The strongest anime shop owner

"Isn't Hayama skilled at combining various spices? This is precisely his weapon..."

After hearing what Senzaemon Nakiri said, many people had their perception of Akira Hayama completely overturned. Perhaps it was because Akira Hayama mainly showcased the combination of various spices that led to their erroneous understanding.

"...No, the spices...are not just added to the food! They bring out the unique umami flavor of the saury even more vividly by adding spices to the actual food!" Erina Nakiri said after thinking for a moment, stroking her chin.

"...While I can understand all of that, how do you explain that overflowing aroma? Is it really comparable to Ryo-kun's foil-baked saury?" Looking at Hayama Akira's excellent dish, but still finding many things she didn't understand, Nakiri Alice asked Nakiri Leonora beside her.

“Yeah…it can’t just be lightly grilled!” Clearly, asking was pointless; Leonora Nakiri didn’t know what was going on either.

"Before plating... I lightly coated the surface of the meat with seasoning." Seeing that many people looked puzzled, Hayama Akira gave the final answer.

"Huh? Does 'sauryo' refer to the condiments for ramen?" When Yoshino Yuuki heard this word, the first thing that came to mind was the condiments for ryomian (ramen noodles), but it didn't seem quite right, so she asked in confusion.

"This also appeared in the first round of the ramen showdown, and this time it's being used in Japanese cuisine." Marui clearly has a good memory, directly stating his point of interest.

"Sa? Swallow Return? Sasaki Kojiro?" Upon hearing this, Leonora Nakiri still looked confused and, based on her memory, said the first thing she wanted to say.

"You actually know him... but you're not talking about the same thing." Surprisingly, Erina Nakiri didn't object to Leonora's suggestion. But... come to think of it, that's a person's name, isn't it? Thinking about this, Erina Nakiri felt a bit awkward. She crossed her arms and quickly explained, "It's a spice made by mixing soy sauce with a suitable amount of sweet sake, sake, etc.! You can make soba juice by adding the seasoning to broth. It's a versatile spice that can be used in all Japanese dishes."

"No wonder... It's already difficult to control the heat when grilling tender fish over high heat... So that's because of the added seasonings." After hearing Erina Nakiri's words, many people suddenly realized what was going on, and the truth was finally revealed. Gin Dojima continued to explain, "Moreover, the sugar in the seasonings makes the fish even crispier! This also prevents the fish from becoming tough from being grilled for too long!"

"By heating, the fat on the surface of the saury and the sugar in the seasonings reach their boiling point all at once... In other words, I have fully demonstrated the cooking techniques of 'subtraction' and 'emphasis' in this dish!" Listening to their analysis and his proudest creation, Hayama Akira smiled confidently and said.

"Is it true that two people can only improve by colliding with each other?"

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If one were to describe the fish dish that Akira Hayama presented in the final... it would be like a uniquely crafted and elaborately decorated sword at a magnificent feast of spices.

And what about Hayama tonight? He selected one, forging it through countless trials, like a sharp, slender, and polished Western sword—" Thinking of this, Senzaemon made his own assessment.

"Your approach is too one-dimensional. Besides spices, you have no other skills... is that what happens to a spice servant?" Compared to the shrewdness of the spice master, the shrewdness of the spice master is indeed inferior to that of Hayama Akira. If the shrewdness were to use the spice master's skills, the shrewdness of the spice master would be far superior.

"You bastard...!!" The woman screamed, her voice trembling. She looked at the man, her voice laced with rage, her body contorted with rage. She was utterly humiliated. The man's voice was a chilling, menacing rage. She was a livid, utterly humiliated. The man's voice was a chilling, menacing rage ...

"This is the true face of the master of spices, Hayama Akira! He releases the pure power of saury - its umami flavor... in its entirety..." Dojima Gin closed his eyes, imagining the taste he had just experienced. That pure, fresh taste was almost exactly what he expected, hitting the bullseye.

"Only Su Luo and Soma are left!" After Ye Shanliang finished his review, only Su Luo and Soma were still busy on the field.

"The moon has begun to disappear!" Time passed second by second, and the moon, which had been at one end, was now partially touching the other. It seemed that there wasn't much time left.

"Chuangzhen, Su Luo, hurry up! We're running out of time!" Seeing Su Luo and Chuangzhen still working at their own leisurely pace, a tense atmosphere immediately filled the room, and the members of the Polaris Dormitory couldn't help but feel anxious.

"...Sorry to keep you waiting, let's serve the food with this!"

At this tense moment, Soma finally served his dish. To save time, he didn't plate it and brought it out in the whole casserole.

"Such a wonderful match, why do some people look so gloomy?" On the other side, Isshiki and Eizan Etsu were also standing there. Isshiki was watching the situation on the field and said something that seemed to be a little unintentional, as if he was talking to himself.

