Seeing an instant change in both of them the moment they started cooking it couldn't help but raise her curiosity. Egg's were a basic ingredient for many genres of cooking what kind of dish shall they prepare for someone who tastes delicacies regularly?
Souma began cooking cutting up vegetables and after starting to bowl some meat in a pot cracked open an egg before scrambling it "Yukihira-Kun, Just what are you making?" Erina being impatient asked.
"You've seeing this much and you don't get it?" he laughed making fun off her already forgetting Sai's warning.
"I'll fail you right now!" she screamed a bit red "Listen! I don't have time to taste a failure!" calming down a bit she got serious again "I'm asking you if you're even trying to make a dish that corresponds to my tongue!"
Grinning Souma looked at her "Ok I'll tell you, The dish I'm cooking is… Secret Menu #8!" he raised up his chopsticks. Secret menu? What kind of dish is it? Erina thought "Furikake Gohan!" with a dramatic rise it all fell apart as silence was left
"Don't screw with me! You're really a second rate chef!" turning she knew it was a waste of time to stay.
"Wait I'm not making a normal Furikake" Souma with an expression of confidence stated "I'm making a transforming Furikake Gohan!" with a grin he said that catching her attention.
"Not to mention you're forgetting there are two of us" Sai mentioned in the back holding a bowl of thin cuts of pork.
"Shiokawa-kun I forgot you were there!" nodding Sai understood since it was a fairly normal occurrence for him but Erina just gave a deeper sigh.
Walking over she saw batter and cut potatoes being fried "And what are you making?" after Souma she didn't want to know the answer.
Putting the bowl down he scrambled an egg "On cooking shows the chef always explains a dish after it's given to a judge" he responds and looked up at her "But Nakiri-ojousama if wanted the accepted applicants to be zero you made a huge mistake just now" he told her his eyes glowing with energy.
Feeling it wasn't bluff she wouldn't back off "And what would that be?" her goal wasn't to make the successes zero she just didn't want to waste time but in a way it was the same thing.
Lifting up the white object Sai gave a small smile "Making the main ingredient eggs" pouring the egg mix into the pan he gave her a delicate explanation.
Taking a step away from him she saw Souma lay out his dish "It's done" he told her presenting his transforming Furikake Gohan. A bowl of fresh rice next to a container of what looked like scramble eggs and meat "This isn't even worth considering if the other one's dish is within the same realm as your's the exam will just end here" Turning she didn't even bother tasting it.
I have a palate that's been named 'Gods Tongue' since I was a child I've only eaten from first-class chefs. I've had tasting appointments regularly and had a shop with a three star specialty in Paris. On my table lined up only high-class dishes that concentrated on extravagance and innovation. A heaven of gourmet food! To serve me who lived there a questionable dish like Furikake "It's the work of a second-rate chef I don't crave it at all" she didn't hesitate to say those words are place any emotion into them.
Yukihara seemed a bit ticked and in a deep voice called out "Even though this dish's true form is about to show"
Turning not knowing why she gave anymore attention she asked "What do you mean with that?" with a grinned he lifted up his the dish and she saw it something was in the eggs in a darker color.
"Well take a look" flipping it he poured the contents onto the rice "It's done" after all a Furikake's value can only be shown over rice.
The gel like cubes dropped onto the rice and began to slowly melt from the rice's heat and merge with the egg's and rice. Slowly rising from the steam came the impressive scent of carefully boiled chicken "This is the Transforming Gohan!" placing it down Erina stared at it trying to know just what it was.
"I'll give it one bite" she muttered "If you want it to be judged hand over that bowl now!" trying to keep up her superiority she placed her hand on her hip and Sai noticed Souma's creepy smile.
"It's done" handing it to her she carefully took up her utensils.
Taking a bit of gel covered rice she placed into her mouth and stood there for a moment and widened her eyes in shock then had some kind of internal conflict before taking another one "You're taking another one didn-" Sai stopped him from talking.
"Seriously did you even listen to my advise? She's probably being considerate or something" Sai was still a bit different and Souma noticed a plate on the table behind them "Continue please"
Erina almost reluctantly took another bite and after a bit of thought came with her decision "Jellied meat Broth correct?" Souma nodded with a smile
Correct those square things are chicken wing jellied meat broth" he said "I boiled the chicken wings with Bonito stock, sake and light soy sauce, then extract the chicken wings gelatinous parts and good taste" he gave his explanation "Let the broth cool and when it hardens cut it delicately" looking at the pot on he was using Erina knew what he had done "Sprinkling it over hot rice with make the molted chicken wing broth jiggly twine around the minced eggs"
Nodding Erina accepted that if were to describe the broth is a concentrated soup where the chicken's deliciousness blends, the thick broths body and saltines brings out the soft mince eggs sweetness, with every bite the softness and syrupiness rub inside my mouth, the molten jellied meat brother springs up the eggs tastiness exceptionally! This isn't anything like the other dishes I've ever tasted a world of tastes not even I knew.
