In the evening, the newly opened Tavern was bustling with activity.
This was because Erina from Totsuki Academy had started working here as a part-time worker.
When it comes to Japanese cuisine that can make people's hearts race, tuna definitely ranks in the top three. The process of turning a tuna into sashimi is often a showcase of fish-cutting skills!
At this moment, Erina stood at the cooking station, expertly lifting the fish fin and carefully slicing the tuna's neck meat.
She then cut from the back, removing large chunks of back meat.
Next, she separated the belly meat from the fish bones, positioning the knife and fish at a 90-degree angle.
Finally, she made straight cuts, quickly slicing the fish into thin pieces.
...
"How's that?"
Putting down the knife, Erina glanced at Zane and asked softly.
"I admit you have talent."
Seeing the neatly sliced tuna on the cutting board, Zane couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
"Well, of course! After all, I have supervised many major restaurants!"
Erina felt a bit pleased with the compliment.
"Alright, now cut those sausages into octopus shapes. Lately, many customers love octopus sausages, so make sure to cut plenty."
"Okay, no problem!"
Without a second thought, Erina agreed and continued her work.
At first, Zane had been worried that her proud personality might cause trouble in the Tavern. But to his surprise, her first time working as a part-time employee turned out to be very diligent!
With her help, both he and Sonoka found themselves with more free time.
...
Alcohol is the heart of the Tavern.
Many Japanese people remain loyal to a single brand or type of alcohol throughout their lives, and many breweries have been passed down for centuries because of this loyalty and dedication.
Of course, aside from alcohol, there are other offerings, such as:
Recently, Zane had introduced a type of genmaicha.
Genmaicha is simply brown rice roasted and mixed with green tea. But perhaps because "brown rice tea" doesn't sound appealing, it is called genmaicha.
A gentle sip reveals the subtle fragrance of traditional Japanese green tea, coupled with the special roasted rice aroma.
Calm and elegant, warm and mellow.
Especially when the genmaicha spreads in the mouth, one can feel its rich layers and delicate taste changes.
This unique taste experience gradually lifted Megumi Tadokoro's mood as she enjoyed her tea at the Tavern.
She slowly opened her eyes and saw Erina, who was working with sausages nearby, and couldn't help but be slightly surprised!
Although she and Erina had both enrolled in Totsuki Academy during middle school, they had little interaction and were practically strangers. After all, one was the noble lady of the Nakiri family, and the other was a "country bumpkin" from the countryside.
"I never expected to see Miss Erina here at the Tavern."
Megumi looked away and sighed.
"What?"
"Am I not allowed to be here?"
Hearing this, Erina stopped her work and looked deeply at Megumi.
Maybe they had met a couple of times at the Tavern before, but the most memorable encounter was during the training camp.
In middle school, Megumi had been an underachiever, someone Erina wouldn't even glance at. But this seemingly insignificant "nobody" managed to pass the rigorous training camp with outstanding results!
"No, no, I mean, why are you cutting sausages?"
Megumi waved her hands nervously, embarrassed.
"As you see, I'm taking advantage of this break to work part-time here."
Erina replied calmly.
"Part-time?"
Megumi was stunned.
Her face showed extreme surprise!
Who could have imagined that the famous lady of the Nakiri family would choose to work part-time at such a Tavern?
...
Surprised, Megumi quickly picked up her tea and took a sip of genmaicha.
The fragrant brown rice tea slowly seeped down her throat, instantly giving her a long-lasting aftertaste and calming her restless heart.
Soon, her thoughts drifted back to her childhood ten years ago.
She vaguely remembered her hometown in Ibaraki Prefecture, in the northeast, where it snowed heavily in the winter and was very cold.
But since it was close to the port, she often saw the fishermen going out and quickly returning with a bountiful catch.
What impressed her most was seeing the fishermen using the suspended cutting method to handle monkfish whenever they were lucky enough to catch one.
The scenes of slaughter always left a deep impression on her.
Curiosity and her mother's influence led her to learn from these fishermen for a while.
Eventually, she mastered the suspended cutting method.
"Thank you so much, Zane."
"You don't know how strict the test supervised by Shinomiya-senpai was."
"I was unlucky and got a wilted lettuce. It almost made me cry!"
"But I remembered the method to revive wilted vegetables and barely passed with improved vegetable jelly."
Megumi slowly opened her eyes and glanced at Zane.
She spoke with a calm heart about the thrilling test.
"I just gave a little tip, nothing more."
"The fact that you could use improved cooking to persuade Shinomiya in such a situation was the most unexpected."
Hearing the story, Zane realized that his presence had significantly altered the original plot, making him feel emotional.
Like last time with Ikumi, Megumi's life trajectory had also quietly changed!
...
"You're too modest."
"I know very well that my rapid progress recently is all thanks to your help."
"So when the training camp ended, the first person I thought of was you, then my mother, and my neighbors who silently encouraged me back home."
