Shirou and Erina

"Wait! Shirou! What have you been thinking since graduating from Totsuki Culinary Academy?! You're still holed up here, even though you've already decided to participate in the Culinary God Competition! Why are you dawdling around in this kind of restaurant?!"

"Erina, I knew you'd be here around this time." Shirou greeted the girl with a light laugh as she walked in. "Ah, Hisako, welcome."

"Excuse me, Shirou." Arato Hisako, the secretary who was following Erina, peeked out from behind her and bowed. At this moment, she was dressed in a professional office lady outfit, and she was a very competent secretary. She was very respectful to Shirou.

In this world, Shirou wakes up to find himself in a world where food reigns supreme.

Food is the most important thing for people. The most profitable businesses are not mobile phones or the internet, but food groups, which involve...

Shirou unexpectedly discovers that he has a talent for spices. His nose is particularly sensitive, and he can distinguish all the ingredients and proportions in a pot of spices that are mixed together and boiled together, without missing a single one.

From the Chinese cuisine that started with Tohsaka, to the Japanese cuisine she's good at, to the Western cuisine she discusses with Sakura, and also...

In the past, although food was very popular in the world, it was not very systematic. Just like how China uses a general term for Western food, it's as if Westerners have only had one school of thought over thousands of years.

In fact, during the Roman Empire, many of the wealthy Romans were gourmets. Besides the world-famous French cuisine, Italian pasta and German sausages were also well-known, as were British Stargazy pie and Scandinavian Surströmming.

When foreigners come to visit and ask you to treat them to Chinese food, all Chinese people are momentarily confused. After all, not counting the Manchu Han Imperial Feast or state banquets that bring together the best of all 56 ethnic groups, Han cuisine alone has Eight Great Cuisines, and each province also has its own smaller regional cuisines for different dialect groups.

In Europe and America, it's like having face blindness and not being able to distinguish between Chinese, Korea, and Japanese. Many of them also refer to Chinese, Korea, Vietnamese, Japanese, and other cuisines collectively as Asian cuisine, or what is known as 'Eastern cuisine'.

If you go to an Asian restaurant, you might find a mix of Chinese cuisine, Japanese food, Korea kimchi, Thailand Tom Yum Goong, Vietnamese fish sauce dishes, and a medley of Peranakan Nyonya cuisine from Nanyang, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Moreover, the store managers are a mixed bag. For example, more than half of the Japanese restaurants I know in the US are run by Chinese people, while Jianbing Guozi) are sold by white people.

In this new world, new dishes are constantly being developed. Even with Shirou's culinary talent and his super learning ability—he can learn anything just by watching—he could never learn them all in his entire life.

Then there's the issue of food safety. In the original world, there were various problems, some exposed and some that couldn't be openly discussed, such as gutter oil, various processed products, and distorted genetically modified foods.

Every year-end, in any country, there are always very strict officials who come to inspect the hygiene of the store. If something is found to be substandard, the store will be closed for a week for rectification.

But in reality, which store has food piled up in its warehouse, dealing with grease and grime every day? Even the chefs are covered in oil, so how could the kitchen not be filthy? As a source of blood and grease, wouldn't the sewers be crawling with cockroaches and rats?

You might think that a shop with such a luxurious decor must be clean, but that just means you haven't seen the filth in the kitchen. It just means that these shops clean their restaurants promptly.

Anyone who has ever run a restaurant or worked in a kitchen should know how many parasites are inside the fish after it's been killed, and how much the oil used in the kitchen costs per pound. The chef might wear a mask, but can't the cleaning lady who washes the vegetables even sneeze?

The Ganges River, which flows between India and Bangladesh, is 2,525 kilometers long. It is the mother river of the Indian people, a sacred river in Hinduism, and is also recorded in many Buddhist scriptures, connecting the lives of generations of Indian people from all walks of life. Since ancient times, people have swum, washed clothes, disposed of waste, excreted, and even used it for burial.

So the question is, where does the bottled water they sell in their shop come from?

