Believe it or not, today is the last day for Food Wars: Tavern updates, not because I'm dropping but because the author hasn't made any new chapters passing chapter 325. He hasn't updated since the 8th of August. Just be aware that this fanfic is coming to an end, I'll see if I can create a rushed ending but I'm unsure.
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In the original storyline of *Cooking Master Boy*, when Liu Maoxing participated in the Super Chef qualification exam, the first challenge was to make a dish called **Peerless Warrior Noodles**.
Five chefs emerged as winners in this round.
Lan Feihong made cold noodles, wrapping them in lotus leaves during preparation, and produced a dish called "Peerless Beauty," which matched the theme of **Peerless Warrior** despite being slightly off-topic.
Next was Rin the Witch, a chef who specialized in wild game, often using ingredients that were poisonous, making her dishes a daring choice for any diner. Her noodles were considered **Peerless Warrior** because only the brave would dare to eat them.
Then there was Xiao Han, a chef from the Dongjiang Pavilion. He appeared shirtless with two large knives hanging from his neck, looking like a monk. He prepared a bone broth noodle dish, extracting the essence from the bones to create a rich broth. The chewy texture of the noodles added extra points, making it a dish worthy of the title **Peerless Warrior**.
Lastly, Liu Maoxing's **Peerless Warrior Noodles** had no broth and no sauce—just the noodles, which were so perfect in texture and taste that they could be called the best noodles in the world, truly deserving of the title **Peerless Warrior**.
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At this moment, Zane was making his version of **Peerless Warrior Noodles**.
Inspired by the eight ingredients that represented the virtues of filial piety, brotherhood, loyalty, trust, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and honor, Zane's seafood soup noodles incorporated these virtues into his dish, thereby embodying the theme of **Peerless Warrior**.
This seafood soup noodle dish combined a variety of seafood ingredients and was prepared in a light, refreshing way, suitable for the season. The seafood had a firm texture that could alleviate the loss of appetite often felt during the summer months. The seafood marinade, blended with rice vinegar and garlic, enhanced the natural sweetness of the seafood, making the broth richer and the flavors more distinct.
In reality, making a bowl of seafood noodles is more challenging than cooking seafood alone. Preparing seafood requires preserving the natural flavor of the ingredients, but making a bowl of noodles demands a well-balanced broth, and the seafood used must be top-quality to avoid overpowering the broth's flavor. The strong fishy smell of seafood is a significant challenge, but this seemingly simple seafood soup noodle dish cleverly overcame that obstacle.
The bowl was filled with various small seafood pieces, not just for decoration but taking up most of the space, ensuring a hearty meal. In the end, you would want to drink every last drop of the rich, savory broth.
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Now, deep into the winter season, the air was cold, with a noticeable chill whenever you stepped outside. Winter was truly making its presence felt. Adding a warm-colored seafood dish to a cold dinner table could make this bowl of noodles even more comforting.
Lifting a chopstick-full of noodles mixed with a few pieces of seafood into your mouth, the first thing you taste is the freshness of the seafood blossoming on your tongue, followed by the rich texture of the noodles and the broth interweaving into an indescribably delightful flavor.
In that moment, it felt as if the entire world had quieted down, leaving only the pure and profound enjoyment of taste, making one unconsciously get lost in it, forgetting the hustle and bustle of life.
The aroma was simply irresistible!
No artificial seasonings, no bone broth additives—just "all-natural, additive-free ramen." The broth was primarily made from snapper, with additional ingredients like red shrimp, slipper lobster, tofu fish, blue crab, razor clams, and more. The flavor was best described as:
**Clear yet rich, fresh yet not greasy.**
Additionally, the light green scallions were treated with care, bringing out their natural sweetness, and the fried scallions added a slightly bitter aroma, making Mana sigh in admiration.
The combination was perfect!
Even in Tokyo, no, in all of Japan, you wouldn't find ramen with such exquisite taste.
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"This is amazing!" Mana began eating slowly at first but soon found herself eating more and more eagerly, throwing any elegance out the window as she fully enjoyed the meal.
The moment she stepped into the steaming air filled with the intertwined scents of seafood and noodles, her nose was immediately captured by a fresh yet rich seafood aroma. This aroma seemed to transport her taste buds straight to a serene beach, where she could feel the gentle sea breeze.
In the bowl, the golden-yellow noodles were as delicate as silk, having absorbed the essence of the broth, becoming soft yet retaining their elasticity. Each strand was coated in rich broth, melting in the mouth, smooth but not greasy, making it impossible to stop eating.
The seafood was the soul of this ramen.
The tender shrimp, with their pink and white flesh, were firm and springy, carrying the freshness and sweetness of the sea. Thick slices of fish were smooth and boneless, and when lightly bitten, their fresh juices burst in the mouth, perfectly complementing the richness of the noodles.
Various shellfish, like scallops and mussels, were expertly cooked to retain their original sweetness while absorbing the essence of the broth. Each bite was an extreme indulgence for the taste buds.
The broth, however, was the heart of the ramen.
Simmered from chicken and pork bones for a long time and enriched with seafood essence, the broth was clear yet deep in flavor, offering a fresh sweetness without being overpowering, perfectly highlighting the seafood's freshness.
With each sip, warmth spread from the tongue to the heart.
Finally, a sprinkling of green onions and a few sprigs of cilantro added a touch of freshness to the bowl, elevating the flavor and texture of the entire dish. The sharpness of the scallions and the freshness of the cilantro blended perfectly with the seafood's richness, the noodles' fullness, and the broth's depth, creating a symphony of oceanic flavors for the palate.
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The portions of both the noodles and the ingredients were generous. The neatly cut rice noodles, combined with the fresh and authentic seafood, made for a seamless combination. Each sip of the rich seafood broth was enough to make anyone's mouth water.
