Chương 234: [234] A Shokugeki With No Discernible Winner
Chapter 234: A Shokugeki With No Discernible Winner
"Fully infused with the distinctive salty and savory essence of Jinhua ham, the shark fin creates an entirely new texture alongside the crisp bamboo shoot threads!" Donato reiterated, "And the addition of garlic, oyster sauce, and clear vinegar to the sauce contributes a marvelous flavor.
"Impressive indeed, Hikigaya-kun," Dojima praised after tasting.
After encountering the gustatory storm akin to a tornado, he grasped Hachiman's intention.
The intense gustatory storm immediately wiped away the taste memory of the previous two dishes. If they were to vote now, determining the result would likely be challenging.
However, this also evoked memories for Dojima because he had witnessed a similar technique before. A man in Totsuki's history known as the "Demon," Joichiro Saiba, had forcibly dispersed the taste memory of an opponent's dish with an unparalleled taste.
"Now that Hikigaya-kun's dish has been tasted, everyone can assess the dishes of Tadokoro and Kojiro." Dojima said, taking out a few coins.
"One coin represents one vote. Each of the three judges gets one coin. Vote for the person whose dish you think is the most delicious. Let the voting begin."
However, long after his words fell, none of the three judges made a move.
Witnessing this scene, Soma and Megumi found it peculiar. But Shinomiya was directly irritated and spoke up.
"What are you waiting for? Can't you distinguish the gap between my cooking and hers? Just vote for me."
Hearing this, Soma naturally displayed a face of discontent.
Clearly, this dish was crafted through his and Megumi's effort, yet it seemed unbearable in his mouth.
Just as he was about to react, Donato spoke up with a somewhat strange expression.
"Shinomiya, it's not that we don't want to vote, but we can't remember the taste of your dish, so we can't make a judgment for now."
"Hah, what are you saying? You just ate it, and now you can't remember the taste. Could it be an issue with your taste buds!" Shinomiya looked at the three of them with a sympathetic gaze.
At this moment, Dojima spoke, "It's not an issue with their taste buds; it's due to Hikigaya-kun's dish." He pointed to the sausage on the plate.
"Huh? This..." The several graduated students looked at each other in confusion.
"Dojima-senpai, I admit that Hikigaya-kun's dish is very delicious, but what does that have to do with us not remembering the taste of Shinomiya-senpai and Megumi dish?" Hinako spoke uncertainly.
Dojima didn't directly answer. Instead, he pushed over the remaining cabbage rolls from earlier. "Shinomiya, taste your own dish first."
Upon hearing this, Shinomiya picked up a piece of the remaining cabbage roll and put it in his mouth.
The anticipated deliciousness spread in his mouth.
"Clearly, there's an issue with your taste buds. Isn't this delicious enough?" Shinomiya said.
Dojima remained silent and then pushed Hachiman's dish over. "Now, try Hikigaya-kun's dish."
Although a bit puzzled, Shinomiya still picked up a piece of the sausage with his fork and put it in his mouth.
In the moment his teeth pierced the casing, his eyes widened, and the muscles on the sides of his cheeks couldn't help but tremble.
"This is..."
"Yes, you feel it too, right? That unparalleled delicious tornado that swept through your entire oral cavity like a force of nature." Dojima nodded.
"Can you recall the taste of your dish now?"
Upon hearing this, Shinomiya thought for a moment and then looked surprised.
"How could this be..."
He wasn't willing to give up, closed his eyes to carefully recollect, but unfortunately, after a moment, he reopened his eyes with a despondent expression.
"It's truly gone. I can't recall a bit of the taste."
"That's it. The intense gustatory storm directly destroyed their taste memory of the flavors of both your and Tadokoro's dishes. So, it's like they never ate both of your dishes." Dojima explained.
"If they haven't tasted them, how can they judge the difference?"
Hinako found this somewhat fantastical explanation hard to believe.
"Dojima-senpai, can you really achieve such a level? Completely destroying the taste of the opponent's dish?"
