Visitare un Ristorante
By Fox McCloude
Disclaimer: The Quintessential Quintuplets and all characters belong to Haruba Negi. Food Wars! and all characters belong to Yuuto Tsukuda and Yuki Morisaki. All rights reserved.
February 14, Aichi prefecture…
The 14th day of each month was a specific and set routine for Itsuki Nakano, the youngest amongst her sisters. She'd always visit her late mother's grave without fail, and after spending a long time silently conversing with her, she'd go back home.
Some would find it weird to visit a graveyard on Valentine's Day, but it wasn't like she had someone special to give chocolates to that day, in any case. In fact, she'd probably end up eating them herself, unable to resist them. On the other hand, it'd be worth giving a few if she could get some back for the White Day as thanks, although it seemed unlikely. She didn't have time for that, anyway.
"Ugh, thinking about chocolates made me hungry again," she said holding her stomach, which was already growling. "Where could I eat something around here?"
Passing through the restaurant street, she took a look everywhere, wondering what she could crave for at the time. Money was never an issue for her, and she could easily pick traditional Japanese, Chinese, French… and for some reason her look was set on what seemed like an Italian restaurant.
The place itself didn't seemed that big, though it looked good, and wanting to try something different for a change, the youngest Nakano sister decided to enter.
"With your permission… huh?"
However, she was in for a little surprise. There weren't many customers at the time, but the few that were there (most of them girls in her age bracket, it seemed) were looking very attentively and apparently with expectation at two boys, wearing chef white clothes (possibly workers at the place), who glared at one another defiantly. She could almost see sparks flying between their eyes.
"You really think you can make it better than me, Niichan?" one of them asked, the tallest and chubbier of the two, whose brown hair spread out in spikes all over. "You forgot I invented that dish first?"
"I'm just saying I could improve it a little, Isami," the other answered. He wasn't that tall, though he was definitely taller than her. He was quite handsome too, with a face that seemed to have a mix of Asian and European traits, well-combed blond hair and blue eyes. Though despite his foreign appearance, he spoke perfectly fluent Japanese.
"Oh yeah? Well, how about we solve this like men, you and me?" the chubby one replied, apparently his name was Isami, as he rolled up his sleeves and cracked his knuckles.
A pressure suddenly generated in the air at that moment, making Itsuki notably nervous. She was about to turn around and run out of that place, fearing she chose to enter right when a fight was about to break out. However, the rest of the present females began screaming and cheering like crazy "Culinary battle, culinary battle!", which caught immediately the Nakano's interest.
"Etto… excuse me?" She approached one of them, tapping on her shoulder to get her attention. "Could you please explain me what's happening here?"
"What? How're you asking me that?" the girl replied, sounding rather offended before pointing at the two boys. "Don't you know who they are?"
"Hum… should I?"
The girl face-palmed and came closer, pointing at the two boys again, and Itsuki had the strange feeling they emitted battle auras about to explode.
"They, my friend, are the Aldini brothers, Takumi and Isami. They're a pair of prodigious chefs who'd just graduated from the most prestigious culinary academy in all Japan. You're lucky they decided to open their own place in our city!"
"Their own place? Wait, are you telling me they run this restaurant?"
Itsuki was quite surprised. From their appearance, they couldn't be more than a couple years older than her, and they already ran their own restaurant? They probably were real prodigies at cooking if they, if this girl wasn't pulling her leg.
"Alright, let's do it the traditional way," the blond, whose name was Takumi from what she was told before, stated. "Let's pick a customer to judge our dishes, and the loser will have to be the winner's sous chef for the rest of the day."
"Fair deal, Niichan," Isami said, before looking at the girls' group. "Does someone volunteer for it?"
A huge clamor began, where all the girls began calling out "Me, me, choose me!" Itsuki wasn't even moving; she was just too shocked by all the ruckus, though for them to go that crazy, these two boys' cooking probably was really good.
But she wasn't as shocked as when the chubby boy showed a huge sharp-tooth smirk, and pointed in her direction.
"You! The signorina with red hair!"
"Eh? What? Who, how… are you talking about me?"
Itsuki looked around, noticing how all the present females (none of whom had red hair) were giving her death glares, so there was no mistake. Which were the odds to be picked? She wasn't sure whether she should feel lucky, or scared.
