Voss stood behind Alrand and asked, "did you memorise the steps?"
Alrand spun around without missing a heartbeat and spoke in a definite tone, "of course, head chef. I watched him diligently."
"Good. Tell me."
Alrand took a deep breath before he went into a detailed recollection of how I made the soup bases, wantons and egg noodles. He was so detailed, I wondered if his mind was like a Video recorder, video tapping everything over the past two or so hours.
Finally when he was done, Voss wasn't looking at Alrand anymore but me instead. His eyes were staring into mine as if he was looking into my soul.
"What you described, Alrand, sounded like a method from the east. Are you a easterner Mr Huang?"
Voss spoke with a stern tone but his mouth didn't match the vocal tone as if he was fighting back another emotion that was on the verge of erupting.
I didn't know how to answer that... I could say 'yes' because my mum came from China, however, I was born in Australia and my dad was also born here... the correct answer if I were to answer him would be a southerner. Wait... that doesn't sound right... Maybe oceanic? Does Oceania even exist in this world?
"I would say that my method was learnt from my mother who came from the east but I'm not from the east if that makes sense."
Oh shit I hope he knew what I meant because that sounded cryptic as fuck...
"Interesting. I'm not actually familiar with the eastern methods of cooking, I only heard of such methods in passing but what you've shown to Alrand and what I've heard could change the dynamics of this kitchen. We are chef's of innovation and we certainly won't shy away from new ideas or creativity. Alrand since you've been shadowing Mr Huang for the past two hours, go ahead and have a taste. Tell me if it's as good as it's visual presentation."
Alrand nodded his head to his head chef and walked over to the table. As he approached the table, his footing faltered and a groaning sound coming from his stomach.
"Thanks for the food," Alrand prayed before lifting a spoon from the table and dipped it into the clear broth first. He took a spoonful and lifted it up to his lips for a taste.
Alrand tilted his head once before taking in another spoonful. Next he took a wonton and bit into it. He tilted his head again, I couldn't actually see what his expression was since he was facing away from me.
Alrand then used a fork to pick up the thin silky strands of noddles. I've actually cut the dough into two types of strands, one thin and the other a bit more wider. The thin strands would fit well with the clear broth whilst the wider ones would fit well with the more full bodied broth.
He slurped up the noodles from the fork and chased it with a spoonful of broth. He then moved onto the other bowl to taste.
Ba-dump, ba-dump
I wanted to see his reaction, to know if what I've made was suitable... deep down I knew what I've made would be what I would eat at home, maybe dazzled up a bit but still homemade, certainly not restaurant quality standards.
"Master, I think you should come here and have a taste as well." Alrand said in a wistful voice.
"Oh? I haven't heard you call me that in a very long time." Voss walked over to where Alrand stood and grabbed a spoon and a fork as well.
He was about to take his first spoonful but stopped. His head turned and was now staring at Alrand.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
What? Alrand was crying?
Ba-dump, ba-dump
"Taste it." His voice was soft and barely audible.
Voss turned his head back to the bowl in front of him and went in for his first spoonful of soup. He lifted it up to his lips and slurped it.
"Oh my, such a clean and simple flavour. Needs a bit more oomph for my taste but a very nice and clean broth indeed." He went to the other bowl and tasted it.
"Ah! The oomph, yes this is more my style. Oh! We're is my fire powder? Someone hand me my fire powder!"
Someone rushed over to him and handed him a jar with a label that read, 'fire powder'. He used his spoon and scoop a spoonful and dumped it into the broth. As soon as the powder dissolved into the broth, it turned red.
Oh? So he likes a bit of heat? Then he would be become fast friends with Rain, that girl has an iron stomach and a taste for all things spicy. I felt a tingle in my throat as I saw the red. I'm not a huge fan of spicy food.
"Ah!~ That's the stuff."
He went on and tasted both the egg noodles and wontons.
"Mm! Nice porky flavour, a bit of bite from the vegetables and wrapper adds another texture to it as well. The noodles has a nice bouncy chew to it and a prominent eggy flavour. Let's try them all together."
Voss place a bit of noodles and wonton on the spoon and then dunk it into the broth. He lifted the spoon up from the broth and the content on the spoon glistened and covered with little specks of red.
He lifted it up and place the spoon into his mouth and slurped up the contents on the spoon.
"What a wonderful combination of flavours and textures. So this is a dish from the east? I regret my decision for not learning more about this cuisine when I had the chance..."
After Voss finished his taste test, he placed both the spoon and fork down and turned to Alrand.
"You okay?"
"Sorry, master. It's just, the taste, felt familiar."
"Familiar? How so?"
"I don't know, I just feel something inside. As if it triggered something inside of me that felt familiar."
"That's the magic of food for ya. A feeling, a story, it's origin, it's culture. We can learn more about something or someone through the power of food. Mr Huang, thank you for letting us taste something so unique. You're a good cook, someone that could work for me in this kitchen. How about it? Wanna join?"
Voss gave me an inviting warm smile.
"I uh..."
"Ahaha don't worry about refusing it. I won't be the slightest made. It's just something I do out of habit when I come across talent. Whether you accept or decline, know that this kitchen will alway be open to you and if the king ever finds out, we will have your back."
"If I'm honest with myself, I say, I enjoy eating more than cooking. So the latter sounds more..."
"Of course, our kitchen will alway be open to you. We always have something tasty made and someone to enjoy it. Although I do have a friend who comes here to that exact thing."
"Let me guess, is his name Gunther?"
"Yes! Gunther, we let him taste our food and he gets a free meal. A win-win deal. So will you be our second?"
Voss held out his hand. "Only those who we like may enter this kitchen freely."
I reached out and shook his hand. "Sure."
"We will recreate these two bowls and present them to the king. The next time you visit our kitchen, we will have you taste our version of your dish, how does that sound?"
I could feel my mouth fill with saliva at the thought.
"Thank you."
"No, thank you." Voss stated.
"Thank you sir." Alrand followed. "Eh... I was wondering Mr Huang if you could make something else... I want to see if I could regain the familiarity I just felt."
"Of course."
I left the kitchen with a gift courtesy of Voss and Alrand. Apparently, Voss had been preparing the gifts as I showed Alrand my dish. I could smell a strong scent coming from the box that gift was held in. I wonder what it is but I'll just have to find out once I get back to my room after dinner.
I decided to head back to my room first to set the gift down so it'll be safe.
As I approached my room, I noticed a seemly large amount of guards along the hallway.
Suddenly a map of the area I was in popped up in front of me with a blinking red dot positioned right in front of my room. I could feel my heart started to race as I came closer to the hallway intersection. I turned right and there, standing along the walls of the hallway were a line of guards, all staring at me as I walked passed them.
Ba-dump, Ba-dump
A domineering figure loomed into sight as I inched my way closer to my room.
"Hello Mr Huang. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Count Maxim Hallows. I believe you had a duel with my son. You defeated him and sent him to the hospital. No one has defeated a Hallows before and I want it to be that way. Let us make a deal."