Pokémon Detective Case Files.

"If you just want your guests to experience the contrast between the flavors of smoked and salt-grilled meat, you can simply cut the steak a little thicker and serve them two-thirds of the current amount of meat."

"Don't forget, pursuing the ultimate in culinary art is different from our usual cooking. It's about allowing customers to enjoy more delicious and diverse food within their appetite, creating a taste memory that they can never forget. Isn't that what we as chefs should strive for? I don't think you, Bert, don't understand this principle."

The fire-type guild master, who was being criticized, did not show any displeasure, nor did he make any defense. He simply silently pulled out a pair of iron tongs from the food cart and picked up the fragrant wood decoration in the center of the table that was used to simulate a cow bone.

With a soft "poof".

Bert lightly flicked the top of the fragrant wood with his fingertip, where a small wooden stopper was hidden!

As the cap was opened, a pungent aroma of spices wafted out.

"It would be an arrogance for a chef not to serve steak with sauce—that's why I went with this design."

Just as the three guests at the table finished their first steak, Bert, holding a container disguised as sandalwood, poured golden sauce over their second steak.

“I call this sauce ‘Courage Filling’, inspired by the roar of the Kentaro as it charges forward.”

After finishing the second processing, the curator put the wooden stopper back in the fragrant wood, put one hand behind his back, bowed to the crowd, and said—

"In this Galar curry-flavored sauce, I've added Paras mushroom spore powder and scallion oil from Galarian Farfetch'd, which brings out the salt-grilled and smoked flavors of the steak. Therefore, to fully experience the full flavor of this dish, it's best to eat the second steak along with the sauce in one bite."

"No wonder you were so confident in surpassing the previous 'bamboo shoot soup with maitake mushrooms,' you had this trick up your sleeve."

Guskaf took a bite of the saucy steak, and immediately his chubby face blossomed like a sunflower.

"It's delicious!" Azure squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

Eevee, standing beside her, leaned closer, curiously sniffing the aroma of curry. She smiled, dipped her finger in the sauce, and offered it to Eevee. The little guy immediately came over and happily licked it with his pink little tongue.

"This fragrant wood comes from the newly sprouted branches of the cornflower forest in spring. Sealing the curry inside allows the ingredients to have an extra touch of herbal aroma. I carefully selected many different kinds of wood for this purpose."

Bert said, head held high and chest puffed out.

At this moment, Zhimi's expression softened, and he smiled in agreement: "Yes, I can taste the care you put into this sauce. In addition, this idea is also perfect. I think that developing a second way to taste the same dish like this is also a response to the theme of 'new life'."

"Now, let's move on to the second main course."

The owner of Tian Tong Restaurant reappeared carrying a plate.

"Because the previous steak was a larger portion, this dish was prepared in a more refined manner."

The florist monkey beside him was holding a bottle of red wine, to accompany the next round of dishes.

"This is a 'saltwater wine' from the Padina coast—not that the wine is salty, but rather that its raw material is called saltwater grapes, which naturally possess a marine minerality that will harmonize with the main course to come."

"The aroma of saltwater wine has a refreshing effect, could the next dish be...?"

Zhimi was thoughtfully rubbing his chin when he was interrupted by Bert, who hadn't yet left—

"It's so unromantic to spoil the answer that's about to be revealed, Mr. Zhimi, please bear with it for a moment."

The next moment, Tian Tong lifted the silver lid on the plate, and three small, round pieces of roasted meat were placed on top of slices of fruit. The aroma of the fully roasted meat, along with the fragrance of the fruit, was mouthwatering.

"Please enjoy the 'Slowpoke Tail with a Half-Ripe Tropius Fruit'! Proof of the ingredients' origin will be provided after the meal. All Pokémon products in our store are sourced legally and compliantly, and there are no humanitarian concerns."

Unlike the previous complex dishes, this roasted tail meat is only bite-sized and very easy to eat.

"Hmm...this is completely different from tail meat roasted using the usual method." Guskaf closed his eyes, savoring the taste for a moment, then took a sip of the wine that accompanied his meal—

"The part chosen should be the tip of the tail, as this part is the richest in oil. If eaten directly, it would have a fishy taste, but this disadvantage is fully neutralized by the sweet and sour flavor of the fruit, leaving only the soft and delicate texture of the Slowpoke tail."

