Food Wars: Tavern

"Here."

"I purposely made a few extra for you to enjoy."

Holding two pieces of souffle, Zane approached Erina and Hisako and said casually.

"Really?"

Erina, upon hearing Zane's words, couldn't help but hesitate.

"Of course."

"Well... thank you then!"

Erina, who rarely said thank you to others, blushed again.

After receiving the souffle, she ignored everything else and directly took a big bite in front of Zane.

Seeing this, Hisako also took a souffle from Zane's hand and eagerly tasted it.

...

Every girl.

Deep down, every girl has a princess dream!

Whether it's a naive young girl or a mature woman, they have all dreamt of being a beautiful princess wearing a crown, living in a magnificent palace and being surrounded and loved by people.

Even though this dream seems unrealistic, it's an expression of girls' longing for beautiful things.

Momo was no exception.

She also had a "princess dream" when she was young.

In her eyes, in those fairy tales with "cute elements," if she wanted to marry a handsome prince, she had to become a lovely princess first!

But at this moment, the prince charming in her heart had not appeared yet!

She was already conquered by the charming souffle gifted to her by Zane.

Obviously, Zane's desserts, just like when he managed the tavern, creating those popular dishes, left many girls mesmerized.

In just a short while, all dozen souffle desserts were devoured by them, not even a bit of crumbs left.

...

"Owner, the key to solving the collapse issue is starch."

"Can we use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch?"

After devouring three pieces of souffle, Momo blinked a few times, then curiously asked Zane.

"How should I put it?"

"Although both are starch, there are still some differences!"

"Cornstarch and flour have similar textures, providing a soft feel but with less elasticity."

Foods made with tapioca starch have a chewy, elastic, and soft characteristic, so in fact, using tapioca starch might stabilize the souffle better!

"But, don't just focus on the results."

"Souffle aims for a delicate, soft texture."

"Cornstarch, besides stabilizing the protein foam, also ensures the souffle's soft and delicate texture."

"And if tapioca starch is used, it might enhance the chewiness, making the souffle lose its original softness!"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Well... there's another question."

"Instead of lemon juice, can we use white vinegar?"

"Sure!"

"What about rice vinegar?"

"That works too!"

"Wait, you're one of the Top Ten, why are you asking me about using lemon juice, white vinegar, or rice vinegar? Don't you know?"

Looking at Momo, who suddenly became talkative, Zane couldn't help but be slightly surprised!

...

In fact.

People like Momo, who are somewhat introverted.

When faced with unfamiliar environments or people, they often feel a slight sense of fear.

But once the surroundings and people make her feel comfortable, she becomes more willing to express her thoughts and feelings.

Therefore, at the beginning, she was quiet and somewhat cold towards this tavern and the owner, Zane.

But gradually, as she spent some time with Zane and witnessed his abilities, she couldn't help but feel admiration and reverence!

Deep down, she also yearned to have conversations with Zane, to share her thoughts and viewpoints with him.

Seeing Momo eagerly wanting to chat with Zane, Rindo was a bit puzzled.

After all, there weren't many people in the world who could make Momo willingly engage in a conversation. How could a simple souffle dessert melt her icy heart completely?

"This Zane is truly charming, even someone as reserved as Momo is captivated by him."

Rindo couldn't help but sigh deeply.

...

"Uh, I do understand it all."

"Just... just wanted to learn more about the making of this dessert!"

Seeing Zane looking dumbfounded, Momo felt a bit embarrassed.

She quickly hugged the plush toy in her arms tightly, lowering her head, seemingly trying to avoid Zane's gaze in this way.

They say lolis have three treasures: purity, tenderness, and easy to topple!

With Momo's petite and adorable figure, supple short hair, and shy expression, she could easily evoke any boy's protective instincts.

Thus, Zane could only shrug helplessly and say, "Actually, this dessert isn't too difficult to make."

"With your own skills, practice making it a few more times when you go back, and think about it more. Then, you should be able to understand its secrets!"

"Why is that then?"

"During the expansion process of the souffle, the top surface typically cracks, but yours doesn't. It's even exceptionally smooth. Don't you understand this question too?"

"Please, can you just tell me a little bit?"

Seeing those curious, watery eyes, Zane could only smirk reluctantly.

...

"It's a characteristic souffle dessert."

"It should have undulating waves during the expansion, like a seashell, or even with a slight arch."

As for the issue of cracks, it's not that important, after all, it doesn't have much impact!

Of course.

If left unattended.

And allowing it to grow freely in the oven, it will eventually affect the souffle's appearance.

To avoid cracking, when blending the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture, do it in 3 stages, using a spatula to fold from the bottom to the top each time, to avoid deflation, until the egg white is no longer visible!

In other words, you should see some ribbons falling down and the batter looking glossy.

At that moment, while listening to Zane's explanation, Momo kept her eyes open, staring at him.

From her round eyes filled with excitement and joy, it was evident that she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this moment!

—-------

Tea-stained rice.

Grilled eel.

Oden.

Tempura.

