[Tang Qi's Dragon Gold City Journal—
Given the high prices in the Commercial District, I don't consider dining there a wise decision, especially after hearing that most of its restaurants prioritize presentation, such as plating, and the concepts behind their ingredients.
The servers at those restaurants introduce their dishes like this:
"This 'Fragments of the forest' features a wealth of ingredients. Its greens come from a forest druid society in the south, its citrus from a sunny coastal harbor in the Tyron Empire, and its spices carry the distinctive flavor of Wind Sand Islet. Even its water comes from melted snow in the mountains of northern Icewind Valley..."
What? You're asking what kind of dish it is?
A vegetable salad, of course.
So, as an adventurer, if your goal is to fill your stomach, you're better off heading to the Spine District.
It might not have expensive ingredients, but it certainly has dishes unique to the locals' homelands.
I recommend "Beastfolk skull," a restaurant opened by a retired half-orc adventurer. The roast meat falls off the bone and drips with fat, while the secret sauce is deliciously spicy. Five gold coins will fill four adults' stomachs.
My least recommended choice is the dwarf restaurant "Mountain copper furnace." The food tastes decent, but the furnishings are terrible—
Their tables, chairs, and stools are so low that you'd be far more comfortable eating in a squat.]
"You're always writing these jokes in your book. Aren't you afraid the dwarves will hunt you down?"
Reading what Tang Qi had written in his notebook, Merlin couldn't help scratching his afro.
"It's just a way to get famous."
Tang Qi understood the pros and cons.
"Bad publicity is still publicity."
The [Journal] had explicitly stated [Spread your fame, earn more rewards]. The method didn't matter,