In modern Sichuan cuisine, there are 24 common flavor profiles.
Salty, fermented black bean, tomato, sweet and sour, sesame paste, soy sauce, five-spice, salt and pepper, spicy, red oil, burnt, sour and spicy, peppery, fish fragrant, tangerine peel...
Among them, the lychee flavor is created using salt, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and cooking wine, with ginger, scallions, and garlic to mimic the sweet and sour taste of lychee. The resulting dish has a sweet, sour, salty, and fresh taste.
There are two types of lychee flavors: large lychee, which is sweeter, mimicking the taste of ripe lychee, and small lychee, which has a slightly sour aftertaste, emphasizing the tartness of small lychees.
Zane's Kung Pao Chicken is a small lychee flavor, a combination of burnt and lychee flavors.
...
"Owner."
"You are the first chef to make a non-spicy Chinese dish that has completely convinced me."
Kuga Terunori, having finished eating, felt both content and secretly astonished.
He racked his brain, trying to imagine if a spicy Kung Pao Chicken could surpass Zane's small lychee-flavored version.
No matter how many times he tried to visualize it, he felt powerless.
Moreover, it wasn't just the spicy Kung Pao Chicken.
His cherished dishes like Mapo Tofu, Saliva Chicken, Fish Fragrant Pork, and Lantern Shadow Beef all seemed inadequate.
This hurt his pride and made him start doubting himself.
Was his belief that "only spicy dishes can conquer everything" truly correct?
In fact, his preference for spicy Chinese cuisine was just a personal taste. Kuga enjoyed seeing diners' faces change from the heat of his dishes.
He felt a sense of accomplishment whenever diners experienced a rush of pleasure from the spiciness.
"In China, many places now enjoy spicy food."
"Just like Western food always uses dairy and cheese, so sticking to spicy Sichuan cuisine isn't necessarily wrong."
"Being able to create dishes that satisfy diners' needs is great, but it's also fine to stick to your own style if you do it well!"
"As long as you make it well and the diners are happy."
"I think that's why you made it into the Elite Ten, but you still have room to improve, which makes it hard for you to climb higher."
Zane shared his thoughts after some contemplation.
Kuga Terunori listened, his gaze deepening as he fell silent again.
...
Sweet.
Salty.
Sour.
Fresh.
These flavors are generally mild and don't provide a strong stimulus.
Simply put, they lack impact. Only "spicy" can truly resonate with people, so Zane understood Kuga Terunori's approach.
From the flashbacks in the original Moon Banquet, his personality and Soma's, daring to challenge the status quo, were evident.
Thus, during the Totsuki rebellion, needing the Elite Ten to choose sides, he chose to join Soma and Erina in opposition!
During this period, he often resorted to underhanded methods to force students to join the Chinese Cuisine Research Society.
However, unlike Mana Nakiri, Kuga used the Research Society platform to cultivate the 8th seat of the Elite Ten, who focused on spicy Chinese cuisine.
He didn't instill the ridiculous idea that "those without talent just need to make dishes, not create them!"
Kuga emphasized chefs' basic skills and required his subordinates to be meticulous in cooking.
In contrast, the reformed Totsuki Academy ignored basic skill cultivation. Students who sided with Mana Nakiri and the Elite Ten supporting the reform didn't need practice.
They could follow the Elite Ten's recipes verbatim to produce perfect dishes.
In short, Kuga valued culinary "creativity."
Mana Nakiri's group simplified cooking, making everyone follow the same standard.
Perhaps, this was one reason Kuga never supported Mana Nakiri.
But this difference in philosophy wasn't the main factor.
His personality, like Soma's, was too rebellious to serve as Mana's lackey.
Training students and expanding the Chinese Cuisine Research Society was likely his way of standardizing cooking processes, similar to Kojiro Shinomiya's bottleneck.
He aimed to fulfill his promise after losing to Eishi Tsukasa.
He really wanted to challenge the 1st seat again at this year's Moon Banquet.
...
"People say spiciness can mask flaws."
"But even with the same ingredients, dead fish or shrimp in spicy dishes would still taste bad."
"Spicy is just one method. Does relying solely on spiciness mean my cooking skills are bad?"
"Other methods that fall short also turn diners off."
Staring at the empty plates and bowls, Kuga Terunori sighed deeply.
Collecting himself, he turned to Zane and said, "Owner, Miyoko didn't lie. You are indeed a great Chinese cuisine chef!"
"From your cooking, I see there are many choices in Chinese cuisine. Pursuing only spicy Sichuan dishes isn't the only way."
"Other flavors have their strengths. I should combine different styles to create and innovate!"
"Your small lychee-flavored Kung Pao Chicken isn't just spicy but sweet and sour with a hint of spice."
"Yes!"
"I can't say your path is right or wrong."
"But having more options and trying new things is always good."
Zane replied expressionlessly.
...
At midnight, the tavern finally closed.
Having finished his Kung Pao Chicken, Kuga Terunori quickly left.