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Chapter 239 Examination 5

"Who are you calling looking so gloomy? Isshiki..." Although Isshiki's words seemed to be a soliloquy, Eizan Etsuya knew that he was being talked about, so he couldn't help but say it.

Eizan Etsuya's face remained expressionless as he looked at the heated arena and said, "The entire venue is buzzing with excitement... This year's selection tournament can be considered a great success! As the administrator of this tournament, there's nothing happier than this, isn't there?"

"But... this seems to be somewhat different from your plan?" Although the main person in charge of this competition is Eizan Etsuya, Isshiki is also one of the people in charge of this competition. Of course, he knows that although the competition seems to be going very smoothly, there are still some tricks involved.

"Um... what are you talking about? Isshiki... I don't quite understand..." Of course, Eizan Etsu knew what Isshiki was talking about, but do you think he would admit to something like that? Of course not, so he directly used his ultimate skill - pretending not to understand.

"Clay pot?"

On the inspector's side, a thick cloth was seen being carried up, along with a clay pot.

After Soma brought the casserole over, he opened it, and a cloud of white smoke immediately billowed out. In the middle of the casserole, two saury could be vaguely seen. The food underneath the saury was shrouded in mist and could not be seen at first glance.

"Wow..." As the casserole was opened, Leonora Nakiri immediately let out an expectant sound, as the dish seemed to suit her taste perfectly.

"Hehe... This is... truly mouthwatering..." As the smoke gradually dissipated, the contents were revealed to everyone. It turned out that the food underneath was rice. Looking at the dish, Dojima Gin thought to himself, "If rice is the staple food... then the moment you see its appearance and smell its aroma, your face will reflexively relax."

"Wow···"

"It's rice with vegetables!!"

"Damn it...! This looks incredibly delicious!!"

When the audience saw the dish, there was an uproar. For a moment, Su Luo was confused. It was just a dish of rice and vegetables. It seemed like a fairly ordinary dish.

In fact, Su Luo didn't understand that although rice with vegetables is very ordinary and common, it has a different meaning. It's like how people from Xinjiang feel a sense of familiarity when they see lamb skewers. In other people's eyes, when they think of Japan, the first food that comes to mind might be sashimi. However, in daily life, sushi, rice with vegetables, etc. are also commonly eaten.

"Alright, alright... I'll serve it right away, please wait a moment -" Soma used a wooden spatula to mash the saury and mix it with the rice, then started serving the rice.

"Seriously...! Soma-kun is amazing! Hurry up... hurry up!" Smelling the aroma and looking at the color of the dishes, Nakiri Leonora suddenly felt that Soma's movements were too slow and couldn't wait any longer, shouting like a child.

"The performances of the other two far exceeded expectations... Soma Yukihira was no exception; he knew how to arouse the diners' expectations." Looking at this situation, the old man who resembled the dorky teacher thought to himself.

"But the advantages and disadvantages are obvious...! This match cannot be won easily!"

"What is the true nature of that enigmatic saury...?!"

The dishes that Kuroko and Soma brought out were about to enter the final review, and the atmosphere on the field suddenly became tense. Many people were making their own evaluations or guesses. After all, this final was really too intense. The dishes they made could be said to have exceeded their current culinary skills.

"It's here, it's here, it's finally on the table!" Seeing that Soma had already served the food and was starting to put it on the table, Leonora Nakiri clasped her hands together and said happily, looking just like a little child.

"Alright!! Let's start the tasting!" Soma said, bringing up the prepared dishes.

"Hahoo~··!!" Nakiri Leonora couldn't wait to pick up a clump of rice with her chopsticks, put it to her mouth and blew on it. White smoke still rose from the rice. After eating it, the hot heat and deliciousness made her exhale hot air as she ate.

"The plumpness of the saury in autumn... this feeling of happiness spreads throughout my body as soon as I take a bite! The texture of this saury... is so smooth!" Dojima Gin commented after taking a bite.

"The saury must have been grilled over a charcoal grill first, and then cooked in a clay pot with rice. Because of this meticulous preparation, the sweetness of the saury was able to be infused into the rice."

Moreover, the saury was incredibly delicious! The rich, salty flavor of the fish combined perfectly with the glutinous aroma of the rice, creating a lingering, intense flavor that spread throughout the mouth! This dish was just as good as the other two! After eating the dish, Leonora Nakiri said, though she didn't seem to be in any more talk than before. However, her last sentence was a strong affirmation, implying that everyone was on the same page, but ultimately only one person could win, unless something unexpected happened.

