Da da da da!!!
As their duel intensified, the aroma wafting from the kitchen grew stronger.
Even Randolph couldn't help but sit up straight; he saw an inexplicable spiritual awakening in these two young men.
That seriousness and dedication to cooking deeply impressed even this veteran chef who had run a restaurant for decades.
The aroma is enticing.
Lando clicked his tongue inwardly, realizing he had mistakenly entered the Heavenly Palace today.
He is incredibly fortunate to be able to serve as the referee for these two master-level players.
Engine off.
In the end, the two finished work at almost the same time.
"Come on, you two."
Randolph was already getting restless and impatient. "Next... I will personally judge the duel to ensure absolute fairness and impartiality."
Seeing that Luo Ge wasn't making any move, Nanahoshi spoke first, "In that case, I'll make a fool of myself first."
"Mr. Randolph, please have a taste."
As he spoke.
She lifted the lid of the pot.
A rich aroma instantly burst from the pot, and the golden-brown fried pork cutlets were neatly arranged on the plate, their crispy exteriors crackling softly.
The cut surface reveals tender, juicy meat inside, garnished with finely shredded cabbage and a small dish of dark sauce.
The colors are enticing, the presentation is exquisite, and just looking at it makes one's mouth water.
Randolph was stunned at first sight.
This dish is absolutely mouthwatering; both its color and aroma are simply irresistible...
At that moment, what he saw was no longer a meal, but a priceless treasure.
"Mr. Randolph."
"Please."
Nanahoshi kept smiling.
"Hmm... Miss Nanahoshi, then I won't be polite." Randolph took a deep breath, then scooped up a piece with a spoon and put it in his mouth.
"Huh?"
He froze for a moment, then his face lit up with an expression of unbelievable surprise.
The combination of crispiness and tenderness bursts in your mouth, and the juicy meat fills your entire oral cavity as you chew.
The seasoning was just right, neither overpowering the natural flavor of the meat nor hindering its richness, but rather adding a great deal of depth to the taste.
With an expression of blissful ecstasy and a trembling voice, he exclaimed, "So... delicious... this is just too delicious!"
"I've never tasted such delicious food in my life! Miss Nanahoshi... please, please tell me, what's the name of this dish?"
Facing Randolph's excited shouts, Nanahoshi wore a victor's composure. "... This dish is called Nanahoshi Roast."
"Seven... Nanahoshi Yaki? It seems to be a dish named after Miss Nanahoshi. Perfect, absolutely perfect..."
Hearing Randolph's near-perfect evaluation, Nanahoshi couldn't hide the pride on his face.
She glanced smugly at Luo Ge beside her, her eyes full of provocation.
snort.
Let's see what you can use to fight me.
I have lived a life of Nanahoshi, and I am second to none.
However, Luo Ge didn't even glance at Nanahoshi. He remained silent, simply carrying his tray as he slowly walked up to Randolph.
Randolph was already impressed by Nanahoshi ' skill and even believed in his mind that Miss Nanahoshi was bound to win.
But for the sake of fairness, Randolph still carefully picked up the spoon, scooped up a spoonful of the food that Luo Ge had prepared, and gently put it into his mouth.
Then, he froze completely.
He didn't speak, the spoon resting at his lips, his eyes fixed straight ahead, his pupils slightly dilated.
His expression shifted from the pleasure of enjoying the food to something deeper.
It was as if some long-buried memory had been suddenly unlocked by this bite of rice, stirring up those deepest, most unwanted memories.
As a long-lived species, Randolph has a very long lifespan, so long that he sometimes loses track of how many years he has lived.
But precisely because he lived so long, he saw too many people pass away.
Those friends who once laughed, joked, drank, and chatted with him.
One by one they grow old and pass away, eventually becoming blurry shadows in our memories.
He thought he had long since gotten used to it, and that those past events had been washed away by time.
But this bite of fried rice stirred up his deepest memories.
The faces of those old friends surfaced one after another.
seaside.
His closest relative, as he was about to leave this world in his final moments, smiled and patted him on the shoulder, entrusting him with the words, " Randolph, I'm entrusting my centuries-old dragon meat restaurant to you from now on. After all, only you can carry on my culinary legacy."
For the sake of this culinary legacy... he worked diligently and cautiously.
How many years did they persist?
Hmm... I can't remember anymore.
Even this restaurant, under his management, had long been on the verge of bankruptcy and closure.
But Randolph also stubbornly adheres to his original principles as a chef: to use the most authentic dragon meat and never mix it with anything fake.
The deepest memories...
Those joys and sorrows played out in his mind like a revolving lantern, so vividly as if they had just happened yesterday.
Without realizing it.
When Randolph snapped out of his grief, he realized that a tear had unknowingly rolled down his cheek.
