Night 13: Yato, Thick-Cut Tamagoyaki with Shell (Crab) Meat
The Late Night Diner is a part of Rhodes Island's canteen. That goes without saying – to whom had anyone ever heard of a diner in the boiler room?
As the name implies, it opens around midnight. There are only a handful of customers at a time.
Operators off their night shift could take an order and bring back to their quarters. Night owls could sit dining-in while leeching off the Diner's wi-fi. The Doctor would come for instant noodles from time to time.
Drinks are in the cooler. Anyone burdened by their own thoughts could take one and chug it down, anytime.
Menu? No such thing exists. What the Chef prepares is what you get. It all depends on his mood of the day.
Welcome to the Rhodes Island Late Night Diner. In here, you might even meet a familiar face or two.
With the rumour that one could "meet Silverash and Executor in the Late Night Diner" spreading far and wide, many a young girl had found their hopes dashed in the Diner. More and more, they started having drinks in the Diner. The Chef couldn't just send them all to Gavial and the Medbay, yet he was not the one to let this business opportunity go to waste. So he had the counter extended into a bar completed with a selection of cocktails and several tall-legged bar stool. Easier for the girls to get more drinks.
Or at least that was his plan. Unfortunately compare to cooking, his cocktail mixing was rather to be desired. Otherwise the Chef could expand his business into a whole new field.
"Got any eggs left?" A customer sitting by the bar inquired.
"Drinks are in the cooler. Pick whatever you want..." The Chef raised his head, "Oh it's you. I thought you to be just another drunken kitten coming for more." He said, realising his customer was not here for drinks. "Yes, there are plenty. What would you like?"
"Tamagoyaki. Thick. Please add some shell meat sticks if it's no trouble to you. Thank you very much."
Four eggs were broken into a bowl. The Chef beat the eggs lightly so that the yolk and the white was just about to mix together. The yolk and the white mixed together yet their flavour remained separated. That was the essence of a good tamagoyaki. Add in a ladle of beast meat soup stock, a few drops of soy sauce, a pinch of salt and strips of shell meat. The Chef had everything ready. He brought out a small square pan, sprayed oil in it and waited for it to heat up.
"You are a rare sight these days. I didn't recognise you at first."
"Yeah. Most of my assignments are at night. When the Diner opens, I am usually off the ship." Yato put her arms on the counter and leaned on it half-heartedly. She let out a sigh. "I'm on break the whole day today, so I thought it's a good idea to get some food here."
"Then where's your better half?" The Chef said with a chuckle while pouring the egg mix into the pan. As the gossip went, Yato and Noir Corne were dating. Or maybe not. Most operators saw them as a couple even though neither of them had admitted it. Yato certainly knew who the Chef was talking about. She simply shook her head, either refusing to answer the question or it's her way of saying "he was busy, couldn't make it tonight."
When the egg mix had more or less set shape in the pan, the Chef leaned the pan towards him while pulling up the far side of the egg pancake so that it would curl and roll into itself. Eventually it turned into a full roll on the side of the pan close to him. Then he added more egg mix into the pan, and waited till it took shape and repeated the process again. Roll after roll and layer after layer, the thin, golden egg fry with red-and-white shell meat embedded within gradually became a thick cylinder in the pan. The outer layer was crispy brown, yet the centre was tender with some still flowing egg mix. When it's done, the Chef took it out and cut it into thick slices. Finally he prepared a small dish of dip made with mirin and soy sauce.
"Itadakimasu." Yato said, folding her fingers around the chopsticks and pressed her hands together.
The thick-cut tamagoyaki slices was still tender to the touch. Trembling between the chopsticks, Yato dipped the slice into the sauce and sent into her mouth. The first thing she tasted was the rich aroma of eggs. From the solid outer layer to the half-melted, still flowing centre, it's a gradual change of texture from firm to soft. With succulent shell meat embedded inside the egg, it was indeed a dish that satisfied both the palate and nutrition needs.
Tamagoyaki was very common in Higashi. Almost every household had a square pan for cooking it. The recopies housewives used ranging from pure egg tamagoyaki to ones with diced vegetables, chopped ham or even shredded seafood. If one wanted to have a sweeter taste, they could change the soup stock for the egg mix into milk. Perhaps due to its familiarity, when others talked about Higashi cuisine the tamagoyaki was not at the foremost of their conversation. Even the Higashi natives themselves would not always remember these ordinary egg rolls when they reminisced about the taste of home.
Yet ordinary things often carried the most memories. They may lie forgotten in some obscure corner of the mind, but once brought up they would always bring tears to the eyes.
Yato cut the left over slices diagonally in the middle, then turn one half-slice around and pinned them together with tooth picks. She decided to bring them back.
Tamagoyaki in the shape of the heart.