"What...!? Damn it...! The true form of that blunt knife is actually..." Seeing the judges' high praise for Soma's dishes, [the speaker] was filled with awe and wonder. [The speaker] was utterly bewildered and exasperated. [The speaker] was completely speechless.

"What on earth is this...!?" Kiba, standing before the box containing the saury, dug out a little of what was inside and realized what it was: "Is it rice bran...?"

"It's rice bran saury!" Tadokoro exclaimed upon seeing this, clearly recognizing the fish.

"Rice bran... saury?" Mito Ikumi, standing next to Tadokoro, looked puzzled. She clearly didn't know much about this kind of thing, and had never even heard of it before.

“Yes! I’ve heard some fishermen say that it seems to be a dish unique to Hokkaido!” Tadokoro explained.

"Rice bran saury... Did he figure out this fermentation method through his own research and experimentation?" Upon seeing this, many people realized that this wasn't some dull knife, but a renowned knife forged through countless trials. Such a case would likely be highly regarded!

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Chapter 240 Soma's Dishes

"Commander-in-Chief...not moving an inch!"

"Chef Dojima and Ms. Leonora have also put down their chopsticks!"

Many people initially thought that Soma's dish would receive excellent reviews given the current situation, but the result was quite surprising. The judges' reactions indicated that although the dish looked delicious and presented well, it did not meet their requirements.

"That means..." The person who was originally worried about having another competitor, now seemed to be in a completely different situation.

"As expected, they were no match for those two! Just as predicted, it seems the championship will be won by [the team name - likely a player's name]."

This situation was clearly not unexpected for many people.

"Hey! Don't forget, there's still one person we haven't investigated yet!"

Do you think he can defeat them?

Okay! Faced with such words, and thinking back to the terrifying smell that Su Luo emitted when she cooked, even if some people want to support her, it seems... they can't, after all, the facts are there.

"Although I'd like you to have another bowl... I'd like to ask... if anyone else wants to try it?" Seeing this situation, Soma actually said something like that, like an idiot.

"···"

However, the result was obvious: there was no response from any of the reviewers.

"Ugh...! Nobody's going to try it!"

"Damn it...it's all over!!"

Upon seeing this situation, the members of Polaris Dormitory knew that things were not going well.

"The review...is now over," Dojima Gin said.

At that moment, a tense atmosphere suddenly filled the air. Chuang was carrying a pot that seemed to contain some kind of soup. He said to everyone, "I was thinking that if you had another bowl, I would pour this in!"

"kindness!!?"

"···?"

Clearly, Soma's move was completely unexpected. Everyone thought that Soma's dishes would end there, but he brought out something else.

"My saury dish isn't finished yet," Soma said, holding the pot.

"What's that...? Soma-kun." Looking at what Soma brought out, Erina Nakiri had clearly thought it was over, but the result was obviously quite unexpected: "A milky white... broth? This is—"

"Another bowl, please." Seeing the secret weapon that Soma brought out, the examiners naturally wouldn't let it go, and all asked for another bowl.

"well!?"

"It seemed like we were about to finish, but now everyone wants another bowl!?"

"Do we eat the dishes and broth together...? That means... the showdown with Alice Nakiri is also going to happen—" At this moment, seeing this situation, many people thought of that bento box showdown.

"Soma-kun... although you're still making a last-ditch effort... you're basically copying other people's ideas!" Seeing this situation, Alice Nakiri didn't think Soma had any chance of turning things around. Looking at the dishes Soma had made, she immediately got angry.

"No...you're mistaken, Alice...that's—" Seeing Alice's angry expression, Erina Nakiri seemed to want to explain, but she was also conflicted.

"Please have your meal!" Soma served the three examiners another bowl of rice, then poured the milky white broth over it, and said to everyone.

"This slightly viscous broth was poured over the rice and vegetables... The broth seeped into the rice and vegetables, making them gradually soft and sticky..." Dojima Gin thought to himself as he looked at the dishes that Soma had brought back.

"It's here! It's open!!"

After taking a bite, Senzaemon Nakiri's clothes burst open.

Upon witnessing this scene, the members of the Polaris Dormitory cheered, because Senzaemon Nakiri's action represented everything: deliciousness.

"The rich texture is as soft as cream... The true nature of this milky white broth is - soy milk!!" At this moment, Senzaemon Nakiri clearly already knew what this milky white broth was.

“That’s right! I gradually added miso and Parmesan cheese to the soy milk, and then simmered it over low heat! This is my saury dish - [Saury Rice Stew]!!” Soma explained.

"It's soy milk...?" Alice Nakiri was clearly stunned when she heard that the milky white soup was soy milk.

“Looks like you noticed... Alice... The key to this dish is the broth! He used soy milk instead of broth to create this dish,” Erina Nakiri said.

"Using...soy milk as broth!?"

"Is that feasible...?"