"Of course, it's possible. Because I've seen someone do it before. In a Shokugeki, he used this unreasonable method to defeat opponents, even when outnumbered. It's quite easy to win." Dojima's expression carried a nostalgic look as he turned to Hachiman.
"I never expected Hikigaya-kun to achieve this level. Impressive."
Hachiman just smiled faintly, "Thanks for the compliment, Dojima-senpai."
He was well aware that the person Dojima referred to was Joichiro Yukihira, who, during their student days, set an unbeaten record of fifty consecutive victories in Shokugeki.
"Well, Dojima-senpai, how should we judge the outcome of this Shokugeki?" Donato asked uncertainly.
"Since we can't make a judgment, let's consider it a draw," Dojima said calmly.
Of course, Shinomiya was dissatisfied with this result.
"Hah, Dojima-senpai, what kind of joke is this? You actually want to declare a draw between me and this little devil. In any case, it should be my victory."
"Since the three of them can't make a judgment, it's natural to declare it a draw. After all, in this situation, if we hastily declare your victory, it would be unfair," Dojima explained, glancing towards Erina, who served as the notary.
"And our notary wouldn't agree to that either."
"That's right. If we were to announce one side's victory in a situation where we can't determine the outcome, as the notary, I would declare this Shokugeki invalid," Erina nodded.
Upon hearing this, Shinomiya felt a bit irritated. But before he could react, Dojima spoke again.
"There's also your own reason in this, Shinomiya. If you hadn't held back your true strength, you might have been able to leave a trace in the gustatory storm. As long as there's a lingering taste, we could have declared your victory on the spot."
Indeed, Hachiman's dish, the "Tornado Sausage," didn't showcase his full capabilities, at most reaching an early level five.
If Shinomiya had used his full power at the peak of level four, he might have been able to leave some impression. Tadokoro's dish, just reaching level four, would undoubtedly have been obliterated under the "tornado." In that case, Shinomiya could have secured an easy victory.
Unfortunately, he didn't exert his full strength, presenting only a mid-level four dish. Under Hachiman's "tornado," it also turned to ashes, leading to a situation where both Shinomiya and the girl faced the same fate.
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Chương 235: [235] Satisfactory Outcome
Chapter 235: Satisfactory Outcome
Upon hearing this, Shinomiya fell silent, but unfortunately, Dojima didn't stop there.
"Shinomiya, have you been standing still for a long time? Especially after receiving the 'Pluspol Medal!'"
Upon hearing Dojima's words, Hinako and the others looked at Shinomiya in surprise. When they saw his changing expression, they understood that Dojima was right.
"You've probably noticed it yourself, haven't you? After receiving that medal, you don't know where to go next." Dojima looked at him seriously.
"Stuck at the pinnacle, unable to move forward. For a chef, standing still is equivalent to stepping back. The reason you presented a dish that is not your specialty is to hide the fact that your culinary skills haven't progressed."
"Shut up! What do you understand? Becoming the head chef of Totsuki Resort right after graduation, how could you possibly comprehend the hardships of running my own restaurant!"
At this point, Shinomiya had lost his composure, roaring and completely forgetting to respect Dojima as a senior.
Indeed, as a Japanese chef trying to establish his restaurant in the highly competitive culinary scene of Paris, France, it was undoubtedly a challenging endeavor.
To avoid being influenced by others, Shinomiya gradually developed a strong-willed personality, adamantly refusing anyone's interference with his recipes after he was betrayed, treating others' opinions as unnecessary.
Relying on this tense attitude, he finally succeeded, earning the prestigious "Pluspol Medal."
However, Shinomiya forgot that as a chef, continuous improvement required maintaining a voracious appetite for learning from any source at any time.
Now, he had lost that hunger, losing the driving force to keep moving forward.
Facing Shinomiya's outburst, Dojima showed no signs of anger. At least, his face didn't reveal any anger.
"Shinomiya, why don't you taste Tadokoro-kun's dish as well?" Dojima calmly suggested, pushing Megumi's dish towards him.
"Why should I eat?" Shinomiya's face carried a hint of disdain.
