As time passed, the more impatient examinees finished preparing their whole roasted boars.
The first was Todo, who presented a somewhat charred roast boar to the examiners.
"Alright, hurry up and eat it so I can pass!" Todo said confidently.
"Well then... review time... tasting!" Menchi said, her tone listless, not even bothering to open her eyes fully at the smell.
"Mmm... yum!" As Menchi spoke, Buhara immediately took a big bite, raising a [PASS] sign with a satisfied grin.
"Hmph!" Hearing Buhara, Todo nodded smugly, as if it were only natural.
"Fail. You overcooked it. It's too tough. A complete waste of the meat's natural flavor." Menchi declared without even touching it.
"What?! You didn't even taste it!" Todo roared angrily.
"It's obvious just by looking!" Menchi snapped back, a vein throbbing on her forehead.
"Damn it!" Todo stomped away in frustration.
"Here, eat up!" Next was Hanzo. Buhara took a bite and gave it a pass.
Menchi, however, again gave a fail without tasting it.
"Why?!" Hanzo asked, disbelieving.
"The skin is dry and leathery, but the meat inside is raw. Your fire was too strong," Menchi explained flatly.
Soon, tray after tray of whole roast boar was presented. No matter what, Buhara gave a pass, while Menchi did the exact opposite, failing them all without tasting.
'Really now! Why is everyone so thick-headed? All they know is to roast the whole thing! They haven't put in any effort at all!' Menchi fumed internally.
"So far, no one has passed," Leorio observed, frowning at the scene.
"Wait. The test subject is cooking, but the review also includes originality and observational skills!" Kurapika deduced, his eyes lighting up.
"I see!" Gon and Leorio nodded in understanding.
Leorio then prepared a roast boar... with a little flag stuck in it...
"What is this, a kid's meal?!" Seeing Leorio's confident look, Menchi grew even angrier...
Gon's roast boar was surrounded by a wreath of flowers...
"It's essentially the same thing!" Menchi also discarded Gon's offering, though Buhara caught it and happily munched away.
"Next is my dish. Please try it." Finally, it was Kurapika's turn… a giant pork burger...
"Finally, something that at least looks like food!" Seeing the somewhat appetizing burger, Menchi for the first time used her fork to take a piece of meat.
Just as Kurapika confidently believed that emphasizing the pork's form and appearance, with taste being secondary, would work, Menchi flipped his giant burger over...
"Disgusting! While appearance is important, taste matters too! You're on the same level as No. 403!" Menchi declared mercilessly.
Leorio, seeing this, shot Kurapika a smug grin, while Kurapika felt utterly defeated...
"Sorry to keep you waiting. This is my prepared dish: Red-braised Pork Belly, Braised Pig Trotters, and Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs." After Kurapika's turn, Takeru stepped forward with his three dishes. To let the flavors of the trotters fully infuse, he had taken a bit more time.
"Hmm, I hope you won't disappoint me," Menchi said, showing interest in Takeru's three offerings.
"First, the red-braised pork belly. I used pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat. After blanching, rinsing, and cutting into chunks, I blanched it twice in boiling water for 30 seconds each time, rinsing in between, then drained it. Then, I stir-fried aromatics in oil over low heat to release their fragrance before adding the pork belly to stir-fry together..."
As Menchi's fork speared a piece of the vibrant red pork, Takeru quickly explained the process beside her.
Hearing Takeru, the surrounding examinees stared in astonishment. They never imagined a single dish could require such complex steps.
Yet, the aroma and appealing appearance of the pork made mouths water all around.
Menchi placed the piece in her mouth, chewing slowly and thoughtfully. After one piece, she took a second. Buhara looked ravenous but restrained himself, waiting for Menchi to finish before devouring the whole plate.
After three pieces, Menchi turned her attention to the sweet and sour ribs.
Takeru proceeded to explain their preparation...
Time seemed to stretch as the examinees held their breath, watching Menchi savor Takeru's dishes.
"You pass," Menchi finally said, opening her eyes to look at Takeru.
"Thank you," Takeru replied with a smile.
"However, there are still many flaws. Control of the fire, cooking techniques... there's room for improvement. Next time we meet, perhaps we can discuss it further," Menchi said, smiling as she extended an invitation.
"Is that so? I'd be grateful for your guidance if the opportunity arises," Takeru nodded. While confident in his cooking, he didn't think he could surpass a Gourmet Hunter...
Hearing Menchi's approval, Buhara promptly grabbed the plates, dumping the contents into his mouth before raising his [PASS] sign...
Finally, it was Umaru's turn. After tasting, Menchi shook her head.
"Well, your cooking skills are the highest among this group. But the flavor is still far off. Do better next time," Menchi said, shaking her head.
"Alright then. I've basically tasted all the dishes. Meaning, aside from one person, everyone here has failed. The test is over!" Menchi announced loudly.
'I knew it. Her bad habit has surfaced again.' Watching from afar, Satotz realized the seriousness of the situation and quickly took out his phone to call the Hunter Association.
"What should we do, Chairman?" Beans, who had issued Takeru's pass tag, asked the elderly chairman worriedly after hearing Satotz's report.
"Is that so? Alright, time for a little trip." The chairman on the airship made his decision.
…
Meanwhile, back at the second test venue, the announcement that the test was over with only Takeru passing sparked outrage.
"You've got to be kidding me!" The wrestler Todo smashed a cooking station, roaring in anger, drawing everyone's attention.
"I cannot accept this! I absolutely do not agree with this result!"
"The failing decision will absolutely not change!" Menchi stated calmly.
"Don't screw with us! You told us to catch pigs for you to eat, and we risked our lives doing it!" Todo shouted.
"I said to make a dish using the pig that satisfies both of us! Except for one person, the rest presented utterly failing dishes, all essentially the same! It shows no effort at all! It just proves how little you all respect cooking!" Menchi retorted, unfazed by Todo's rage.
"A dish made from a pig? No matter who makes it, it shouldn't be that different!" Hanzo shrugged, adding fuel to the fire.
"Say that again! I dare you! I'll... %#@&...!" Hearing Hanzo's dismissive words, Menchi instantly exploded, grabbing his collar and unleashing a torrent of curses.
'Sigh... Menchi's bad habit is acting up again. Besides, in this world, there are hardly any who can make a dish that satisfies Menchi...' Buhara thought helplessly, watching the scene.