Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

"So, why did you say those things?"

In response to Lin Yu's words, Mito Ikumi revealed a sly smile.

"Don't rush, the important part of what I'm about to say is coming up."

Mito Ikumi stood in front of Lin Yu. "Let me introduce myself. I am Mito Ikumi, and my family runs [Mito Meat Products]!"

When she mentioned the name of her company, Ikumi Mito's face lit up with pride.

It's clear that she's very proud of her company.

"Our Mito Meat Products is one of the top meat companies in Japan."

"If you ever need any kind of meat in the future, you can come to me. Whether it's beef or other types of meat, my family can provide it, and the quality is absolutely guaranteed."

Mito Ikumi suddenly leaned closer and whispered:

"I promise you in my personal capacity that if you or your future restaurant choose to use beef from my company when purchasing supplies, I will give you a 10% discount."

"This promise is valid for life."

"How about that? Pretty sincere, right?"

"If you can afford it, I can even provide the highest quality meat that is not available on the market at all."

"Without connections and networks, this is something money can't buy!"

Lin Yu silently memorized Mito Ikumi's words and involuntarily raised his opinion of the girl in front of him significantly.

On the surface, Lin Yu nodded without saying anything more, simply pushing the plate in front of Mito Ikumi.

"Eat."

Mito Ikumi then picked up a tofu ball with satisfaction, put it in her mouth, chewed it thoroughly, savored it carefully, and a look of satisfied bliss appeared on her face.

Lin Yuliu didn't have much food, and Tadokoro Megumi and Mito Ikumi could only get a few pieces each. Even though they ate very slowly, they finished it quickly.

"Anyway, thank you for your hospitality."

After finishing her meal, Mito Ikumi reverted to her usual arrogant demeanor, but still thanked Lin Yu.

Afterwards, Mito Ikumi submitted her dish to the teacher, and after receiving approval, she left the classroom without looking back.

Watching Mito Ikumi's disappearing figure, Lin Yu turned to look behind him at Mito Ikumi's cooking station.

On the counter, there was a plate of golden-brown fried mushrooms, and next to it was a small dish of dark brown sauce.

That was the dish that Mito Ikumi made in this class, and it was also this carnivore's understanding of the topic of "vegetarian imitation of meat".

"Lin Yu-kun, is this Mito-san's cooking?" Tadokoro Megumi asked from the side.

Lin Yu nodded. "Yes, it seems they were specially reserved for us."

Lin Yu picked up a fried mushroom with his chopsticks, dipped it in some sauce, and put it in his mouth.

"Snap!"

Just by biting into it and hearing the sound, you can tell how crispy the fried mushroom is.

The crispy texture alone is enough to bring you a sense of pleasure while chewing.

"It's barbecue sauce!"

Lin Yu immediately recognized the true nature of the sauce: it was a rich and fragrant blend of various spices.

"Wow! Mito-san's cooking is delicious!"

After trying it, Megumi Tadokoro, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"Although it's not as good as Lin Yu-kun's cooking, Mito-kun's fried mushrooms are still very well prepared!"

"It's chewy and has a soft, fibrous texture, paired with a rich barbecue sauce. If you don't taste it carefully, you can actually feel a bit of the flavor of a meat dish."

Lin Yu picked up another fried mushroom, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in his mouth, chewing it slowly and savoring the flavor.

"She probably used king oyster mushrooms."

Lin Yu revealed the ingredients and cooking techniques used in the dish.

"The knife skills are good. The cuts follow the fibers of the king oyster mushroom, and the thickness is just right, not too thick or too thin. It brings out the texture characteristics of the king oyster mushroom perfectly, and the imitation of the muscle fibers of meat is also not bad."

Tadokoro Megumi gave a somewhat helpless smile. "In Lin Yu-kun's opinion, this level of cuisine can only be described as 'not bad'?"

Lin Yu answered without hesitation, "If it were me, I could do even better."

Tadokoro Megumi could only express her admiration for Lin Yu.

Lin Yu's explanation continued.

"Furthermore, before coating the mushrooms, she must have steamed them and added yuzu vinegar to soften the fibrous texture, making them even softer to chew."

"This barbecue sauce is also key to this dish," Lin Yu said, changing the subject.

"A variety of spices are combined together, the types of spices are very complex, but they are very harmonious. They do not conflict with each other, but rather enhance each other's flavor."

"Despite its intense flavor, the stimulating aroma leaves a refreshing aftertaste that makes it irresistible."

"It must have contained some kind of citrus fruit."

Lin Yu closed his eyes, carefully savoring the refreshing flavor in his mind.

Grapefruit, lemon, orange...

Images of various citrus fruits flashed through Lin Yu's mind.

