An indescribable flavor instantly burst forth in his mouth, continuously occupying every part of his tongue.
And this wonderful sensation made the diner linger.
Although eating Mapo Tofu at an Izakaya did feel strangely out of place.
But the Izakaya itself had a rule of "diners order as they please," and furthermore, the Mapo Tofu made by Sosuke, unlike many Chinese restaurants outside, tasted truly "authentic"!
Some restaurants use firm Tofu, which isn't smooth and tender enough.
Because if smooth and tender soft Tofu were used, it would easily break when stir-fried in a wok, which greatly tests the chef's wok handling skills.
Some restaurants, to save costs, time, and effort, even directly use hot pot base to stew it, and the taste is inevitably unsatisfactory.
Only Sosuke's Mapo Tofu, after every taste, left diners savoring the flavor for a long time.
…
In Japan, all spicy Chinese cuisine is called "Mapo XX," for example:
Yu Xiang Qie Zi (Fish-flavored Eggplant) is Mapo Qie Zi (Mapo Eggplant).
It's as if in the eyes of the Japanese, Mapo is the creator of the spicy world.
And to adapt to the lighter tastes of the Japanese, Sosuke naturally made slight changes to the preparation of Mapo Tofu!
He first abandoned the original high-heat stir-frying method, directly adopting a slow stew over a low heat with a "gurgling" sound.
This method softens the ground beef, and the flavors of various ingredients can fully integrate into the Tofu, making it more flavorful.
At the same time, he still used the three-step starch thickening method to create a thick sauce, so that the Tofu cubes were as smooth as water, and could easily slide into the diner's mouth if they weren't careful, catching them off guard.
As for the taste, it wasn't very spicy, but miraculously, the aftertaste always lingered.
Once tasted, it felt like the dish was drugged, so delicious that one would lick the plate clean regardless of anything else…
"Shopkeeper, your Mapo Tofu is amazing!"
Licking the last drop of rich sauce from the plate, the diner, still wanting more, finally sighed deeply.
Immediately after, he asked Sosuke for a glass of water.
He began gulping it down, as if to quench the spiciness.
Finally, after chatting with others and Sosuke for a while, he paid the bill and left the Izakaya contentedly.
…
Seeing the customer leave, the assistant chef Kuguchi Sonoka went to clear the plates.
Then, with a clean rag, she wiped the dining table spotless, and turned to throw the plates into the automatic dishwasher for cleaning.
If Kakizaki Taki saw her old friend, this former Totsuki graduate, stooping to do such chores in an Izakaya, she would probably want to kill Sosuke!
However, Mujiuzhi seemed to enjoy it very much.
After all, serving as an assistant chef in the Izakaya these days had made her very tired, but she had also gained a lot.
At least in terms of cooking skills, she had learned many things from Sosuke!
"I… what's wrong with me?"
Suddenly, Mujiuzhi, who had just finished working, felt a bit hazy, and the scene before her gradually became dark and no longer clear.
She quickly reached up to rub her forehead, trying to clear her head.
But in the end, she still fell backward weakly, and while secretly thinking something was wrong, she felt a hand support her back, quickly pulling her into an embrace.
As she regained her footing, she gradually recovered some consciousness.
"Are you alright?"
Looking at the pale Mujiuzhi.
Sosuke couldn't help but feel a hint of guilt and heartache.
"Shopkeeper, I… I'm fine. Maybe I've been a bit tired these past few days, and my body has exceeded its limit."
Voluntarily shrinking into Sosuke's embrace, Mujiuzhi felt an indescribable, peculiar sensation in her heart. She felt very tired at that moment, but also very safe.
"These past few days, you've been running your Harukatei during the day and helping out at the Izakaya at night."
"Let alone you, even I would be exhausted. Tonight, you don't have to do anything. Just focus on getting a good rest!"
Sosuke said softly.
"Mhm, I… I'll listen to you."
Mujiuzhi didn't throw a tantrum, just nodded quietly.
Then her cheeks flushed, and she whispered, "Well… that, Shopkeeper, can you let go? I'm a little unaccustomed to you holding me like this!"
"Sorry, sorry."
Sosuke looked down at his hands tightly wrapped around her waist, then realized, and quickly withdrew his hands.
"Cough, cough, I'm going to attend to the other diners."
Immediately, Sosuke tactfully scurried away, pretending to be busy with other things.
And thinking of the intimate scene between the two of them just now, Mujiuzhi, still frozen in place, felt even more embarrassed and began to let her imagination run wild.
…
"Lady Mana."
"Your physique is still very weak, don't run so fast!"
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