Nene Kinoshita / The Young Will Surpass Their Elders

Using poached chicken as the main ingredient is the best way to bring out the fresh and tender flavor of the chicken.

Served with rice drizzled with chicken broth, it's definitely a delicious dish.

Master Li laughed heartily and couldn't wait to pick up a spoon and taste it.

"Being invited to be a judge this time is a real treat. They started with two authentic Chinese dishes."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

The tender chicken and fragrant rice were so delicious that all three judges showed satisfied expressions upon tasting the dish; they couldn't find any fault with it.

"As expected of Eizan, he has brought the subject of chicken to life perfectly," Gin Dōjima said admiringly.

If this were an exam, Eizan would undoubtedly have gotten a perfect score.

But this is Shokugeki, and although they were satisfied with Etsuya Eizan's chicken rice, they still needed to taste another dish before they could finally draw a conclusion.

The Secretaryko tapped her finger lightly; time was up.

She quickly lifted the lid of the steamer, and a rich aroma wafted out with the steam, filling the entire venue.

The aroma alone is enough to make one's mouth water; there's no doubt that Secretaryko's dish is absolutely delicious.

But this is not the finished product yet.

The Secretaryko quickly picked out the chicken pieces from the dish and arranged them on a plate, reshaping the previously scattered pieces into the shape of a whole chicken.

Drain the original broth from the vessel, remove all the seasonings, quickly put it into a pot, heat it, thicken it with cornstarch, and pour it over the chicken pieces.

This time, the dish not only smelled delicious, but also looked beautiful. The Secretaryko did an excellent job in the first two aspects: color, aroma, and taste.

Taigongwang Braised Chicken, done.

P. S.: I couldn't resist ordering takeout halfway through writing this. This is so tough...

Chapter 30, Section 496 Nene Kinokuni

The Secretaryko served the completed Taigongwang Braised Chicken to the judges' table, awaiting their tasting.

"It has a yellowish-red color and a wonderful fragrance; it's quite nice."

After a brief comment, each of the three judges picked up a piece of chicken and put it in their mouths.

Ultimately, the most important thing about food is its taste. No matter how excellent other aspects are, if it doesn't taste good, it's all for nothing.

The Secretaryko's dish is already superior in terms of appearance and aroma, but the most crucial element, the taste, still needs to be judged by the judges.

"Good!"

Master Li uttered this single word with a strong voice, without offering any further commentary.

Gin Dōjima chimed in, commenting, "The cooking time for this dish is just right. The chicken flavor isn't lost despite the various seasonings; on the contrary, it's brought out. It's truly a rare delicacy."

Food critic Nicholas added, "The proportions of the various ingredients are excellent, and the resulting flavor is very pleasant, with no discordant notes between them."

"It must be the result of countless attempts."

He's right. Secretaryko did indeed make many attempts, and a large part of that was thanks to Erina's God Tongue.

Otherwise, she couldn't have found such a perfect recipe in such a short time. Only a master chef who has spent years in the kitchen has the experience to find the most suitable ratio.

After the tasting was finished, it was time to announce the final results.

Everyone present held their breath, anxiously awaiting the final winner.

The score was displayed on the big screen: 3-0!

The winner Hisako Arato!

Boom! The cheers from the crowd rose sharply, and the place instantly erupted in excitement.

In the very first Shokugeki, one of the Elite Ten was defeated. Even though it was only the ninth seat, the Elite Ten symbolized the highest power of the Tōtsuki Academy!

"Why!"

Etsuya Eizan clenched his fists, his face contorted in disbelief. He couldn't believe the result; he couldn't believe his Secretaryko's dish could be better than his.

Gin Dōjima said, "In terms of taste, your Hainanese Chicken Rice is indeed comparable to Hisako Arato's braised chicken, but her dish is superior in both color and aroma."

"Moreover, from a chef's perspective, her dishes are more complex and more difficult to prepare."

Nicholas said, "Not only that, you use the highest quality chicken, while she uses more common chicken. From a food promotion perspective, her dishes are more commercially viable."

Master Li said, "Taigongwang Braised Chicken is a Medicinal Cuisine!"

The three judges' comments left Eizan speechless.

The Secretaryko's dishes were just as good as his in terms of taste, but whether it was factors that affect appetite, such as color and aroma, or external factors such as promotion and added value, Ruishan's dishes were inferior to the Secretaryko's.

Despite his reluctance, he could only lower his head and leave in dejection.

We won!

Hisako Arato, who had maintained a tense and serious expression throughout, finally couldn't suppress her excitement at this moment.

A joyful smile spread across her face, but her eyes were filled with tears.

Overjoyed, she wept.

She did not let her Erina- sama down; she finally proved herself.

From this moment forward, she will be the ninth seat of the Elite Ten Council.

"The first Shokugeki is over, and the second will be held tomorrow."

