"Is this... Sichuan pepper oil?"

Though the two didn’t know Chinese characters, they could make a rough guess.

The only point of innovation is indeed in this Sichuan pepper oil!

The light green oil droplets floated on the soup’s surface, the intense spicy aroma rushing at them, almost instantly changing the flavor profile of this black garlic tonkotsu broth.

They picked up a few strands of noodles again and dipped them in, letting the sauce fully coat the surface of the noodles.

This time, the overwhelming numbing sensation of the Sichuan pepper oil immediately filled their mouths like a tsunami. Before they could chew, they felt their lips begin to tremble slightly. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The overall taste hadn’t changed, but the impact was now multiplied by countless times.

"Whoa~"

Raphael took a breath, involuntarily whistling.

"I like this intense stimulation that makes my scalp tingle; it feels like my whole brain becomes a lot clearer."

"But I believe that such a strong Sichuan pepper oil isn’t something most customers could handle; halving the amount should be the limit."

"If we’re going to do this, I suggest having three levels like with spiciness, so the customers can decide for themselves how much numbness they want; after all, it’s a finished oil, and they can add more if needed."

"Indeed."

Marchello nodded in agreement: "A word of personal opinion, this noodle dish should already be a mature system within your Japanese cuisine, and the addition of Sichuan pepper oil seems a bit out of place with the overall dish."

"Adding too little makes it have no presence, adding too much ruins the overall flavor profile."

"At this level, it’s better not to add it at all; you should understand what I mean."

Nagishiro Sho nodded as well.

"Got it, looks like my innovation doesn’t work either; adding new elements to a finished product seems awkward, perhaps it’s better to create a new dish from scratch."

"Is it so difficult to use the Great Xia elements?"

Raphael was a bit puzzled, clearly, when Lin was helping him develop new dishes at the restaurant, it didn’t seem so difficult?

Thinking of this, he simply walked over to the cold storage and randomly picked out some vegetables suitable for making a salad.

"Here, I’ll replicate for you the Great Xia-flavored salad that Lin helped develop when he worked at my restaurant, and see if we can find any inspiration from it."

"Hmm??" Nagishiro Sho was stunned.

Marchello seemed to remember something, rolling his eyes speechlessly: "Damn, why didn’t you mention such an important thing earlier!"

If he remembered correctly, he even attended that new product presentation meeting, and yet he forgot completely.

Raphael moved quickly; the vegetables were already washed, so he just had to tear them up and toss them into a bowl, the only thing to prepare was the salad dressing.

"Great Xia soy sauce, Great Xia aged vinegar, sesame oil, sesame paste, Sichuan pepper oil, Thai pepper, garlic..."

Many of the seasonings were new, clearly freshly purchased not long ago.

This discovery further solidified his resolve to swing by Lin Chen’s place whenever he had time.

That kid, could he be making pure Great Xia cuisine now?

A bowl of black-colored sauce was quickly ready, and he asked Nagishiro Sho for some char siu pork to mix into the salad, then drizzled the dressing over.

"Is it done so quickly?"

Neither of them had tasted a Great Xia-flavored salad before, and Lin Chen had never made it for them either. Naturally curious, they each eagerly picked up a large bite and popped it in their mouths.

The seemingly simple dressing tasted entirely different from the vinaigrette they were familiar with.

The salad maintained a refreshing flavor profile; the unique sourness of Great Xia aged vinegar, unlike rice vinegar or fruit vinegar, was gentle and lingered in the mouth.

The addition of sesame paste was just right, giving the dressing a slight thickness that helped it adhere better to the vegetables, while also balancing the overall taste of the vinegar and soy sauce.

Not much Thai pepper was added, just a small piece, but once sliced into rings, its inherent spicy flavor was fully released, and even with the balance of the aged vinegar and sesame paste, the spiciness was still prominently tasted.

Especially after the char siu pork was mixed with this dressing, its stewed fragrance was completely brought out, becoming tantalizingly sour and spicy, yet the aftertaste was still that of the original stewed meat, even with a slight sweetness lingering.

This char siu was the lean kind usually found in ramen, which inherently had a sweet taste, something both of them were well aware of.

Apart from the char siu, what amazed them the most wasn’t any of the various salad vegetables, but the most ordinary cucumbers!

The refreshing and crispy texture of the cucumber combined with this dressing oddly became the highlight of the entire salad, becoming increasingly appetizing with every bite.

Their eyes gradually lit up as they gleaned a subtle hint of inspiration.

"So this is an innovative dish fused with Great Xia elements? The taste is so unique, slightly familiar yet not quite, it’s fantastic!"

Nagishiro Sho, as an East Asian, especially from a soy sauce-loving country, had consumed more soy sauce than Raphael and Marchello combined.