Cheap foods are not safe to eat: domestically produced milk powder, hormone-injected chickens, fish treated with birth control pills, seafood contaminated with parasites, and fruits and vegetables treated with pesticides.

Expensive foods are unaffordable, and prices rise year after year. Kobe Wagyu, Nagoya eel, Ise lobster, Tottori snow crab, French foie gras, and Russian caviar are either top-tier delicacies that cannot be farmed and are caught in limited quantities each year, or they cannot be mass-produced. Naturally, they are not available to ordinary people whose income is below the average wage in their city.

The fruits and vegetables also include rare matsutake mushrooms, Yubari King Melon, and goose barnacles.

Even more impressive is Wuyi Mountains's Da Hong Pao, a special wine made from grapes grown in European royal vineyards! Even if you have money, you might not be able to enjoy it.

The rich gain health, while the poor can only laugh and say they'll challenge their stomachs with Bear Grylls. Where in this world are there clean creatures? The human body contains countless bacteria. You could even say that with every breath a person takes, they ingest the carcasses of countless flying insects, dust, and PM2.5.

But now, in this world, all of this is no longer a problem. A comprehensive food safety management system has been established, and many inconveniences have been resolved and improved. In agriculture, there are experts in planting, experts in cultivating new ingredients, and food hunters who discover new ingredients in nature.

In the less than twenty years since the beginning of the new century, there have been dozens of such remarkable figures Yuan Longping have made groundbreaking contributions to the world.

Like developing real estate, all countries are vigorously developing agriculture, sweeping away the decline caused by various food trust crises and developing rapidly. In response, chefs have emerged to create perfect dishes from these foods.

"Don't you think it's romantic for a chef to take a discount flyer, find a discount supermarket to buy cheap and affordable ingredients, and then use them to make delicious and inexpensive dishes?" Shirou asked with his arms crossed.

He makes a 1000 yen all-you-can-eat fried pork cutlet set meal here, and the taste is just as good as the roast suckling pig in a hotel that starts at 20,000 yen. It also gives guests a warm feeling of coming home. What's wrong with that?

Erina walked up to Shirou angrily and said, "I don't understand what you're talking about at all! What's so good about something so cheap anyway?"

"My interest lies in making dishes that bring happiness to more people. I'm not really interested in those expensive dishes that are too high-end and can only be enjoyed by a few," Shirou said, shaking his head.

His research over the years has revealed that expensive does not necessarily mean the best.

Seafood, for example, often contains excessive levels of heavy metals. A tuna costing millions of yen might do more harm than good. Shark fins, too, contain some level of toxins, especially shark bones, which have extremely high mercury content; consuming too much can be fatal. Yet, these products are consumed recklessly, not by ordinary people, but by the wealthy.

There's also the superstition that seasonings are harmful. In the kitchens of many wealthy families, there's only salt and a little oil. They blanch vegetables and meat and eat them like that, thinking it's for health. But when they go out for fancy meals, they end up consuming these harmful and expensive ingredients.

Erina looked at the simple furnishings around her, angrily shaking her head and glancing around from left to right, as if looking for trouble.

At that moment, with a snap, the office worker who had been silent stood up.

"What's wrong?" the middle-aged man asked, puzzled.

"Ugh... I smell the stench of romance. Now that we're all full, let's head back and leave the young people some space." The savvy office worker pushed up his glasses, stood up, and said.

In this world, the only people who would speak to a delicate beauty in this manner are either a hopelessly single man who has no interest in other women, or someone who has already made their move.

Is Boss Shirou a total straight man? Look at him, he skillfully serves the ladies who come here glass after glass of his homemade fruit wine every day, and they not only don't get annoyed, but they also often turn around and wink at the kitchen.

Recalling the look in those White Bone Demons' eyes and their alluring appearance sent a shiver down his spine.

A respectable office worker, true to her word, never late for work, and when she says she's leaving, she leaves immediately. Leaving behind only a wise and enigmatic figure, she walks steadily towards the door.

