Having finished processing the snapper, Chinatsu's movements didn't pause for a second, like a precise program moving into the next sequence. Her gaze turned to the white radish and cucumber beside her.
She changed tools again, and a thin-bladed Usuba bōchō dropped into her hand.
Instead of cutting the radish into segments and then into strips like most people, she placed the entire radish on the cutting board. Her left hand was slightly curved, fingertips lightly touching the radish surface like a ballerina to stabilize and gauge it, while her right hand began a jaw-dropping operation.
Her wrist vibrated slightly at an extremely high frequency, the blade maintaining near-perfect parallelism with the cutting board, slicing into the radish at an almost vertical angle, and then pushing forwardKatsura-muki, the technique for creating paper-thin, rollable radish sheets! She actually intended to use the most difficult technique to achieve the ultimate thinness and translucency for her ingredient!
The girl who had stood up gasped again:
"Katsura-muki! She's actually using Katsura-muki! This is a technique that even professional chefs might not master properly! Is she aiming for the absolute ultimate thinness and texture?!"
Yozakura Mai spoke even faster: "Astonishing! The Phoenix Court Contestant bypassed the safer method of cutting strips and chose to challenge Katsura-muki! This is to obtain radish sheets with the largest surface area, capable of absorbing sauce most fully, and having the lightest texture! Look at that thinness! It's practically translucent!"
On the large screen, a demonstration animation of the Katsura-muki technique appeared just in time, along with a close-up of the cicada-wing-thin radish sheet.
Next, she folded the enormous radish sheet into several layers and brought the knife down again. This time, the flashing blade transformed into a silver rain of threads! Itogiri!
The radish sheet she had previously peeled was instantly transformed under her knife into ultra-fine strips as thin as hair, incredibly uniform, and even almost identical in length!
Stacked up, they resembled a flawless, fluffy, soft white snow cloud. She applied the same method to the cucumber, and the emerald green cucumber strips looked like meticulously woven jade gauze.
To prepare the sauce and garnishes, she retrieved a series of utensils resembling a miniature culinary laboratory. Her movements remained precise, like a scientific experiment.
Lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, a small amount of carefully filtered kelp stock, and a tiny bit of freshly grated wasabi paste were precisely measured using different sized measuring spoons and droppers and added to a glass bowl.
She dipped a minuscule glass rod into a trace amount of the sauce, lightly dabbed it on her inner wrist to taste, avoiding food contamination, frowned slightly, and then precisely added a single sea salt crystal using tweezers. The entire process was as calm as mixing perfume or chemical reagents.
The watching students murmured, "...Adding salt with tweezers?"
"That level of control... I usually just sprinkle a handful roughly..."
"I feel like the flavor will be absolutely dominated by her..."
The expensive jar of salmon roe was opened, and she gently scooped it out using a chilled tamagoyaki spatula (instead of a spoon).
This was to maximize the avoidance of her hand temperature affecting its freshness and popping texture.
The watercress was trimmed by her using miniature scissors to perfectly identical lengths, as if measured by a laser.
Then, she made a move that caused the entire venue to erupt in surprise again.
She took some herbs and olive oil and walked towards a small liquid nitrogen tank nearby.
Yamabuki Ai excitedly shrieked:
"It's here! It's the realm of molecular gastronomy! The Phoenix Court Contestant is going to concentrate the herb flavor to the extreme!" She dripped the herb oil into the liquid nitrogen, where it instantly froze into tiny, emerald green, jewel-like powders.
Next, she poured some yogurt into a siphon bottle, injected gas, shook it, and then squeezed out white, airy foams with a subtle sourness.
Audience: "Liquid nitrogen! Again?!"
"A siphon bottle?! Isn't that just for making milk foam?!"
"This is completely beyond my culinary knowledge!"
"I don't understand it, but it's amazing!"
Commentary from Judge Murasame Reine:
"...Utilizing liquid nitrogen flash freezing to form fine powders maximizes the surface area, instantly releasing flavor. Charging with nitrous oxide creates a mousse foam, altering textural density and elevating the perception of flavor complexity."
Her workstation remained pristine, and all food components were processed, resembling precision parts awaiting assembly. The air was filled with a cold, complex, fresh fragrance.
Fujibakama Mii turned the camera toward Shido: "Majikku! The Phoenix Court Contestant has completed all preparatory work, and her precision is breathtaking! Now let's see how Itsuka Contestant is doing!"
The camera switched, and Shido was also busy. His style was, as always, warm and grounded.
His radish was cut into fine, uniformly thick strips; his knife skills were solid. Although not as incredibly delicate as Chinatsu's, it was clear he had put in hard work.
He used the Jabara-giri technique to cut the cucumber into continuous, straw-raincoat-like segments, which was not only aesthetically pleasing but also allowed it to absorb the sauce fully.
Yamabuki Ai: "Look! Itsuka Contestant's knife skills are also excellent! 'Jabara-giri' really tests patience and skill! Cucumber cut like this will be very flavorful and refreshing!"
"Oh! It's straw-raincoat cucumber! I tried it, and I cut through it every time!"
"It looks delicious!"
When preparing the sauce and garnishes, he didn't use measuring tools but relied on instinct.
Freshly squeezed mandarin juice, soy sauce, mirin, and a small amount of rice vinegar were blended in his bowl.
He tasted it, thought for a moment, and then scooped a spoonful of his homemade, citrus-zest-flavored syrup from a small jar and added it, making the sourness more mellow and gentle, filling it with a sunny sweetness.
He placed white sesame seeds in a dry, small pan and patiently toasted them over low heat until golden brown, then gently crushed them using a mortar and pestle. A rich, nutty aroma instantly and warmly diffused through the air.
Audience: "It smells so good! The scent of toasted sesame!"
"It's the smell of home!"
"Does he have some kind of secret recipe?"
Commentary from the Teacher Judge:
"Shido is very good at utilizing ingredients! Homemade syrup and freshly ground sesame powderthese are the little secrets that fill a dish with 'heart'! That's wonderful!"
He sliced young ginger sprouts into extremely thin sheets and soaked them in ice water, allowing them to naturally curl into cute little spirals, which he would use for garnish and palate cleansing.
His workstation was clearly more homely; occasionally, a few drops of sauce or sesame seeds would scatter, but he always tidied them up immediately.
The air was filled with the toasted aroma of sesame and the sweet scent of mandarin, forming a stark contrast to the cold, fresh fragrance emanating from Chinatsu's side.
Judge Commentary (Tobiichi Origami): "Itsuka Shido's preparation method is closer to the efficient practices of a home kitchen. His aroma management is outstanding and effectively stimulates collective appetite. Practicality assessment: A."
The two contestants, employing vastly different stylesice and firehad completed all their preparatory work. The final plating showdown was imminent.