"I start by shredding the chicken and then boiling it in chicken broth. This lightens the texture of the chicken while intensifying its flavor," Sui explained with a smile. "Afterward, I add a sweet sauce made from green plums and lemons to enhance its refreshing taste."
"I see!" An's face lit up in astonishment. "If you simply soak whole chicken in broth, it's harder for the flavor to penetrate. But if you shred it first, the broth seeps in easily. That's why you made shredded chicken noodles, right?"
"That's one reason," Sui confirmed. "Shredding the chicken does make it easier to work with, but the other reason is that cold noodles with shredded chicken are naturally refreshing. Pairing them with shredded cucumber and a special lemon sauce further enhances the light, zesty flavor of the dish."
"It truly is a remarkable dish." Ann clenched her teeth, clearly begrudging the admission. However, she had to acknowledge that this dish not only corrected the earlier shortcomings but also emphasized the strengths of the ingredients.
"He's incredible! Is this student from Totsuki?"
"He's even better than the Elite Ten, don't you think?"
"Yeah, I doubt even the Elite Ten could pull this off!"
The chefs at Kujo Restaurant were all in awe.
"So, can we maintain the one-star review for this restaurant?" Sui asked. "If they're given a little more time to refine the French lemon chicken before the review at 2:30, I'm confident there won't be any issues."
"What's your name?" Ann asked instead of answering directly.
"My name is Sui Mizushima," he replied.
"Sui Mizushima? I've never heard of you." Ann frowned slightly, puzzled. She had no record of Sui in the culinary world. Even if he wasn't part of the Elite Ten, any skilled chef from a prominent family would be known to the WGO, like Mito Ikumi from the Mito Group or Hisako from the Arato family.
But Sui Mizushima? He appeared to be from a completely unknown background.
"As expected of Totsuki," she muttered to herself, clearly wary. "Another genius has appeared."
Though her expression was tense, she forced a gentle smile. "While I can't give the restaurant a one-star rating immediately, I can give it another chance."
Ann's polite smile returned. "I'll return for another review in three days."
"Really? Thank you so much!" Kujo Eisuke exclaimed, his voice filled with relief. Three days would be enough time to perfect the French lemon chicken, ensuring a successful review.
"Well then, I'll be on my way." Ann exited the restaurant, struggling with the large stack of books she was carrying. However, she made a mental note to thoroughly investigate Sui once she returned. Though WGO was the highest authority in the culinary world, it had always been at a disadvantage against Totsuki in terms of influence and power. The academy had always outshined them, and she had to tread carefully.
"Should we really collaborate with someone expelled from Totsuki?" she muttered to herself.
"Thank you so much!" the staff of Kujo Restaurant knelt down as soon as An left.
"There's no need for that," Sui said, shaking his head. "Besides, it wasn't just my effort—Megumi helped out a lot, too."
"No, no way!" Megumi blushed, flustered by Sui's praise. Though all she had done was help shred the chicken, receiving Sui's acknowledgment made her heart flutter.
"Oh, by the way, if you're satisfied with today's tasting, please leave a good review," Sui added. After all, he was here temporarily as Erina's representative, and a bad outcome would reflect poorly on her.
"Of course, I'll make sure to leave a glowing review," Kujo Eisuke promised with a hearty laugh.
Later, Kujo Eisuke treated Sui and the others to a lavish meal and, before they left, handed each of them a VIP card.
"With this card, you'll enjoy free meals at our restaurant for life," Kujo Eisuke said with a smile.
"Free forever?" Yoshino's eyes widened, practically salivating at the idea.
Although Kujo Restaurant wasn't run by a graduate from Totsuki's Elite Ten, it was still a restaurant owned by Totsuki alumni, and the food was expensive.
"We can't possibly accept this," Sōma chuckled, scratching his head. He hadn't even contributed much and was still being rewarded so generously.
"It's no problem at all! Without your help, our restaurant might not be able to continue. Please, take it," Kujo Eisuke insisted.
In the end, Sui and the others graciously accepted the VIP cards.
On the way back, Yoshino couldn't help but ask, "Sui, when are you going to take Miss Erina's food tasting again?"
Sui shot her a displeased look. He silently vowed never to tell her again.
Later that evening, Erina returned home.
"I'm back," Sui greeted as he walked in.
"Mm," Erina nodded before recalling something. "By the way, I received feedback that the customers were really impressed with your food-tasting."
"Really? That's good to hear," Sui replied with a smile.
Erina smiled as well. In truth, she had been a little worried. Though Sui was just as talented as she was, he lacked fame, and she feared people might not recognize his skills.
However, the restaurant had been extremely satisfied with his work and even paid triple the normal fee afterward, which surprised Hisako when she called to inquire.
"By the way, I heard from Hisako that three restaurants have already applied, hoping to invite you for food tastings. What do you think?" Erina asked.
"We'll see," Sui replied.
"Alright," Erina nodded.
Later that evening, they engaged in their usual cooking competition.
But this time, to Sui's surprise, he lost! The theme was snails, and Sui's lack of knowledge about the ingredient resulted in a rare victory for Erina.
Feeling down, Sui returned to his room, where Tohru was waiting for him.
"Sui, shall we try again?" Tohru asked shyly, holding his hand.
Since their relationship had deepened, their bond had grown naturally.
Sui was tempted but hesitated. "But Kanna's still here," he pointed out.
"Kanna's asleep. We can go to the other room," Tohru whispered, her cheeks flushed.