Late at night, at 12 o'clock, the tavern closed.
As WGO executive, Anne finally chose to leave after paying the bill.
Sonoka continued drinking, possibly feeling down after Anne's high praise for Zane's classic tofu dish, which struck her deeply once again.
"Sonoka, you're delicate, but you hold your liquor quite well."
Surprised, Zane spoke.
"Yeah, when I was at Totsuki, I used to sneak drinks with Taki Tsunozaki!"
Sonoka, her beautiful eyes slightly misty, seemed to have a layer of mist over them.
Though her words were so-so, she was clearly overwhelmed by alcohol!
In Zane's memory, Taki Tsunozaki, a somewhat low-profile figure, seemed to be a year older than Sonoka.
She also graduated from Totsuki as the second of the Ten, and similarly, within two years of graduation, she independently operated a Western restaurant called "Taki Amarillo."
Perhaps their good relationship and similar life trajectories led to both being acclaimed as "monsters" who could compete with professional Michelin-starred chefs, even at a young age!
At this moment, Sonoka looked deeply at Zane, revealing an envious look in her slightly dazed eyes.
"Chef, I never expected that your cooking could conquer Anne."
"She's a first-class executive, and in this world, there are very few chefs whose cooking can satisfy her appetite!"
"I, for instance, in the field of French cuisine, am one of the best in all of Japan."
"However, even so, my cooking still can't satisfy Anne."
Sighing, Sonoka continued to drink, then emptied her glass in one go.
Finally, as Sonoka became drunkenly dazed, Zane spoke, "Sonoka, the tavern is closed now, you have to go back..."
Before he could finish, Sonoka raised her drunken eyes and smiled at him faintly.
Then, with a "thud," her head suddenly tilted down onto the table.
...
The night gradually grew darker and dimmer.
Although Zane hadn't anticipated that Sonoka would get drunk at the tavern, fortunately, Shunkatei was right next door, so it was close.
Therefore, Zane had no intention of leaving Sonoka there overnight.
He picked up the heavily drunken Sonoka and stopped in his tracks with a lowered head.
In the dim light, Sonoka's pretty face and innocent little cheeks were already flushed!
This kind of drunken state unavoidably possessed an indescribable charm, causing Zane to pause for a moment!
"Sonoka, it's late now, I'll take you back to Shunkatei, okay?"
"Mm... Thank you, Chef."
Opening her eyes gently, in a dazed state, Sonoka spoke before falling asleep in Zane's arms again.
In the end, with a deep sense of helplessness, Zane had to carry her back to Shunkatei.
...
[Ding dong!]
[Successfully checked in.]
[Ding dong!]
[Congratulations, Host, on obtaining 10 puffer fish, and a -60°C blast chiller.]
[Ding dong, congratulations to the Host for achieving a guest flow of over 80 people in the tavern within 24 hours. You have successfully obtained the recipe for Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Squirrel Mandarinfish, and the Skill of Lacerating Knife!]
Returning to the tavern from Shunkatei, Zane suddenly heard a system notification.
On the whole, the rewards for this check-in and completion of the task were quite generous.
Firstly, 10 puffer fish, a highly toxic ingredient.
Inside, there is tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin.
Readers of "Case Closed," a series that includes "Detective Conan" known for killing people wherever it goes, should know about the toxicity of puffer fish, which is thousands of times more lethal than cyanide. Just 0.5 mg can be lethal!
Therefore, handling puffer fish truly tests the professionalism of a chef.
Even in Japan, chefs are required to obtain a license for puffer fish dishes by passing a written and practical exam!
As the saying goes:
"Not tasting puffer fish, one doesn't know the taste of fish;
Tasting puffer fish, all other fish have no taste."
Puffer fish, though highly poisonous, is safe to consume when handled properly.
Moreover, puffer fish meat is incredibly delicious, and people always pursue excitement and novelty.
Therefore, puffer fish is quite a popular dish worldwide!
...
As everyone knows, ingredients like tuna, salmon, puffer fish, and others are considered high-end.
Maintaining their fresh and delicious taste is always a very tricky challenge!
This -60°C blast chiller can rapidly freeze in super low temperatures, gradually lowering the fish's core temperature below -60°C.
This temperature completely solidifies the moisture in the fish, preventing any quality changes due to water movement.
Moreover, this freezing method ensures the color of the fish, avoiding the undesirable discoloration and acidification that make people hesitant to eat.
Overall, this blast chiller perfectly preserves the freshness and taste of ingredients, saving Zane a lot of unnecessary trouble!
Then, we have the recipes for Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and Squirrel Mandarinfish, two brand-new dishes!
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall needs no introduction.
If you're asked about the two most famous Chinese dishes worldwide, many will choose Mapo Tofu and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
Made with a variety of premium seafood and meat, this stewed dish known as Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is tender, flavorful, and has been hailed as the "Number One Soup."
On the other hand, Squirrel Mandarinfish is a traditional dish from the Suzhou cuisine.
Its origin is still related to Emperor Qianlong.
Once, the Ten Full Old Man dined at the Songhe Building in Jiangnan and saw many mandarin fish swimming in the lake, so he promptly ordered them to be served.
At that time, these mandarin fish were used as offerings to the gods, and the locals dared not consume them.
But divine orders are hard to defy, so the servants had to consult the chef.
Ultimately, the chef came up with a clever idea, using only the fish head to represent a squirrel to avoid the "sacred fish" offense.
When a plate of Squirrel Mandarinfish was presented before Emperor Qianlong, he could actually hear the fish making squeaking sounds, very similar to a squirrel's call!
Upon examining it closely, the long mandarin fish head and tail, deboned and intricately scored, looked very beautiful on the plate.
After tasting it, Emperor Qianlong was greatly impressed, expressing his delight, and since then, Squirrel Mandarinfish became famous worldwide.