"By the way, I'm going back home in a few days."
"I'll bring back some local specialties for you as a token of my appreciation."
Megumi's eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation.
In the past, she had felt too ashamed to return home because of her poor grades. But now, things were different. She had not only escaped the threat of expulsion but also successfully completed the training camp with a 50% elimination rate!
She wanted to take this break to personally bring the good news to her mother.
"Haha, I can see that."
"You're a good, family-oriented girl. Anyone who marries you will be very fortunate!"
Zane smiled.
"No, no."
"I'm not as good as you say."
Megumi blushed and, trying to change the topic, asked, "Zane, do you know how to use the suspended cutting method on monkfish?"
"Of course I do!"
"And coincidentally, I happen to have a monkfish here. Would you like me to show you?"
Zane shrugged confidently.
"Really?"
"Then I'd love to see if your suspended cutting skills can match those of the fishermen."
Megumi's eyes sparkled with interest.
In the original story, the first competition in the Autumn Elections was about curry.
Megumi used the suspended cutting method on a monkfish to make monkfish curry hot pot, and with a slight advantage, she made it into the top eight!
"Is it that suspended cutting?"
Sonoka, who was serving customers, also became curious upon hearing the conversation.
...
Taking out a large monkfish and hanging it up.
Seeing that Zane was serious about using suspended cutting on the monkfish, all the customers in the Tavern gathered to watch.
Monkfish come in various types, with 16 families and 265 species.
But regardless of the type, their appearance is generally described with one word: ugly.
To put it simply, they have an exaggeratedly large, flat head, with a mouth as wide as the head itself.
Their bodies are small, with eyes on the top of the head, and a strange fin on the forehead.
This fin resembles a lantern, hence the name "lantern fish."
Chop!
In the blink of an eye, the monkfish's fin was removed.
Such bold and skillful knife work immediately won cheers and applause from the customers, and even Erina and Sonoka couldn't help but gasp.
"Incredible, he really knows how to use the suspended cutting method on monkfish?"
Sonoka exclaimed.
Due to the monkfish's surface being covered with a layer of slimy gelatin, it's inconvenient to handle it on a cutting board!
So, the fish's mouth is hooked and suspended, and the fish is cut while hanging, requiring high-level skills.
On the other hand, Zane's suspended cutting technique deeply impressed Megumi.
...
After removing the fins.
The next step was to peel the fish skin.
The entire monkfish is a treasure, and even the skin is a precious ingredient.
However, peeling the skin isn't as simple as chopping off the fins; the whole skin must remain intact.
In other words, the peeling action must be done in one go.
Zane's eyes focused as he gently cut the skin and then peeled it off with force!
Rip!
In an instant, the enticing fish meat was revealed.
This scene of skinning the fish was thrilling, especially with the fluid technique that dazzled everyone.
Next was the removal of the gills.
This step marks the beginning of filleting the monkfish, followed by the careful extraction of the liver.
Zane skillfully separated the fish meat.
Perhaps because of his speed, the audience hadn't recovered from their amazement when they saw that the monkfish had been fully filleted!
"Finished?"
"Is it... Is it really that fast?"
"I've seen chefs handle monkfish before, but none could do it in such a short time."
Erina, who had watched the entire process intently, couldn't calm her inner thoughts.
...
"Wow!"
"That was... amazing!"
"Zane, your suspended cutting was perfect. I've never seen such an impressive live performance."
Megumi clenched her fists in excitement, standing up and saying, "The entire process
of handling the monkfish was so skillful, without a single flaw or hesitation.
"Especially the skinning action, which made the fish meat reveal itself all at once, blood and all.
"But such a scene is enough to be heart-stirring, making one feel thrilled."
Thinking back, it had taken her several years to barely master the suspended cutting technique.
Seeing Zane perform such a stunning suspended cutting tonight, she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration!
"Is it that difficult?"
"It's just cutting a monkfish. Why are you so excited?"
Zane smiled lightly.
"Zane, not everyone is as good as you, okay?"
"Monkfish have a slimy outer layer, so they can only be handled with suspended cutting."
"Since every part is edible, you have to use special fish knives or tongs to remove the innards without damaging the skin or liver!"
"So, it really tests the chef's skills and patience."
"To be honest, it took me years to barely learn it."
Gurgle!
Gurgle!
As she spoke, Megumi's stomach growled.
It was as if the hungry bugs in her stomach were protesting, demanding food.
This unexpected situation left her stunned, and her face turned even redder.
"Hungry?" Zane looked at Megumi, who wished to find a place to hide, and couldn't help but hold back his laughter.
"Yes, a little."
Megumi could only touch her stomach and reply awkwardly.
"In that case, let's use the monkfish we just filleted to make a dish!"
"Sure, I'll leave it to you!"
With that, Zane turned and continued his work.
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