I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapter 31-032 Wasabi Octopus

Welcome!

A young office worker in a cheap black suit walked into the store, glanced around, looked at Takasaki Tsuki and Uchiha Naruto in the food area, frowned, waved his hand and refused the hot towel offered by Takasaki An, who was in charge of serving customers, and turned to leave.

"Sorry, I have an appointment with a friend, I went to the wrong store."

"That's so rude of them. They just walk into the store and leave without ordering anything," Takasaki An complained.

"I told you it wouldn't work. There are only a few of us young high school students in the shop. If customers see this, they'll definitely think it's unreliable and won't come to patronize it."

It's been almost half an hour since Takasaki Izakaya opened, and there's still no business. Some customers came in earlier, but when they saw how young-looking the head chef, Takasaki Tsuki, looked, they made up an excuse and left.

Although the culinary profession is not like traditional Chinese medicine where older people become more sought after, the most favored are still chefs in their forties and fifties who are energetic and experienced. Thirty years old is considered a bit young, let alone a high school girl like Takasaki Tsuki.

Although Takasaki Tsuki couldn't hide the disappointment on her face, she still encouraged her younger sister:

"Our Takasaki Izakaya has been open here for ten years, and we have quite a few regular customers. It's almost peak time for izakayas, and there are only a few other shops nearby. If they're full, customers will naturally come."

Despite this, Takasaki Tsuki's tone lacked confidence.

Seeing this, Naruto Uchiha sighed. This shop really had a bleak future. He wondered if his first job would end so soon.

However, I'm just an ordinary working person, so I can't say much.

Suddenly, a bald man in his fifties with a protruding belly walked into the store. After lifting the curtain and entering, he hesitated for a moment at the door before finally finding a seat.

"Mr. Hasegawa, welcome!"

After wiping his face with the damp towel handed to him by Takasaki An, the bald man asked:

"Why hasn't your shop been open lately? And why are there only two of you girls here? Where's the owner, Takasaki?"

"My father is sick and won't be able to come to the shop for a few days. Until then, my sister and I will have to manage. Mr. Hasegawa, what would you like to eat?"

Takasaki An blinked her eyes, gave a pitiful look, and asked in a sweet voice.

"Boss Takasaki isn't here, so the sashimi is definitely out. Hmm, then I'll have a serving of edamame, a serving of wasabi octopus, and a shot of sake." The bald uncle didn't even look at the menu, but rattled off the dishes with practiced ease.

The bald man ordered simple side dishes that could be prepared easily and didn't require a chef, which suggests he still had some doubts about Takasaki's culinary skills.

I guess they ordered this time because they're regular customers and didn't want to just turn around and leave.

Uchiha Naruto secretly said.

But at least it's officially open for business.

"Okay, coming right away."

"Uchiha-kun, could you please take care of the little octopus?" Takasaki asked.

"A piece of cake."

Naruto Uchiha took out a net and scooped out several lively little octopuses from the water tank. After washing them clean with salt water, he cut them, removed their internal organs, and then sliced ​​them into sashimi, ready to be plated and served.

Although it's called wasabi octopus, most restaurants actually use cheap horseradish sauce.

Squeeze the wasabi sauce onto the white, still-twitching octopus bones and serve it along with the edamame.

Takasaki An took out a small square wooden box, placed a glass inside, and then poured sake in front of her. The sake overflowed from the glass onto the outer wood bracing.

The bald man first leaned in and carefully sipped the sake filling the center of his glass, then picked up a still-moving octopus tentacle, dipped it in wasabi sauce, and stuffed it into his mouth, crunching away.

Because of the pungent taste of horseradish, the bald man seemed to put on a mask of pain, then picked up his glass and took a big gulp, revealing a pained yet beautiful expression on his face.

Naruto Uchiha felt a chill run down his spine watching this scene. He couldn't even accept sashimi, let alone octopus sashimi. He had heard that Japan had an even more extreme way of swallowing live octopus, where fresh octopus was swallowed whole without any processing, and the enjoyment came from the octopus struggling in his mouth and the suffocating sensation of its suckers gripping his throat.

"Mr. Hasegawa, this dish of sake is a gift from us."

"Jiu dao" is made by marinating seafood entrails with salt and spices for a long time. It has a unique sweet and fresh flavor. Although it has a strong fishy smell, many drinkers like it and can make people finish their drinks without realizing it, hence the name "jiu dao".

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. Since we have such snacks to go with the sake, there's definitely not enough to go around. Girls of the Takasaki family, another cup of sake, please. Hmm... bring me a serving of Nanban chicken!"

The bald man finally placed a substantial order, and Takasaki Yue's expression brightened.

The chicken had already been cut and diced, so Naruto Uchiha didn't need to do anything. Takasaki Tsuki skillfully worked in the cooking area and quickly served the Nanban fried chicken to the table.

The bald man picked up a piece of fried chicken with his hand, which was fried until golden brown, coated it with a secret sauce made of mayonnaise and tartar sauce, and put it in his mouth.

Biting through the crispy outer skin, the rich juices burst in his mouth as he chewed. The plump and satisfying chicken, combined with the rich flavor of custard and the sweet and sour aroma, satisfied his taste buds and instantly triggered his craving for alcohol.

He picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp, then poured the remaining wine from the wood chestnut into the glass and drank that too. The bald man gave a thumbs up.

"Eldest daughter of the Takasaki family, your cooking skills are really quite good. This Nanban chicken tastes even better than your father's."

"Thank you for your praise!"

Takasaki Tsuki bowed repeatedly, somewhat apprehensive.

"After eating such delicious fried chicken, I'm craving your signature sashimi, but it seems you haven't received any today?" the bald man asked.

"Um, I'm sorry, but Dad's not here..."

"That's true. The quality of sashimi depends entirely on the knife. It's not easy to find a substitute for the skill of the owner, Takasaki."

Perhaps it was the bald uncle who set a good precedent, because the Takasaki Bureau Izakaya finally turned its luck around, and customers started coming in one after another.

However, even during the prime business hours of 7 PM, only about half of the seats were filled.

"Table 2, I'd like a teriyaki chicken leg rice and a soft drink."

"Table 5, please add two more grilled chicken skewers, one fried croquette, and a pitcher of beer."

Takasaki Yue did some mental calculations. With this kind of customer traffic, although there was no profit, at least there was no loss, and the store could still stay open. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Eh—? Boss Takasaki is sick. I caught such a big sea bream, and I was hoping he could make it into sashimi for me."

A middle-aged man wearing a fisherman's hat, a gray long-sleeved rain hoodie, and shorts—a typical fisherman's outfit—came into the store and began to complain loudly.

"Otsuka, you didn't get any air force this time? Did you buy this sea bream?" The bald man teased, glancing at the large red fish in the bucket.

The fisherman sneered and grabbed the sea bream by the tail from the bucket, lifting it up.

The large red fish, longer than an arm, struggled back and forth, nearly breaking free from my hand several times, displaying amazing vitality!

(End of this chapter)