"Hey, you didn't pay the bill, did you?" the middle-aged man sitting next to me complained.

"... Well, whatever." Shirou waved his hand dismissively.

Erina, standing nearby, exploded, shouting, "Seriously! Seriously! This one too, that one too! Enough already! What's so great about this short, narrow, and shabby shop anyway?!"

"Putting aside the fact that it's short and narrow, what's with the dilapidated state? I clean this place spotless every day, from the floor to the tatami mats, and the tables are all polished to a shine." Shirou retorted when he heard Erina make an unfair assessment of his shop.

"Yes, Uncle has been to many izakayas when he goes out drinking with his colleagues at night, Shirou's place is the cleanest one." The older man who was drinking chimed in.

"Shut up! I just hope this kind of shop goes out of business soon!" Erina snapped, like a cat with its fur standing on end. Then she turned and glanced at the middle-aged man next to her, looking down at him like a tigress, and said, "I wasn't talking to you, so shut up!"

"Ah... I feel like I've been scolded by my daughter again, I'm feeling really down, so I'm leaving now," the man said, clutching his chest.

"Oh, sorry, this meal is on me today. Come again next time," Shirou said to the older man.

"Wait! Shirou, even if you bought the shop, it's small and the customer base is relatively stable! But if you keep delivering things like this all the time, the business will run into problems sooner or later! Have you even been keeping proper accounts?!" Erina saw the uncle quickly leave the shop, turned around, slammed her hand on the table, and scolded Shirou.

Shirou looked at the young lady with amusement, saying nothing, but simply sizing her up and down with amusement.

"Wh... what?!" Erina blushed, but unwilling to back down, she stood on tiptoe and asked loudly.

Shirou then spoke up, asking, "Erina drove all this way here, and one minute she's saying she wishes my shop would go bankrupt, and the next she's worried about my profits. What are you trying to say? And... would you like to stay here tonight?"

Chapter 431 Shirou and Erina

"No! No! That's not what I meant!" Erina was like a cat with its fur standing on end, baring her teeth and claws but unable to yell at anyone, stomping her feet in frustration.

"So, should we stay or not?" Shirou asked again.

"I want to stay!" Erina puffed out her cheeks and pouted as she agreed.

As night deepened and the guests finished their meal, they all left the small shop. Shirou used a long bamboo fork to lift down the curtain at the entrance, took it inside, and closed the door.

"Then let's get started. It's been over a week since you last came. I think you're about ready." Shirou turned off the outside lights, leaving only the dim candlelight in the shop, and turned to look at the blonde woman.

"Hmm... um." A beautiful blush appeared on Nakiri Erina's face. She hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded in agreement.

In an instant, the rustling sound of clothes being taken off could be heard.

The door was pushed open again, and out came a blonde woman who had changed into a pure white chef's suit, with her long hair tied up and wearing a hat.

"Then let's officially begin! Tonight's cooking experiment." Shirou lifted a long towel, re-tied it to his forehead, turned on the stove, poured oil, and began tonight's cooking experiment with the blonde woman.

"Shirou, is there some special meaning behind your gesture? Like an Olympic athlete making the sign of the cross or kissing the ground?" His Hisako, who had been following behind, asked curiously.

Shirou casually waved his hand and said, "No, it's just for fun, it doesn't mean anything. After all, think about it, in today's culinary world, anyone who wears a headband, scarf, or headscarf seems to be exceptionally skilled."

"Is that so? Ahahaha." Hisako said with a dry laugh.

Thinking about it carefully, it seems that's really the case. Apart from some contestants from other countries, the title of Culinary God Cup Competition is unique to humankind. The strongest contender for the title is an elderly man surnamed Liu from China.

He is the Kikushita Restaurant, a centuries-old traditional hotel in Panda Province of China. He is usually an old man who wears a red headscarf. Although he has white hair and beard, he is tall and upright with broad shoulders and a thick back, even taller than the old man of the Nakiri family by half a head. He moves with a vigorous and powerful gait, as robust as a man in his late twenties.

