"He praised that dish?"
Everyone was stunned. They knew the food blogger often visited 'Kirinoya', but his notoriously picky palate always gave them headaches. Each time he came, the staff would brace themselves, afraid he might find fault with the dishes.
But now, an intern's cooking had earned his praise? If they didn't know the blogger's reputation, they would have doubted his judgment.
"Yes," Hinako nodded, then smiled. "In any case, there's no problem this time, so let's not dwell on it."
"By the way, Chef, did you see the sashimi? What does it look like?" Kenro Ono asked, curiosity getting the better of him. He was eager to know what the puffer fish sashimi Sui prepared looked like.
The others were equally curious and gathered around, wanting to see the dish that an intern had somehow mastered.
"When I arrived, the guest had already finished," Hinako said, placing a finger on her lips, deep in thought. "I didn't get a chance to see it."
"Really?" The group couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment.
"If you're interested, I still have some of the sashimi left," Sui interjected.
"Really? Could you show us?" Hinako asked, her smile turning gentle.
"No problem." Sui nodded and retrieved the remaining plate of sashimi he had prepared.
Everyone's attention shifted to the sashimi. Kenro Ono carefully picked up a slice with his chopsticks and held it up to the light.
Gasps filled the room.
"It's so thin you can see through it!" Kobayashi Kiyomizu exclaimed.
Unlike thicker sashimi cuts like salmon or tuna, fugu (puffer fish) sashimi needs to be sliced paper-thin. Sui's slices were translucent, delicate, and perfect.
"And the slices are uniform in thickness and size," Hoshino Miyuki added, inspecting the remaining sashimi on the plate.
Suddenly, Kenro Ono thought of something. It had only taken him five minutes to go to the bathroom, and Sui had finished cutting the sashimi in that short time?
"Sui, how long did it take you to cut this sashimi?" Kenro asked.
"About five minutes, I'd say," Sui replied after a moment of thought.
"Five minutes?" Everyone inhaled sharply, their gazes turning toward Sui in astonishment.
Kenro Ono felt a sense of inadequacy wash over him. He could achieve such precision with time, but cutting sashimi like that in under five minutes was beyond his abilities.
In terms of knife skills, Sui was already ahead of him.
"Are this year's Totsuki students really this skilled?" Hoshino Miyuki said, his tone filled with awe.
"Let's taste it," Hinako said, picking up a slice of sashimi. She dipped it in a little wasabi and placed it in her mouth. The light, spicy flavor combined with the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the fish was incredibly satisfying.
"This is delicious," she said with a smile, covering her mouth.
"Megumi, you should try some too," Sui said to Megumi, who had just finished washing dishes.
"Me? Can I really?" Megumi asked, surprised but excited. Nervously, she took a piece with the chopsticks Sui handed her.
"It's so good," she said, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks as she savored the flavor.
"I've made up my mind," Hinako said, lowering her head in thought before raising it again, a gentle smile spreading across her face. "Sui, from now on, you will be in charge of all sashimi at 'Kirinoya'."
"What?"
"No way!" Hoshino Miyuki and Kobayashi Kiyomizu exclaimed in unison, stunned.
Sashimi was used in many sushi dishes and served as a standalone delicacy. To be in charge of sashimi meant Sui would effectively be stepping into the role of a chef.
But he had only been there for a short time!
"I think Sui's sashimi skills speak for themselves. Who here can match his knife work?" Hinako asked, raising an eyebrow.
The room fell silent. It was true—no one could deny Sui's superior knife skills. Still, it felt surreal that an intern could rise to the position of chef so quickly.
This must be a record for the fastest promotion from intern to chef.
"I believe Sui is capable," Kenro Ono said in a serious tone. "Earlier, when things were getting hectic, it was thanks to Sui's preparations that I was able to keep up."
The others were once again taken aback. Kenro Ono was an experienced chef, and Sui, an intern, hadn't just held his own but had actually helped keep the kitchen running smoothly. His ability to act quickly under pressure and coordinate tasks was, in some ways, superior to Kenro's.
"In that case, it's settled," Hinako smiled warmly, her eyes soft as they rested on Sui. "From now on, you'll be the head chef for sashimi at 'Kirinoya'. Do your best."
"Thank you, Chef," Sui said gratefully, bowing slightly.
"Sui, you're amazing!" Megumi said in awe. She had only just started working as a dishwasher, and here Sui was, already promoted to head chef. It seemed almost unreal.
"Megumi, you can do it too. Keep working hard," Sui encouraged her.
"Yes! I will!" Megumi responded eagerly, nodding with determination.
Later that evening, Sui officially took charge of the sashimi station. His knife skills were precise and swift, and the sashimi he prepared received high praise from the customers, further impressing the other chefs.
As the day wound down, Hinako smiled gently at the two of them. "I've booked a nearby hotel for you to stay at during your training period."