The Door of My Bathroom Leads to the Comic World!

Chapter 428: Chapter 426: Festival (6)



"Will this work be displayed in the Hojō Building permanently?" 

The crowd couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment as they voiced their curiosity one after another.

"Yes, if you'd like to view it in the future, feel free to visit Hojō Building anytime," Chef Hojō replied with a smile. He was in high spirits, knowing this masterpiece would bring more visitors to his establishment.

The head chefs from nearby restaurants all exchanged envious glances, clearly impressed.

"Can we interview the chef who created this piece?" someone asked, unwilling to give up the opportunity.

Chef Hojō hesitated before responding, "He needs to rest and prepare for the next segment, so an interview won't be possible."

With that, Chef Hojō directed the staff to carefully store the ice sculpture. Unlike other food sculptures, this one, being made of ice, would melt quickly if exposed to the sun for too long.

He had already commissioned a custom clear freezer to preserve the sculpture.

Tourists from abroad, as well as local residents, took the chance to snap more pictures of the stunning work. Many had already decided to return to Hojō Building in the coming days to admire it again.

However, the Town Festive Food Awards were far from over. The next event on the schedule was a live food tasting. Several renowned chefs from the area would prepare dishes on the spot, allowing the audience to taste and then vote for their favorite.

The restaurant that won would undoubtedly see a surge in popularity, so each establishment was determined to stand out in this critical round.

Meanwhile, Sui sat in the lounge, sipping fragrant green tea as Miyoko prepared it for him. Deep in thought, he considered his next move.

The upcoming tasting was the highlight of the event, as the potential for boosting a restaurant's reputation far outweighed the impact of a knife-skills display. After all, food is meant to be eaten, not just admired, and the public would ultimately judge a restaurant on taste.

Sui had witnessed Chih-Hao's impressive knife skills earlier and knew that to win in the food segment, he would need to go all out. But what dish should he prepare?

Unlike a food duel, where absolute flavor is key, this tasting was more about making an immediate impression, similar to the Moon Festival. The dish had to grab attention, be large enough to serve many people, and be easy to eat.

Western dishes, while intricate, would be impractical for such an event—they would take too long to prepare and be difficult for the crowd to taste. Something like the Pepper Meat Bun that Soma made during the Moon Festival would hit the mark: eye-catching, simple, and delicious.

That ability to read the crowd's needs had been crucial to Soma's victory, and Sui knew he needed to find a similar approach.

"What kind of dish would both impress the crowd and be enough to feed a large number of people?" Sui pondered, and then his eyes lit up as a dish came to mind.

That was it.

Just as Sui had decided, Chef Hojō entered the room, a note of concern in his voice. "Sui, do you have enough strength to continue? If you're too tired, it's okay to sit this round out."

"I'm fine. I can manage," Sui replied confidently. His task was to help Hojō Building claim the top spot, and there was no way he'd back down.

Chef Hojō smiled in relief. "Good to hear. Miyoko will assist you as your helper in the next round. If you need anything, just let her know."

Sui nodded. "Understood."

Curious, Miyoko asked, "Sui, what kind of dish are you planning to make?"

"Hmm, I'll need these ingredients. Can you gather them for me?" Sui scribbled down a list and handed it to her.

Miyoko scanned the list, surprise flickering across her face, but she nodded. "No problem."

After a short break, Sui and the others left the lounge and joined the other chefs outside.

"Young man, I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with next," Old man Yu-Cheng remarked with a kind smile, though his eyes were focused and sharp.

Chih-Hao, standing behind Yu-Cheng, also offered a friendly nod toward Sui.

Tomita Joji, on the other hand, shot Sui with a quick glance filled with hostility and jealousy, but he quickly lowered his head. Having seen Sui's skills earlier, Joji knew better than to underestimate him, though he still refused to accept defeat easily.

As the chefs set up, the crowd that had gathered in front of Sui's station buzzed with anticipation, eager to see what he would do next after his incredible knife demonstration.

Chih-Hao, working at the station next to him, began washing his hands. He then poured a large bag of flour onto his counter, clearly preparing to make noodles.

After witnessing Sui's blade work, Chih-Hao had abandoned any sense of superiority. He was now prepared to give his all in this round.

He created a mound of flour on the counter, dug a well in the center, cracked several eggs into it, and sprinkled in a bit of baking powder to enhance the texture. Once the dough was mixed, the next step was to knead it.

Since flour absorbs water unevenly, the dough initially wasn't smooth enough. Kneading is essential to evenly distribute the ingredients, allowing the gluten in the flour to absorb water, strengthen, and form a pliable, elastic dough.

Kneading is crucial—if done well, it makes all the difference between good and great noodles.

Sui, still waiting for his tools to arrive, couldn't help but glance over at Chih-Hao's work. He watched as Chih-Hao gripped the dough with both hands, stretched it into a long cylinder, then, like a skipping rope, swung it up and down before slamming it against the counter. He repeated this process, passing the dough from hand to hand with strong, precise movements.

Before long, Chih-Hao had already slammed the dough ten times.

"Ten pulls and it's still not torn. That dough must be incredibly strong!" Tomita Hiroshi, seated among the event's organizers, was deeply impressed. Most chefs could only stretch the dough five or six times before it broke due to insufficient elasticity.

Sui was equally taken aback. Based on his kneading skills alone, Chih-Hao could easily rival one of the Elite Ten of Totsuki Academy.

At that moment, Sui's tools arrived, delivered by the staff of Hojō Building.


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