"Ding dong!"
"Successfully signed in once."
"Ding dong!"
"Congratulations, Host, you have received one opportunity to upgrade and renovate the Izakaya. Would you like to use it now?"
For a good restaurant, the chef's culinary skills are very important.
But if there isn't a proper and distinctive dining environment, then a lot of the joy will be lost when enjoying the delicious food.
Of course, this doesn't mean that the grander the Izakaya's environment, the better!
For a simple example:
One day, a breakfast shop downstairs in a residential area starts renovating in the style of a high-end restaurant.
Even if they're still selling common items like steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and Tofu pudding, would you still go in to buy them?
Most people probably wouldn't dare, and they'd grumble to themselves: "Good heavens, if it's decorated like this, won't one breakfast cost a whole day's salary?"
Therefore, the most important thing when decorating a restaurant's environment is to consider the target demographic.
Without hesitation,
Sosuke directly used this upgrade opportunity.
After all, with business gradually booming, the current Izakaya indeed needed to expand.
Especially the spatial layout, including increasing the number of tables and chairs, and the reasonable arrangement of the dining environment, all needed to be re-planned!
In short, there was only one principle:
The more diners it could accommodate, the better.
"Ding dong!"
"According to the Host's wishes, the Izakaya is now upgrading. The upgrade content is as follows:"
"Increase area by 50 square meters, open the B1 floor ingredient warehouse, and the internal dining environment receives one simple upgrade."
"This upgrade will take 24 hours, during which the Izakaya will not be open to the public. Please close for one day, Host!"
"Close for one day?"
Upon hearing this, Sosuke shrugged, feeling a bit helpless.
Since he came to this world, his Izakaya seemed to have never closed.
But this was good too; it was a gift from the system, allowing him to relax.
In the early morning, the sun was bright.
The sky was a clear blue, without a single cloud.
Every flower and blade of grass at Totsuki Academy looked vibrant under the sunlight!
At this moment, in a cooking classroom in the high school section, Tadokoro Megumi felt a bit listless. Although she had been encouraged by Sosuke last night, she still couldn't fall asleep once she returned to Polar Star Dormitory and lay in bed.
That feeling of unease enveloped her heart like a demon, making her feel suffocated!
"Sigh! It's no good. For the first class after school starts, I'm still too nervous."
Tadokoro Megumi muttered to herself, somewhat flustered.
Whenever she thought about the possibility of failing this assessment and facing expulsion, her delicate body would instantly tense up.
Afterward, to relieve her tension, she could only continuously write the character "people" (person) on her palm and then make swallowing motions towards her mouth.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
As the class bell rang,
The various noisy sounds around her abruptly ceased.
Then, a steady figure walked into the cooking classroom and slowly came to the podium.
Although he looked somewhat elderly, his hair was meticulously combed, without a single strand out of place.
And those deep-set, cloudy eyes seemed to tell of the vicissitudes of time. The Totsuki chef's formal uniform he wore made his entire demeanor radiant!
Afterward, he surveyed the students below, cleared his throat, and introduced himself: "Good morning, everyone. I am your instructor for this practical test, Roland Shaper!"
As soon as his words fell, the entire cooking classroom erupted in an uproar.
All the Totsuki freshmen looked at Shaper in disbelief, their faces filled with shock, dread, and... bewilderment.
This chef, who served as an instructor in Totsuki's French cuisine department, was known for his strictness within the academy. The pass rate for assessments he presided over was always very low!
Coupled with his perpetually stern face and lack of smiles, students called him:
The Chef Who Doesn't Smile!
"It's over!"
"First class, I... I actually encountered Shaper Instructor."
"With my current cooking skills, how could I possibly satisfy him with my cooking?"
"My Totsuki life seems to end here. Mom, Sosuke, what... what should I do?"
Seeing Shaper on the stage, Tadokoro Megumi, who was in the midst of swallowing "people," was so scared that her soul nearly flew out, like a zombie that had lost consciousness.
She had calculated everything, but she never expected her luck to be so bad as to encounter this strict instructor.
"Quiet."
"Pay attention to classroom order."
Seeing the chaotic scene, Shaper frowned slightly.
Then he waved his hand, signaling all the students present to quiet down.
Immediately after, he picked up an ink pen, turned around, and skillfully wrote the detailed recipe for "Burgundy Beef Bourguignon" on the whiteboard.
"Today, the assessment will be on a French regional dish, Burgundy Beef Bourguignon!"
"I have already written the detailed recipe for this dish on the whiteboard. As for the ingredients required for this dish, I had them prepared early."
"However, due to some limitations of the ingredients on site, it's impossible for you to replicate it 100%. Therefore, I allow you to exercise your creativity and make modifications without deviating from the essence of this dish."
"In short, everything will be judged by my standards."
"If, after modifying the dish, you still fail to satisfy me, I will still give you the worst evaluation!"
"By the way,"
"Let me also tell you."
"Here, I only have the worst E-rank evaluation and the best A-rank evaluation."
"This means you either pass smoothly or you are directly eliminated. There are no B, C, or D ranks for you to coast on!"
With that said,
The entire room was in an uproar again.
Everyone knew Shaper was strict, but they never expected his judging standards to be so extreme!
And Tadokoro Megumi, who had been constantly swallowing the character "people," instantly froze after hearing Shaper's speech.
Huh?
Burgundy Beef Bourguignon?
This dish... wasn't it the one Sosuke's Restaurant voluntarily made for me last time, no, the time before last, at the Izakaya?
She recalled that after finishing that pot of Burgundy Beef Bourguignon, Sosuke had specifically explained many details of the dish's preparation in front of her.
Among them, he repeatedly emphasized the method for quickly tenderizing the beef.
Could it be that...
Sosuke's Restaurant had the ability to foresee the future?
"It's 9 AM now. Get ready quickly."
"Two hours later, I will evaluate the dishes you have prepared."
"And any dish exceeding this time limit will be considered unqualified!" Finally, as Shaper announced the start of the assessment, all the freshmen began to busy themselves.
----------------------------------
I've already uploaded over 40 new chapters on Patreon!
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead, feel free to check it out.
Your support truly means a lot to me!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
Thank you so much for being here!
And if you're having fun with the story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone for me!