Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

"Get me completely convinced? That won't be easy!"

Despite saying that, Lin Yu's body language betrayed him as he accepted the plate from Mito Ikumi.

Under Mito Ikumi's expectant gaze, Lin Yu lifted the lid, and a rich aroma immediately filled the air.

Lin Yu picked up a slice of grilled meat, dipped it in bright red hawthorn fruit sauce, and put it in his mouth.

Just as he had smelled, the aroma was exactly as he had imagined. However, the taste buds perceive it more directly than the sense of smell. The moment the roasted meat entered his mouth, the rich aroma exploded in his mouth in an even more intense way.

No need to chew hard with your teeth, just gently stir the meat with your tongue in your mouth, and the extremely tender roasted meat melts between your lips and teeth, so tender that you can hardly feel the beef fibers.

After being overwhelmed by the intense aroma of the meat, the sweet and sour sauce immediately fills the gap, relieving the greasiness of the grilled meat and making one's appetite soar.

"really......"

Lin Yu picked up another piece of grilled meat and put it in his mouth, nodding repeatedly with an expression of enjoyment on his face, the kind that only appears when tasting delicious food.

"How is it?"

Seeing the expression of enjoyment on Lin Yu's face, Mito Ikumi felt inexplicably excited and nervous, and couldn't help but ask a question.

Meeting Mito Ikumi's expectant gaze, Lin Yu revealed his true feelings.

"tasty!"

"Mito-kun, your grilled meat is really delicious!"

"YES!"

Upon hearing Lin Yu's answer, Mito Ikumi waved her arms excitedly, her face beaming with indescribable joy.

"Don't get so excited, Mito-san."

Lin Yu interrupted Mito Ikumi's excitement, "Do you mind if I ask, how did you come up with the idea of ​​using hawthorn as the main ingredient in the sauce to complement this incredibly fragrant grilled meat?"

The moment Lin Yu finished speaking, Mito Ikumi's expression froze.

She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but her expression was conflicted, and she didn't make a sound, as if something was stuck in her throat.

"Why are you suddenly asking this?" Mito Ikumi, who was usually outgoing, was unusually hesitant at this moment.

Lin Yu gave a teasing smile, "Just consider it satisfying my curiosity."

"This..." Mito Ikumi stammered.

Seeing this, Lin Yu pressed on, "Is there something you can't tell me?"

Mito Ikumi, pressured by Lin Yu's persistent questioning, grew somewhat impatient. She glared at him fiercely, then sighed and softened her tone.

"Okay! I give up! I admit, I got the inspiration from your last dish, is that alright?"

However, the next second, Mito Ikumi became firm again.

"What, is this ingredient yours only? Only you can use it, but no one else can!"

Hearing this and sensing the contrast in Mito Ikumi's demeanor, Lin Yu found it somewhat amusing.

"Hey, I never said that. Don't try to smear me."

Mito Ikumi scoffed, "Then why did you keep asking?"

Lin Yu shrugged, spread his hands, and said in a nonchalant tone, "It was just a joke. Who knew you'd be so easily amused?"

"You...you bastard! You still manage to annoy me as always!"

"Okay, I'm not teasing you anymore."

Lin Yu took the initiative to steer the conversation back on track.

"But putting aside personal subjective impressions, from a purely culinary perspective, Mito-kun, you are certainly very skilled."

There wasn't much roasted meat left on the plate, and Lin Yu had already finished it all. Holding the empty plate, he savored the taste of what he had just eaten.

"Whether it's the basic culinary skills demonstrated by this grilled meat, your control over meat dishes, or the thought you put into the sauce, your flexible use of new ingredients, and your bold innovation in incorporating them into your recipes."

Lin Yu put down the control panel, looked at Mito Ikumi with admiration, and clapped his hands. "I have to admit, your cooking today exceeded my expectations, Mito-kun."

"Don't expect me to change my attitude towards you just because you said a few words of praise."

"Just telling the truth..."

Lin Yu, on the other hand, seemed quite indifferent.

"Hmph! Of course, don't you know who I am?" Mito Ikumi's expression shifted slightly, and the suppressed upturn of her lips proved that her true feelings were not what she claimed.

"Your expression looks weird right now."

"Mind your own business!"

Mito Ikumi coughed a few times and looked at Lin Yu.

"So, you're admitting defeat?"

Mito Ikumi initially looked at Lin Yu with a smug expression, but after a few seconds, her expression changed, becoming somewhat serious.

She noticed that even when faced with a roasted meat dish that she had carefully prepared, Lin Yu remained calm and composed, without showing any sign of being "at great risk".

"Admit defeat?"

Lin Yu repeated the word, his tone calm, but his expression was a little strange, as if he had heard something funny.

"hehe......"

Lin Yu chuckled softly.

"Mito-kun, this is the second time you've showcased your culinary skills in front of me. Compared to our first meeting, your performance today has truly amazed me!"

Suddenly, Lin Yu changed the subject.

"But that's only compared to the you I remember."

Lin Yu suddenly leaned closer, staring directly into Mito Ikumi's eyes, exuding a strong sense of pressure.

The two were very close at this moment, but Lin Yu's face was still getting closer.

Mito Ikumi subconsciously slowed her breathing, her whole body tensed, and her fists clenched tightly.

"From my perspective, using relatively objective standards, your performance can be considered quite good."

"But... it's just not bad..."

Lin Yu took a few steps back and retreated to his cooking counter.

Mito Yumi subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did she realize that although she and Lin Yu had only been staring at each other for a few seconds, her back was already covered in cold sweat.

Mito Ikumi took a deep breath and looked in the direction of Lin Yu.

At this moment, what was simmering on the stove was no longer the large iron pot, but a small earthenware pot. The scalding hot steam, carrying a wonderful aroma, kept gushing out from the vent on the lid.

"What a coincidence, my cooking time is up too!"

The moment Lin Yu finished speaking, a hand simultaneously lifted the lid of the casserole.

Mito Ikumi's gaze was involuntarily drawn to it.

As the lid was lifted, a burst of steam rose up, and at the same time, a rich and enticing aroma, yet with a refreshing and delicate fragrance, wafted into Mito Ikumi's nose.

In less than a second, before Mito Ikumi could even react, saliva began to flow uncontrollably from her mouth, and her empty stomach immediately began to protest loudly.

It smells so good!

want to eat!

I really want to eat it!

Mito Ikumi knew that Lin Yu's dish, just by its aroma, had already aroused her appetite to a frenzy.

Smelling the enticing aroma of meat in the air, Mito Ikumi tried her best to suppress the hunger in her stomach.

As the situation became increasingly urgent, Mito Ikumi couldn't help but feel nervous, but knowing that she had no way out, she knew that things had come to this point.

He has used his best meat dishes and brought out the top-grade A5 Wagyu beef, the finest of all meats.

She brought out all the skills and knowledge she had accumulated over the years, and also used the new inspiration she had received from Lin Yu.

She had done everything in her power.

She will accept whatever the outcome.

wrong!

How could you have such a thought!

Mito Ikumi shook her head, clearing her mind of the distracting thoughts.

We can't lose! We absolutely can't lose!

If she loses, she won't know how she'll ever face this person again!

We must win! We can definitely win!

Lin Yu, let's settle this once and for all!

And so, Mito Ikumi stared intently at Lin Yu's back, watching him approach the judges' table and place the three soup bowls in front of the three judges.