Eternal food paradise

Another business day.

Tokyo, Aoyama Town, not far from the ‘Dark Castle’, in front of a traditional kaiseki restaurant called Shihoan.

A middle-aged man in a suit, probably the manager or owner of this store, bowed repeatedly to a man in black yukata, with sincerity written on his face: "Mr. Anton, I'll leave it to you, can Zifang'an please?" Resurrection from the dead is entirely determined by the pen of your pen.”

Anton Shingo.

Writer and essayist, but his most famous field is in the food industry. Not only does he own a magazine and newspaper, but he is also a star writer. The rumor about him in the industry is that a piece of praise in an article can sway a certain store. The rise and fall of.

Regardless of the facts and whether the rumors are exaggerated or not, there is no mistaking the fact that his influence is considerable.

"Don't worry, I was also funded by your father in my early years, so the club could persist during the economic bubble era."

Anton Shingo shook hands with the store manager of Zifangan again, and was about to turn around and get into a black car, when his eyes caught a glimpse of the new restaurant at the other end of the street.

The European-style bungalow originally had no furnishings or decorations. Outside the beautifully manicured green belt, a light sign was erected at some point:

‘Dark Castle’.

This is not the first time Anton Shingo has visited this street.

After all, this is Minato City, and it is in the Aoyama Town area adjacent to 'Akasaka Gyoen'. In order to collect materials, Anton Shingo did not dare to say that he was familiar with every brick and tile of the street, but what restaurants were there on the street, what were their style and characteristics, and how strong was the chef? , he still knows the basics.

This is the professional quality of being a top celebrity in the industry.

"Is this store newly opened?"

The store manager of Zifang'an, who had not returned yet, chatted with him: "Yes, it's only been a week and we've renovated it from top to bottom. The store manager's decisiveness is admirable."

He said, hesitating for a moment.

"Mr. Anton, in fact, that place has Yuanyue's background. It is an industry under Yuanyue's banner and has been idle for a long time."

Totsuki? Anton Shingo, who was about to get on the bus, suddenly became interested.

"You have the courage to open a new restaurant in such an area and location. I am very curious about the store manager or chef!"

After closing the car door, the electronic lock beeped twice. Anton Shingo put the key back in his trouser pocket, "Just grab some information on the way."

"Hey wait."

The store manager of Zifangan, a forty-year-old man named Shiraishi Yuki, also chased after him.

Jingle Bell.

"welcome--"

On a bench near the door, two waitresses were scrolling through their mobile phones. The moment the doorbell rang, they stood up with impeccable business smiles on their faces.

"Gentlemen, please show your reservation number." A waiter said.

Shingo Anton kept a straight face and just handed over a prepared business card: "I want to talk to your store manager or chef."

The woman who took the business card glanced at it, bowed slightly in surprise, and quickly ran to the lounge next door.

Another woman guided the two of them to sit down.

"We provide free coffee and juice. What do you need, sir?"

"coffee."

"Give me a glass of juice with ice."

The waitress said wait a moment and left in small steps.

The two remaining guests turned around and looked around.

"It can be seen that there is no major renovation work here, and the style of a European bungalow is basically maintained." As a shop owner on the same street, Shiraishi Yuki also visited this house for the first time. "I added tables and chairs, set up partitions, and There are some decorations that add to the atmosphere, but there are no obtrusive features that destroy the original style. It seems that the supervisor either has experience studying abroad or is an artist himself."

Anton Shingo also nodded.

After searching around and visiting famous stores, this 'food writer' has seen more than just high-end gourmet restaurants.

And here, everything is as small as a vase or an oil painting, and they are all "foreign style" that makes people unable to fault them.

Even the high-end Western-style restaurants in Roppongi next door can hardly cover everything in this way.

Now, Anton Shingo became more interested and his curiosity grew.

Who is the one?

That chef.

It has something to do with Yuanyue, could it be that big boss in the alumni circle?

The waiter who went to find the store manager and chef didn't return, but coffee and juice were brought to the table first.

To be honest, Shingo Anton was neither thirsty nor hungry now that he had just come out of the Shiroki Temple next door and received a grand reception from Shiraishi Yuki.

Ordering a cup of coffee is just a courtesy.

However.

When the hot coffee cup and the small sugar bowl were placed in front of him, Anton Shingo discovered that things were not simple.

"What is this aroma?"

A very unfamiliar aroma of coffee beans.

For big names in the industry, this is like opening the door to a new world!

In fact, Shingo Anton didn't care about burning his mouth and tried to take a sip. The exotic flavor that suddenly filled his mouth really took this 'food writer' to a vast new world.

Next to him, the owner of Zifangan, Shiraishi Yuki, is a nine-star chef, very close to the top level.

He was fascinated by the ice juice that had just been served to the guests.

"Probably...close to coconut milk?"

It has a bay and tropical flavor, which is very palatable. Compared with "coconut milk", it is less astringent and has a richer fragrance. It is mixed with ice and drinks it for a few consecutive sips, and your body will feel relaxed.

"Ah hoo!"

Shiraishi Yuki's eyelids were twitching and he was sleepy, as if he had forgotten the restaurant business problems that had been bothering him these days.

At this time, there was a sound of footsteps.

"Two gentlemen?"

The Kukuchi garden fruit has arrived.

"What kind of coffee is this?" Anton Shingo asked with enthusiasm on his face.

"Hey, I don't know too much." Mikushien Kao shook his head, looking apologetic, "I'm just the chef here. These coffee beans and thick-skinned fruits fried with juice are 'special ingredients' specially provided by the owner. .”

"Is this so..."

Shingo Anton couldn't help but be moved when he thought that the property here was related to Totsuki. Could it be that it was some kind of undisclosed 'alienated food'?

Most likely!

He looked up at Mujiuzhiyuan Guo and felt that it looked familiar, but for a moment he couldn't pronounce its name.

It was Mujiuzhi himself who smiled slightly and introduced himself: "Mujiuzhi Yuanguo, the 89th graduate of Totsuki, the manager and chef of the 'Chunguotei' restaurant."

"Born in the 89th generation, no wonder."

Anton Shingo understood clearly.

If you have graduated less than two years ago, you will definitely not have a special level.

Immediately, he and Shiraishi Yuki opened the menu.

Very unfamiliar dish name!

""Three Egg Shaomai", "Baoshan Feilong Hotpot", "Jizi Shrimp Soup and Meat Soup"?"

Full of question marks.

"Isn't it a Western restaurant?" The two of them raised their heads, as if to confirm, and looked around again at the extremely foreign-style environment.

Kikushienka's smile remains unchanged: "We are a comprehensive gourmet restaurant. We will not stick to any region or cuisine culture. Anything that meets the characteristics of 'dark cuisine' will appear on the menu one after another in the future, so stay tuned." .”

"..."

Anton Shingo looked at it intently and was silent for a while.

Per capita consumption, 50,000 yen? !

The owner of the shop next door, Shiroishi Yuki, looked dumbfounded.

They are a long-established and well-known kaiseki restaurant, and the per capita consumption is only 20,000 to 30,000 yen. What’s even more frightening is that the kaiseki cuisine is a complete set. After following the standard process, there are at least a dozen dishes. The so-called 'dark dishes' sold here are all labeled as set meals.

One dish, one meal, one soup.

This is a set meal, also called a set meal.