"The choice of unripe tropical dragon fruit is also very thoughtful. It has a soft and firm texture, and its high starch content gives people a subtle feeling of fullness, which can make up for the lack of portion size of the tail meat as a main dish," Zhimi commented.

“If it were slices of fully ripe, sweet fruit, it might not be able to bring out the flavor of the tip, but using semi-ripe fruit from spring is just right. Also, if I’m not mistaken, you probably added a little bit of grapefruit peel between the tip and the fruit, right?”

"As expected of the King of Rice, we only added a tiny bit of grapefruit peel. We thought you wouldn't notice." Tian Tong nodded admiringly. "We did this mainly to enhance the aroma left in the mouth after eating the dish, so that it can also form a good connection with the salty wine afterwards."

"What dishes will be served next?" Azure asked expectantly.

"Other restaurants would be coming to an end at this point in the banquet, serving some light snacks or cheese platters."

As Tian Tong collected the empty wine glasses from the guests, she responded—

"However, as a specialty of our restaurant, we will also provide our guests with a dish that can elevate the atmosphere of the dinner."

"Could there be anything more delicious than the soup and main course?" Guskaf wiped his mouth with a napkin, his eyes filled with both doubt and anticipation.

"Personal tastes vary, but this dish wins not because of its quality but because of its quantity."

Gentle words drifted from afar, and Cohen, who replaced Bert and Tian Tong, brought out three square food boxes made of red peach wood.

The box is decorated with gold-lined drawings of the three Eevee evolutions and Ho-Oh, giving it an elegant and sophisticated look, suggesting it's a dish from the Johto region.

"This lunchbox is really impressive," the food critic exclaimed. "I wonder what the food inside is like."

"The next course is a 'Spring Limited Edition Assorted Platter' specially created by Sanyo Restaurant, inspired by Johto customs. It contains sixteen miniature dishes in sixteen compartments."

The waiter, wearing a blue bow tie, gracefully began the introduction to the group while simultaneously lifting the wooden lid of the food box.

"There are many kinds of dishes inside. Let me introduce them to you one by one, starting from the top left of the first column..."

Kohn explained clearly—

"The first column is the fried food section, featuring deep-fried dishes such as baked hairy crab sticks with perilla leaves, fried shuttlecock tempura with cranberry vinaigrette, Carlos-style garlic omelet, and a burger steak with sweet bamboo shoot juice sauce; the second column is grilled food, including classic teriyaki light cod brisket, spicy pan-fried minced meat sausage platter, bite-sized lava snail shell baked rice, and grilled antler buds, a spring specialty of the United States; the third and fourth columns are the cold dishes and sashimi sections, featuring pickled lotus root with heart-shaped fish roe, honey-soaked tomato cups, traditional Johto custard egg tofu, and Padiya salt rock giant mine." The menu includes crystal-clear wakame seaweed salad, black artificial scallop sashimi wrapped in nori, a tartare garnished with whipped cream resembling a dazed beast's tail, sake-marinated imitation red and blue striped sea bass, and light cod sashimi prepared with a cherry fruit vinegar dressing… We recommend eating horizontally from left to right, starting at the top left, followed by fried food, grilled food, cold dishes, sashimi, and back to fried food. This allows you to experience both texture and flavor for the best taste experience. Later, we'll bring over a soup, a seafood miso soup in the Johto region style, made with the remaining claw meat from the previous presentation of the prawns and kelp broth. Please enjoy it slowly.”

Chapter 371 Closing Remarks - Cheese and Desserts in Succession

The "Spring Limited Edition Assorted Box" presented by the owner of Koen Restaurant is truly an amazing culinary feast.

In that exquisite sixteen-compartment food box, each mini dish, though only the size of a fingertip, has its own unique characteristics.

Golden and crispy tempura, fragrant charcoal-grilled meat chunks, refreshing and delightful cold vegetable salad, and a sweet and chewy sashimi platter—these four alternating flavors create waves on the tongue, making your heart race like riding a roller coaster.

The highlight, however, is the miso soup made with carefully simmered prawn claw meat.

The warm and mellow broth gently envelops all the flavors, bringing this thrilling culinary adventure to a perfect close.

"Although I know this dinner is not over yet, please allow me to express my gratitude to all the chefs at this moment."