He came to Guangzhou as a teenager to learn cooking, and soon obtained the highest honor of chef's certificate at the time. Then he began to travel around the world, visiting famous chefs in various places. This journey lasted a lifetime. Through such continuous travel, he accumulated experience and knowledge, and his culinary skills were honed to a monstrous level.

Legend has it that in his later years, in order to reach a higher realm, he began searching for the eight legendary kitchen utensils again. After collecting all the divine kitchen utensils in China, he finally created a dish that could grant immortality. Although the truth of this is unknown, legends about him were recorded as early as the Qing Dynasty.

Even the old man of the Nakiri family, his strength is probably half a level below Senior Liu.

"Shirou, don't you really want to win at all?" Nakiri Erina said, looking at Shirou with dissatisfaction.

It is said that the prize of the God of Cookery Cup is a golden pot that can grant people's wishes. The prototype of the Holy Grail is actually a pot, so its appearance in this world is not really a contradiction.

After all, there are indeed kitchen utensils with incredible power in this world. The most famous is the eight-piece set of immortality from China. However, compared to the sacred pot of the God of Cookery Cup, the Chinese kitchen utensils can only show their greatest power after they are all collected.

"I am enjoying the game, but winning or losing isn't really that important." Shirou's indifference to everything is proof that he has seen through everything. All things are empty; there is nothing in this world that is worth caring about.

Erina, looking utterly exasperated, pointed at Shirou and yelled, "As the champion of the Asian All-Age Open Championship, you've now made it to the semi-finals! Next up, you'll be competing against Liu Angxing from China, my grandfather who represents the country, and the French celebrity chef of the century from the Dark Cuisine World for the title of God of Cookery Cup! Can't you be a little nervous?"

Shirou was once one of the best here. As the top graduate of the Totsuki Academy, the most famous chef training school in Japan, his portrait also hangs on the wall of the Moon Sky Room.

A chef like him would be more than qualified to work in a Michelin three-star restaurant or as the head chef in a century-old establishment.

Many restaurants are even willing to give up two percent of their profits to invite him to set up shop there. If he values freedom even more, he can also take out a loan to open a trendy, high-end restaurant, because he can earn the money back immediately, and banks would definitely be willing to lend to him.

In this era where chefs are like superstars, Shirou can achieve great success, fame, and wealth no matter which path he chooses.

However, Shirou made a choice that surprised everyone, and now he is the owner of a small diner that can only accommodate fewer than twenty people even when it is full. He is also the only chef, signboard...

Shirou retorted, "Actually, my shop isn't completely unknown. Look, it's even featured in this magazine; it's ranked tenth among the most delicious and cozy little shops in this area."

"What are you so happy about, ranking a trash magazine like this that doesn't even have enough sponsorships and has to use other small shops to beat you up?" Erina grabbed the magazine, tore it in half, threw it on the ground, and, still not satisfied, stomped on it several times with her long legs.

"Wait, Miss, calm down!" Hisako hugged Erina's shoulders from behind and shouted.

"Listen up! The only reason my restaurant isn't on this list is because they simply don't have the funds to even open a shop in my restaurant!" Erina said bluntly.

"I know, I know, it's not like I haven't been preparing," Shirou replied, still looking nonchalant and unconcerned, as he slowly took a glass jar from the kitchen cabinet.

"Hmph, that's more like it!" Erina glanced at Shirou, making sure he wasn't lying, before turning her head away and saying tsunderely.

"Try this, my new creation," Shirou said, unscrewing the can.

"What is this?" Erina asked, puzzled.

"Don't ask, just open your mouth and try it." Shirou used his chopsticks to pick up the special dish from the jar and put it to the woman's mouth.

The blonde girl glanced at Shirou suspiciously, then leaned forward, opened her pink lips, and took Shirou's chopsticks into her mouth. "Ah..."

"Mmm~!" Erina's eyes widened as soon as she took a bite.

