Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

The three judges had been waiting for quite some time.

"The food's finally served!"

"Yeah, I was captivated by the aroma the moment Mito-san started frying the meat. I've been eagerly anticipating it ever since, haha!"

"Who says otherwise? I've been eagerly waiting for it too!"

Today's food battle has invited three judges: a somewhat short and chubby bald middle-aged man, a slender young man in a suit, and a beautiful woman in a kimono.

The bald judge sitting in the middle couldn't wait any longer. After taking the plate from Mito Ikumi, he immediately leaned over and took a deep breath.

"Ah~"

The bald judge let out a long sigh, his face full of rapture.

"This is the taste! It's been tempting me...this is the taste!"

"So captivating!"

The bald judge looked up at Mito Ikumi and said, "I recognize you, Mito-san, the young lady of the famous food group [Mito Meat Products]."

"As expected of someone from a prestigious family, her culinary skills have already reached such a level at such a young age."

The bald judge looked at the roast meat in his hand. The surface of the meat had dark charred marks, but the cross-section was a delicate wine red.

At this moment, the rich, fragrant meat juices are slowly seeping out from between the muscle fibers in the cross-section.

"Even though he's still a student, the quality of this barbecue, judging just from the aroma and appearance, is probably on par with some well-known restaurants that specialize in barbecue."

Mito Ikumi was clearly pleased with the judges' praise, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.

Although Mito Ikumi usually has a bad temper and doesn't pay much attention to the elegant demeanor of a lady from a wealthy family.

But she wasn't a fool who acted without considering the situation. In this context, the etiquette she had received from her family since childhood made her behave very humbly, replying with a polite demeanor:

"You're too kind. My path of cultivation in Totsuki is still long, and I have many shortcomings."

"Haha!" the bald judge laughed. "Mito-kun is so modest."

"Let's begin the tasting and evaluation as soon as possible."

Mito Ikumi, fearing the conversation might go on forever, decided to speak up and remind them.

"Please don't wait too long, otherwise the flavor will be lost if the temperature of the grilled meat drops."

"Oh, right, there's one more thing," Mito Ikumi suddenly said.

"Although I have prepared sauces to accompany the grilled meat for the three judges, since the grilled meat is quite flavorful, if possible, I would like the three of you to try the grilled meat without sauce first, and then try the grilled meat with sauce. This way you can taste two different flavors and have a better experience."

Mito Ikumi pointed to the dishes on the table. "Come on, please enjoy!"

"Really? There's such a thing?"

"In that case, we won't stand on ceremony."

"Okay, let's begin the review."

Since the grilled meat had already been sliced ​​thinly, all three judges chose to use chopsticks as utensils.

The chopsticks pick up a piece of steaming hot grilled meat, and as soon as they do, the meat, squeezed by the chopsticks, releases a continuous stream of rich, fragrant juices from the fibrous gaps in its cross-section.

The meat juices dripped onto the plate, and the rich aroma of meat spread further, lingering at the judges' noses and making their mouths water.

"This texture is incredibly juicy!"

"Just seeing the flowing juices makes me imagine how tender and delicious this grilled meat must be!"

"I can't wait!"

The judges, their appetites whetted, could no longer contain themselves and began to put the grilled meat into their mouths.

"Sure enough! The juices flowed in my mouth, and the grilled meat was so tender that I didn't even need to use my teeth; it would be cut in half with just a touch."

"As soon as I moved my tongue around, the grilled meat turned into juice, and I couldn't even feel the meat fibers anymore."

The judges found the grilled meat incredibly tender; it seemed as if they didn't need to use their teeth at all, just a slight friction and stirring between their teeth and tongue was enough to melt the meat in their mouths.

The beef is so tender that you can hardly feel its muscle fibers, but as you chew, the rich juices are squeezed out from between the meat's crevices, flowing throughout your mouth and lingering on your tongue.

The rich aroma of meat, along with the multi-layered fragrance of spices, is like a heavy hammer blow to their tongues, making them irresistibly intoxicated.

"That's amazing!"

"As expected, it's incredibly juicy!"

"What I care about most is the tender texture!"

"Even though I know it's A5 grade beef, the way it's grilled to have such a nearly fibrous texture is simply amazing!"

Hearing the judges' praise, Mito Ikumi felt a surge of joy from the bottom of her heart, but since she was still in the judging process, she had to suppress her happiness.

Even so, she could barely suppress the upward curve of her lips!

"This isn't the best time to grill this meat!"

Mito Ikumi interrupted the judges, who were still savoring the meal, by pointing to a small bowl placed next to the plate, which came with the grilled meat and contained a bright red sauce.

"Now, please dip the grilled meat in the sauce and enjoy!"

Mito Ikumi's eyes were full of confidence.

"Trust me, this barbecue will show you a whole new side of itself!"

Mito Ikumi's words piqued the judges' interest.

"Let me see, what is this red sauce?"

The bald judge picked up the small bowl of sauce, brought it to his nose, and smelled it.

"Hmm...it has a strong sour taste, but the sourness is surprisingly mild and not irritating."

"And it has a fruity aroma, is it a sauce made from some kind of fruit?"

"What kind of fruit is this sour taste from?" The bald judge pondered. "I can't smell it. Could it be some rare fruit I'm not familiar with?"

"Why think so much!" The young man in the suit sitting next to him didn't seem to care at all. "Just try it and you'll know."

"That's true."

As they spoke, the three judges picked up a piece of grilled meat, coated it with the mysterious red sauce, and put it in their mouths.

As before, the roasted meat is tender and juicy, with rich juices seeping out from the meat's texture, carrying a strong aroma of meat and spices that flows through the mouth. The aroma is powerful and impactful.

But unlike before, after their tongues were assaulted by that domineering aroma, a gentle sour fragrance immediately took its place, enveloping their tongues and soothing their overwhelmed taste buds.

The taste buds trembled slightly under the stimulation of the mellow sourness, creating a unique sense of comfort on the tip of the tongue.

The three judges were so relaxed that their minds went blank, not thinking about anything, but their chopsticks moved unconsciously as they thought only about eating the second piece of grilled meat immediately.

The feeling is like receiving a full-body massage immediately after a vigorous and intense workout.

It was an incredibly exhilarating and stimulating feeling, so comfortable that the three judges showed genuine smiles of pure bliss!