Reborn in Japan as a Chef God

Xia Yu was in the kitchen, washing dishes.

After all, not many customers came in a day, so he washed dirty dishes as they came in; otherwise, they were an eyesore.

Four sets of bowls and chopsticks, four small plates, and a large stainless-steel pot were all being washed, with the kitchen still filled with the rich and spicy aroma.

Phew.

After drying his hands with a paper towel, Xia Yu pulled out his phone from his pocket, intending to call the old man to check if he had boarded his flight and to ask for various certificates for the small shop.

In reality, the permits and certificates needed to open a restaurant were quite similar across countries.

In Japan, you first needed a "Business License Application" and a "Food Sanitation Manager Qualification" from the health department.

Then, you needed documents from governmental organizations like the tax office, fire department, and employment security office.

At least in the previous world, it wasn't easy for a Chinese person to open a shop in Japan. In today's world, the Food Association seemed to have taken over part of the role of government agencies, reducing the number of permits needed. The toughest hurdle was the Food Association.

With a permit from the Food Association, everything else would easily fall into place.

"Beep beep beep beep..."

Dialing the number resulted in a busy signal with no answer. Xia Yu shrugged, "Seems like he's boarded."

Hmm?

He suddenly sensed someone behind him and turned to see a blonde girl blocking the kitchen door, her expression a mix of amusement and annoyance. "I say, Eriina, since when did you start walking so quietly? Haven't you had enough to eat?"

This time, the 'Divine Tongue' didn't get angry at his teasing words, her violet eyes calm.

"How did you cook that glowing dish?" she asked without hesitation.

"With my two hands, of course."

"..."

Tiqie Eriina took a deep breath, about to lose her cool, "I'm asking about the principle behind the glowing food!"

"Principle, huh?" Xia Yu stroked his chin as if in deep thought, but then said suddenly, "The principle... is that there is no principle!"

"What do you mean?" Tiqie Eriina was irritated.

"You just can't make it."

Xia Yu waved his hand.

Actually, there was no principle behind food glowing. According to the storyline of the original "Cooking Master Boy," only glowing dishes were considered truly good.

In today's world, this requirement seemed too high for chefs.

A seventy-point failed magical Mapo Tofu could make the Far Moon Commander burst his seams and exclaim deliciousness.

A ninety-point glowing finished dish could bewilder Tiqie Eriina's 'Divine Tongue.'

In other words, dishes rated sixty points in the Chef God System were already among the top among Far Moon High School's students. A ninety-point glowing dish in an official shokugeki could probably crush any of the current Elite Ten.

Of course, if the shokugeki theme was tofu or Chinese cuisine, Xia Yu had room to shine and could use his only trump card—"Magical Mapo Tofu."

If the theme were other Western or Japanese dishes, he'd be at a loss, waiting to be beaten by the Elite Ten.

Reflecting on his own 'cooking power,' Xia Yu was truly embarrassed.

When dealing his trump card, he could casually chat with the Elite Ten, but with other dishes like French or Japanese cuisine, he wasn't even up to the level of an ordinary Far Moon student.

"I can't make it?"

This time, Tiqie Eriina was genuinely angry, glaring at him with clenched teeth, "Why can't I make it? As long as it's cooking, there's nothing my Divine Tongue can't achieve!"

"..." Xia Yu rolled his eyes, finding it hard to deal with Tiqie Eriina's stubborn and strong-willed attitude.

It was unexplainable; he couldn't just call it mysticism. Xia Yu simply ignored her persistence.

He bypassed the Divine Tongue and returned to the storefront, where he came across Niho Fuyuka.

"Hey, Secretary!"

He greeted, but the girl with the purplish-red hair looked at him warily, "Who are you? Where is Lord Eriina..."

"This is my shop!"

Xia Yu flipped his thumb backward, pointing to the ground beneath his feet.

"Ah." At this moment, Niho Fuyuka noticed the Divine Tongue following him out and immediately bowed in apology, "Thank you for taking care of Lord Eriina."

As the secretary of the Divine Tongue, she naturally knew her schedule.

A little shop visited by the Far Moon Commander and Divine Tongue couldn't be ordinary.

In some sense, Niho Fuyuka was actually smarter than her master, Tiqie Eriina.

"Yes, yes, I've taken care of her, now hurry and take her away—" Xia Yu said unceremoniously, pointing to the blonde girl glaring at him like a ghost, "It must be hard for you, Secretary, taking care of such a troublesome person."

Niho Fuyuka was left bewildered by Xia Yu's overly familiar tone.

Secretary?

What's with this nickname...

"Hurry up and go; I won't charge you for the meal." Xia Yu waved his hand again and then turned his head to chat with two other young ladies from China, a smiling demeanor on his face.

Interacting with normal beauties from his own dimension made the world feel real to him.

"Eriina!" Niho Fuyuka looked towards the Divine Tongue.

"Let's go—"

Tiqie Eriina bit her lip, walked away in a huff, but suddenly stopped at the store's entrance, "You should come to Far Moon."

"Far Moon? I said I'm not going; I want to run a real restaurant, not pursue academic study."

"You're wasting your talent..." Tiqie Eriina said exasperatedly.

"Wasting talent? Chefs practice cooking day and night, don't they just want to satisfy various customers' taste buds? Positive reviews are the affirmation of a chef. This is where I realize my value."

After finishing, Xia Yu suddenly said, "Why don't we make a bet, Eriina?"

"A bet?"

"If before the start of school in April, my restaurant isn't packed with guests from 6 p.m. to midnight, I'll lose, and after school starts, I'll close the shop and obediently go to Far Moon, willingly joining your team."

"Oh?" Tiqie Eriina's eyes lit up, "Are you sure?"

"Of course!"

"But if it's a bet, if you lose, you'll come work as a kitchen helper in my little restaurant for a year, how about it?" Xia Yu said with a grin that seemed like a sly fox's successful trick to Niho Fuyuka.

"Kitchen helper? No way, Lord Eriina, you can't agree to such a ridiculous bet!" Niho Fuyuka advised anxiously.

"Eriina, it's a fair bet. If I lose, I'll spend my future high school years at Far Moon. And if you lose, it's just helping in my little shop for a year; I'm actually the one at a disadvantage!" Xia Yu spread his hands.

"Fine! I accept the bet!"

Tiqie Eriina said resolutely, "I just don't believe that an overlooked, remote little shop can be full of customers in more than half a month."

"I don't know what gives you this confidence, but running a restaurant requires far more than cooking skills!"