Chapter 240: Sisterly Duo, Impressive!
The two arrived at the workstation, and Hachiman saw the dishes Alice had prepared.
"These are the dishes I made. No one has sampled them yet. Let Hachiman be the first taste-tester," Alice said with a smile.
In oval-shaped plates, three types of eggs were elegantly arranged: sliced boiled eggs, eggshell-shaped eggs, and raw eggs in small dishes.
It seemed quite simple, but Hachiman knew there must be hidden intricacies, considering Alice, while not the strongest at Totsuki, was in the second tier. Her culinary creations were undoubtedly more than they appeared.
Seeing him standing still, the girl urged him, "Hachiman, go ahead and try them."
"Alright, let me take Alice's first time away." Facing Alice's playful personality, Hachiman couldn't help but respond with a teasing remark.
The girl, catching the undertones in his words, rolled her eyes at him.
Noticing her reaction, Hachiman shrugged and proceeded to taste the three egg variations.
"Very nice, Alice. The creativity in these three dishes is quite unique."
After tasting each one, Hachiman praised.
As expected, the three egg dishes made by the girl were far from ordinary boiled or raw eggs. The raw egg in the small dish had a jelly-like egg white made from diluted seawater and a yolk solidified with gelatin and salted salmon roe.
The sliced boiled eggs revealed a white portion made of white asparagus mousse and a yellow part consisting of hollandaise sauce with the egg yolk as the main ingredient.
The last egg with the shell turned out to be a beverage. By inserting a straw into the small hole pre-made in the eggshell, one could enjoy a milkshake made with eggs, milk, and caramel.
Upon hearing Hachiman's praise, a slight curve appeared on Alice's lips. "Of course, this time I will definitely beat Erina."
Seeing the constant comparison with Erina, Hachiman shook his head with a wry smile. Despite being cousins, the two seemed more like rivals, always competing in various aspects.
When they were children, it was toys and clothes; now, it was culinary skills. The incident at the seaside, where they compared him, felt somewhat strange to Hachiman. As a grown man, he found himself entangled in a bet between two young girls.
However, he had to admit that the dynamic between the sisters was intriguing.
After his earlier promotion, people had gathered around. After tasting Alice's dishes and expressing admiration, the decrease in the pre-prepared dishes prompted Alice to dive into the cooking process.
Observing the crowd, Hachiman slowly retreated and continued strolling. During this time, he passed by the Polar Star Dormitory's stall. After trying their dishes one by one, Hachiman nodded in approval. The taste and creativity of their dishes were impressive, and reaching the 200-serving target seemed entirely feasible at this rate.
However, as he passed by Soma's stall, he witnessed a chaotic scene. Only a few servings had been taken, and the dishes on Soma's workstation, resembling collapsed soufflés, remained untouched.
This was the consequence of choosing the wrong dish.
Because this assessment took the form of a buffet, customers could choose when to take the dishes according to their own wishes. It wasn't like ordering food in a restaurant, where the prepared dishes would be consumed immediately.
Choosing a dish like soufflé, which is only suitable for consumption right after cooking, was a complete mistake.
Moreover, the fatal flaw was that right next to Soma's station was Erina's workstation, and compared to his soufflé, the dishes made by the girl were undoubtedly more enticing.
In the girl's tray, dazzling dishes resembling jewels were displayed.
Eggs Benedict.
Although it was just a classic American breakfast, Erina had made several modifications.
The poached eggs were cooked to a perfect semi-soft state, with the gooey texture of the runny egg yolk complemented by the premium sourness of Hollandaise sauce. Add to that the bacon fried to a crispy texture and the slightly sweet pancakes – the flavors melded together, enveloping the palate.
But that's not all; the girl sprinkled a layer of caviar powder on the pancakes.
The faint salty taste of caviar added another layer of sophistication, elevating the overall complexity of the dish.
This dish stood tall like a queen, firmly occupying the pinnacle of people's hearts.
Although Erina's area was already crowded, Soma didn't give up. After organizing his thoughts, he made a decision.
That decision was to perform live cooking demonstrations for all the dishes.
In the central control room, Gin Dojima was also observing this situation.
Ever since he found out that Soma was the son of his good friend Joichiro, he had been closely monitoring Soma's progress. In this seemingly desperate situation, he was curious to see how Soma would resolve it.
As for Soma, he has already organized his thoughts.
The first thing to do is to attract the attention of the customers, which is quite easy for him. After all, even though Erina's stall is popular, there are always customers who can't get the dishes.
Soon, Soma caught the attention of a little girl.
After completing a soufflé live at the scene, he quickly pushed the dish towards her.
"Tasty."
After tasting it, the little girl happily exclaimed, "It's like soft foam melting in my mouth, like magic."
The girl's voice attracted the attention of two passing waitresses, and with curiosity, they also approached Soma's stall.
"What's this?"
"Isn't this just a regular omelette?"
Seeing more people being drawn in, Soma swiftly prepared two more soufflés.
"It's marvelous. Even though it tastes like an omelette, the texture is as soft as a soufflé."
"Yes, look, although it looks slightly crispy on the outside, the inside is like bubbles. Just press it with a spoon, and it bounces back. It's really fascinating."
Hearing their comments, more and more customers gathered around the stall.
Seizing this opportunity, Soma didn't let it slip away. With swift movements, he prepared one soufflé after another.
As each dish was pushed out, customers took portions, and praises echoed from the stall.
Seeing this scene, Hachiman nodded. Though time was running out, he believed Soma would manage just fine – after all, he is the protagonist of the original story.
Shrugging, Hachiman headed towards Erina's stall nearby.
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A/N:
"Any recommendations for Hachiman's first manga, guys? I will make my decision in 24 hours, with the most likely comment."