Using soy sauce to make a salad dressing wasn’t something novel; many restaurants nowadays are creating innovative Asian-style vinaigrettes, where ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame paste frequently appear.

But those are usually made using blenders or mixers, with the overall method still mainly Western.

This simple sauce in front of him, made just by tossing all the ingredients into a bowl and stirring a few times, contains a stronger flavor of Great Xia than any Asian vinaigrette he has tasted!

So strong that even someone like him, a Sakura person who hasn’t eaten much of Great Xia’s cold dishes, can tell it’s a taste of Great Xia.

"This sauce is not bad, interesting!"

Marchello also showed intense curiosity, hurriedly taking out his phone to record the recipe and ingredients he just saw, planning to experiment on it himself later.

"Was this made by Lin? Damn, of course, the innovation efficiency is higher when Great Xia people do it themselves. We amateurs are far behind."

He was, of course, referring to the understanding of Great Xia ingredients, not culinary skills.

Looks like to fully unleash the creativity of Great Xia ingredients, I have to go back and brush up on Great Xia’s culinary culture.

Whether it was his words or Raphael’s salad that triggered his inspiration, Nagishiro Sho’s mind flashed with scenes from the food documentary he binge-watched the night before, his eyes gleaming with understanding.

He had a faint yet strong premonition that if he were to watch that documentary again now, he would surely gain countless extraordinary inspirations!

Back when he first watched it, he was utterly confused about Great Xia Cuisine. But now, he has tasted dozens of authentic Great Xia dishes and observed all their cooking processes.

Times have indeed changed!

However, he kept silent. There’s no chef who would completely share their insights with others.

Even though the three of them seemed to be discussing and exchanging creative ideas now, in reality, these two were part of the same team, effectively making him their biggest local competitor.

Trump cards shouldn’t be easily revealed to opponents.

Later, Raphael recreated several new dishes developed by Lin Chen for the two to taste, since they were already on the menu and not afraid of being copied.

As they ate, Marchello was reminded of memories from the initial new dishes tasting meeting.

He had indeed tasted these dishes before, but now, the impressions and insights they left were immeasurably deeper than back then.

The three discussed these dishes for a while longer, but didn’t linger, as Raphael and Marchello excused themselves to rush back to the Amiens branch to conduct experiments.

Nagishiro Sho didn’t rush to take action but stood with his arms crossed, pinching his chin, contemplating.

"I’m not sure what’s happened with Mr. Wang and his wife’s assault incident, or when those scumbags who embarrassed our country will be deported."

"Just use this as an excuse, maybe...make a trip to Dieppe?"

Thinking of Lin Chen’s novel and delicious Great Xia dishes, he felt a restless excitement in his heart, as if a devil kept urging him to set off.

He’s encountered similar feelings before.

It was many years ago when he was still young, and for the first time, he tasted the exquisite cuisine his father personally made for him at the restaurant counter.

After that ultimate taste experience, an intense curiosity sprouted deep in his heart, becoming who he is now.

He had a premonition that if he could learn even a little about Great Xia culinary culture, even just two or three points, it would be enough for his restaurant’s menu to undergo a revolutionary update.

"But the problem is...I need to ask Mr. Wang for a spot in the dinner service, and after the last incident, I’m embarrassed to trouble him again."

"Damn it, all because of those scumbags!!"

"I’d better pick out some gifts first, visit the two of them in person, and then consider my options."

This feeling of being forced to atone for others’ wrongdoings, clearly not of his own doing, made him feel very uncomfortable.

But there was no choice. After all, he only knew Lin, a head chef skilled in Chinese cuisine.

Although many upscale hotels run by Great Xia people exist in Paris, he had no ties to them and couldn’t just go and ask them to teach him how to cook.

Ordinary Great Xia restaurants wouldn’t help much, as most offer adapted dishes, and you can’t see the cooking process. It doesn’t make any sense.

After much thought, Lin Chen was the only path he could choose.

"Sigh, what a hassle."

Casually untying his apron from his waist and removing his headband, he neatly rolled them up and placed them on his desk and changed into casual clothes.

"I’ll take a trip outside; I leave the restaurant to all of you."

"Bon voyage, Chef!!"

The restaurant resounded with a unified cheer.

Dieppe.

Seafood market.

Boss Magna was checking the fresh goods just delivered.

"Oysters... Abalone... Scallops... Lobsters... Hmm, the quantities are correct."

"Huh, why are there a few bags piled up here?"

In the corner of the refrigerated truck’s compartment, four or five black plastic bags were haphazardly stacked.

Curious, he stepped forward and opened a bag to find it filled with various fish heads, bones, eggs, and swim bladders.