"What's with this familiar phrase…" Mike's eyebrow twitched. He had seen this phrase bandied about over and over again on the internet, and half expected to hear it again, but he never thought that Abbé Mia would be the first to utter them in his face.
"Well, that's not necessarily true, you know." Mike smiled, shaking his head. Who would have thought that a split in taste would appear in his restaurant even before a single [Beancurd] was sold. Still, he did not force Abbé Mia to a try the other dish. Instead, he sat down opposite her and brought the [Savoury Beancurd] closer to himself.
The condiments were made to suit his own taste buds. The red orange sauce looked spicy against the pure white beancurd. The colour of which could be seen under finely chopped pickled mustard, coriander, green onions, some finely minced garlic and exactly two drops of sesame oil. Since it just came out from the bucket, it was still quite warm.
He scooped up a spoonful of the [Savoury Beancurd] and put it in his mouth, the soft [Beancurd] slid along his tongue. When he bit into the the tender body, the gentle fragrance of the soybeans mingled with the thick sauce, creating an irresistible umami sensation.
The other toppings served as finishing touches to the dish, heightening what was already a wonderful dish to ultimate perfection. The flavour of the the [Savoury Beancurd] was both refreshing and delicious, once swallowed, the lingering taste of the strong sauce did not linger, making him want to eat mouthfuls after mouthfuls of the stuff just to achieve that high again.
"This tasted even better than the Baiji Beancurds from the famous Sky Bridge of Nancheng, Beijing! This has to be the peak of what [Beancurds] should be, ba." Mike's eyes were very bright as his spoon moved speedily. Three minutes later, he was staring into an empty bowl. Satisfaction bloomed across his face as well as his heart as he set his spoon down slowly, "There's nothing like having a warm [Savoury Beancurd] first thing in the morning, it'll be even better when paired with a hearty and meaty [Juicy Burger]. So, it looks like Mia likes [Sweet Beancurds] while I favour [Savoury Beancurd], let's see which faction Amy joins."
"Daddy dearest, Amy is hungry." at this point, Amy's slightly spoilt voice piped up from behind them. Who knew when this little brat of his came down with Little Ugly Duckling in her arms. Her little nose pointed upwards and sniffed, she looked curiously at Mike, "Daddy, could it be that there's a new delicious thing today?"
"En, we have a new dish today, you sit down first, Amy. Daddy will bring some delicious [Beancurd] for you. Do you want sweet or savoury?" Mike was already heading towards the kitchen, only turning back to ask this crucial question.
"[Beancurds]? Sweet or savoury?" a puzzled look appeared on Amy's face.
"Amy, the [Sweet Beancurd] is super delicious. So sweet and, and wonderful that just eating it will make you feel blessed." Abbe Mia couldn't resist putting in her opinion.
"To think this brat dares to use this f***ing technique!" Mike, who had intended to let Amy choose on her own was now racking his brains trying to think of a way to best describe the charms of [Savoury Beancurds].
"Really? But, savoury should also be delicious, ba!" Amy's eyes brightened, she pleaded at Mike, "Daddy dearest, can I have both?"
"O… of course," Mike was stunned by her statement, but then he smiled. Actually, if he really thought about it, this kind of reply really reflects Amy's gluttonous character. There was no way she would actually chose one when she could have both. Only, who knows which one she'll choose once she had eaten them.
"Yay, thank you daddy dearest." Amy bounced happily towards the table, Little Ugly Duckling jolting in her arms. She sat down eagerly, her blue eyes wide with anticipation as she stared up at Mike. Though she had absolutely no idea what a [Beancurd] was, she was confident that since her daddy dearest made it, it had to be super delicious.
Mike entered the kitchen and quickly whipped up two types of [Beancurds] and set them onto the table in front of Amy, "The left one is [Sweet Beancurd] and the one on the right is called [Savoury Beancurd]. Which one would Amy like to try first?"
Abbe Mia was also looking at Amy expectantly. She could tell that Boss Mike favoured the [Savoury Beancurd], but on the other hand she strongly felt that the most delicious food in the world was this [Sweet Beancurd], and therefore it's only natural that Amy would love it as well.
"It smells so yummy!" Amy fanned her little hands on the bowls, wafting the scent over to her happy little face.
"Miao miao~" Ugly Duckling cried out, trying it's best to climb up Amy's arm, curious to see just what was in the bowls.
"Little Ugly Duckling, you can just sit down. These are mine!" Amy pushed Little Ugly Duckling's head down.
"Miao—-!" Little Ugly Duckling mewed pitifully, staring up Amy with wide sad eyes. Hidden deep within those crystal like blue eyes were the resentment of a thousand tiny spirits.
Amy did not even bother to look at it any more, her own eyes were fixed upon the two bowls in front of her. The [Beancurd] things were so pure and white that it looked like it was made from snow, and looked super cute. After a moment's hesitation, her little hand reached out to pull the bowl of [Savoury Beancurd] over to herself before picking up her little spoon.
"The Savoury Faction wins this round." Mike smiled, as expected, his own daughter have the same taste as him.
"If Amy tries the [Sweet Beancurd], I'm sure she'll like it too!" Abbé Mia was a little disappointed, but not in the least discouraged. Her belief remained firm.
"I'm going to eat it now." Amy scooped out a bit of the [Beancurd], The pure white colour of the [Beancurd] was covered by the orange sauce and dotted with various chopped up condiments, making it look like a little forested hill under a sunset. When she shook her spoon, it wobbled gently, looking very bouncy and adorable. Amy opened her mouth wide and stuffed the little sunset hill into her mouth. Without even having to use her teeth, the [Beancurd] melted in her mouth, the fragrance of soybeans and pickled mustard mixed and their flavours enhanced by the perfectly balance sauce. Her eyes sparkled brightly.
After swallowing with an audible gulp, Amy happily looked up at Mike, nodding as she said, "Daddy dearest, [Beancurds] are really super delish, ah! But I can I have a [Juicy Burger] to go with it?"
"Of course, I'll make one for you right now." Mike nodded happily, he too felt that [Juicy Burgers] and [Savoury Beancurds] were a match made in heaven, who would have thought that Amy would actually voiced this out without him prompting her. She really was a talented foodie.
"Is it really that good?" Abbé Mia looked at Amy who was happily scooping up another mouthful, the conviction in her heart somewhat shaken. However, when her eyes landed on the bowl of pure white blessing with its crystal like syrup, her heart steadied. "[Sweet Beancurds] are still the best!"
The buns were already done baking in the oven and the meat tender from the right amount of stewing, so Mike was able to produce two [Juicy Burgers] almost immediately. He also made himself another [Savoury Beancurd] in order to enjoy both dishes together.
Amy took a bite of her [Juicy Burger] and then a spoonful of [Savoury Beancurds], her eyes widened into round circles, happiness suffused her face and her little body began to sway side to side from sheer ecstasy.
Little Ugly Duckling's head swayed along with Amy's spoon, its eyes filled with yearning.
Mike wore a huge satisfied smile, at the very least he could say that his beloved Amy really liked the [Savoury Beancurd].
A knock sounded at the door, Mike eyed the clock, it was only 7 o'clock so he was not at all prepared to open the door.
"Boss Mike, it is I, Sherlock from the detective agency. I have something for you." an impatient voice said between knocks.
[Translator's Note: No, what? No, wait, what!!? Seriously, what!! named character, a Sherlock!!!]This site now runs on ads, do click on a few whenever you encounter any ^_^
Translated and edited by Gumihou from kitchennovel dot com.
For anyone who wants to chat with me, do come over to discord !
<><>