"It's a lime."

Lin Yu opened his eyes, his face full of confidence, and gave the answer.

"And it wasn't a fresh lime; it was probably dried lime slices that were then ground into powder."

"That's quite ingenious!"

Lin Yu's words were half praise and half lament.

"It's easy to imagine that this sauce is probably the best recipe she has come up with after cooking barbecue countless times."

Lin Yu looked towards the classroom door, where Mito Ikumi was no longer present, but Lin Yu still sighed inwardly.

"Although some aspects are still a bit immature, their basic skills, techniques, and ingenuity are already quite remarkable for students of this age."

"Totsuki Academy, it really is full of experts everywhere!"

......

After a day of classes, Lin Yu and Tadokoro Megumi walked back to the Polar Star Dormitory.

"Lin Yujun, I noticed that you seemed to be taking extra care of me in class today."

In today's class, Lin Yu clearly involved Tadokoro Megumi more in his cooking.

This manifested in the fact that more tasks were arranged for Tadokoro Megumi, and she was given more responsibilities.

Furthermore, whether he is doing it himself or Tadokoro Megumi is doing it, he will explain each step in detail, why it is done this way, what the benefits are, and what effect it has on the dish, leaving no detail unexplained.

Even when faced with Tadokoro Megumi's repeated questions about difficult topics, Lin Yu didn't get angry and patiently answered them each time.

Even during an afternoon class, he taught Tadokoro Megumi the key steps of cooking, while he just watched from the side, which made Tadokoro Megumi nervous and almost ruin the cooking, which made Lin Yu burst into laughter.

Recalling Tadokoro Megumi's timid expression in class, Lin Yu still couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Lin Yujun!"

Seeing the smile Lin Yu couldn't help but smile, Tadokoro Megumi immediately remembered her embarrassing state in class today. She let out a cute shout and slapped Lin Yu on the shoulder.

"Okay, okay, I won't laugh anymore, I won't laugh anymore."

Lin Yu felt a few sad things on his mind and calmed himself down.

"I thought you'd misunderstand and think I was ordering you around!"

"No way! Working with a chef as skilled as Lin Yujun is a huge help to me!"

Looking back on his junior high school days, not one of his classmates, even those who were paired with him in the same class, disliked his clumsiness.

Even when faced with group projects, they still refused to work with her, leaving her often to complete the project alone, crying and timidly.

But in Tadokoro Megumi's heart, Lin Yu was different; only Lin Yu would not dislike or neglect her.

Not only that, he would also teach himself when he was confused, comfort himself when he was nervous or sad, and tell her, "I believe you can do it."

They even trust her, asking her for help and daring to involve her in their cooking.

For Megumi Tadokoro, she wasn't afraid of doing a lot of work; what she feared more was having nothing to do.

"Thanks......"

Tadokoro Megumi's voice was very soft, so Lin Yu only heard a low murmur and didn't hear what she said at all.

"Xiao Hui, what did you just say?"

"No, no!"

Tadokoro Megumi hurriedly waved her hand, "Lin Yu-jun, you misheard!"

"All right."

Lynch changed the subject.

"Xiaohui, you did very well in class today. I can tell you're not as easily nervous as you used to be."

"That's because Lin Yujun is by my side!"

Tadokoro Megumi answered matter-of-factly:

"When I was operating, I knew very well that Lin Yujun was standing right behind me."

"If I have any questions, I can just ask Lin Yujun and get an accurate answer."

"If I make any operational mistakes, Lin Yujun will definitely remind me in time and even help me to fix them."

"I don't have to worry about ruining the dish because of my mistakes, so I'm not so scared."

Lin Yu was amused by Tadokoro Megumi's words. "While I'm happy to hear Megumi say that, that's not how it works!"

Lin Yu stopped, lowered his head slightly, and aligned his gaze with Tadokoro Megumi's.

"Xiao Hui, I can't help you forever."

"I can see that you are a very talented chef, you just haven't found your own path yet."

"Roads?" Tadokoro asked, puzzled.

"Yes, the road!"

"A truly great chef will always have their own unique path."

"That was a chef's ladder to success, his climbing stick to reach the summit."

Tadokoro asked, "So, how do we do it?"

Lin Yu smiled and shook his head, "These kinds of things are better understood than explained!"

"This is the chef's own secret weapon, a combination of his past experience, future goals, and his own philosophy and beliefs."

"Xiao Hui! Outsiders can't advise you on these things, not even me."

"You'll have to find it yourself!"

Lin Yu placed his hand on Tadokoro Megumi's head and gently stroked the girl's hair.

"Xiao Hui, you need to grow up quickly."

"I believe you can do it..."