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An informal cooking competition without judges quietly took place and quietly ended.
In fact, countless cooking competitions occur in the culinary world every day. This private one at Xia's Chinese Restaurant, known only to a few involved, was otherwise unknown.
"Waiter, a set of tea and pastries, please!"
"Over here too..."
"We're out of tea, refills, waiter!"
After nine in the morning, the restaurant welcomed a group of guests who loved green tea and pastries.
An Ya, Mu Xiaoyue, and Sen Tian Makoto were busy at the front desk, while Xia Yu and Hozoi Midori were in the kitchen, chatting here and there.
By noon, after saying goodbye to the last table of guests, Xia Yu personally cooked a large farewell banquet to treat An Ya and Mu Xiaoyue, ensuring they were well fed.
Standing at the door of the store, he watched as the two ladies from his homeland dragged their suitcases into the distance. With their flight at 2 p.m., they were feeling a bit rushed on their way to the airport, so there wasn't much time for extra pleasantries.
After all, they added each other on Weibo and WeChat and could communicate online anytime.
Just thinking about how Mu Xiaoyue had promised at the dinner table, with a hearty pat on her chest, to write a second food travelogue to promote Xia's shop when she returned to China, Xia Yu couldn't help but smile.
He glanced back into the store.
Sen Tian Makoto was actively cleaning up the dishes, while Hozoi Midori sat on a red wooden chair, her head lowered, still displaying traces of shock on her face.
During lunch, Xia Yu, at the earnest request of An Ya and Mu Xiaoyue, had to fully showcase his culinary skills and made a glowing Furong Crab Meat Egg. This dish was consumed first, and the profound impact on Hozoi Midori's spirit from tasting the luminous cuisine was imaginable.
Just as he was about to turn around and enter the store, the sound of an engine grew closer and stopped behind him.
It was a delivery truck.
Bang!
The door of the front passenger seat opened, and a young man in a suit jumped out, directing a few robust men in black who had come with the car, holding a ballpoint pen and scribbling on a document.
Crates of vegetables, seafood, and colorful ingredients were neatly packed and transported by the men in black into the backyard of Xia's shop.
"Mr. Xia Yu, here's today's ingredient list, please check if there's anything missing."
The efficient young man approached Xia Yu politely.
Take note, on the young man's suit lapel, there was a small, exquisite dark golden badge, with the letters "IGO" shining brightly under the sunlight.
"Just call me Yu," Xia Yu said as he casually signed the form.
"No, a chef, regardless of their age, must maintain the most basic courtesy."
Ando Keisuke from IGO said this.
Xia Yu shrugged.
Lately, he often ordered ingredients from the IGO food market. As the shop's business gradually improved, Xia Yu became more willing to splurge on ingredients.
The reason Xia's restaurant quickly established a good reputation in the ACG community was partly due to his culinary skills, and partly because of the quality of the ingredients.
Using the highly praised ingredients from IGO's store, how could the taste be anything but excellent?
Ando Keisuke was responsible for ingredient delivery in the Taidong District, and through frequent interactions, Xia Yu came to know him well.
While chatting, the few men in black quickly emerged again. Ando Keisuke, holding a folder, waved to him before getting into the car.
Consequently, the small truck and a black van quickly departed.
Back inside the store, Xia Yu checked the stacked ingredients in the small courtyard against the list and called the strong-bodied Hozoi Midori to sort them, storing the seafood and meats in the fridge first.
"Wow, with so many ingredients, how long do you plan to store them?" Hozoi Midori expressed her curiosity.
"How long? It'd be good if they last even a day!"
Xia Yu understood Hozoi Midori's curiosity and smiled, shaking his head. Despite the small size of Xia's Restaurant, the customer flow was incredibly high, with ingredients consumed in a day being several times that of a regular restaurant.
"You'll understand when we open at six."
Without much explanation, Xia Yu and Hozoi Midori continued processing the ingredients.
Meat and bones were cut and stored.
The freshwater fish were still lively, so they drew well water, tossed the fish into the tank, and started the oxygen machine to keep them alive.
Vegetables were placed in a cool spot under the stairs, sprayed with water to preserve them, and placed in the fridge after being handled.
Before they knew it, as they went about their daily routine, it was already past four in the afternoon.
Hozoi Midori wiped the sweat from her forehead and exited through the backyard, only to be startled by the dark mass of people at the shop entrance.
The long line, stretching from the storefront, had at least a hundred people queued up.
With some experience in operating, Xia Yu no longer sold tea and pastry sets from noon to six in the afternoon. Otherwise, the crowd would constantly fill the store until it closed at midnight.
"Midori!"
It took just one day for Xia Yu to naturally call Hozoi Midori by her first name. Midori, in front of him, also put away her claws and became humble and very obedient.
In the world of chefs, it's straightforward: the strong are respected, and the skilled take precedence. Hozoi Midori, having studied and lived in the 'chef's hell' called Far Moon Academy, understood this kind of brutal competitive principle even better.
"The kitchen's making broth. Could you watch it for me? I'm stepping out for a bit," Xia Yu said while untying his apron. While handling ingredients, the apron inevitably got bloodstained.
"Sure!" Hozoi Midori responded swiftly and entered the kitchen immediately.
"Wonderful!"
Xia Yu was more than satisfied with this assistant.
With a physique stronger than most boys and a personality just as resilient, steady, and bold, there was no need to be concerned while directing her.
Besides, her specialty was Chinese cuisine.
In every respect, she was a heaven-sent assistant!
Usually, at this time, Xia Yu would be nestled in the kitchen, preparing ingredients for the evening, busy every second. Now, with an assistant, he wanted to enjoy a leisurely afternoon being a quiet handsome guy, strolling through the old shopping street.
So, stepping out of the store, Xia Yu received the gazes from the queue of people.
After taking off his apron and chef's coat, he was dressed in simple, casual loungewear. Though his demeanor was far more mature compared to peers, his young face was undeniable.
People pointed, possibly assuming he was a part-timer at the restaurant.
Some familiar customers even waved to him. Among them were a few women dressed in cosplay costumes, and one girl leaned over, eyes sparkling, and asked, "Excuse me, will you be open as usual today?"
The girl wore cosmetic contact lenses, her large eyes fluttering. Xia Yu scratched his cheek, wondering how to reply. To avoid being surrounded, he didn't reveal his identity as the head chef. "Yes, you can enter to dine at six."
"Wow—"
Knowing he was a store employee, the girls immediately gathered around, chatting away.
"What's today's menu?"
"Oh, will there still be caramelized sweet potatoes from a few days ago? I want to eat it again. I rushed over from the exhibition before it even ended today!"
"Why eat caramelized sweet potatoes? I want fish! A big pot of Chinese sauerkraut fish is enough for us!"
Not only this group of female cosplayers but also people in the line pricked up their ears to listen.
"The menu is a secret, oh!"
Xia Yu didn't answer, squeezing through the crowd to leave.
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