He wasn't agitated; he simply wiped away his tears and softly asked, "Mr. Luo Ge, what... what's the name of this dish?"
"A somber... soul-stirring meal."
Luo Ge sighed softly.
"???"
Nanahoshi's lips twitched, and his brows furrowed.
His gaze towards Luo Ge was filled with speechlessness and contempt. "Fried rice is fried rice," he thought, "A dish that's supposed to be incredibly delicious?"
Do you really think that she, a reincarnated person from Japan, has never eaten a cheap fried rice dish from a street vendor?
It seemed that they had noticed Nanahoshi's gaze.
Luo Ge gave her a defiant look, as if to retort fiercely, "Hmph, yours is just pork leg rice, isn't it?"
However, what were just two simple dishes in his previous life, everyday meals, were nothing short of a devastating blow in this other world.
Whether it was braised pork knuckle rice or fried rice with egg, it was like stumbling upon paradise for Randolph; he had never tasted such delicious food in his life.
Nanahoshi Burnt.
Flawless and with a translucent color, it is an absolute delicacy.
The "Heartbreakingly Delicious Rice" (a dish that evokes a sense of profound sorrow and loss).
It looked ordinary, but it made Randolph burst into tears after just one bite.
For a moment, I found it difficult to make a decision.
However, after some deliberation and careful consideration, Randolph ultimately followed his own heart.
He cast his crucial vote for Luo Ge.
If the Nanahoshi Rice Bowl was simply delicious, then without a doubt, the following dish, the Heartbreakingly Delicious Rice Bowl, which can bring tears to your eyes, has come to life.
This dish... has a soul, it's brimming with life.
"So?"
"Next, I will announce the results. Master Nanahoshi, I regret to inform you... Although your Nanahoshi Rice is equally excellent and a rare delicacy, Randolph, believe that Master Luo Ge's Heartbreaking Rice is even better."
Before he knew it, Randolph had started using respectful titles for these two young men whose culinary skills were superb.
"... Thank you for the 'Heartbreakingly Delicious Rice,' Master Luo Ge. I, Randolph, have never admired anyone in my life, but Master Luo Ge, you have earned my respect."
After bowing deeply, Randolph looked at Luo Ge with eyes full of respect, then looked earnestly at Nanahoshi, "If a score is out of 100, I'd give you 100 points for Master Nanahoshi ' Nanahoshi Star Yaki."
"But... I, Randolph, would give Master Luo Ge's 'Heartbreak Rice' two hundred points, three hundred points!"
"No!"
"To even give it a rating would be an insult to this dish; it truly defies description."
Upon uttering these words, Luo Ge spoke casually and nonchalantly, as if everything had been expected.
????
However, Nanahoshi Shizuka's face was filled with resentment.
What the heck!
Are you kidding me?
My homemade Japanese-style tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) is inferior to a simple fried rice you can buy for just a few dollars on the street? It's just a matter of adding a little more onion!
No, that's not it.
Is it really that serious???
She bit her lip, her face full of defiance, then picked up a spoon and scooped up a mouthful of fried rice, chewing it slowly and carefully.
Then, just like Randolph before her, she suddenly froze, her expression completely blank.
The moment she took the first bite, Nanahoshi Shizuka was instantly reminded of her childhood.
That's the smell of Grandma.
Deep in his mind... were all the precious memories of Nanahoshi Shizuka, which flashed through his mind like movie clips at this moment.
Originally, the world's parents, family, friends...
She clearly has someone she likes, but hasn't had a chance to confess yet.
If I die here, will my father find out?
Will Mom find out?
She didn't know, and she didn't want to know.
She remembered that morning when she left home, her father was standing at the door, casually saying as he put on his shoes, "I'll be home early after work today."
Mom, wearing an apron at home, said with a smile, " Nanahoshi... Mom's making saury tonight."
At the time, I simply complained to my mother, "I'm already tired of eating saury."
That was the most ordinary sentence she had ever said in her life.
It was so commonplace that she didn't even think about it for a second.
Little did they expect that it would be their final farewell.
Now, in front of this ordinary bowl of fried rice, the most mundane scenes constantly evoke strong emotions in Nanahoshi.
Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably, curling up in a corner of the kitchen, her shoulders heaving violently.
"Dad... Mom!"
Tears streamed down her face, her expression one of utter despair. " Nanahoshi... I miss you all so much... I really miss you all..."
"I want to go home..."
"Waaaaah, Nanahoshi I want is to go home!"
Faced with the power of this soul-stirring rice dish, even Nanahoshi Shizuka dropped all pretense and wept bitterly.
This is a culinary competition where all glory is at stake.
Without a doubt, Luo Ge defeated Nanahoshi, achieving a crushing victory in terms of results.