Feeling that he had an edge Souma leaned down "How is it! Aren't you glad you didn't leave before eating it?" he asked with a smug expression.
Panicking she yelled out "Silence I'm still judging!" she tried to calm back down.
"Even this commonplace menu transforms into a gem with creative originality!" picking up a small bit he gave a confident smile "This is Yukihira's cooking!" with pride in his words she took another bite.
In her vision she stood in the heaven's as she was being served by angels caring to her every need but in an instant the sky gave a glow of power as her heaven was invaded by an unknown enemy to her ideals "No stay away!" she screamed to the new angels as they wished to care for her.
Dropping to her knees Souma nodded "It's true that ours is a small special of the day shop and yours probably really are part of the highest grade however if you just recline on the seat of honor there are probably things you can't make!" he declared and turned "Now how was it?" he was asking for her judgement "Yukihira style's Furikake Gohan, was it good, was it bad" Seeing her glare at him "Tell me" he demanded.
Stepping between them finally getting tired of the show Sai emptied a cup of ice water onto Souma's head "You're being rude at this point" he sighed "Showing her that she was wrong is one thing smacking it in her face five times is another" wiping off the water Souma stared up at Sai
"You can't seriously not be the least bit annoyed"
"I can't say I'm mad honestly I don't really care" he knew he shouldn't say it out loud to people like them but to him Cooking was just a simple hobby to help out his brother but raising the lid over his plate he placed it down before Erina "Please judge"
Staring at his plate she saw from his eyes he couldn't be underestimated either knowing that she first analyzed the plate.
It was an incredibly simple breakfast dish. Two pancakes with a small reddish lump of meat between "What is this?" even Souma was confused.
"A breakfast burger" he announced making Erina feel even more depressed that she was actually still interested "What? I'm from America the homeland of Burgers, chemically enhanced food, and preservatives" Sai shrugged "In my country as much as people deny it speed comes first and food that can be eaten while traveling is also top-rated"
Gulping Erina took out utensils and was about to eat when Sai stopped her "It's a burger it might be easier to just" he motioned eating a burger made of air.
"You can't possibly expect me to do something so vulgar" she responded before noticing Arato's strange expression "What is it?"
Coming up to her she leaned down carefully whispering in her ear "I timed how long it took him to complete his dish" showing her a small watch Erina's eyes widened "Precisely twenty-eight minutes and fifty-two seconds" remembering his file he only worked at a simple afternoon restaurant that doesn't even serve breakfast.
Impossible. In that moment he created a dish in his mind just by seeing the main ingredient? Remembering his words that it was a mistake to make the main ingredient eggs she understood "So you're choice of specialties are eggs" she concluded.
Nodding Sai smiled "It's a funny story of how that came to be but yeah if asked about what my specialty is it would undoubtedly be eggs" seeing his smile she decided to try the dish.
Taking the burger up to her mouth she took a bite. Slow at first the softness entered squeezing out a beat of juices her mind was engulfed in a steady symphonic rhythm before she began to chew down on small soft textures of meat and mushrooms each highlighting themselves while keeping the harmony together with the egg. Increasing it's own pace little by little the tempo took a sudden change as it reached its climax. The beautifully crafted solo of a soft and creamy yolk.
Imagining the sun rise up in the sky Erina unconsciously stretched her arms "Erina-sama?" turning to her assistant she almost wondered why she was in her room when she remembered where she was and stood up quickly throwing back the chair she was on.
"Whoa!" jumping back the two boys wondered what she was doing.
Feeling refreshed she felt as though she had just woken up from an extremely pleasant dream Erina scanned the table for the burger she must have dropped but found no trace of it "You" staring at Sai who was now feeling more afraid now she asked him "Who do you normally make this for?" as good as the dish was there was a special part of it that was an extremely rare component in cooking.
Wondering what she meant he gave a simple answer "My brother" her stare told him to give more "My brother goes to a different school district so he had to leave early all the time so I made him a quick to eat mobile breakfast" nodding she smiled.
You must really care for your brother. She didn't say it out loud but she knew the time and effort he used to formulate this dish wasn't something that would be used to serve to customers or simple friends but only loved ones he cared deeply about. Using her vague memory to analyse the dish "The pancakes were a simple home-baked recipe with the use of fruit juice that didn't hinder the baking" she started and Sai nodded.
"Mainly Lemons and Oranges but also a bit of vanilla with the use of brown sugar" a small bit of fruit was the only special part about the pancakes which offered extra sensation to the meat "And for the part between its egg whites, minced mushrooms tops, strips of pork, and potato. I got the idea from a breakfast place I liked that served pancakes with eggs, harsh brown, and bacon but having them separate made it hard for travel this makes it so it can be eaten with a single hand"
Nodding she understood he also placed the egg yolk as a single creamy entity than at last he wrapped it all around in an extremely thin crispy layer of bacon meat. The most outstanding part was how the ingredients were so accurately arranged that gave the impression of a fresh start in the morning.
Souma was impressed that he made something like that but more than that his skills were outstanding to make her give such a reaction "So what's my score?" Sai asked taking a breath.
