yukihira and Satoshi Isshiki beside him.

The two are currently tasting each other's food, their expressions calm and focused.

For a moment, the scene fell silent, and all eyes were focused on Soma Yukihira and Satoshi Isshiki, waiting for them to announce the final outcome.

"Yukihira-kun, you really surprised me."

In just two months, he has grown to this extent.

Satoshi Isshiki gently put down his chopsticks and looked at Soma Yukihira with a complicated expression.

Although he had sensed it early on, the other party's growth still far exceeded his expectations.

"You are the one, Isshiki-senpai. As expected, none of the Elite Ten are simple."

I lost this match, but I won't lose again next time!

Looking at the man in front of him who always had a faint smile on his face, Soma Yukihira raised his head and took a deep breath to calm the intense resentment in his heart.

He lost because of his lack of understanding of banquet cuisine.

As banquet dishes, a skilled chef can connect the ingredients to achieve a synergy greater than the sum of its parts, and Isshiki Satoshi clearly did this, but he did not.

"I'll be waiting for you."

"You probably haven't given it your all yet. I can sense that your cooking hasn't satisfied you."

Soma Yukihira put down the spoon in his hand and looked at Satoshi Isshiki meaningfully before speaking.

"I've done my best, you don't need to doubt that."

"Really? I hope so."

Isshiki Satoshi always had a smile on his face, but Yukihira Soma remained skeptical of his words.

Because he finished cooking first, he kept observing Isshiki Satoshi afterward and found that although the other person seemed very serious, his eyes remained calm.

It's like encountering an insignificant opponent; you try to treat them with respect, but you never really take them seriously.

"Alright, now that the outcome is decided, let's start tidying up the mess."

"Isshiki, Kohei, you two have used the kitchen, so you two will be in charge of preparing dinner tonight. If possible, try to work together a little; it will be very beneficial for your future culinary endeavors."

As the two confronted each other, Oomido Fumio's voice rang out.

When two teams work together after a fierce competition, they often unleash unexpected creativity.

When chefs truly understand the essence and characteristics of each other's skills, they can transcend the limitations of individual techniques and jointly create culinary masterpieces that surpass the scope of individual effort. This dish, a culmination of both parties' hard work, not only embodies their mutual recognition but also serves as a new milestone guiding them forward!

"Then I'll go tidy up my room first."

Seeing that the outcome was decided and there was nothing in the kitchen that required their help, Tadokoro Megumi immediately decided to go back to her room to tidy up.

I haven't been back for so long, the room must be covered in dust, I need to do a thorough cleaning.

"It's so hot, I'm going back to take a shower."

Yoshino Yuuki shook her collar and couldn't help but complain about the heat.

Moving so much luggage and cleaning the house had already pushed her to her limit, and she was covered in sweat.

"Hey, I wanted to take a shower too."

Beside her, Ryoko Sakaki, hearing Yuuki Yoshino's words, spoke up with a slightly anxious expression.

She was all ready, just waiting to go back to her room to get her clothes, when unexpectedly, Yoshino Yuuki also wanted to take a bath...

But thinking about it carefully, it seems quite normal...

"I've already taken a shower. There's probably only enough hot water for one person. It will take half an hour for the next person to shower."

At the same time, Isshiki Satoshi, who was in the kitchen, heard their conversation and spoke up.

"In that case, let's shower together."

Upon hearing Isshiki Satoshi's words, Yoshino Yuuki turned to Sakaki Ryoko and said.

"what?"

"What's there to be shy about? It's not like we've never showered together before. Come with me."

Seeing the surprised expression on Sakaki Ryoko's face after hearing her words, Yoshino Yuuki blushed, took two steps forward, grabbed her arm, and pulled her towards the bathroom.

"At least let me go back to my room and get a couple of pieces of clothing."

Feeling the pressure on her arm, Ryoko Sakaki spoke as she paced, which made Yuuki Yoshino release her grip. With a slightly flushed face, she left with the words, "Go and come back soon."

It's strange, we're just friends, why does it feel so ambiguous?

As night fell, Soma Yukihira stood on the windowsill of the Polar Star Dormitory, looking up at the sky with a somber expression.

I thought that after returning from my studies in Fujian, I could defeat Isshiki Satoshi and demonstrate the strength of the Elite Ten.

Who would have thought that his opponent hadn't used his full strength in their last match, and might not have even used half of it. Otherwise, with the strength he's showing now, he could definitely have defeated Isshiki Satoshi, who had fought him last time.

As for the progress made this summer, that's even more impossible. Isshiki Satoshi stayed in the Polar Star Dormitory all summer, farming and harvesting vegetables. He didn't go out much until the end of the summer, so it's impossible for him to have made such great progress.

Thinking of this, Soma Yukihira recalled the scene of his first duel with Satoshi Isshiki.

He had just joined the guild and wanted to show his strength by challenging the Elite Ten, but he was easily crushed by them. This was his first failure since arriving at Totsuki Academy, which made him realize his own limitations.

After that, he worked hard to study cooking, successfully entered the Summer Selection, and performed excellently. Later, he went to Fujian with Takumi Aldini to participate in the Young Chef Competition, which is how he developed his current skills.

Isshiki Satoshi's year seemed uneventful; what could be the reason for his immense strength?

Chapter 294 The Expansion Plan of the Dark Cuisine World

Soma Yukihira enjoyed a moment of tranquility as the evening breeze blew.

He's been through so much this summer, and this is the first time he's ever truly let go like this.

I'm finally back! This dorm room, though not luxurious, is very cozy. Tomorrow school starts and I'll see those teachers again. Everything will be back on track. My previous experience in the world of culinary disasters feels like a dream.

"Jingle Bell"

The ringing of his cell phone startled Soma Yukihira from his daydream. He hurriedly reached into his pants and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He frowned at the unfamiliar caller ID, but answered the call anyway.

"Hello, who is it?"

Because it was an unfamiliar number, Soma Yukihira's voice was calm, but tinged with a hint of doubt.

"You brat, can't you even recognize your father's voice?"

"Dad, could you please use your own cell phone next time you make a call? I almost thought it was a spam call."

However, upon hearing the voice from the other end of the phone, his slightly tense body immediately relaxed, and his tone became more helpless.