Chapter 347

Dojima Gin set down his chopsticks and closed his eyes, savoring the lingering taste in his mouth.

Only after a long moment did he open them again and look toward Haruto, his expression filled with admiration.

"The pastry is crisp without crumbling apart, rich without being greasy, and carries a clean, mellow fragrance from the fats."

"Every layer is as thin as a cicada’s wing, and the frying temperature was controlled perfectly. That’s why the petals opened so beautifully while still remaining light and flaky."

"The sweetness of the coconut filling is just right, while the lotus petals and pinch of salt keep it from tasting one-dimensional."

Jōichirō nodded in agreement before adding, "What’s especially impressive is that the dish isn’t merely delicious. Its appearance is just as refined. Every one of these pastries looks like a real lotus flower."

"And as a dessert, it carries the flavors of the first two courses through to a perfect conclusion."

After finishing their evaluation of Team Three’s dishes, Dojima turned his attention toward Team Four.

"All right. Next, we’ll taste the dishes prepared by Soma Yukihira, Kuga Terunori, and Alice Nakiri."

Since Jōichirō was Team Four’s instructor, their judges were Dojima Gin, Shinomiya Kojirō, and Inui Hinako.

First came Soma’s appetizer: Beef Shigureni.

The dark-brown cubes of beef were served in simple white porcelain bowls, each piece coated in a thick, translucent glaze that gave it a warm sheen.

Fine strips of ginger and burdock root were scattered across the top.

Before anyone even took a bite, the deep aroma of beef mixed with soy sauce and mirin had already reached them, accompanied by a faint touch of spice.

Dojima was the first to lift a piece of beef with his chopsticks.

The moment he bit down, the perfectly simmered meat softened across his tongue, releasing all the savory juices it had absorbed from the sauce.

Sweetness and saltiness blended together in near-perfect proportion.

The mellow savoriness of soy sauce spread first, followed by the gentle sweetness of mirin and rock sugar lingering across the palate.

The sharpness of the ginger arrived at exactly the right moment, brightening the flavor without overpowering the beef.

"Not bad."

Shinomiya nodded.

"The heat was controlled very precisely. The beef is tender without falling apart, so it still has enough texture. The sauce has also penetrated evenly."

Beside him, Hinako rested her chin on one hand with a blissful expression.

"My whole mouth feels awake now. I want the next dish immediately!"

After Soma’s appetizer came Kuga’s main course—Shuizhu Pork with Rice.

The moment Kuga brought it forward, an overwhelming wave of numbing spice and chili heat swept across the table.

It instantly erased the gentle sweetness left behind by the shigureni, surging upward like a burst of flame.

A vivid red broth filled the large white porcelain bowl, with thin slices of pork tenderloin neatly arranged across the surface.

Chopped dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, minced garlic, and scallions were piled generously on top.

A bowl of steaming white rice sat alongside it.

Hinako’s brows furrowed slightly.

The sheer aggressiveness of the aroma was clearly a little much for her.

Even so, she picked up a slice of pork and placed it in her mouth.

Her pupils immediately contracted.

An explosive wave of numbing heat erupted across her tongue.

The dried chilies burned like tongues of flame, while the Sichuan peppercorns sent countless tiny electric tingles from the tip of her tongue all the way to the back, leaving even her lips slightly numb.

Yet beneath that fierce spice lay remarkably tender pork.

The slices had been marinated perfectly, while the starch coating locked in every drop of moisture. They were so smooth and soft that they practically melted after only a few bites.

The broth itself carried far more complexity than simple heat.

There was the deep fermented aroma of doubanjiang, the freshness of scallion and ginger, and just enough rock sugar to soften the sharp edges of the spice and round out the overall flavor.

"Cough, cough—!"

Hinako coughed twice from the heat, her cheeks turning red.

Her eyes, however, were shining.

"So spicy! But it’s so good! I can’t stop eating it!"

As she spoke, she hurriedly shoveled a large bite of rice into her mouth.

Dojima was eating just as enthusiastically, a fine layer of sweat already forming across his forehead.

He looked toward Kuga.

"Kuga Terunori, you’ve taken your numbing heat and spice about as far as it can go."

"The tenderness of the pork, the concentration of the broth, and the balance between numbness and heat are all excellent."

"This is the kind of dish that makes you hungrier with every bite."

Kuga folded his arms and raised his chin proudly.

"Of course! That’s exactly what I’m aiming for—a flavor intense enough to set your soul on fire!"

Watching from the side, Haruto could only shake his head helplessly.

Expecting Kuga to change overnight had never been realistic.

Fortunately, the training camp had only just begun.

After Kuga’s main course came Alice’s dessert—Mango Caviar.