After witnessing Zane's skills, he felt a sense of respect and a renewed understanding of Chinese cuisine.
This laid the groundwork for him and Miyoko to promote Chinese cuisine at Totsuki Academy in the future.
"Mom, are you leaving?"
"If you want, you could stay here at the tavern with me, and we could..."
Erina, her bright eyes shimmering, looked at Mana with a hint of reluctance.
"Erina."
"The WGO can't do without me."
"Besides, there's a big matter concerning the entire culinary world that I need to plan."
Mana hesitated before gently touching Erina's forehead, smiling, "We'll have many opportunities to see each other in the future."
"You should learn well at the tavern."
"Zane is definitely your role model, and I'm sure you'll learn a lot from him."
"Even though your cooking used to disgust me when you were little, I hope one day you'll create a dish that satisfies my God's Tongue!"
"Mom!"
"I... I will do it."
Erina was stunned. She knew conquering her mother's palate with her cooking would be incredibly challenging.
She needed to reach the pinnacle of the culinary world, but she clenched her fists and resolutely replied to Mana.
"Good, I'll be waiting."
Mana smiled warmly.
Then, she turned to Zane and respectfully said, "Zane, I leave Erina in your care."
"No problem, you can trust me, I will..."
"Mom, Zane treats me very well. I really enjoy staying here, much more than at Totsuki!"
Before Zane could finish, Erina interrupted.
Seeing this, Mana sighed softly. They say daughters are like spilled water, but she hadn't even married yet, and her loyalties were already shifting!
However, from her observations tonight, she knew Erina had feelings for Zane.
If things continued, they might really end up together.
After exchanging a few more words, Mana left the tavern, and as she did, the system's reward notification finally came!
...
"Ding!"
"Host has successfully checked in."
"Ding!"
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the recipe for Fried Rice Without Rice, the special recipe for Flame Dumplings, the special cooking skill Arhat Crystal Cut, and one tavern upgrade opportunity."
"What? Tonight's check-in reward is so amazing?"
Zane was instantly dumbfounded!
Recipes and special recipes were expected, but a special cooking skill, Arhat Crystal Cut, and an upgrade opportunity were too much.
Wow.
No wonder he had such good luck today, even getting Navia in just ten pulls in the game.
This day was truly lucky!
People trying to lose weight know that the rice they eat is refined carbs with a high glycemic index, making it easy to gain weight.
Vegetables and grains are complex carbs with a low glycemic index, rich in micronutrients, and have a high satiety value.
Thus, in an era focused on health and balanced nutrition, dishes like Fried Rice Without Rice are becoming popular.
Some might wonder how to make fried rice without rice.
The answer is simple.
Just replace the rice with finely chopped cauliflower, which is filling, high in fiber, and rich in nutrients.
So, Fried Rice Without Rice is essentially "Cauliflower Fried Rice."
...
In Japanese menus, there is a set meal called "Gyoza Teishoku," consisting of rice, pan-fried dumplings, and ramen.
This is clearly a "main dish + main dish + main dish" set, like eating bread with rice.
Dumplings, a traditional main dish in China, are considered a side dish in Japan.
Flame Dumplings, made by the Gyoza Brothers at the annual "Guangzhou Gyoza Festival," resemble flames in appearance.
They are made using a torch, spraying alcohol to ignite flames that remove excess moisture from the dumplings, hence the name Flame Dumplings.
In a tavern, this fiery cooking method would be quite a spectacle.
As for the special cooking skill Arhat Crystal Cut, it is a dark cooking technique used by Seven Blades Rein.
This skill allows the chef to slice sashimi so smoothly that it resembles a mirror, capable of reflecting a person's image.
Combined with the previously acquired [Unbreakable North Star Wolf Blade], Zane could now create the perfect
Frozen Ice Sea Bream.
"Excellent, excellent."
"With this, I can make Frozen Ice Sea Bream anytime."
"And the Fried Rice Without Rice fits the tavern's concept perfectly. I never expected tonight's check-in reward to be so rich."
With these rewards, Zane couldn't hide his joy and spoke to himself.
"Ding!"
"Host now has one tavern upgrade opportunity. Would you like to use it now?"
"Use it immediately."
Zane responded without hesitation.
"Ding!"
"Upgrading the tavern as per the host's wishes. This upgrade will also take 24 hours, during which the tavern will be closed. Please suspend operations for a day."
"Another day off?"
"Well, this will give Sonoka and Erina a break."
Zane didn't mind. This was the tavern's second upgrade.
He remembered the first upgrade expanded the tavern by 50 square meters, adding a basement storage, lounge area, and smoking area.
It also renovated the first floor, including the cooking island, dining area, floor tiles, tables, and outdoor landscaping.
Now, he had a feeling that this upgrade would be even more upscale, adding several new functional areas.
"Looks like I'll need to hire new staff."
"Takumi, after the recent night chef incident, has lost his restaurant. He's currently out of options..."
Zane muttered to himself.