After taking just one bite of the sardine tempura, Isaac fell silent.
What is this?
Arnoux had said he’d found a delicious restaurant, so Isaac had tagged along, but could such a dish exist in this world?
Arnoux had found slightly upscale restaurants for him before. Most of them were stylish restaurants with Eastern Kingdom-style seasoning, and they were reasonably delicious. They were reasonably delicious, but Isaac could reproduce all of them.
Born the son of a cook, Isaac vaguely believed he would also be involved in cooking in the future. He had also trained so as not to be ashamed as a cook. For Isaac, a dish that he couldn’t make himself was nothing short of astonishing.
It’s not that he didn’t understand the cooking method. Ingredients are coated in a mixture of flour, egg, and water, and then fried. It’s that simple.
But he didn’t feel like he could achieve the same taste even if he tried it himself.
Isaac suspected that an incredibly laborious preparation process was involved.
“Was it not to your liking?”
Shaking his head at the waitress who peered at him anxiously, he shoved the remaining sardines into his mouth.
As expected, it was delicious. The lager he gulped down to prevent himself from choking was also as delicious as rumored.
Even though it was still early evening, Izakaya Nobu was doing a brisk business. The small restaurant was full of life, with what seemed to be regulars and first-time customers, each enjoying their snacks and drinks as they pleased.
He had visited many taverns in the Empire, including those in the Imperial Capital, but it was rare to find a restaurant with this kind of atmosphere, even if he offered a thousand gold coins.
“Still, I’m glad Arnoux-san’s friend came to visit.”
“No, I hope Arnoux-sama didn’t cause any trouble here.”
“Trouble? Not at all.”
The reason Arnoux himself wasn’t present was that the blond, prodigal son had broken his promise.
Arnoux, who was often compared to the tall, black-haired Isaac, was also the opposite in terms of personality. The serious Isaac and the free-spirited Arnoux.
Perhaps that’s why they got along so well, as Isaac adored Arnoux like an older brother.
“It’s a shame Arnoux-san couldn’t come today.”
“Yes, with such delicious food and drink, I’m sure Arnoux-sama would have been very pleased.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.”
He had a general idea of what Arnoux was doing at the moment.
He was investigating the movements of the thugs who had rampaged in this restaurant. The thugs, who had been arrested by the guards, had only spent a day and a night in jail because they had paid a fine, and were apparently already out on the streets.
There was also talk that they had joined forces with a man named Damian, who was a boss of the thugs in the old capital. Isaac was probably placed here as a precaution in case they came to this restaurant to retaliate out of resentment.
He had just had sardines, so next he reached for the kakiage with his fork.
The kakiage, containing onions and small shrimp, made him want to cut it with a knife, but he took a bite, even though it was a bit unrefined.
*Sakuri sakuri*
*Sakuri sakuri*
*Sakuri sakuri*
He couldn’t put down his fork and ended up eating the whole thing.
Eating so much onion fried in oil should have made him feel sick, but there must be some trick to it.
The fluffy, sweet taste of the onions was irresistible.
Before he could order, the waitress started pouring him another glass of lager. When he tried to say something, she smiled.
This is why Arnoux likes the restaurant.
Arnoux is surprisingly fussy about how people are treated, despite his appearance, but he would be able to relax in a restaurant with such attentive service.
The mushroom tempura also had an interesting texture.
Until now, he had only thought of boiling or simmering mushrooms.
In the northern land where Isaac’s ancestors lived, there are mushrooms that are poisonous unless they are thoroughly boiled.
Because they had inherited such wisdom, they didn’t eat mushrooms in any way other than boiling or simmering, but there was also this cooking method.
He was most surprised by the tree roots.
The waitress, Shinobu, called it gobo, but it looked like nothing more than thinly sliced tree roots.
This, too, is made into kakiage with carrots.
The texture is incomparable to that of onions, but it is also delicious.
“The world of cooking is full of wonders. I never thought tree roots could be eaten so deliciously.”
“Gobo is delicious, isn’t it? It was my grandfather’s favorite.”
As Shinobu smiled while saying this, Isaac couldn’t find the words to say.
She must have come from a land so poor that they had to dig up even tree roots.
While thinking of ways to make it at least a little more palatable, they must have come up with the idea of frying it.
By frying it, gobo was no longer a tree root.
This is cuisine.
That cuisine has come to fruition as tempura after three generations.
As the ingredients became available, they must have come up with the idea of coating the plain fried food. With the availability of chicken eggs, this dish was completed as tempura.
If that’s the case, the elaborate preparation makes sense.
The noble spirit of not wasting a single ingredient led to an excessive amount of effort being put into ingredients that could be found anywhere, elevating them to the level of cuisine.
When he thought about it that way, he couldn’t help but feel the love of God in their efforts and those of their ancestors.
When he finished the plate full of tempura, Isaac’s curiosity as a cook began to bubble up inside him.
Tempura is delicious. They must make other dishes delicious as well.
He wanted to learn that skill. If there was anything he could steal with his eyes, he would.
“The tempura was delicious. Next, I’d like something with a stronger flavor… something like a stew.”
“Yes, a stew with a strong flavor!”