"Give it a try; there's an answer you seek in there." Dojima calmly pushed the dish towards him.
Hesitant, Shinomiya picked up a piece of the French-style terrine and put it in his mouth. Immediately, he began to mock.
"It's utterly unacceptable—undercooked, and there are issues with the filling connection. Dojima-senpai is confused. How could a dish like this..."
But before he finished speaking, Shinomiya halted himself, took another bite, then gripped the table with both hands, muttering in a low voice.
"Why is this happening? There are so many flaws, but why does it strike so deep into the soul? Although the execution is a bit clumsy, every effort seems filled with consideration for the eater, as if liberating the tense spirit. This feeling is like..."
"A mother's love!"
Shinomiya awakened from his own memories, wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes, and looked towards the girl beside him.
"Hey, naive girl, did you use passion fruit in the filling?"
"Yes... I did." Megumi nodded hastily.
"It's probably to eliminate the gaminess of the chicken liver." Mizuhara, who was on the side, chimed in.
However, Shinomiya didn't fully agree and continued to look at the girl.
"Although it serves that purpose, it's not just for that reason, right?"
"Y-yes." Megumi answered hesitantly.
"You all tasted numerous dishes throughout the day due to the judging. Passion fruit has a digestive aid effect. So, though it may be insignificant, I wanted to make a dish that is gentle on the stomach."
Hearing the girl's words, the graduated students were deeply moved.
"Ah, Megumi is indeed the most gentle."
"Yeah, our judgment was right on target."
At this moment, Dojima also smiled, looking at Shinomiya.
"A dish like this, even if it's crude, can resonate in people's hearts. Tadokoro-kun, even on the competition stage, is making an effort to consider those who taste her dishes."
"So I think, for someone like you who wants to take a step forward, it's essential."
Upon hearing these words, Shinomiya turned his head with a somewhat uneasy expression.
"Is everything under your control, Dojima-senpai?"
"I indeed haven't revisited the faces of customers and the voices of my staff for a long time. I've been cooking alone."
Dojima nodded at his words, "It seems you've finally understood. So, the result of this Shokugeki..."
"A draw."
Sighing, Shinomiya looked towards the girl on the other side.
"This Shokugeki is nothing short of a farce. Well, it's fine like this. Continue to work hard in your own way, naive girl."
After saying this, he glanced at Soma subtly, then looked at Dojima and Hachiman before leaving the kitchen without turning back.
"Well, Shinomiya-senpai is really not candid at all." Watching his departing figure, Hinako shook her head with some helplessness.
Donato also chuckled.
"Well, Shinomiya's personality is like that. If he were more candid, Hinako, you and he..."
But before he could finish his sentence, Hinako's gaze turned sharp.
Shinomiya's absence once again transformed Hinako into the somewhat awe-inspiring "Empress of Mist."
Whether others feared her or not, it was unknown, but at least Donato, being of the same year, felt a bit intimidated and wisely stopped what he was about to say.
However, looking at Shinomiya's departing figure, Megumi felt puzzled.
"Um... Why did Chef Shinomiya leave? Then, what about me..."
At this moment, Dojima approached, smiling at the girl.
"Tadokoro-kun, continue to cultivate the intention of wholeheartedly considering the customers at Totsuki. Show your brilliance in the Academy."
Soma, standing nearby, also smiled.
"It feels like I'm being saved, huh? Let's work hard together today, Tadokoro."
Hearing these words, the girl finally understood. She succeeded, and neither she nor Soma had to drop out!
Thinking about this, Megumi couldn't help but shed tears of joy.
Watching the tears stream down the girl's face, and seeing Soma standing there like a statue, Hachiman sighed and subtly nudged him.
Soma stumbled, turning back to look at Hachiman with a puzzled expression.
Nodding towards the direction of the girl, Hachiman gestured with his lips. Soma understood the message and quickly went to comfort Megumi.
Observing this scene, Hachiman nodded in satisfaction.
"Dojima-senpai, since everything is resolved, I'll head back now," he said, not waiting for Erina to speak, and directly pulled her hand, leaving the kitchen.
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