Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Each guest eats an average of 18 sushi dishes per person, which is nine plates, depending on their appetite. That's 540 plates per hour, or 1080 sushi dishes.

There are three people making sushi, with the head chef taking on half of the task.

On average, Yoshino Yuuki and Sakaki Ryoko each need to make three to four sushi per minute to keep up with the pace.

This requires not only extremely skilled techniques, but also exceptional physical strength.

Sure enough, he was already drenched in sweat.

After doing a quick calculation, I saw Yoshino Yuuki and Sakaki Ryoko with their backs soaked and foreheads covered in sweat.

Bai Yuan revealed an expression that said, "I knew it."

However, he wouldn't stop them out of pity. This was something they had to go through. How could they reach the top without experiencing many hardships?

"Smoked duck breast sushi? That's quite creative, let's try it..."

Seeing the plate the waiter brought over, Bai Yuan reached out and asked for a portion. Then he saw the smoked duck breast sushi on the plate, picked it up with his chopsticks, and put it in his mouth.

"After being smoked, the surface of the duck breast is covered with a light woody smoky aroma, somewhat similar to the smoky aftertaste of charcoal grilling."

Besides that, it has a savory flavor similar to bacon, but more delicate and mild, which is quite nice.

This is the first thing Bai Yuan tasted when he took a bite of the smoked duck breast sushi.

Its duck breast has a strong flavor, and the subcutaneous fat layer partially melts during the smoking process.

The meat and fat intertwine upon tasting, creating a delicate, oily texture, somewhat like the charred aroma of roast duck skin, but lighter.

Bai Yuan chewed while savoring the flavor composition and analyzing the texture.

Duck meat has coarser fibers, which provides a slight chewiness when chewed, creating a delicious contrast with the soft sushi rice, resulting in distinct layers of flavor.

"Let's dip it in some more sauce."

Caramel, onions, plum sauce, yuzu pepper—this guy really knows his stuff.

It's a pity I didn't add perilla leaves. All the ingredients are quite strong in flavor, and while the combination is impactful, it becomes cloying after just a few bites.

Looking at the sauce in front of him, Bai Yuan sniffed it slightly, then quietly recited its components.

The ingredients are all quite flavorful, so the sauce is naturally quite rich as well. In this case, adding a perilla leaf is the best option.

"The slightly sour and sweet taste of the sushi rice nicely balances the greasiness of the duck meat, while the sauce provides a strong fruity and spicy aroma."

Looking at the red plate in front of him, Bai Yuan took out the paper and pen he always carried with him and quickly wrote down the name of the sushi and his suggestions for improvement.

Although he didn't know if the chef would listen to him, he had to leave a note, otherwise he would definitely be itching to stay up all night.

His philosophy is to correct mistakes when they occur!

"Would you like some tempura shrimp sushi? Note that it's sushi, not small rolls, as the texture and taste will be different."

Just as Bai Yuan finished writing his suggestion, the waiter brought a new sushi to him.

"Have some."

Don't ask, just ask.

Looking at the tempura shrimp sushi that the waiter put down, the plate was yellow, so it must have been made by Yoshino Yuuki or Sakaki Ryoko. It was a good opportunity to try their cooking.

Thinking this, Bai Yuan carefully examined the dish in front of him.

As the waiter just said, the sushi in front of me is different from regular tempura shrimp sushi.

The tempura shrimp sushi sold in ordinary sushi restaurants often uses large black tiger shrimp. After being made into tempura shrimp, it is placed in the middle of the sushi rice as the core part of the sushi.

This type of sushi is also known as small roll or hand roll in Japan.

The tempura shrimp sushi in front of you is actually hand-rolled sushi.

The tempura shrimp on the sushi rice is slightly smaller, so it can stay upright on the sushi and won't fall off when moved or shaken while being picked up.

"These fried shrimp... have such a rich sesame aroma."

Unlike thick batter, the outer coating of this tempura shrimp is extremely thin, like a cicada's wing.

When Bai Yuan bites into it, it makes a "crunch" sound, melts quickly in the mouth, and leaves a faint aroma of sesame oil.

He guessed that the chef probably added sesame oil when mixing the batter.

"Fresh, tender, and crisp, it must be made with prawns and scallops."

While chewing, Bai Yuan tasted the type of tempura shrimp.

Because the shrimp are small, they are fried for a very short time, retaining a translucent, soft center.

The shrimp meat has a concentrated sweetness, and when you chew it, the sweet juices of the seafood seep out, creating a layered texture of "crispy on the outside and tender on the inside" with the crispy outer layer.

It has to be said that this is another brilliant idea.