Undoubtedly, a bowl of seafood noodles like this could evoke the taste of the ocean.
Despite its humble appearance, this seafood ramen was incredibly enticing. The bowl was loaded with red shrimp, slipper lobster, tofu fish, and maitake mushrooms, retaining the pure essence of the ingredients.
As a senior WGO officer, Mana immediately recognized the meticulous effort put into making this bowl of noodles.
Taking a bite, she found the texture of the noodles to be quite exceptional.
These seafood noodles were made from high-quality flour, hand-pulled into thin strands and quickly boiled to perfection.
When it came to noodles served in broth, this noodle's fineness had reached its limit, and the speed at which it was cooked and served was measured in seconds.
Yes, the entire process was indeed that fast.
This perfect cooking method showcased Zane's years of refined skill and the delicate sensitivity of his character. He approached his work with extreme care, evident in this bowl of seafood snapper ramen, which was as stunning in taste as it was in appearance.
At that moment, Mana closed her eyes, unable to suppress a hum of pleasure.
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Huh?
This flavor...
Soon after, as she slowly came back to her senses, Mana was slightly startled.
The smoothness of the noodles, the fishy aroma, and the supporting ingredients like razor clams, clams, yellow croaker, ribbonfish, monkfish liver, and white pomfret all combined perfectly.
Just a single bite of the seafood noodles was enough to warm her entire body, causing her to exhale a long sigh.
Finally, Mana took another sip of the broth, closed her eyes, and savored the lingering taste in her mouth, marveling at the unexpected delight found in such an unexpected place.
The noodles shaped like an island, and the seafood broth resembled the shimmering ocean, with a few cilantro leaves floating on top, enhancing the flavor.
"Sluuurp."
She quickly took another bite.
"Sluuurp."
And another.
Before she knew it, Mana had devoured the entire bowl of seafood noodles, leaving nothing behind.
As she set down her bowl, she took a deep breath, feeling immensely satisfied.
Then, she glanced down at the now-empty bowl.
Finally, she picked up the bowl again and drank the last drop of broth. That final drop seemed to encapsulate all the ingredients, all the essence of the seafood snapper ramen, concentrated into a single small drop of broth.
As it touched her tongue, Mana found herself once again lost in its depths.
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In reality, everyone has a foodie heart.
When it comes to delicious food, while not everyone may be as obsessed as Rindo, no normal person would refuse something that tastes good.
Erina was one such person.
And so was Mana.
"I understand now!"
Mana had kept her eyes closed, savoring the experience.
Finally, she opened her eyes and spoke softly, "Aside from the smoothness of the noodles, the key to this dish lies in the rich broth."
"You could say that the broth is the soul of this seafood snapper ramen. The seafood broth is mainly simmered from dozens of ingredients, along with snapper base broth."
"These ingredients are incredibly diverse—red shrimp, slipper lobster, tofu fish, maitake mushrooms, razor clams, clams, yellow croaker, ribbonfish, monkfish liver, white pomfret, and many more. There are at least dozens of ingredients."
As she finished speaking, Mana's face was filled with astonishment. "Really?"
"Could there really be that many ingredients?"
"Why didn't I notice when I was eating?"
It didn't make sense!
After all, she had
the ability of the God Tongue, which should have revealed all the secrets of the dish to her.
Determined to figure it out, she focused on the aftertaste of the seafood noodles and continued analyzing, "Red shrimp, slipper lobster, tofu fish, maitake mushrooms, razor clams, clams, yellow croaker, ribbonfish, monkfish liver, white pomfret..."
She listed them all in one breath.
"No... that's not right!"
"The ingredients actually total 45."
"In addition to the eight main ingredients on the surface, there are..."
Fresh shrimp, crab, fish fillets, clams—each with its unique oceanic flavor.
As these seafood ingredients simmered in the hot broth, their flavors were gradually released, blending seamlessly with the broth, creating a complex and delicious taste.
When the seafood, broth, and noodles came together in perfect harmony, the resulting experience was more than just a taste sensation.
The satisfaction that spread from the tongue to the heart, the feeling of being transported to the depths of the ocean, left Mana deeply impressed and unable to forget the experience.
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"Gourmet" is a profession.
To give an analogy, "civil engineering" is a profession.
Everyone knows that if someone says, "I can carry bricks and cement, so I understand civil engineering," no one would take them seriously.
Similarly, "eating food" is something everyone can do, just like carrying bricks. But can you call yourself a gourmet just because you can eat?
Of course not!
If carrying bricks and laying bricks made someone a civil engineer, then there would be no need to teach civil engineering as a subject or to have a profession dedicated to it.
In the same way, "gourmet" is a profession—it's not about simply "eating food" or even just knowing "whether something tastes good."
"Deliciousness" is a relative concept.
For example, people in Guangdong, China, might find steamed mandarin fish with just soy sauce and hot oil to be very delicious.
But people from other provinces might think it has no flavor and that red-braised fish is the only way it should be prepared.
So, who's right?
In such cases, the WGO's star rating system is based on the profession of "gourmet," not just on the simple criterion of "taste."
If it were just about "taste," then many out-of-town visitors might not be able to stomach Beijing's fermented bean drink, or foreigners might be wary of century eggs. Would that mean restaurants serving these dishes would have no chance of being rated?
Because the WGO's restaurant evaluation criteria are based on professional standards, it's not up to non-professionals to judge whether they understand or are qualified to rate Chinese cuisine.
So, Mana was puzzled.
How could "foodies" who had never seen the WGO's evaluation standards or knew how the ratings were determined "look down on" the WGO?
In summary, the WGO's restaurant evaluation standards are professional. Non-professionals are not qualified to criticize them.
Following the star ratings to find gourmet food is simply a personal choice!