A specially designed spoon held a pool of golden mango purée, topped with translucent amber-like spheres resembling fish roe.

The "caviar" was actually made from coconut milk using molecular gastronomy techniques, each tiny sphere catching the light with a beautiful sheen.

Fresh mint leaves completed the presentation.

The dessert looked exceptionally refined, while a rich mango aroma mingled with a faint hint of coconut.

The three judges lifted their spoons and tasted it.

Cool, sweet mango juice burst across their mouths, carrying the fruit’s pure, concentrated fragrance without the slightest impurity.

Then the smooth mango purée melted across their tongues and blended with the coconut spheres as they burst, while the mint added a crisp touch of freshness.

The combination was like a cool sea breeze in the middle of summer.

In an instant, it washed away the lingering numbness and spice of Kuga’s shuizhu pork and left their mouths feeling completely refreshed.

"What an interesting texture."

Hinako looked pleasantly surprised.

"It’s refreshing and cleanses the palate beautifully. Mango and coconut work really well together."

Shinomiya nodded approvingly.

"The sweetness of the mango is controlled very well. As a dessert, this is more than competent."

Once all three of Team Four’s dishes had been tasted, the judges exchanged glances.

They had clearly reached the same conclusion.

Dojima set down his utensils and looked toward Soma, Kuga, and Alice.

"First, I want to acknowledge each of your individual abilities."

"Soma’s Beef Shigureni was precisely simmered and deeply flavorful. As an appetizer, it awakened the palate perfectly."

"Kuga’s Shuizhu Pork was intensely aromatic, numbing, spicy, and packed with impact. As a main course, it was technically excellent."

"Alice’s Mango Caviar demonstrated refined technique and provided a clean, refreshing finish."

"Taken individually, every one of these dishes is of an extremely high standard."

He paused.

Then his tone became serious.

"But you made one fatal mistake."

"This is a Régiment de Cuisine."

"The three of you showed almost no coordination whatsoever. Each dish was created in isolation, with no sense of the meal as a whole."

Shinomiya continued immediately.

"Soma’s relatively gentle appetizer established a good opening rhythm, only for Kuga’s overwhelming numbing spice to smash straight through it."

"All of Soma’s careful setup was rendered meaningless."

"And while Alice’s dessert is refreshing, it comes too late. Kuga’s spice lingers in the mouth for so long that it damages the dessert’s delicacy before it can even begin."

"These three dishes don’t add up to something greater than their individual parts."

"They clash with each other and cancel one another out."

Hinako nodded regretfully.

"Exactly. Haruto’s team built their meal so that the appetizer, main course, and dessert all flowed naturally into one another, almost like a complete symphony."

"Your dishes were more like three musicians playing completely different songs at the same time."

The final result was never in doubt.

Haruto, Erina, and Kurokiba’s Team Three won by an overwhelming margin.

"This is all your fault!"

The instant the result was announced, Alice spun around, planted her hands on her hips, and glared furiously at Soma and Kuga.

"We actually lost to Erina!"

"If you two had coordinated with me properly, there’s no way we would’ve lost!"

"Huh?! What are you talking about?!"

Kuga immediately bristled.

"You two were the ones who failed to coordinate with me!"

"I made the main course. That’s the centerpiece of the entire meal! Your appetizer and dessert should have been adjusted around my dish!"

"And instead, your dessert was so sweet it couldn’t even stand up to the heat from my shuizhu pork!"

Alice stomped one foot.

"I don’t care! It’s your fault! There was nothing wrong with my dish, so obviously the problem was you two!"

"You are completely impossible!"

Kuga snapped.

"All right, all right. Stop fighting."

Soma hurried between them with a helpless expression.

Watching the two argue, he knew perfectly well that the judges had been right.

They had lost because they had failed to work as a team.

And if they kept cooking entirely for themselves, they would continue losing every match that followed.

Once Alice and Kuga finally began to quiet down, Soma looked at them seriously.

"I think we should sit down and actually talk through how we’re going to coordinate."

"You don’t want to keep losing, do you?"

Both of them stopped.

Alice huffed and turned her head away, but she still dragged over a chair and sat down.

Kuga scratched his head, clearly reluctant, yet eventually sat beside her as well.

Watching the three gather around a table and begin discussing how to improve their teamwork, Jōichirō leaned against the wall with a satisfied smile.

He had noticed their problem from the very beginning.

That was precisely why he had deliberately done nothing beyond assigning each of them a course.

He had never given them any instructions on how to coordinate.

Sometimes, the only way to understand the importance of teamwork was to lose because you lacked it.

Only after personally experiencing failure would the three of them be willing to set aside their individual pride and learn how to work together.

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