Egg custard.

Stir-fried assorted vegetables on a hot plate.

Lastly, an order of pan-fried dumplings, without spicy sauce.

After finishing the souffle dessert, the gluttonous Rindo, surprisingly ordered a few more dishes from Zane.

Zane always felt the impulse to tease her for her appetite, wondering just how big her stomach was to fit so much food every time.

On the other hand, he couldn't help but welcome such hearty eaters to his tavern.

After this, he didn't say much and began preparing the dishes as per Rindo's requests.

...

Different from other grilled eels.

Zane's grilled eel dish, with its delicate fish slices that seemed fragile, actually had a bit of chewiness to it.

With every bite, a subtle and delicious taste emerged, not too overpowering but incredibly delicate and refreshing.

Additionally, in the process of handling the eel, Zane also used a technique called "active destruction."

By disrupting the eel's nerves early and allowing it to bleed, he preserved the fish's best state, making the meat even more delicious.

Fresh!

Fragrant!

Clear!

Sweet!

Crisp!

This was the ideal texture of grilled eel.

But what excited Rindo even more was the special savory and sweet sauce, along with the sprinkling of sesame seeds and pepper, adding an extra touch of freshness.

While "little Lolita" Momo, holding her teddy bear, watched Rindo eat with such voracity, her expression showed a trace of disdain!

Then she moved away from her and maintained a certain distance, perhaps, her refusal to accompany her earlier and reluctance to go out with her had a valid reason.

After all, this eater really ate a lot in the restaurant!

...

"Peach!"

"Why are you sitting so far from me?"

"Come here, sit closer, I'll share another piece of grilled eel with you."

"You have no idea how amazing the crispy eel skin and tender, non-flaky meat taste!"

"Especially the rich yet not greasy flavor, it almost took my soul away."

"As long as you don't eat it, that's fine. After eating three souffle desserts, I'm full."

Momo refused.

"Full?"

"After eating just a little souffle, your appetite is quite small."

"Never mind, it's fine if you don't eat it. These are all dishes made by Chef Zane, it's okay for me to enjoy them alone!"

Hearing this, Rindo resumed eating with her head down.

Apparently, in the presence of delicious food, a good friend like Momo didn't seem as important.

...

Early spring rain.

It brought a deep sense of loneliness.

Normally, there shouldn't be such heavy rain at this time of the year, but the downpour, accompanied by thunder and lightning, brought a chill to the entire city.

Amidst this cleansing, the whole world at night seemed fresher but also darker. 

Despite being students in the same school, the tavern was filled with an awkward atmosphere between Momo and the others.

Perhaps it was Momo's inability to tolerate Rindo's eating habits that led her to sit closest to Zane.

At times, she would steal glances at Zane.

Seeing him standing with crossed arms in front of the cooking station, occasionally displaying a faint smile, made her heart flutter.

Sensing Momo's gaze, Zane turned to look at her, causing Momo to feel flustered and quickly look away, unable to meet his eyes again.

...

"Chef Zane, there's something I've been curious about for a while."

"Is your right hand burnt, although it doesn't look very serious?"

Later, Momo spoke up, summoning the image of Zane's slightly red right hand in her mind before speaking out.

"Yeah! It's not a big deal." Zane simply nodded.

After hearing this, Momo raised her head again, staring at Zane's right hand for a while.

After hesitating for a while, she removed the teddy bear "Buqi"'s hands from her embrace and handed them to him personally.

"For you."

"It's... it's a heat-resistant glove I often use!"

Seeing the pink heat-resistant glove in front of him, Zane hesitated briefly.

While many customers who visited the tavern were polite and reserved in front of him, not daring to overstep, he wasn't prepared for such a gift from a girl he had just met.

Although this type of heat-resistant glove wasn't very valuable, it was clearly a gesture of kindness!

"Momo, you better keep it for yourself."

"My burn isn't serious, and I also made some mistakes while cooking just now."

After saying that, Zane declined.

Beside him, Erina, who hadn't left yet, blushed, feeling embarrassed and complex, not knowing what to say.

Because her unexpected visit surely caught Zane off guard, leading him to hastily prepare the Reincarnation Spring Roll without adequate preparation!

"Really, do I have to make that kind of dish?"

Erina muttered in her mind.

She must have mistakenly thought that Zane went to the trouble of making that perfect dish for her.

Thinking this, she felt somewhat touched!

"Chef Zane, please accept it."

"Consider these heat-resistant gloves as a gift for helping me solve the souffle dessert shrinkage issue."

Seeing Zane's refusal, Momo felt a bit disappointed.

"Okay, let's just say you meant well!"

That fleeting look of disappointment didn't escape Zane's notice.

He remained silent for a moment, then couldn't bear to refuse any longer, so he accepted the heat-resistant gloves from Momo.

Seeing Zane actually accept the gift, the faint blush on Momo's face finally faded, replaced by a sweet smile!

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This was a 2-in-1 chapter, meaning there is 2 different chapters in this 1 chapter. Make sure to give more power stones!