No one knows a daughter better than her father. Chef Hōjō noticed the way his daughter looked at Sui and sensed that she might have feelings for him. Wanting to help her, he took the opportunity to push things along.
Miyoko understood her father's intentions immediately, her face flushing with embarrassment. She felt that her father was meddling unnecessarily in her affairs.
"Then let me prepare a dish," Sui said confidently.
Miyazaki Ryui hesitated for a moment but nodded. "Alright then. I'll be curious to see if you can make a dish that surpasses mine."
Even though Sui was a student at Totsuki, Miyazaki found it hard to believe that someone so young could create a dish superior to his.
"Is everything in the kitchen available for use?" Sui asked.
"Of course," Chef Hōjō smiled and replied, giving a wink to his daughter. "We have all kinds of Chinese cooking ingredients and kitchen tools."
Miyoko, still somewhat flustered, hesitated before saying, "I'll go help."
"Sure, no problem," Sui nodded.
Alice wanted to join them but was stopped by Chef Hōjō, who chuckled and said, "The Chinese kitchen can get very greasy. A pretty girl like you shouldn't go in. The smell of oil smoke might stick to you."
Alice paused to consider his words and realized he was right. She had a date with Sui later, and it wouldn't be ideal to smell like cooking oil.
Chef Hōjō smiled again and winked at the other chefs, who immediately understood his intentions.
"Miss, you're Sui's classmate, right? Have you ever tried these candied fruits? They're good for the skin," one of the chefs said, presenting a tray of sweets.
"Would you like some tea? This is a special beauty tea we got, refreshing and said to be great for your complexion," another chef chimed in, offering a cup.
The chefs at Hōjō Building eagerly served Alice, offering her various snacks and treats.
"Oh! Dried persimmons? We have these in Europe too! And this tea smells amazing. Does it really help with your skin?" Alice, ever the curious foodie, was quickly drawn into their offerings, asking questions like a curious child.
"Miyoko, I can only help you this much. You'll have to take it from here," Chef Hōjō muttered to himself, shaking his head.
He couldn't understand why Miyoko, normally so bold and decisive, suddenly seemed so timid when it came to her own feelings. In his view, if you liked someone, it was best to go after them directly.
Meanwhile, Sui and Miyoko entered the kitchen.
"What do you need me to do?" Miyoko asked.
"Do we have white fungus, longan, lotus seeds, and red dates?" Sui inquired.
"Yes, we do," Miyoko replied. Hōjō Building specialized in Chinese cuisine, so those ingredients were readily available.
"Are you going to make Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup?" Miyoko asked in disbelief, her eyes widening. It was a simple, traditional sweet soup often made at home. Could such a basic dish really compete with Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?
"Miyoko, soak the lotus seeds and red dates in boiling water and prepare the longans," Sui instructed, without offering any explanation.
Miyoko, though confused, quickly got to work.
…
"Oh, Miss Alice, you're studying molecular gastronomy? How avant-garde! Here, have some more mung bean cake," Chef Hōjō said, setting another plate in front of her.
Alice, now fully immersed in the snacks, held a mung bean cake in one hand and a wife cake in the other, happily munching away.
At that moment, Sui emerged from the kitchen, carrying a dish.
"Please, enjoy," he said, gesturing for Miyoko to serve the dish.
Everyone in the restaurant gathered to see what Sui had prepared.
"Is this your dish? Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup?" Miyazaki Ryui scoffed, laughing loudly. "Do you think I don't know Chinese cuisine? This is just a simple, common dish! Even ordinary families make this at home. You really think this can compare to my Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?"
It seemed that Miyazaki had overestimated Totsuki's students after all.
Chef Hōjō frowned slightly, worried. He had expected Sui to prepare something more complex. Seeing this simple dish made him doubt the outcome.
"Sui, are you sure this is enough?" Chef Hōjō asked, concerned.
"Don't worry," Sui replied confidently, locking eyes with Miyazaki. "Why don't you taste it? I recommend trying your own dish first and then mine. The contrast will make it clear."
"I don't need you to tell me how to taste food," Miyazaki sneered.
First, he tasted his Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. The warm, rich flavors from the various ingredients melded together harmoniously, as expected. It was a dish packed with complex, savory tastes.
Then, he took a spoonful of Sui's Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup. The chilled, sweet soup with white fungus and lotus seeds provided a stark contrast—light, refreshing, and clean.
"This is just ordinary Tremella soup, nothing special," Miyazaki muttered.
But suddenly, his expression changed.
In his mind's eye, he saw an image of a monstrous beast made up of various ingredients: sea cucumbers, abalone, shark fins, chickens, ducks, and more. Its body was mismatched, with deformed limbs.
Facing this creature was a swordsman, small but agile, wearing a silver helmet and wielding a red sword.
A fierce battle ensued. Though the beast was massive, it moved awkwardly, weighed down by its bulk. Meanwhile, the nimble swordsman dodged its every attack.
Leaping high, the swordsman shouted, "Take this! My Red Date Sword!"
The flavors of the five simple ingredients—white fungus, lotus seeds, red dates, dragon eye, and betel nut—harmonized beautifully, each one distinct yet part of a coherent whole, like a perfectly orchestrated symphony. The refreshing sweetness of the soup cut through the overwhelming richness of the monster's haphazard flavors, defeating it in one swift strike.
"How... how is this possible?" Miyazaki muttered in disbelief.
He had poured so many precious ingredients into his dish, yet it was soundly defeated by something as simple as Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup!
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[Click here if you want some spoilers about what's coming in the story!]
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1000 stones= 10 chapters.]