"The texture and taste of the sushi rice are decent, and the tightness of the dough is just right. When you eat it, it can hold the crumbs of the fried dough without crushing the three-dimensional shape of the shrimp. It can be said that it is just right."

Meanwhile, a light sprinkling of sansho salt was applied to the fried shrimp, the saltiness just enough to enhance the shrimp's sweetness without masking the aroma of the batter—a clever little trick.

Bai Yuan inwardly praised the dish, noting that it was a very well-made meal; any alteration would affect the flavor. He wondered if he could find a way to improve it...

Picking up the pen on the table, Bai Yuan wrote down the improvement methods.

Adding ground shrimp shells to flour can double the umami flavor.

Even though it's just a small change, it can greatly enhance the flavor.

This is Baiyuan; through a single dish, one can quickly see its true nature.

Next, sushi was served to Baiyuan one after another.

Each time he tasted something, he would write down its advantages and disadvantages, until gradually, he couldn't fit everything on a single sheet of paper.

"That's fine then, waiter, the bill."

Looking at the contents of the paper, Bai Yuan smiled with satisfaction.

At this moment, the plates on his table were stacked high, roughly estimated to be at least thirty, making him a phenomenal competitive eater.

Such a scene naturally attracted the attention of many people around.

Japanese people generally have small appetites, so when they encounter a competitive eater, they can't help but show a touch of respect.

In their eyes, eating a lot means being physically strong, and being good at fighting naturally deserves respect.

"Okay, that's a total of 68,000 yen."

The sushi Bai Yuan ate was served on a lot of red plates, and given that this is a high-end sushi restaurant, the prices were quite high.

"Swipe your card."

Bai Yuan showed his bank card, and the waiter immediately took it to the card reader, handing him the bill and card with both hands, his face full of respect.

"Please take your card, sir. Welcome to visit us again."

"Perhaps. This is a culinary suggestion I'd like to give to your head chef, and I hope you can pass it on to him."

As he spoke, Bai Yuan took out a note he had prepared beforehand from his pocket, stuffed it into the waiter's hand, and wore a gentle smile on his face.

"Okay, I will definitely hand it over."

Looking at Bai Yuan's handsome face, the little girl blushed and then took the note, which still carried Bai Yuan's warmth, with both hands.

She looked down at the densely packed words, the sushi improvement methods that seemed like gibberish to her.

Each part was labeled and explained in detail, which immediately filled me with admiration.

"Ah."

With a soft "hmm," Bai Yuan left the sushi restaurant, and after watching him leave, the waiter immediately jogged over to Chef Long Siqi.

"Chef, these are the customer's reviews of the dishes. Please take a look!"

It was quite some time past lunchtime, but the number of customers in the shop remained unchanged. Ryuji Kiriji was working intensely when he heard the waiter's voice and became somewhat angry.

"Okay, put it there. I'll look at it when I have time."

Although he was angry, he noticed that it was a girl who was speaking, so he suppressed his anger and didn't give her a good scolding. Instead, he asked her to put the note somewhere so he could read it after get off work.

Whether or not you'll remember it by then is hard to say.

"Okay, then I'll put it here for you."

The waiter naturally realized this as well, and after understanding his rashness, he smiled apologetically, but still placed the note in the most conspicuous place.

After all, the densely packed words on it were definitely written with care by that boy.

Although she couldn't understand it, she could sense the professionalism in it, so she hoped the head chef could take a look.

"I've been eating for two hours without even realizing it!"

Looking at the time on his phone, Bai Yuan couldn't help but sigh.

It felt like only a short time had passed, and the meal was over before I knew it, but when I looked at the clock, two hours had actually gone by. It was unbelievable.

Enjoying delicious food really makes you lose track of time.

Such a thought crossed Bai Yuan's mind.

He shook his head slightly. Instead of rushing to Hanasaki Restaurant, he found a coffee shop and sat down, planning to go there in the evening.

at the same time.

Inside Hanasaki Western Restaurant.

Megumi Tadokoro and Miyoko Hojo were busy at the sink, washing the plates that had been taken away from the customers, working day and night without a break.

And they've been doing this kind of work for three days now, including today!

"I'm fed up! When are we finally going to stop washing dishes? We came here to be chefs, what's with not letting us cook?!"

Looking at the greasy plate in front of her, Miyoko Hojo grew increasingly impatient, her brows furrowed with deep worry.

She didn't come here to wash dishes; she came to hone her culinary skills and seek ways to improve herself further.

But now...

Plates piled up like mountains, and they joined the older women as dishwashers in the kitchen.

As for the stove, it's a place you can't even touch; otherwise, you'll definitely be scolded by the head chef, or you might even be kicked out of the kitchen.

If this continues, they will definitely fail the assessment because they have not made any obvious contributions.