The lights cascaded down like silk, instantly enveloping the Phoenix in a golden light veil. Its feathers, like gold, began to shimmer and sparkle continuously, appearing like a meticulously sculpted artwork!
At the same time, its slender and graceful figure, with a raised head, exuded an air of pride and nobility.
"It's glowing!"
"A dish that actually glows?"
Gin, gazing at the glowing Phoenix, couldn't help but be stunned.
This peculiar phenomenon, defying scientific principles, once again left his head buzzing.
However, when he turned to look at the calm and composed Director, he quickly regained his composure.
Hmm!
It's possible, right? The owner must possess some kind of superpower.
Just like the Director's "Bursting Clothing" skill, where enjoying delicious food can cause his clothes to burst; does he have the ability to make a dish glow?
...
As Gin was lost in thought, the radiant light of the Crystal Phoenix dish gradually faded. Quick on his feet, Zane promptly added some syrup at the "eyes" position.
In this way, a "Soaring Phoenix" truly appeared before everyone.
Upon closer inspection, the feathers with reddish veins were actually bean sprouts bound in sugar. Furthermore, the body and structure were meticulously carved from potatoes, while the tail section used carrots, cabbage, and purple onions.
In other words, the entire Phoenix was woven and assembled from these ingredients.
Combined with the glowing effect, it was truly awe-inspiring for all the tavern's patrons, including Gin and the Director!
To be completely honest, this dish used very simple ingredients:
Bean sprouts!
Potatoes!
Carrots!
Cabbage!
Minced meat!
Yet, with just these ingredients, an entire Phoenix was created. The fiery red and verdant tail feathers, and the lifelike posture, all exuded the regal demeanor of the "King of Birds."
Who wouldn't appreciate such a dish?
...
"That's it!"
"Every ingredient is being maximized."
"The feathers of the entire Phoenix are actually composed of bean sprouts."
"The body and skeletal framework are made from potatoes, while the tail uses carrots, cabbage, purple onions... Interesting, truly interesting. It's simply a very artistic culinary masterpiece!"
In fact, compared to the exquisite image of the Phoenix, Gin, as the Executive Chef, focused more on the various ingredients used in the dish. Therefore, he carefully dissected and analyzed why Zane chose to use these ingredients to make the dish.
However, just observing with the naked eye, it was very difficult to fathom all the secrets of this dish.
Given this, after some contemplation, Gin eagerly used chopsticks to pick up some bean sprouts and tasted them.
The Director, on the other hand, smiled faintly and also used his chopsticks to savor some bean sprouts.
...
Crackle!
The moment he tasted it, there was a sound of the bean sprouts snapping.
The delicate and elastic texture bursts in the mouth, giving a crispy and crunchy sensation.
This feeling was genuinely unexpected.
To be honest, as they watched Zane weave the Phoenix with bean sprouts, neither Gin nor the Director expected it. Not because of how the bean sprouts tasted, but because the weaving and assembly technique was exquisitely delicate, to an exaggerated extent.
It was difficult to think that way!
Bean sprouts, although possessing a "fresh" and "crisp" texture, weren't supposed to crunch instantly in the mouth. So Gin quickly continued to chew a few more times.
"Meat?"
"There's minced meat inside, no, it's actually minced meat!"
"Could it be that... he... he's stuffed minced meat in each bean sprouts?"
In the end, Gin was completely stunned! Simply removing the heads and tails of the bean sprouts and then assembling them into a Phoenix was already an astonishing amount of work.
If Zane hadn't made some preparations in advance, it's possible that even with two more hours, he wouldn't have been able to make this dish.
Yet, the real point was... he actually had to stuff minced meat into every single bean sprout.
This bizarre idea brought about a very heavy workload, which even left Gin feeling a bit unnerved.
After that, the syrup on the outer surface of the bean sprouts swiftly floated in the mouth, allowing him to taste another flavor: sweetness.
In short,
This dish called Crystal Phoenix seemed to use only very simple ingredients, but when one truly tasted it, they discovered its deep and intricate nature!
"Amazing, truly amazing."
"To enhance the crisp texture of the bean sprouts, he thought of adding minced meat inside, and then blanching the green bean sprouts in water."
At this moment, Gin was completely impressed.
After all, no chef would dare to think like this, much less expend so much effort, like Zane did, to slowly complete it.
"Oh?"
"It's not minced meat, but minced meat!"
Next to him, the Director, upon hearing Gin's analysis, seemed to understand something.
For a successful dish, if you want to create a sense of appetite for diners, it's essential to excel in color, aroma, and taste.
Clearly, Zane's Crystal Phoenix dish achieved an unparalleled level in these three aspects.
Every single bean sprout, complemented by a touch of sweet, savory minced meat, always left diners with that lingering taste of fragrance and smoothness, making it irresistibly delicious.
That's it! It's all in that feeling.
Simply savoring and meticulously analyzing the hint of flavor lingering on the taste buds, the Director's heart was filled with a special sense of happiness and contentment!
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I have a new fanfic named HP: Arms Dealer, here's the synopsis: "As long as it can be used in battle or war, everything counts as arms. Be it magic, ninjutsu, or even Devil Fruits, they are all considered arms. And as long as it's arms, you can buy it all from me." — Gemini.
"Ron! This thing is much more useful than a wand!" — Dual-Wielding Harry.
"Gemini, where the hell is my alchemical magic cannon? Bring it up for me!" — Iron Girl Hermione.
"Captain Seamus is on standby!" — Explosives Maniac Seamus.
In 1991, Gemini brought his weapons shop to Hogwarts.
He is a merchant, and he is a badass.
For 10 advance chapters: patreon.com/angelictranslating