"Seems good to me." Takumi approached her. "We need an impartial judge, someone who hasn't tasted our cooking before. Signorina, would you please honor us with your name?"
'Wow, he's really polite,' Itsuki thought. Seeing him up close, she could see how good-looking he actually was. "Ahem, my name is Itsuki, Itsuki Nakano."
"Alright, Signorina Nakano, since you're the only one who hasn't come before to our restaurant, would you agree to be the judge of our culinary battle?"
"S-sure. How much would I have to pay for it?"
"Oh, no need to worry about paying," the chubby one intervened. "When Niichan and I have a culinary battle, the show and the food are on the house."
Itsuki giggled nervously. On the one hand, the idea of tasting these boys' cooking and without paying a single yen, made her appetite whet even more, if they were as good as they said. On the other hand… if looks could kill, she could have died no less than twenty or thirty times under the rest of the females' death glares, as they evidently had tasted their food before, and hated her for robbing them of the pleasure.
"Alright, we'll start immediately with the preparations. Everyone, please get to your tables and do not interfere," Takumi declared in an authoritarian tone, and instantly all customers went to take their seats.
'My God, what have I just gotten myself into?'
…
The youngest Nakano was equally nervous and expectant, watching as the two young chefs prepared their dishes.
Now she could understand what they meant by "show". Despite having no clue about what she should expect of a "culinary battle", it was like watching some sort of sports event. The weirdest part was how, even though they were supposed to be competing against one another, the Aldini brothers seemed to cooperate between them, helping one another by handing out a utensil or ingredient to the other, whenever they needed it at a specific time.
'Wow, they're really skilled. Nino would probably be envious of them right now.'
And that said a lot. Nino was the chef in her family, but these two brothers seemed to be in a completely different league. They worked with impressive speed and accuracy, almost to superhuman levels. If cooking was an art, these boys were real professionals at it.
After the wait (she was so into the culinary show, time went flying), both finally presented their dishes. The smell was already whetting her appetite even more, although she did her best to keep herself composed, and tried to admire first both their works, as the rest of the females watched on expectant.
"These are… calzone, right? That's how they're called?"
"Correct, but these have, shall we say, our personal touch," Takumi said. "Try them and you'll see. Buon appetito."
Intrigued, Itsuki grabbed first Takumi's dish, holding it carefully before taking a huge bite. Her eyes widened once she started tasting it, feeling like something exploded in her mouth and splashed it with flavor. It tasted so good she had to take a couple bites more before looking at it.
"This is… curry?"
"That's right. Our special tomato curry filling, boosted with Italian and Japanese spices," Takumi explained. "Credits to my little brother here, for coming up with the original idea."
"But you improved it further with your spices, Niichan," Isami replied.
"Uh-uh, we did it together," the blond wagged his finger. "Though of course, today we decide who did it better on his own."
'Incredible,' Itsuki thought, trying very hard to not to devour Takumi's calzone too fast, if just to enjoy it for as long as possible. She doubted even Nino could cook such a delicious dish.
It was almost like eating a curry bread, but different at the same time. Crunchy on the outside and juicy inside, with a unique flavor she'd never tasted in her life. Was it because they combined Italian and Japanese spices? It had a very special touch, no doubt.
"Very well, will you taste mine now?" Isami asked.
"Oh, of course," Itsuki replied. She wouldn't say it out loud, but if Isami's was half as good as Takumi's, she would have felt well-served. Though she doubted a bit he could match something that good.
Much to her surprise, Isami's had a different filling, based on chicken and ricotta. Though it looked identical on the outside, this one had the curry primarily in the outer wrapping. Different, yes, but no less exquisite. In fact, this time was much harder to keep her cool before devouring it.
Immediately all present females started applauding. Good sign; at least it seemed they didn't want to kill her anymore, but now having finished both dishes, it was time to judge.
"So then, Signorina Nakano, your verdict?" asked Takumi.
"Which one do you think was the best?" added Isami.
Itsuki looked at the blond and then to the brunet. It was hard to pick; both of them clearly knew their chops in a kitchen, and were truly impressive. She found it hard to believe they were so close to her age yet capable of creating such delicious food. True artists of cooking, if she allowed herself to say so.
Tension was up in the air, and she could feel the stares from the rest of the girl, awaiting her verdict. After a lot of inner deliberation, she finally decided to give her most honest opinion.
