“It was delicious again today.”
Hans, who had finished his lunch, was seen off, leaving Arnoux and Ingrid as the only remaining customers.
The Izakaya Nobu only opens its noren in the evening, but regular customers arrive before then. It’s hard to turn them away, so they serve meals, but Arnoux and Ingrid have come to visit almost every day, perhaps because they find it so comfortable.
“You, are you eating tempura again?”
“And you, Ingrid-baa-san, are you having pudding again?”
Translator’s Note
Baa-san/Baba -> Old woman -> Generally rude
Their orders are always the same: tempura and pudding. Shinobu has already started preparing their orders before the two of them even knock on the glass door.
“Since you’re coming to an izakaya that serves delicious food, why don’t you try something other than tempura?”
“If you’re going to say that, Ingrid-baa-san, why don’t you order something other than pudding?”
“I’m fine. I’m an old woman who doesn’t have long to live. I’m going to eat only what I like and fade away gracefully.”
“With that attitude, I think you’ll live to be a hundred.”
They exchange hateful words, but neither of them has any ill will. A pharmacist and a prodigal son, a combination that doesn’t seem to have much in common, but for some reason, they get along surprisingly well.
Ingrid, who had been repeating such exchanges, suddenly dropped her gaze onto Arnoux’s plate. It was maitake mushroom tempura. Today’s maitake mushrooms were of good quality, so Nobuyuki was confident in serving them.
“Mushrooms. It’s a rare variety.”
“Y-yes, we get them from a special supplier.”
Saying “Hmm,” Ingrid stabs the maitake with a fork.
“Speaking of mushrooms, there’s a silly story.”
Ingrid’s tone, as she chuckled, was languid, probably because of the alcohol.
“Once upon a time, there was a tall nun and a short monk in the Holy Kingdom. The short one was good at studying, but he was looked down upon by those around him. He was always looking for an opportunity to get back at them. Then one day, a big role came his way.”
The big role was to assist in the reception of a great nobleman who had come to the Holy See’s main cathedral, the Holy Capital’s Sacred Ministry of Doctrine, on a pilgrimage. The hospitality for the nobleman, who would be making a huge donation, could not be allowed to fail.
The two young men were assigned the task of examining the food. They would borrow chefs from one of the best inns in the Holy Capital and check the menu for the reception. Their job was to look for ingredients, combinations, and cooking methods that should not be served and exclude them. The tall nun was in charge of alcohol and sweets, and the short monk was in charge of the food.
“The short one got very excited. He started researching classical materials. He even made a few small discoveries. However…”
“However?”
Shinobu urged her on, and Ingrid’s chuckle grew louder.
“He forgot to look into the customs of the Marquisate of Sachsenburg.”
Arnoux reacted slightly to the name Marquis of Sachsenburg, but Ingrid continued.
“The Marquis’s territory is just around the old capital. They don’t eat mushrooms around here. The short monk, who hadn’t checked, overlooked the fact that, of all things, the main dish was made with plenty of mushrooms. It’s a silly story.”
A cold sweat ran down Shinobu’s spine. It is important for restaurants to identify customers’ dislikes and foods that should not be served in advance. She has had similar experiences.
As far as Shinobu knows, Yukitsuna has never had such a big blunder, but some of the cooks she hired had caused similar incidents and could no longer stay at their original restaurants.
“So, what did the Marquis of Sachsenburg do?”
Arnoux asked with a pained expression, and Ingrid smiled.
“Nothing to worry about, Arnoux. The short one is fine. The Marquis of Sachsenburg at that time was known as a great ruler. But, well, someone had to take responsibility.”
“Even though the Marquis wasn’t angry?”
“Shinobu, you’re not a child, you know? It was a big deal for the two of them to take on this role. It was likely to cause trouble for the people who chose them.”
“Then, that monk…”
“No, it was the tall nun who left the Holy Kingdom. She took all the responsibility.”
The next morning, the tall nun was nowhere to be seen in the Holy Capital, having sent letters to all concerned claiming full responsibility. The story was that the tall nun was the real culprit and the short monk was just caught up in it because she was so good at running away.
“After all, the short one was good at studying and had a promising future. So, everything was settled, and everyone lived happily ever after.”
“Then, what about the tall one?”
“Who knows? Maybe she’s doing well somewhere.”
Ingrid’s expression, as she said this and laughed, was brighter than usual.
“Anyway, I didn’t know that mushrooms were not allowed around here. I didn’t know because everyone eats them normally.”
It was Arnoux who responded to Shinobu’s murmur.
“About a hundred years ago, there was a witch hunt around here. The witches were suspected of spreading food poisoning with mushrooms. In the end, it was a false accusation, but it’s a story to remind us not to forget the lesson. Besides, there are many poisonous mushrooms around here that are difficult to distinguish. Some mushrooms are said to be poisonous only when eaten with alcohol.”