The host interjected at just the right moment to explain to the audience.

"However, as agreed by both parties, the topic for the second Shokugeki will be drawn now."

"Please welcome our two contestants!"

The sixth seat of the Elite Ten Nene Kinokuni, slowly walked out. As she brushed past Eizan, she coldly said, "Useless!"

The sharp-tongued Ningning didn't hold back in criticizing Ruishan. Ruishan wanted to retort, but in the end, he sighed helplessly and walked away dejectedly.

A loss is a loss.

In the second Shokugeki, Yuxian's team was represented by Ryo Hayama.

"You go draw one." Nene Kinokuni glanced at Ryo Hayama and also gave her junior the chance to draw a question.

Ryo Hayama shook his head. "Go ahead and draw, senior."

Nene Kinokuni felt a chill in her heart. She sensed Ryo Hayama's arrogance; he didn't want to lose a single word and wanted to completely defeat her.

She strode to the question-drawing machine and grabbed a slip of paper without even looking at it.

Nene Kinokuni slowly turned the note over, facing it towards Ryo Hayama.

"You can draw it again, I don't mind."

The note clearly stated: buckwheat!

For Nene Kinokuni, who comes from a family that makes soba noodles, this kind of question is a piece of cake.

She has faced this ingredient every day since she can remember.

To put it bluntly, she knows every characteristic of every type of buckwheat like the back of her hand.

"No need, this topic will do."

Ryo Hayama replied indifferently and turned to leave.

Back in the lounge, everyone looked at Ryo Hayama with the same eyes they would give a poor loser.

Ryo Hayama's luck was really bad to draw such a question.

Jun Shiomi was extremely nervous and ran up to Ryo Hayama, saying, "Hayama-kun, what should we do? What should we do? That Nene Kinokuni comes from a family that makes soba noodles, what are we going to do?"

Ryo Hayama smiled and comforted him, "It's alright, Jun."

"Isn't the competition supposed to be tomorrow? Let's figure something out together."

Upon Jun Shiomi immediately grabbed Ryo Hayama and ran outside, saying, "Then let's hurry, we have to find a way even if we don't sleep tonight!"

On the other side, Satoshi Isshiki was waiting for Nene Kinokuni in the corridor.

"What are you doing here?" Nene Kinokuni was very impolite to him, with a cold expression that kept people at arm's length.

"Ningning."

"Please call me Kinokuni-kun, Isshiki-kun!"

Faced with Nene Kinokuni's indifferent attitude, Satoshi Isshiki shook his head and smiled bitterly.

Immediately afterwards, his expression turned serious, and he said, "Do not underestimate Lord Ye Shan."

"Are you saying he's a genius like you?"

Nene Kinokuni stared intently at Satoshi Isshiki, "When it comes to buckwheat, I won't lose!"

Confidence.

She has the right to be confident. She has long since lost count of how many buckwheat-related foods she has made. This confidence comes from accumulation and hard work, and is by no means unfounded.

Satoshi Isshiki wanted to say something more, but Nene Kinokuni had already left quickly, not wanting to hear Satoshi Isshiki say any more.

"Why..."

Satoshi Isshiki sighed deeply, watching Nene Kinokuni's departing figure, and muttered to himself, "You won't lose on the soba, but in other places, you've already lost..."

Both were born into culinary families and grew up together.

Satoshi Isshiki hadn't seen Nene Kinokuni's truly happy smile for a very, very long time.

"Genius?"

Satoshi Isshiki shook his head. "Who among us who has come this far is a mediocre person without any talent?"

"What allows people to go further is no longer that elusive talent, but something else!"

Satoshi Isshiki was worried about tomorrow's match, and he was very afraid that if Nene Kinokuni lost, she would lose confidence.

This is the buckwheat she is most proud of.

Chapter 31, Section 497: The younger generation is truly formidable.

The second day's Shokugeki started as usual amidst thunderous cheers.

Ryo Hayama vs. Nene Kinokuni.

"No wonder they come from a family that specializes in buckwheat noodles!"

Anyone who saw Nene Kinokuni at the scene couldn't help but sigh like this.

The skillful movements and expert techniques create a very comfortable rhythm and cadence.

Even though it's just kneading dough, it feels like creating a delicate work of art.

In fact, Nene Kinokuni was creating the work of art she envisioned, with unwavering focus.

On the other hand, Ryo Hayama's actions were quite incomprehensible.

Although he was kneading dough, he was also doing a lot of other preparatory work at the same time, which looked very messy and made it difficult to see his purpose.

What dish is Hayama-kun planning to cook?

Everyone looked at Jun Shiomi with curiosity. Only Jun Shiomi best what kind of preparations Ryo Hayama had made.

With Jun Shiomi clearly hadn't slept well the night before. She replied, "Hayama-kun is planning to make pancakes."