"Well, it's clear you both are exceptional chefs. I must admit I hadn't tasted such a delicious dish in quite a long time, and it wasn't an easy choice. You both were similar, although each gave his personal touch, and it's a tough call to decide which is the better.
"However, if I had to choose one of you, with no demerit for the other, I'd say the one I enjoyed the most was… Isami-kun's."
She pointed at the chubby boy, and immediately there was a collective "Ooohhh!" from everyone, even the Aldini brothers themselves, who seemed surprised at her choice. Among the girls, she heard a few whispers of "Really?", "She preferred Isami over Takumi?", "It's incredible, Isami won this time!". It seemed everyone took for granted that Takumi would be the winner.
However, once the surprise was over, Isami showed again her sharp-tooth grin, and Itsuki could have sworn she saw a glint in her eyes that made him look like a typical manga or anime villain.
"Hahahahaha! I beat you, Niichan! I finally beat you! Hahahaha!"
And of course, he still had to complement it with an evil laugh, which was rather creepy, to be honest. However, right then everyone began applauding, and Takumi, though a little disappointed, finally smiled and admitted his defeat with dignity.
"Well, congratulations, dear brother, you beat me today," he said as he respectfully bowed. "A promise is a promise, so I'll be the sous chef for today. You'll be in charge."
"Grazie, Niichan," Isami replied, finally stopping the chortles. "Alright, Signorinas, the show's over for today. So if any of you wants to eat, please go back to your tables so we can attend you."
Like children in a classroom, everyone ran to get a table. Itsuki was surprised about this, and when the brothers retreated to resume their cooking, she couldn't help but call out to them.
"Excuse me? I know you've served me for free, but… is it okay if I stay and order something more?" she asked. "Truth is… I'd like to try more what of what your restaurant has to offer."
"Why of course," Takumi said. "We chefs live to serve our customers, after all."
Itsuki smiled, and immediately went to occupy one of the empty tables. Despite having already eaten two dishes of calzone, she still had room for more.
…
At the day's end, Itsuki really didn't know how to feel. Truth was, having tried those brothers' cooking, while it seemed to earn her a bunch of enemies for a moment, was worth it. It was amazing how they were so young, yet so skillful as cooks. In fact, their food was so good she ended up trying several dishes in the menu just to taste more, and none disappointed her.
She was wiping her mouth with a napkin and ready to ask for the bill, when another plate was placed before her without warning. Said plate had a slice of a dessert she saw in the menu with the name "Semifreddo", and next to the table was young Isami, who smirked with satisfaction.
"Excuse me, but I didn't order this."
"I know," the chubby boy said. "It's a dessert on the house. Or rather, on me, should I say."
Itsuki was a bit weirded out by the gesture, but she was never one to waste food, so she thanked him for the gesture and tried it. It was incredible: the softness of a cake combined with the coldness of an ice-cream, and while she didn't have a specific favorite dessert, this one could easily contest that spot.
"Well?"
"Delicious, thank you so much," Itsuki said.
"Maybe I should be the one thanking you," Isami sat on the chair opposite to her. "It's the first time in a long time someone praises my cooking over my brother's."
Itsuki raised an eyebrow. Both were exceptional cooks, from what she could gather in their culinary battle upon tasting both of their calzone dishes. But Isami talked like he'd always lose to his brother.
"I find that hard to believe. I mean, you both are amazing, aren't you?"
"Everyone says that," the chubby boy said. "Hah, I can do better than my brother in almost everything, but when it comes to cooking, he's the best. It felt nice to beat him just once, for a change."
Itsuki was left staring at him. She wasn't the type who'd compete with her sisters, so maybe because of that she didn't understand much of what Isami tried to tell her. Did he offer that dessert because she praised him over his brother?
"Hey, from my own experience, I can tell you it's not healthy to compare yourself like that. Look at me; I'm one of five sisters, identical quintuplets when we were little, but now we're all different."
"And being different isn't bad." Takumi then intervened, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "After all, I wouldn't be the chef I am today, if I didn't have Isami's support all the way. We may have our differences, but we're still part of each other, and that's how we complement."
"Like the two halves of the moon," Isami added, returning his brother's gesture in kind.
Itsuki couldn't help but smile. It seemed like these brothers, despite competing against each other, were also very close. As much as she was with her own sisters; their analogy of "the two halves of the moon" sounded a lot like hers of "five parts of a whole".
