Chereads / Chef God Reborn in Japan / Chapter 16 - Chapter 12: The Shopping Street Sighting (Part 1)

Chapter 16 - Chapter 12: The Shopping Street Sighting (Part 1)

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Ameyoko, shopping district.

Near evening, the shopping district was even more bustling than in the daytime, with a constant stream of people.

A delivery truck stopped in front of the seafood store, where a few burly men were unloading goods. One middle-aged man put down a box of iced seafood, wiped his sweat, and happened to see a young man walking out from the depths of the street.

"Yu, these fish are very fresh, just transported back from the docks. Want to take a few home to try?" The middle-aged man greeted from afar.

"Thanks, but the old man at home isn't cooking today. I'm out looking for food."

Xia Yu politely thanked, "Uncle Gu Cheng, you carry on."

He continued forward with his hands in his pockets.

As he passed by an old-fashioned pastry shop, an elderly lady with glasses smiled behind the counter, "Yu, would you like a dorayaki? Today's red bean paste filling is very tasty."

"No, thank you, Granny Kawashima. You always said one should eat properly at mealtimes. I'm planning to have a meal." Xia Yu waved as he walked by.

Along the way, Xia Yu received at least a dozen greetings. Each elder, whether male or female, wore a smiling face, which warmed his heart.

This was the shopping district where he had lived for over ten years. People came and went, yet the Xia Family's Chinese Restaurant remained. The old man might not have many customers, but among the neighbors, he was quite respected. Perhaps because he often helped others with issues, over time he became the default leader of the street.

Whether it was the old Xia Yu or the Xia Yu with a new soul, his character was easygoing, and he often helped out, coupled with a decent appearance, naturally endearing him to a group of uncles and aunts.

Over its ten years of development and expansion, the old shopping district even gained some international fame. As Xia Yu walked from the old district to the newly expanded area, a distinctly modern urban style greeted him.

The streets grew wider, and the shops on both sides sported fashionable decor, including a McDonald's and clothing stores.

Xia Yu casually chose a street-side restaurant, which seemed newly opened, with flower baskets at the door and confetti still on the ground.

"Starlight Revolving Western Restaurant?"

He stopped to read the restaurant's sign and entered. A female server immediately bowed ninety degrees with a professional smile, "Welcome, how many are dining?"

"One."

"All right, please follow me."

The female server led Xia Yu to a table by the floor-to-ceiling window. Through a layer of transparent glass, the bustling shopping district outside was visible, and the spot was quite good. Xia Yu didn't want to change, and he picked up the menu on the table, ordering three Western appetizers to try something different.

These days, he had been practicing Chinese cuisine recipes all day, and the taste-testing was almost making him sick. To keep his freshness and enthusiasm for Chinese cuisine, Xia Yu decided to have something else outside.

Not wanting to go far, he could only dine within the shopping district.

After ordering, Xia Yu looked around. The newly opened Western restaurant was very quiet, with only two other tables occupied besides his own.

One table seemed to be tourists, their voices louder, speaking Mandarin. Xia Yu became interested and listened intently, hearing the two young and beautiful female tourists excitedly share their day's sightseeing, full of good reviews.

"Xiao Ya, there's too little information on Japan's Dianping. I searched for nearby spots but couldn't find any restaurants. Ah, I should have looked up Japanese dining apps before coming."

A slightly baby-faced, cute female tourist sighed.

"You're always thinking about food." Her companion, exuding a goddess-like aura in a chic yet elegant dress, covered her mouth and laughed, "I've heard that as long as a place is open in Japan, the food isn't bad. This restaurant is new in a busy area, so I think you can trust it."

Two Chinese girls on a self-guided tour who didn't understand Japanese?

Xia Yu's mouth twitched.

Though Neon had good security, without knowing Japanese, using only English would be challenging due to the Neon's people awkward English accent, making years of English study feel in vain.

Since he was the third table, the food came slowly, but Xia Yu wasn't in a hurry. He took out his phone to browse Twitter, occasionally listening to the two women's conversation, finding it amusing.

"Baka!!"

But a furious shout suddenly echoed through the Western restaurant, breaking the quiet atmosphere.

A table of three male guests stood up, and two female servers hurried over, continually bowing in apology.

"Baka, this dish tastes completely wrong!" A bald middle-aged man in a suit pointed at the half-eaten beef dish on the table, full of anger, "Burgundy Red Wine Stewed Beef is definitely not supposed to taste like this. I want to make a complaint about your restaurant!"

As he spoke, the bald man pulled out his phone, ignoring the servers' pleas.

A male employee at the cashier's counter swiftly ran into the kitchen, and soon the restaurant's head chef, in a white chef's uniform, emerged, sweat on his forehead and an anxious expression, "Sir, I'll make you another Burgundy Red Wine Stewed Beef until you're satisfied."

The middle-aged chef bowed ninety degrees, kept his head lowered for a while, and didn't straighten up, "Please forgive us!"

The three male guests exchanged glances, and a tall young man indicated to the bald diner with a sharp look.

"No way! I don't trust you!"

"I want to complain to the Food Association. You don't even deserve to be open!"

"Such cooking only tarnishes the sacred profession of chefs!"

The bald diner shrieked, tapping his phone's screen as if dialing a number.

The restaurant's head chef clearly lacked experience in handling emergencies, urgently grabbing the bald diner's arm as if to snatch the phone, his face turning red, "No! You can't complain to the Food Association!"

The two young men were pulling at the restaurant's head chef, as a scuffle seemed imminent.

As for the two Chinese female tourists, they were scared stiff.

Though they didn't understand Japanese, they could feel the tense atmosphere in the restaurant.

"This Burgundy Red Wine Stewed Beef's taste is above the standard line. You go ahead and complain; when the Food Association arrives, they'll judge it as qualified."

A calm voice suddenly sounded.

However, amidst the chaos, no one paid attention to his words.

Xia Yu had his hands in his pant pockets and slightly frowned, advising the flustered servers nearby, "Pull your head chef away..."

The panicked servers subconsciously followed the instruction and pulled away the middle-aged head chef.

"Calm down!" Xia Yu patted the chef's shoulder. The scene looked a bit comical, as a sixteen-year-old boy seemed more mature and composed than the middle-aged chef.

As the head chef regained his composure, Xia Yu repeated his earlier statement, "I guarantee this Burgundy Red Wine Stewed Beef is above the standard line. Calm down and don't fall for such cheap tricks."

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