“You’re very knowledgeable, Arnoux.”
“Anyone from around here knows about it. The young ones don’t care, and it’s a waste to leave food behind.”
Laughing, Arnoux eats the maitake tempura in one bite.
“So, Shinobu and Taisho. I’m not saying anything bad, but I don’t recommend cooking mushrooms in a way that makes it obvious that they are mushrooms around here.”
“We’ve already sold a lot of them.”
“The custom of abstaining from mushrooms may have faded after a hundred years. It’s better to be safe than sorry. It may not be a problem if the dish is difficult to identify, like tempura.”
Nobuyuki sends a sad look to Shinobu, who nods in agreement.
“Don’t tell me, Taisho…”
“We just bought a lot of them… mushrooms…”
One of Nobuyuki’s bad habits is over-purchasing.
When he finds good ingredients, he tends to buy more than he needs.
Looking at the bag Nobuyuki showed her, Shinobu let out a groan.
“What are we going to do with this…?”
“They don’t last very long, so I want to use them up quickly.”
Ingrid and Arnoux smiled at Nobuyuki, who was agonizing over the situation.
“Fortunately, neither Arnoux nor I care about abstaining from mushrooms, so feel free to serve them. We’ll help you get rid of the stock.”
Ingrid’s words seemed to ignite something in Nobuyuki, and he rolled up his sleeves and started preparing the mushrooms.
He chopped the mushrooms into easy-to-eat pieces and heated olive oil in a frying pan. He didn’t forget the chili peppers.
“Oh, are you making an oil stew?”
“Do you know about it, Ingrid-san?”
“I ate it many times when I was young. It’s cheap but delicious. I tried to make it for Camilla here, but it’s hard to get good olive oil this far north.”
The nice aroma of olive oil tickled my nose. Plenty of garlic was also added, so the smell hits an empty stomach directly.
After that, just sprinkle with salt and parsley to taste, and the ajillo is ready.
“By the way, Taisho, didn’t you make ajillo the other day?”
“That time it was octopus.”
“You’ve been all about Japanese food until now, what’s the change of heart? Nobu is an izakaya, so I think it’s okay to have a variety of dishes.”
“Shuhari, it is. Shuhari.”
Translator’s Note
Shuhari is a a concept in martial arts, describing stages of learning to mastery. “Shu” – follow tradition, “Ha”- break tradition, “Ri” – transcend tradition.
Shinobu was skillfully dodged because the ajillo served on the plate looked so delicious. If it weren’t for the mushroom problem, she would have wanted to add it to the regular menu.
Arnoux, the tempura fan, and Ingrid, the pudding fan, are both holding their forks and waiting with bated breath.
“Please, enjoy.”
As he served the plates across the counter, Nobuyuki began to bake bread.
Normally, he would bake a baguette, but he is not that well prepared.
He probably bought it for breakfast for Nobuyuki, who lives on the second floor of the store.
Soak the bread in olive oil that has absorbed the flavor of mushrooms and garlic. Just thinking about it is murderously delicious.
I want to eat it. I have to eat this.
Shinobu, who was about to ask for a share, was greeted with a cheerful smile from the Taisho.
“Sorry, Shinobu-chan. I put a lot of garlic in it.”
“T-Taisho…”
As a member of the service industry, she couldn’t eat something with a lot of garlic in it before opening.
While Shinobu shed tears of blood and raised a voice of resentment, Nobuyuki quickly moved on to the next task.
He boiled water in a large pot and cooked pasta.
He heated the remaining ajillo in a frying pan and added the cooked pasta.
If you mix it well, it becomes oil pasta with mushrooms. He added a little chili pepper and basil, so it should be easy to eat.
“Oshishou-sama, are you here again today?”
Translator’s Note
Oshishou-sama is an overly respectful way call someone your master.
Just then, Camilla popped in.
She used to wear a red robe, but the black one she received from Ingrid seems to be her favorite these days.
Apparently, she is dressing like her master Ingrid to become a pharmacist from the Shachinin Institute.
Translator’s Note
The literal line was Shachininmae (射陳院前) or “In front of Shachinin temple/institute which I’m interpreting as a prestigious institute or academy she aspires to represent.
“Ah, master, that’s not fair! You’re eating something delicious!”
“How about you, Camilla? Taisho is boiling pasta for you.”
“I’ll have some!”
Camilla attacks the peperoncino that Nobuyuki boiled with a fork.
“Spicy!”
It seemed a little spicy for Camilla’s mouth, but she ate it deliciously while saying “Hii hii.”
Shinobu made up her mind to have him make garlic-free ajillo pasta before using up the stock of mushrooms.