"But, let's not talk about that," Takumi said. "How was the food? Do you feel satisfied?"
"Oh, of course I am," Itsuki answered. "I must say, I hadn't eaten something so delicious in a long time. I think I'll come here more often."
"Well, if you do, we'll be happy to serve you," Isami nodded. "It's been a while since we last had a customer with such a healthy appetite like yours."
Itsuki puffed her cheeks. Was he insinuating she was a big eater? She hated being told that, even if it was actually true.
Takumi, however, intervened to defuse the tension. "Oh, he doesn't mean to mock you. After all, customers like you help us keep the business going. You know what I'm talking about, right?"
"I guess so," she replied. "My sisters often make fun of me, saying I have a bottomless stomach. Well, so what if I love to eat?"
"Well, having a bottomless stomach can be a talent," Isami quipped.
Itsuki gave him a weird look. At first, she thought again he was making fun of her, but seeing him face to face, she realized he was actually being serious.
"If you love to eat so much, have you tried being a food critic?" the brunet suggested. "It's a good way to earn money and fill your stomach at the same time."
"You say that for experience?" Itsuki gave him a slight glare. With such… robust constitution, it wouldn't be weird.
"I don't do it professionally. Though sometimes I do like evaluating other's food, I admit it, hehehehe."
Again, he laughed in a rather macabre way, like he enjoyed it a bit too much. Though Itsuki still though it was a little creepy, she couldn't deny that he and his brother seemed quite nice guys, creepy vibes aside. The fact one of them even treated her that dessert in the end definitely didn't hurt.
And come to think of it, that suggestion about being a food critique didn't sound too bad. She'd been looking for something to work at to pay her expenses, and stop relying on her father's money after all, and that sounded as a good way to do it.
Not to mention it'd be a great excuse to try the food in every restaurant in town.
"Hum, well, discounting this dessert, would you be so nice to give me the bill? I think it's time I should pay for this great service."
"Oh, of course. Here you are."
The blond gave her a shred of paper. The total payment surprised her, not because it was high, but for how low it was despite everything she ate. Food that delicious at such an accessible price? It seemed almost too good to be true, but it only added another reason to return another day.
She paid in cash and thanked the Aldini brothers for their excellent service, and made a mental note to recommend this restaurant, maybe brining her sisters for a family meal one day. It wasn't a bad way to spend Valentne's Day, even alone.
Maybe next year she could give those guys a friendly chocolate as a present, if she started to be a regular at their place.
FIN
Author's notes:
What's up, people? Well, here I come with something else. Before anything, if you're following my main Quintessential Quintuplets fic, in the most recent chapter I left a notice about writing something about Itsuki, but I never said it'd be part of that story, which is why I don't post it as an extra chapter (not to mention the timelines don't even match, since that one's just gone past Christmas Day). But let's just say this is part of my headcanon as to how Itsuki chose to earn money as a food critic. The title was literally chosen at the last minute, as it's basically that, a simple visit to a restaurant, and I felt like putting it in Italian for, you know, the Aldinis.
If you're wondering how the idea of this crossover came about (and from what I see, it's the first of its kind on the site), I've been discussing with one of my friends about what kind of men would be good matches for the quintuplets Fuutarou didn't choose, and we both came to the common conclusion that the ideal man for Itsuki could be a chef. Well, they say "the path to a man's heart is through his stomach", and Food Wars demonstrated that the reverse can also be true. So, little by little I got the idea, how about having her as the judge in a culinary battle, and between who? In the end I picked the Aldini twins (after discarding others like Hayama or Kurokiba), as I figured she could find it easy to relate to them, not to mention give good Isami a small victory. Not to demerit Takumi, but I'm a bit upset that Isami remains under his shadow for the entire series (first ends up out of the finals in the Fall Classic while his brother makes it through, then he gets expelled and can do nothing but watch as a spectator/prisoner, and in the final arc he gets kidnapped so he can't help his brother when he needs him the most). A real shame, because he's the one I like the most between the two.
Lastly, sorry I didn't show Itsuki having a "foodgasm", but I sincerely couldn't think of anything that didn't sound too indecent when written, or matched the food's theme (I'm no cooking expert to find analogies either), so I just left it that way. That and I also didn't feel like upping the rating due to the ridiculous levels of fanservice in Food Wars. But I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll say goodbye like Soma usually says: "Osomatsu!"