Chapter 183: The Temptation of a New Position
"Unqualified!"
The frigid words emanated from the girl, and Hiroki Kasumigaoka, who had been brimming with confidence just moments ago, found himself frozen in disbelief.
"May I inquire, Erina-sama, in which aspect did we fall short of your standards?"
As the renowned "God's Tongue" of the culinary world, Erina's name was well-known. Hiroki Kasumigaoka, a star-rating-eligible restaurant chef, was naturally familiar with her reputation.
Upon hearing his question, Erina furrowed her brow slightly. Despite her displeasure, she fulfilled her duty as a judge.
"In terms of ambiance and service, there are no issues. The main problem lies in the taste of the dishes."
"The French onion soup, escargot à la bourguignonne, orange foie gras, and the Mont Blanc chestnut cake, while all having some minor flaws, would likely pass the star rating evaluation."
"The main issue lies with the beef bourguignon."
Erina paused for a moment, as if savoring the memory of the taste, and continued her assessment.
"The first problem is the cooking time. The beef was seared too dry, failing to absorb the juices fully, and it was stewed for too long in the later stage, rendering the meat excessively tender with no texture."
"The second issue is the low quality of the red wine used, resulting in an excessively acidic taste."
"The third issue is the flavor being too mild, failing to leave a strong impression upon the first bite."
Erina proceeded to calmly enumerate four or five errors, causing Hiroki to break into a cold sweat.
The title "God's Tongue" signified her dominion over the realm of taste assessment.
When he caught sight of Erina's face earlier as she emerged from the kitchen, Hiroki's heart had skipped a beat. Her reputation for discernment was widely acknowledged.
However, Hiroki had been quite confident about his performance today and had believed there wouldn't be any issues with the assessment. But, who could have foreseen...
After Erina concluded her critique, Hiroki swiftly spoke up.
"I'm terribly sorry, Erina-sama. Please grant me another opportunity. I will prepare a new beef bourguignon for you."
However, Erina outright declined his request.
"It's unnecessary. Crafting that dish anew would demand at least 2-3 hours, and I don't have that much time."
"Please, grant me one more chance."
Hiroki refused to give up and resorted to a full 90-degree bow. He had dedicated considerable time and effort to prepare for this star rating evaluation, and relinquishing now would severely dampen his culinary spirits.
Nonetheless, if he were to reapply for the star rating evaluation, he'd have to wait at least another year.
Upon seeing Hiroki's earnest demeanor, Erina furrowed her brow slightly.
"I genuinely wish I could offer you another opportunity, but rectifying the issues I mentioned earlier would necessitate restarting the entire cooking process, and waiting 2-3 hours is simply too lengthy."
Despite Hiroki's sincerity, she couldn't spare that much time.
However, as soon as Erina finished speaking, a familiar voice reached their ears.
"You don't actually need to wait that long."
They turned their heads to find Hachiman and Utaha approaching their table.
"Utaha, and you must be..."
Seeing Hachiman, Hiroki also recollected that his wife had mentioned their daughter bringing her boyfriend here. It appeared that this young man was indeed the one.
Before he could finish his sentence, Erina's voice was filled with surprise.
"How did you end up here?"
"Because this is the restaurant of Utaha's father, and we coincidentally came here for dinner. We didn't anticipate running into you, Erina."
Hachiman's tone remained remarkably composed, in contrast to the astonishment on Erina's face.
"I see."
Erina nodded after glancing at Utaha, who stood beside Hachiman.
"Kasumigaoka-senpai, good evening."
"Miss Nakiri, good evening."
Their recent partnership in a beach volleyball match had acquainted them, so while they weren't exceptionally close, they recognized each other.
Observing that her daughter and Erina had some familiarity, Hiroki felt a spark of hope.
Yet, in a matter of moments, Erina extinguished his hope with a frigid statement.
"Even if you're Utaha-senpai's father, a 2-3 hour wait is far too lengthy," Erina stated coldly.
"That's precisely why I said you won't need to wait that long," Hachiman responded with a smile.
Initially, he had no intention of intervening. However, when Utaha whispered a few alluring new positions into his ear, he shamefully surrendered.
Ah, the allure of experimenting with new positions.
"Well, then, tell me how long you need," Erina responded with a touch of annoyance.
Hachiman wore a faint smile as he calmly stated, "Only an hour is enough."
Erina's exasperation became palpable upon hearing this.
"Are you genuinely suggesting that? If you're starting from scratch, crafting this dish would require a minimum of two hours, and given your culinary skills, you shouldn't be ignorant of this."
Erina found it hard to believe that Hachiman was unaware of something even novice French cuisine enthusiasts understood. She suspected he might be trying to deceive her, all in the hopes of securing another chance for Hiroki.
This only fueled Erina's irritation, which had already been simmering due to Yukihira Soma.
"I don't trust a word you're saying. I'm leaving."
She rose from her seat, fully prepared to depart with Hisako.
However, Hachiman wasn't about to let her slip away so easily. After all, he needed someone to unlock new positions.
He reached out and gently held Erina's arm, his smile intact as he proposed, "Don't be so hasty. How about we make a wager? If I can create a new beef bourguignon within one hour, you agree to grant Hiroki's star rating assessment. If I fail, I promise to do something for you."
"It's merely an additional hour of waiting. You won't lose much."
Erina contemplated for a moment and eventually conceded, "Alright, I agree. I want to see how you can prepare this dish within an hour."
Upon hearing her words, Hachiman's lips curled into a smile.
"Then the bet is settled. If you're concerned, Erina, you're welcome to oversee the entire process in the kitchen."
She responded with a huff and a stern gaze, retorting, "Hmph, I'm not afraid of you."
As he witnessed this scene, Hachiman couldn't help but feel a touch of curiosity.
Hachiman sensed that the girl's emotions had been rather tumultuous today, but he didn't dwell on it.
"Well, then, please guide us to the kitchen, Chef Kasumigaoka," he addressed Hiroki.
With a brief glance at his daughter, followed by a more confident Hachiman, Hiroki let out a sigh and then turned to lead the group toward the kitchen.