Guskaf put down his soup bowl, clasped his hands together, and awkwardly imitated the accent of the residents of the city-state, saying, "Thank you for the meal."

Azure Eevee had just received a share of the Claw Soup, and now it was imitating a gourmet by putting its hands together, which made Azure, who had once adventured in Johto, chuckle.

"It's a very unique way of presenting it," Zimi said, putting her fork back in its place and lightly tapping the table with her fingertips, her expression somewhat complicated.

"While each dish is not exactly exquisite, the constantly changing culinary styles mask this fact well... However, I think this approach is a bit of a shortcut."

"Spring is the season for planning the year, and it is the perfect time to make the most of it."

Tento, carrying the next dish, took over Koun's place and spoke generously to the Water-type Elite Four member.

"In the spring when everything comes back to life, flowers attract pollinators with their vibrant colors, seeds fly far away with the help of the wind, and even most Grass-type Pokémon choose to evolve collectively under the nourishment of spring rains during this season. By cleverly utilizing the characteristics of different ingredients, we can make the originally scattered dishes complement each other and recombine them into a better and richer dish - we believe that this approach better reflects the characteristics of our Sanyao Restaurant."

At this point, a hint of melancholy seemed to flicker in the Grass-type Gym Leader's eyes—

"And that's why we initially established the Sanyo Dojo."

To be honest, my primary purpose in coming to Sanyo City this time was to handle the closure of the Sanyo Gym on Hugo's behalf...

The undisguised melancholy in Tian Tong's words was like a sudden cool breeze, dispelling the gentle warmth that the banquet had brought to the azure sky.

She glanced at Shimi and Guscalf beside her. The two of them were unaware of the future fate of the Sanyo Dojo and seemed oblivious to the meaning behind the waiter's words. They simply continued to look expectantly at the dishes that Cilan would serve next.

"Whether it's a clever trick or not, since the banquet is drawing to a close, please enjoy the special cheese dishes that the three of us brothers have recently developed."

Mr. Tiantong raised his eyebrows, flashed a slightly exaggerated smile at everyone, and placed the plate he was carrying on the table—

"Sanyo Restaurant Special Double Cheese Tart!"

The sommelier's voice echoed throughout the restaurant for a long time.

"The wine is a chilled sparkling wine containing a trace amount of lily root 'hypnotic powder'—the dosage is precise enough to only bring a pleasant, slightly tipsy feeling, like springtime. The topping and base of the cheese are MooMoo fresh milk sorbet and aged hard cheese made from Afro-head buffalo milk, respectively. There's also a portion for those carrying Pokémon."

The cheese is round, about the size of a biscuit, and the white Moo Moo fresh milk sorbet is printed with the emblem of the Sanyo Dojo in brown cocoa powder.

Upon seeing the cheese dish served, Shimi still declined the portion offered to the Pokémon. Azure tried giving Eevee a bite, but it didn't really like the salty taste of the cheese.

In contrast to Ibrahimovic, food editor Mr. Guscalf praised the dish highly: "This is the best cheese dish I have eaten since last year. The high-quality milk flavor and the mature savory flavor are in perfect harmony. The lightness of the sherry and the richness of the hard cheese intertwine in the mouth to create a symphony of layers. Today's meal was truly full of surprises."

Eevee, standing to the side, looked at Mr. Snorlax with disdain, as if he were an idiot.

Seeing this, Azure quickly put the little guy back into her arms. She began to understand why Guskaf was so reluctant to eat with others during evaluations.

Everyone's tongue is their own, and enjoying food is sometimes a rather private personal experience.

As a professional food critic, Guscalf would likely find it difficult to tolerate laymen making unconstructive comments at the dinner table...

While pondering these things, Azure put her cheese tart into her mouth.

Ah, delicious!

The girl couldn't help but pinch Eevee's cheek. How could this guy's tongue be so unmoved by such delicious food!

"Many Pokémon have a more sensitive sense of smell than humans, so they can detect more of the odors produced by fermentation."

As if noticing Azure's behavior, Mr. Zhimi, sniffing the aroma of the sparkling wine, spoke up—

"One man's meat is another man's poison, which is one of the reasons why many restaurants catering to humans do not serve Pokémon."

"That's true, but the dessert that follows is specially made for humans and Pokémon to share. The Pokémon will definitely love it."

After returning from the kitchen, Cohen came before everyone again, this time standing together with Bert, carrying two final dishes.