"Actually, I've been developing new spices recently. Try them and see if there's anything that can be improved," Shirou said.

The gently flowing stream, the cascading waterfall, the ebb and flow of the sea, and finally, the swirling, dazzling starry sky—the ever-changing scenery brought wave after wave of awe to the woman. Her divine palate was taking her on a culinary interstellar journey.

This is a precise yet explosively aromatic sauce. The moment it touches your taste buds, the aroma explodes, filling every corner of your mouth and even infecting the air you breathe through your nostrils.

Yet each spice is so distinct, leaving a lingering aftertaste. The aroma, spiciness, saltiness, and sugar are all blended into a natural harmony.

Like a sharpshooter who never misses a shot, the arrow strikes precisely at the most sensitive spot on the human taste buds, where they perceive all kinds of delicious flavors. At the same time, it has an explosive, shocking effect—this is a nuclear-level spice! A nuclear weapon in the realm of cuisine.

Erina had already envisioned which ingredients she could pair with this seasoning to create a variety of killer dishes.

"Here, Hisako, don't be shy." Shirou handed the jar and an unused spoon to Hisako, who was eager to try them out. Although Hisako was Hisako, she was also Erina's childhood friend and best confidante.

"Thank you, Shirou- sama," Hisako said, then eagerly took a bite, her eyes lighting up immediately. "Mmm~!!"

"Shirou! If it's this, we might really be able to win." Erina opened her eyes, grabbed Shirou's hand, and said excitedly.

"Mmm-hmm." Hisako nodded in agreement.

"Right, Erina? I would never lie to you." Shirou looked at the blonde girl with deep affection and took her hand.

"Shirou ..." Erina looked at the young man with emotion.

However, she quickly regained her senses, pushed Shirou away, and shouted:

"Wait! No, we haven't finished talking about the important matter yet! I still can't accept your current lifestyle. Shirou, since your cooking can beat mine, then your talent shouldn't be wasted here. You were the top chef at Totsuki Culinary Academy back then, but now your restaurant is deserted."

Even if you look down on high-end clubs! Even if you want a life of leisure, at least make it a small, exquisite shop like those run by God of Sushi or God of Tempura!

For someone of Shirou's age, owning a piece of real estate in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, where land is incredibly expensive and in an area frequently visited by commuters, is actually quite impressive.

However, given his laid-back management style, the restaurant barely manages to turn a profit, which is completely inconsistent with his elite background and fails to gain public understanding and recognition.

In this era, talented chefs are emerging in large numbers, but even the best food needs marketing. No matter how good your cooking skills are, if you only know how to cook and offer affordable prices without any promotion or marketing, it won't work.

It's impossible for many people to make a special trip every day just to eat a decent, affordable fast food meal. For the upper class, it would only lower their social standing; even gourmets can't eat home-cooked meals all the time.

Moreover, this restaurant is the kind that limits the number of meals served each day and does not accept additional orders. Shirou's dishes are healthy, safe, and affordable, using the freshest vegetables and meats from the market. However, only one hundred meals are made each day, serving only about thirty people for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food is limited, and the restaurant closes once it runs out, so if you arrive late, you won't be able to get any.

"But this is the healthiest and most carefree way to live. Cooking every day with the intention of bringing happiness to a hundred people isn't too tiring, and it's fulfilling. As for money, I also have a share of the patents for the new dishes I develop, so I have no problem making a living," Shirou said.

Influenced by another version of himself in another world, a workaholic like him, he no longer wanted to live a busy life. A simple and peaceful life was the true essence of life; giving up excessive desires, living a simple and healthy life, and having a relaxed and happy mood were more important.

"But... but..." The blonde woman clenched her fists, tears welling in her eyes, looking very aggrieved.

"But?" Shirou asked, puzzled.

"But... but! If you don't win the Holy Pot, then I won't be able to convince my family to let me marry into this family!!!" Nakiri Erina shouted excitedly, closing her eyes.