Izakaya!
Operating hours are from 7 PM to 12 AM!
This timing is crucial because most of the customers at Zhang Fan's Izakaya are ordinary working-class people.
Everyone comes here after a day's work, whether it's after overtime or just after getting off work, to have a few drinks and some snacks to wash away the day's fatigue and stress!
Although visiting an Izakaya feels like returning home, providing a warm and comfortable atmosphere, it also allows people to completely relax.
Furthermore, the food and drinks offered are similar to home-cooked meals, allowing many people to experience the taste of "home" while enjoying delicious food.
However.
Many customers.
Usually don't stay out too late, and typically leave the Izakaya before 12 AM!
After all, they have to get up early the next day for work.
Of course, at present, it's also because the Izakaya's reputation has just started to grow, and the number of customers visiting daily is not very large, so Zhang Fan simply chose to "lie flat" and close directly after 12 AM!
Perhaps later, when the entire Izakaya gradually expands, he will choose to extend the Izakaya's operating hours?
…
Time.
Flew by.
Nakiri Erina, after finishing her beef burger, anchovy fries, and chocolate brownie, did not leave.
She continued to sit there, watching the customers coming and going.
Occasionally, she would secretly watch Zhang Fan, observing how he used his cooking to bring happy smiles to the faces of every customer who came in to dine!
She used to believe that to achieve noble cuisine.
It relied not only on rare ingredients but, more importantly, on the chef's own superb culinary skills.
And some culinary skills cannot be learned through continuous effort later in life.
Sometimes, they are crucially related to the chef's own vision, knowledge, and even talent!
A country bumpkin chef.
He has never seen noble black truffles, nor has he tasted black truffles.
Then, no matter how hard he tries, even if he absorbs theoretical knowledge from books, he is destined to be unable to make true black truffle dishes.
Therefore, being able to master culinary skills and talents that many geniuses have not been able to master is a basic requirement for an excellent chef!
And Erina, who possesses the God Tongue, is naturally far superior to many people in this regard, so she also has her own pride!
On the contrary.
Zhang Fan, however, walked a completely different path from her.
The Izakaya he operates, in terms of its own scale and class, certainly cannot be compared to a five-star hotel.
And the dishes he serves to customers are generally snacks to go with drinks, home-cooked meals, late-night snacks, and desserts.
These dishes are not very difficult to prepare.
They are even simple enough that even people who don't know how to cook at all can try to make them in their small home kitchens.
But it is precisely these simple dishes that Zhang Fan has a different way of preparing.
Especially his understanding and ideas for each dish always make Erina's eyes light up!
And unlike those chefs who only pursue profit, Zhang Fan truly maintains a heart full of love for cooking and for delicious food!
Perhaps?
A hot beef burger.
Whether it's made with toast or not, it doesn't matter!
Is it noble cuisine?
Is it commoner cuisine?
These concepts don't matter either!
What matters, just as Zhang Fan just said.
A chef only needs to present the best cuisine and satisfy the customers.
After all, no one comes to an Izakaya and cares about these things like Erina does before eating these dishes!
…
"Lady Erina!"
"The atmosphere of this Izakaya is different from other places; it is indeed full of warmth!"
"It gives me the feeling that even five-star hotels with world-class chefs and the most delicious dishes in the world are nothing more than this in comparison!"
At this moment, Hisako Arato couldn't help but exclaim in admiration when faced with the warm atmosphere of the Izakaya!
In this world, there are two things that must not be let down:
Love!
Delicious food!
Love is certainly one of the most beautiful emotions in the world; it can make humans feel immense happiness and satisfaction.
And dishes that bring happiness are naturally full of love and emotion!
For example.
Over these years, she has prepared medicinal cuisine for Erina every day.
The purpose of these medicinal dishes is to nourish and recuperate the weakened Erina.
It is to prevent her from being so tired, and even more, to prevent her physical condition from gradually weakening due to the God Tongue's curse.
And this kind of emotional cuisine, dishes that she hopes will make Erina happy, has always been Hisako's greatest pride!
Although to make these medicinal dishes, she sometimes had to pore over various ancient medical texts and search for various medicinal ingredients, keeping her incredibly busy.
But.
Afterward.
When she saw Erina giving good reviews and feeling somewhat satisfied after tasting these medicinal dishes.
She felt that everything she had put in was worth it.
Now, watching Zhang Fan use his cooking to stir the emotions of those customers and soothe their souls, Hisako inevitably felt a deep resonance.
As if she could see her former self in him, Zhang Fan!
…
"Hmm!"
"This Izakaya."
"It is indeed, as Senior Kuguchi said, extraordinary!"
Snapping back to reality, Erina simply nodded, affirming Hisako Arato's opinion.
Then, seeing that Zhang Fan seemed to be free, she took the initiative to speak to him: "Zhang… Zhang Fan, right?"
"May I first ask, what is the total price for this beef burger, anchovy fries, and chocolate brownie?"
"This number!"
After speaking, Zhang Fan simply extended one hand, spreading all five fingers wide!
"5?"
"5 million yen?"
"Huh?"
"Erina!"
"Why do you think the dishes I make are worth this much?"
Seeing Erina, after a moment of thought, directly state the price of "5 million yen," Zhang Fan was almost stunned!
Perhaps she comes from a noble background, so her concept of money isn't clear; or perhaps she genuinely believes that given Zhang Fan's own culinary skills and talent, the dishes he makes are indeed worth this price!
Could it be that Erina in front of me has been impressed so quickly?
After thinking for a moment, Zhang Fan just shook his head and said with a smile: "Missing three zeros, 5000 yen!"
"Huh?"
"What did you say?"
"Such good food, only worth 5000 yen?"
Upon hearing this, Erina was shocked again.
She suddenly remembered what Kuguchi Sonoka had said: a skewer of meat at this Izakaya, costing less than 100 yen, could far surpass the tens of thousands of yen French foie gras at Harukatei!