Time passed by second by second.
After Tadokoro Megumi finished the preliminary work for the side ingredients, she sat there quietly.
She was waiting, waiting for the beef to marinate to its ideal state.
Unfortunately, her opponents were unaware of this, and instead thought Tadokoro Megumi was scared, occasionally taunting her.
Kimura-san was the first to finish; he brought three plates of beef burgers to the judges.
The three judges glanced at him, then focused their attention on the beef burgers.
The presentation was a bit ordinary, seemingly no different from those sold outside, but the taste was the most important thing.
The three picked them up and took a small bite.
Then, there was no 'then'.
The only female judge seemed to sense the awkward atmosphere and could only say three words: "Not bad."
Kimura-san returned to his workstation with a dark expression.
"Leave it to me," Inoue-san said reassuringly, then brought his beef stewed in red wine to the judges.
After the three judges tasted it, they fell silent once again.
"How to put it? It's a textbook dish, with no major flaws, but also no outstanding highlights," one of the male judges said calmly.
"Simply put, it's mediocre," another male judge chimed in.
Inoue-san's expression changed repeatedly, but he dared not retort. He nodded with a displeased look and quickly returned to his workstation.
They could only hope that Tadokoro Megumi would be even worse than them.
"What's wrong with Megumi? Why has she been sitting there? Most of the time has already passed," Yoshino Yuuki couldn't help but worry.
"She's waiting for the optimal marinating time for the beef," Liu Ming answered her question.
"But if that's the case, will there still be enough time to cook?" Sakaki Ryoko also asked.
"I probably guessed what dish Megumi plans to make. Didn't you see how thinly she sliced the beef just now? The cooking process will be very fast; most of the time is spent on marinating the beef to absorb the flavor."
A few minutes later, Tadokoro Megumi finally took action.
She turned the stove to the highest heat, and after heating the oil, she threw all the auxiliary ingredients in for a quick stir-fry.
Soon, a spicy aroma wafted through the venue.
It was very enticing.
Many people were already starting to drool.
Some were already thinking to themselves, "Is this still that dead last?"
Next, Tadokoro Megumi added her self-prepared sauce, then water, and brought it to a boil over high heat.
This made the aroma even more intense.
The sounds of people drooling rose and fell.
She added cabbage, and after a few minutes, it was directly served, poured into three separate serving dishes.
Then, she poured the marinated beef directly into it, sprinkled Sichuan peppercorns, chili powder, and minced garlic over the beef, heated oil once more, and once the oil was smoking, she poured it directly over the beef.
A sizzling sound erupted.
After sprinkling a little green onion for garnish, this Tadokoro Megumi-style Boiled Beef was officially complete.
The three judges no longer had their previous composure; their eyes were wide. They never expected such a high-level dish to appear in a small Food War.
Just smelling the aroma emanating from it was enough to make them feel intoxicated.
"Well then, I'll start tasting now," one of the male judges said excitedly, extending his chopsticks. He really wanted to know what this dish would taste like.
"I'll taste it too," another male judge said similarly.
"Mmm~~~"
"Oh~~~"
Two sounds of enjoyment rang out simultaneously.
Then came a frantic eating speed; they simply couldn't stop.
Tadokoro Megumi looked at the only female judge who hadn't started eating and said softly, "Actually, this dish isn't as spicy as you might think."
"Really?" the female judge asked, surprised. It wasn't that she couldn't eat spicy food, but if it was too spicy, her body would feel uncomfortable afterward.
"Of course, you'll know if you take a bite." Tadokoro Megumi had kept everything Liu Ming told her in mind. Observing guests' eating habits and physical conditions was something she had never forgotten.
This female judge often served as a judge for Food Wars, so Tadokoro Megumi had a certain understanding of her.
"Then I'll start tasting too," the female judge gave Tadokoro Megumi a grateful look, then picked up a piece of beef.
No wonder it could be cooked by simply pouring hot oil over it, without needing to be stir-fried.
She gently placed the beef into her mouth.
It was a little spicy, but not overly so, and she even tasted a hint of sweetness.
Moreover, the beef was incredibly tender and refreshing. Even though it was chili sauce, she found it very enjoyable.
The spiciness stimulated her taste buds, constantly driving her appetite.
Soon, the beef was swallowed.
Without the beef, the sense of loss made her instinctively pick up another piece of beef.
Then the cycle repeated.
When she came back to her senses, she found that the dish in front of her had already been completely eaten.
"Cough, cough~" The female judge coughed twice, covering up her embarrassment.
She looked at Tadokoro Megumi in surprise and asked, "How did you do that?"
"You know, when I first saw the red layer of chili oil on the dish, I thought it would be incredibly spicy."
"But when I actually tasted it, I found it wasn't very spicy at all; it was even very sweet and refreshing. What an incredible technique!"
"Yes, I'd like to know too," the other two male judges also nodded.
Tadokoro Megumi smiled gently and explained, "Actually, it's very simple. When stir-frying the chili, I added vinegar, and when marinating the beef, I added honey."
The female judge frowned and said, "Although these two things can neutralize the spiciness, the taste will also change."
Tadokoro Megumi smiled and said, as if it were obvious, "As long as you grasp the right amount, isn't that good enough?"
The expressions of the three judges changed instantly. It sounded easy to say, but how many people could truly achieve it?
"It seems Tootsuki has produced an extraordinary talent."
The three exchanged glances, and each had made their judgment.
"Alright, this Food War finally has a result! The winner is Tadokoro Megumi!" Kawashima Ryo loudly announced.
"She won! Megumi won!" Yoshino Yuuki jumped up in surprise.
The Polar Star Dormitory also cheered together.
Although they knew that with Tadokoro Megumi's current cooking skills, it was impossible for her to lose, they were still very happy to see her actually win.
In contrast to their joy, the other people in the venue, who had always believed Tadokoro Megumi would surely lose, were stunned by the emergence of a dark horse.
Moreover, judging by the words of the three judges, Tadokoro Megumi seemed to be very formidable.
The most disbelieving were Tadokoro Megumi's opponents.
They knew that if they lost, they would be expelled.
They had never imagined they would be expelled, and by Tadokoro Megumi, of all people, the dead last.
"Are you mistaken? How could she, a dead last, possibly beat me?" Kimura-san questioned.
"Hehe, I don't know why she's considered dead last, but from those dishes just now, I can tell that the gap between you and her is as vast as heaven and earth; you simply cannot compare."
"I truly don't understand why you had the confidence to challenge her to a Food War. You should know, that dish just now was already close to Elite Ten level. Aren't you just seeking your own demise?" the female judge said with disdain.
Her words stirred up a whirlwind throughout the entire venue.
It must be fake!
After all, that was an Elite Ten dish!
Everyone couldn't believe it and didn't want to believe it.