"Hello, may I ask when the shop will open?!"
Looking at the tall, robust figure in front of him, who was half a head taller than him—and he was already 1.8 meters in this life—this guy must be at least 1.95 meters!
His eyes widened in shock, and he unconsciously swallowed. As the burly man spoke, Hoshino Sora's tense heart finally relaxed, and a professional smile appeared on his face.
"It will take about 20 more minutes. If you don't mind, you can wait over here. However, our menu today is relatively simple, only offering pork trotter rice and miso soup."
Good heavens, so he was just here to eat. He thought it was a gangster collecting protection money. He almost died of fright.
"Alright, thank you for the trouble, and for your hospitality!"
"It's nothing. Just wait, you'll taste a peerless delicacy soon!"
With a bright, confident smile, Hoshino Sora seated him. Faced with his anticipation, Hoshino Sora, as if infected, gave a thumbs-up, then returned to the kitchen.
Truly something to look forward to.
Watching Hoshino Sora leave, Wutian Qinghai covered his rumbling stomach and waited at the table. From time to time, he heard the young man's helpless scolding of the girls from the kitchen, and the sound of a knife hitting the cutting board.
Twenty minutes, not too much, not too little, just right. Hoshino Sora personally brought the pork trotter rice to Wutian Qinghai. It was covered with a lid, but the aroma still wafted out through the gaps.
Yes, this is the smell!
Saliva secreted profusely in his mouth. As the metal lid was lifted, a white light seemed to obscure his vision, and then a rich aroma, as if substantial, wafted around, completely filling him with immense satisfaction!
"I'll dig in!"
Clasping his hands together and separating his chopsticks, Wutian Qinghai looked at the pork trotters in front of him, red in color, bright in luster, cut into large pieces and neatly arranged on the rice. He picked a piece with both fat and lean meat and put it into his mouth.
The next moment, the thick, tender trotters exploded in his mouth, and the braising liquid permeated it. Salty, savory, fragrant, tender and boneless, soft and melt-in-your-mouth without sticking to his teeth—all the flavors and textures played the world's most popular symphony in his mouth. Wutian Qinghai felt as if he was in an illusion after the first bite.
He felt as if he had transformed into a fierce wild boar, rampaging freely through the forest, eventually stumbling into a medicinal field filled with various herbs. After feasting, he then shattered the owner's wine jar.
"What a rich medicinal aroma, Boss, you added medicinal herbs to the pork trotter braising liquid, didn't you?"
"I added bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon, dried tangerine peel… all are high-grade traditional Chinese medicinal herbs beneficial for health and wellness. You came early; if it steeped for a few more hours, the flavor would be even richer!"
Facing the inquiry, Hoshino Sora smiled and explained. For a chef, nothing is more fulfilling than seeing a diner genuinely smile with happiness because of the dish he made.
"To be the first customer to eat this pork trotter rice, I am already very satisfied. To ask for anything more would truly invite divine wrath! Another bowl!"
He devoured the pork trotter rice in front of him with gusto, but it was clearly not enough! Such a delicious dish, he felt he could eat ten more bowls!
"Coming right up!"
Hearing Wutian Qinghai's request, Hoshino Sora naturally obliged. He immediately returned to the kitchen to scoop out pork hocks, debone and slice the meat, blanch a portion of small green vegetables, slice half a braised egg, and arrange them on the rice—a perfect Braised Pork Trotter Rice!
Turning his head, seeing the two sisters with their greedy cat-like expressions, Hoshino Sora sighed softly, then picked out two large pork trotters from the braising liquid and placed them in front of them.
"Here, Asaka-nee, Rika-nee, once you're done eating, you'll have to start working."
"Sora!"
"Sora!"
Deeply moved, Ya Xiang and Rika looked at Hoshino Sora, who had been scolding them for sneaking bites just minutes ago. They were just short of rushing up to give him a fragrant kiss. In fact, if Hoshino Sora hadn't left quickly, they really would have done so.
"Sorry for the wait, here's the steaming hot pork trotter rice."
As they talked, Hoshino Sora noticed that the shop entrance was surrounded by customers at some point, but no one was actively coming in, as if waiting for something.
Seeing this, Hoshino Sora was first puzzled, then slapped his head, suddenly enlightened, and ran out. He flipped the "Temporarily Closed" sign at the shop entrance, and then, groups of customers rushed in.
"One of this set meal, please."
"Me too."
"Same for me."
"Understood! Everyone, please take a seat. There's plenty of pork trotter rice, everyone will get some!"
The rich aroma attracted hungry customers from the street, and people continuously entered Hoshino Sora's small shop, making him busy. The next moment, the two sisters, having finished their pork trotters, appeared.
They skillfully helped customers find seats, then noted the order and gave out number tags, and then moved in and out of the kitchen in an orderly fashion, each time bringing out a plate of pork trotter rice covered with a silver lid.
Why cover it with a lid? According to Hoshino Sora, it was to lock in the aroma. When customers personally lifted the lid, it would create an instant sense of awe, and another reason was that it looked more sophisticated.
"What a rich aroma, this pork trotter is so tender!"
"Full of collagen, this one bite alone makes me ten years younger, it's so blissful!"
"One bowl of rice is simply not enough, waiter, another serving!"
"Me too, another serving!"
[Mission Complete]: Open a Shop
[Mission Description]: Own a shop in Tokyo, where land is precious, receive good reviews from surrounding customers, and establish a foothold.
[Mission Reward]: Crystal Phantom
[Crystal Phantom]: Observe a chef's cooking process and perfectly replicate their dish, while gaining some culinary insights.
Hoshino Sora, who was slicing pork trotters, heard the occasional praises from outside the kitchen, and then the system's prompt sound rang in his mind. His face immediately lit up with joy.
Well, he'd completed the mission already, much easier than he thought!
As the system prompt sounded, a rhomboid crystal also appeared in Hoshino Sora's backpack. The crystal was light purple, exuding a hint of mystery.
[Trigger Mission]: Minor Fame
[Mission Description]: Establish your fame on Commercial Street, with a daily customer flow of five hundred.
[Mission Reward]: Proficient Knife Skills
[Proficient Knife Skills]: Master the techniques of rolling cuts and flat cuts, allowing you to easily slice ingredients into uniformly thin shreds.
Before Hoshino Sora could examine it closely, the system prompt in his mind rang again. This time it was an advanced mission from the previous stage; the only difficulty was reaching a daily customer flow of five hundred.
However, given the current trend, it shouldn't be a big problem.
As for proficient knife skills, Hoshino Sora's expression was excited as he looked at the description provided. Although he had been cooking for a year, his knife skills had always been ordinary.
Normally, making sour and spicy shredded potatoes or cutting green and red peppers was fine, but techniques like rolling cuts and flat cuts, which required a certain level of difficulty, were a bit beyond him.
There was nothing he could do; his main profession at the time was a student, and he was also in a period of sadness after a breakup, so he naturally didn't have the mood to delve into knife skills.
However, it's just right now; the system will find a way to solve the problem.