The word “kiss,” coming from Shinobu, made all the customers in the restaurant turn around with startled expressions.
Izakaya Nobu has delicious food and sake, but some customers come specifically to see Shinobu. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that most of the single male regulars come to this place because Shinobu serves them.
So, when an inappropriate word like “kiss” suddenly came out, it was only natural for the place to become noisy.
“Ki…Kiss Day?”
“That’s right, Kiss Day! I just can’t get enough of kisses!”
Seeing her say that with an expression that looked like she was about to start dancing, Hans couldn’t help but give a wry smile.
What is Kiss Day, exactly? Is it some sort of festival where people kiss their lovers?
Come to think of it, the things in this shop have a very foreign flair. Maybe there are strange customs in other lands that Hans can’t even imagine.
A cold sweat trickled down Hans’ back.
There was a small church next to the guard barracks, and a new deacon had just been assigned there. He was an old man who looked very stern, with an unapproachable aura.
It wasn’t ideal to get caught up in any church-related trouble right when someone like that had just arrived.
“The ‘kiss’ she’s talking about is the name of a fish, Hans.”
Translator’s Note
Kisu is the name for the Japanese whiting fish.
Seeing his distress, Taisho intervened. His expression was as unreadable as ever, but upon closer inspection, his lips were trembling slightly. He was probably suppressing a laugh.
While draping a white cloth over the white fish, Taisho continued, “The ‘kisu’ is called the ‘Joy Fish’ in our country, it’s a very auspicious fish. It’s delicious as sashimi, but the tempura is exceptional.”
The atmosphere in the restaurant relaxed at Taisho’s rescue.
It was great to avoid getting caught up in a strange foreign festival, but more than that, the day’s dish sounded promising.
“That’s quite the auspicious name.”
“Right? And it’s super delicious!”
When Shinobu said that, it was hard not to want to try it, even without knowing what it was. This girl seemed to have been blessed with the talent of being the perfect signboard girl.
“Taisho, one order of kiss tempura over here!”
“Got it!”
Following Hans’s lead, other orders began piling up. Everyone was interested in something new.
Without panicking at the rush of orders, Taisho skillfully coated the kiss in batter. The Old Capital also had a dish called cutlet, which involved coating and frying.
However, a dish deep-fried in this much oil was rarely seen. If anything, it would be Nobu’s specialty, Captain Bertholdt’s favorite, Fried Chicken.
When placed in the hot oil, the kiss made a delicious sizzle.
Just as that sound was turning crisp, Shinobu brought something strange to Hans.
“Shinobu-chan, what’s that on the plate?”
Shinobu had placed a thin piece of something on a delicately woven wooden plate.
“Huh? It’s paper.”
“Paper? I can read a little, but I can’t write anything but my name.”
“Ah, I’m not giving it to you to write something.”
“But paper is for writing, right? I heard it’s more expensive than parchment.”
Compared to parchment made from sheepskin, paper made from wood is lighter. Moreover, Hans had heard that it was becoming popular among church officials and scholars recently due to its ease of transport.
“We lay it on the plates.”
“Shinobu-chan, if you do that… isn’t it wasteful?”
“It’s okay. The tempura will taste much better this way.”
Hans tilted his head as Shinobu placed the paper generously on everyone else’s plates. Paper was still a new commodity. How was a small izakaya able to acquire so much of it?
“Alright, here’s your kiss tempura!”
Taisho’s voice cut through his doubts.
The kiss was skillfully drained of oil, and Shinobu placed it on the plates. The freshly fried batter was still making small crackling sounds, looking absolutely delicious.
“Shinobu-chan, how do I eat this?”
“You can eat it with tentsuyu dipping sauce, or it’s also delicious with salt.”
Following her instructions, he tried it with salt first.
It was a fried white fish, so he had an idea of what to expect. Still, if Shinobu said she loved it, it might be surprisingly delicious.
*Sakuri*
Translator’s Note
Onomatopoeia for a light, crunchy bite.
After taking a bite, he was surprised by the texture.
The crisply fried batter and the soft white fish inside.
The unfamiliar sensation spreading in his mouth made his chopsticks tremble.
*Sakuri*
The reason Shinobu lined the plates with paper finally made sense.
The flavor was so refined, the oil couldn’t be too much. The paper was absorbing the oil, making it the perfect amount. This dish had been meticulously thought out.
And then, a toriaezu nama.
The perfect texture and proper amount of oil went exceptionally well with the ale.
After enjoying the refined taste with salt, he dipped it into the tentsuyu sauce and ate it.
This was also delicious.
The salt was better at bringing out the delicate taste of the white fish, but the rich umami of the tentsuyu also went perfectly with the kisu tempura. He could eat it all day.
“Taisho, another order!”
“W-wait a minute, Hans-san! If you eat too much, I won’t have enough for my meal!”
Shinobu looked like she was about to cry, but this was too delicious to give up.
On the contrary, the customers around him were placing more and more orders.
“Kisu tempura, another order over here!”
“I’ll take some, make it a large portion.”
“Wait a minute, everyone! What about my meal? What about my Kisu Day?”
At a table in the corner, there was a customer with a child, which was unusual. It went well with ale, but it was also a dish that kids would like.
Hans didn’t know how much kisu Taisho had stocked, but Shinobu’s share was likely to become very small.