"Really?" Elite Four member Shimi took out a Poké Ball. "My partner is also a bit hungry. In the Pokémon world, it's a gourmet whose skill is no less than mine. Can you satisfy its palate?"

The culinary expert casually tossed out a Poké Ball, and a Blastoise with a thick shell appeared behind the Elite Four member.

Blastoise yawned lazily, then suddenly sniffed the air, its eyes snapping open with a sharp glint in them.

"Oh, looks like you passed the first test." Seeing his partner's energetic appearance, Zhimi couldn't help but laugh and tease.

“That’s truly our honor!” Bert said with a broad smile, placing the dish he was holding on the table. “It seems you could smell the aroma of this baked dessert.”

"Clang clang—" The Fire-type Gym Leader's silver lid flew high with an exaggerated turn, bringing with it a gust of wind carrying the aroma of caramel...

In the center of the plate, a miniature volcano is slowly "erupting".

The dark brown chocolate shell cracks with spiderweb-like patterns, and golden-red lava-like sauce oozes out from the cracks, adorned with "lava flowers" carved from spicy cherry jelly.

"Buee!" Eevee stretched its neck out from Azure's arms, its nose twitching wildly.

"This is today's first dessert, and also the penultimate dish on the menu—'Newborn Chocolate Lava'!" Bert said proudly.

"Although we used chocolate as the raw material, we separated theobromine, which might cause Pokémon to have a negative reaction, by grinding cocoa beans and controlling the temperature to crystallize them. The cake base is filled with a molten concentrated tree sap, and the outer black sugar shell contains the first batch of nectar made by cherry blossoms after spring."

Bert perfectly sliced ​​the cake along the path of the flowing "Berry Lava" for everyone at the table and their Pokémon.

"The restaurant also offers lava dessert boxes made with the same ingredients," Cilan added at the opportune moment, holding several exquisite gift boxes bearing the gym emblem in her hands. "After your meal, you can take these home as souvenirs to enjoy with your Pokémon."

He specifically addressed Guscalf, who hadn't released his Pokémon—

"Our restaurant's philosophy is to let everyone enjoy the best food with Pokémon, so you don't have to feel guilty."

Bilan scooped a piece of cake with tree sap into her mouth with a dessert spoon, and felt a sweet but not cloying forest fragrance rush up her spine and straight to her brain. The juice and cream complemented each other perfectly, with a soft texture and a crisp candy shell, making it more delicious than any cake she had ever eaten!

She was worried that Eevee wouldn't be able to hold the spoon properly and wouldn't be able to eat the cake. But when she looked down, she saw that Eevee had already made a mess of its face and was reluctantly licking the plate clean.

Behind her, Mr. Jimmy's Blastoise let out a long breath and gave Bert a thumbs-up.

"This is fantastic! This cake has completely lived up to my expectations. What do you think, Mr. Jimmy?"

Guskaf's round face and Blastoise's expression were exactly the same. Almost full, he couldn't help but strike up a conversation with Zimi.

The King of Carlos nodded.

"The best reward for a chef is the recognition of diners, and in this respect, Sanyao Restaurant has completely succeeded. If I had to add my two cents, I would say that the cake could be improved in terms of appearance. The volcano shape was slightly out of control due to the flowing tree sap. But even I think this suggestion is a bit nitpicky. Ultimately, we chefs still have to win with our taste."

"As for taste, my final dessert is definitely not much different."

As he placed the plates on the table, the restaurant owner, Kohn, said—

"Good times always fly by. Let's enjoy the final touch of this 'New Life' dinner party – this is the last dessert!"

He simultaneously pushed three wide-mouthed stemmed glasses in front of three customers—

"Whispers of the Wind Smoothie"—Wishing you all a blessed journey ahead tomorrow.

Chapter 372 The Judgment of the Sanyo Dojo

The final dessert served by Kohn, "Whisper of the Wind Smoothie," lived up to its status as the grand finale of the entire banquet.

The shaved ice served in a stemmed glass melted in your mouth like a spring breeze, while the marshmallows made from orange syrup were as light and soft as a wind sprite's cotton wool. The overall sweetness was perfectly controlled by the baker, giving a feeling of happiness while also being refreshing enough to ensure that one could end the feast without any regrets.

"My favorite dish of the entire dinner was this shaved ice."