Notes: I think the author was playing lots of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom when he wrote this, so the mushrooms are more or less a nod to the game.
Night 62: Durin, Super Deluxe Mushroom Platter
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.
"In a month or two it'd be the anniversary of Gavial bringing those Durins up on Rhodes Island." The Chef said, pushing a full frosty mug of beer to the customer across the counter. "Whenever I start thinking about the endless mushroom and ale orders, my wrists would start to sore."
"But you gotta admit, those Durins have excellent taste." His customer downed a gulp and said. "Those were some of the tastiest and crunchiest mushroom I had ever had. Only need some roastin' with a pinch of chili powder. Plus a mug of fruity ale fresh from the barrel and that was enough for me to wish for the summer to go on forever!"
"I *Sarkaz swearing* wish! You should've been the one roasting mushroom instead of me! On the deck and under the sun!" The Chef replied angrily with a huff. "I still have a mark on my wrist where my watch is. Anyone saw it had been asking me what brand of watch I was wearing back then."
"C'mon now, don't be mad!" The customer threw his hand up in the air. "Another mug. For you. It's on me. Speaking of which, those Durins still left on board are doing quite well for themselves. What do you think, would Closure organize another Summer Carnival this year around?"
"Shut yer trap, would you?" The Chef poured himself a mug of beer. "If that profiteer still ask me to roast mushrooms on open deck, I'm gonna take all her snacks and fruit and give them out for free!"
"Boss, a super deluxe mushroom platter please."
The Chef almost spit his drink when he heard the voice. He turned to his customer with fury in his eyes, yet the customer only shrugged innocently and told him it was not him who said it. The Chef rubbed his temples and thought to himself that he must be hallucinating. The summer was fast approaching and he had worked too much. Yes, this must be it. But just as he picked up his mug, there came that voice once more, and louder than before.
This time, the customer pointed towards below the counter beside him. There, a round head with blond hair emerged from underneath, and its owner had just put her hands onto the counter and pushed hard to sit upon a stool. She announced again with a lazy yet clear voice.
"Boss - Super Deluxe Mushroom Platter please!"
Durin was a race of people shrouded in mystery. No matter it was their vast underground cities, or those delicate yet strange artifacts discovered by the surface dwellers, they all served to deepen the mystery and heighten the curiosity around them.
At the moment, a small stone tablet was set up upon the bar counter. It was decorated with relief and engravings of blue and light gold, and there was a small screen lit up in the middle. One like the screen on a personal terminal tablet.
"Press that button up there." Durin yawned, and instructed the operator beside her. With a faint "click", a picture showed up on the screen. It was of the Chef frying mushrooms in a pan with a deep frown.
"Marvelous!" The operator exclaimed. He picked up the tablet and checked it up and down and marveled it all the while. "How did it take the picture? I couldn't find any cameras on there!" Durin on the other hand was quite calm. She waved her hand before her astonished colleague, and gestured him to pass along the tablet. "Camera? No need for that stuff. Could do a lot more than just taking pictures." As she said, she fiddled the tablet and waved it before the beer mug on the counter. A rectangle chunk of ice then rose from the liquid.
"Woah!" The operator gazed at the ice chunk grew into a small pillar, then at Durin's command shattered into a pile of broken ice and fell into the mug again. "Instant refrigeration and remote alteration of material properties! Is that what Durin tech is capable of?! It's enough to start a Catastrophe in the entire Colombian scientific community!"
"It's just a toy." Durin lazily put the tablet back to her pack. "Every kid in my hometown has one. There are more advanced types even I had ever laid my eyes on. If you want one, I can make you one sometime later."
"Your Super Deluxe Mushroom Platter."
Just as she finished her sentence, the Chef placed the plate of mushroom before Durin with a frustrated sigh. "Charbroiled Durinshroom and Energishroom, pan-fried Swordshroom, steamed Paralyshroom and Armorshroom, with steamy Chillshroom soup. Enjoy."
"Woah! I've never seen all these mushrooms before, not even at the Carnival last year!" The operator exclaimed, and started taking photos with his personal tablet. "Are all these from the Underground City?"
"Yep, come and take a look. The red ones are Durinshroom." Durin picked up a stick of grilled mushrooms and pointed at it. "They are the most common type. The green ones are Energishroom. Make you feel energized when eaten. I always carry a few when doing work back home. Roast' em with just a pinch of salt and Akhahula chili powder. Taste great!" The mushrooms were seared to perfection. Crispy on the outside and tender inside, the caps carried a whiff of toasty goodness yet were still juicy. Durin took a large bite, and sweet juice filled her mouth.
"...And this is Swordshroom." She gestured towards the fried mushrooms in the plate after swallowing the mouthful of food. "They grow in tall grasses, and got their name because their messy look. Like being chopped up by a sword. They have lots of folds. Good for pan-frying after being slathered with spices." She picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. The mushroom had a thin coat of batter, and it had all turned crispy after frying. Underneath the batter were multiple layers of powdered spices, and they give the mushroom a delicious salty taste yet still retained its natural umami flavour.
"Those are Armorshroom. Hard as hell, and would stay that way unless thoroughly steamed. Back home there were always kids being impatient with cooking and chipped their tooth on half-cooked ones."
In the plate were also golden colored Paralyshroom. They had evolved to carry a paralytic toxin to deter would-be scavengers in the wild. Yet the Durins found out that much of the toxins would break down with high temperature, and were safe to eat after a thorough steaming. What was left of the toxin afterwards would also give the tongue a tingling numbing sensation, bringing about an unique gastronomic experience. Durin did not bother to introduce them. She was too busy enjoying eating.
The large platter only lasted a few minutes. Like an assortment of snacks, Durin quickly finished them and let out a loud burp. Then she gave her belly a small pat and moved to the creamy, delicious mushroom soup. The operator looked on with amazement. Last time he saw someone finishing a plate this large in mere minutes was when Coebe trying to evade the canteen staff hot on her heels...
"Oouf, I'm full!" Durin lightly dropped the empty bowl on the counter, then jumped down the bar stool. "Thanks for the food, Boss! Good as always. Going back to sleep now, see ya." She let out a yawn.
"Yeah well...get going." The Chef replied halfheartedly while wiping down the counter. He didn't even raise his head.
"Boss, do you still have any mushroom left?..." Looking at the crumbs in the empty plate, the operator licked his lips. He looked towards the Chef cautiously and said. "I want to try some..."
"You want to try some?" The Chef looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah!" He nodded eagerly.
"So...roasted mushroom, steamed mushroom, and creamy mushroom soup?" The Chef asked.
"Yeah! What Durin just had! A small plate is goo-"
Before he could finish his sentence, a large bag of assorted raw mushrooms flew out of the open kitchen door, over and through the counter and fell precisely into the arms of the operator. The Chef, now out of the kitchen, looked straight into his confused eyes, and said sternly: "Take this damn bag of mushrooms and get out of my Diner! Go back to your dorm! If you want them, you can cook them yourself! I've had enough mushrooms!"