AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 117
Episode 10-19
“Yes, it’s fried well. Normally, it would be done with small fish, but… well, this is good too.”
“Delicious! It’s so delicious, Naoya! It’s crispy, fluffy, and fish can be such a feast!”
“Looks like Chloe’s reaction is good too. Considering the ingredients, it seems like selling a-ji-fu-ra-i (fried horse mackerel) might be a strong candidate.”
“Aji-fry, is it? It’s delicious even with that thick black liquid poured over it, or with that white liquid with some lumps in it!”
“Watch your wording! That’s just sauce, like the one used for tonkatsu!”
“Hehe, but it’s really tasty. This sauce with its richness, tanginess, and the texture of the ingredients deliberately left in… what is it?”
“This time, I used store-bought ‘tartar sauce.’ After all, seasonings brought from Japan are of higher quality.”
“… More, please!”
“Yes, yes, just wait a bit, Barbera.”
It’s the 26th day since I became the manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store.
The tasting session on the rooftop continues without customers flooding in during idle times.
Following grilled fish, seafood barbecue, and bouillabaisse, I presented “Aji-fry.”
Well, the size was obviously different from actual aji. It was “something like aji fry.”
Of course, that’s not all.
“Alright, this is tasty too. It’s been a while since I’ve had simmered fish.”
While Chloe, Anna, and Barbera are engrossed in the aji-fry, I poke at a dish of something like a flounder with a spiky tail, simmered in sauce.
“Mom, I helped with this one too! Please, have a taste!”
“My, that’s impressive, Colette. Brown fish… Since it’s Naoya-san’s cooking, I’ll gladly have it.”
“Like with beef stew, the problem with simmered dishes might be their appearance. Francine-san, please don’t force yourself.”
Unlike with the aji-fry, the reaction to the simmered dish is not so good.
Urged by Colette, Francine-san picks up a small piece with her fork and puts it into her mouth.
Her eyes widen as she chews.
“How is it? Mom, how does it taste?”
“Delicious. This is so delicious too. The meat is moist and tender, melting in the mouth, and it blends wonderfully with the flavor of the brown sauce. This is superb… Truly, this must be heaven. If you say you are not a god, then Naoya-san, you must be a messenger of the divine.”
“I’m not a divine messenger, please don’t worship me, Francine-san. The amazing part is the Japanese seasonings, not me.”
The excessive praise makes me a bit uneasy.
To cover my embarrassment, I stand up and approach the cart.
It’s the cart that I deliberately moved here using the elevator that wasn’t in use earlier.
It didn’t just have aji-fry and simmered fish on it.
“I’m not confident about this, considering the situation in the port town, but… I’d like you to try this too.”
From the large pot placed on the cart, I ladle out some dishes onto deep plates.
Once I’ve placed enough portions for everyone, I carefully pick up the large dish.
I gently set it on the table.
“This is the potential star seafood dish, only available at the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store!”
“Na-Naoya, what is this? What is this!? It just made eye contact with me!”
“That brown semi-solid liquid… Is it really edible? I mean, I won’t die if I eat it. I won’t die, but…”
“…Ice?”
The first one is miso-based ara-jiru (fish head soup).
Anna, who saw me preparing it, seems taken aback.
Once dissolved, it might be hard to tell, but to people who didn’t grow up in Japan, miso’s appearance can be quite… off-putting.
Though she had no problem with the simmered fish with the head still on, Chloe seems disturbed by the fish head’s eye in the ara-jiru. I can’t understand her standards. Perhaps it’s because they’re used to whole roast horned bulls and charging boars.
“Manager-san, are we really supposed to eat this as is?”
“Colette, there’s no mistake in Naoya-san’s judgment. I hear that there are things that are eaten raw in the port town. This must be one of them too.”
However, what has Chloe, Barbera, Colette, and Francine-san captivated is not the ara-jiru.
It’s another dish.
A sa-shi-mi platter.
Well, Barbera seems more interested in the ice underneath than the raw fish.
Since we had both red-fleshed and white-fleshed fish, I decided to prepare a sashimi platter.
Of course, we didn’t have a boat-shaped platter, so I just arranged it on a large dish with some ice.
Due to freshness concerns, I avoided serving any fast-spoiling blue-backed fish.
“Ra-raw, raw, it’s raw!? Naoya said, ‘Raw is the best, after all!’ and now, he wants to—! Just… just kill me!”
“Chloe-san, please purify. Both the raw fish and the sewage-like soup, cleanse them thoroughly.”
“I’d definitely appreciate that. Please, Chloe.”
“Of course, Anna! ‘Purification!’ ‘Purification!’ But I don’t have to eat it, do I? I don’t, right, Naoya?”
“With purification, there’s no worry about parasites, so if you could, I’d like you to try it. After all, this is a ‘tasting session.’”
“…It’s cold!”
“Hey, stop eating just the ice, Barbera. The dish is there, but it’s not the ice you’re supposed to eat.”
“Um, it may look strange, but the soup is delicious! So the soup and the raw fish are fine, Mom!”
“Yes, that’s true. There’s no mistake in what Naoya-san does. Let’s repay Naoya-san, who saved us. Goodbye, Colette.”
“Francine-san’s dedication is a bit too heavy! Don’t worry, you won’t die if you eat it!”
To prove it’s safe, I pick up a piece of sashimi with my chopsticks, dip it in soy sauce, and pop it into my mouth.
The five pairs of eyes are all fixed on me.
Even the iguana sitting in the child’s chair is quietly watching me.
“Yeah, it’s good. Though, the red fish isn’t quite on the level of tuna or bonito. It’s sashimi, but it’s surprisingly chewy.”
“A-are you alright, Naoya? Your tongue won’t be ripped off, or your stomach won’t be torn open, right?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine. Oh, the white fish is delicious! Perfectly chewy with a rich flavor; this might be better than tai or flounder. It could be popular in Japan.”
“…Tasty!”
“Oh, no, Barbera-chan! I’ll cast a healing spell now!”
“The soup smells nice and tastes good! But the fish… it’s a bit slimy. Sorry for being picky.”
“Don’t worry, Colette. I wanted to hear opinions, including that.”
“This might be a matter of preference. As for the soup, I think it might be better if the fish were broken down. It would take more effort, but if you plan to sell it, I’d be happy to help.”
“I see. Then maybe I should strain the ara-jiru to remove the fish bits… or perhaps just use it as a base stock for something else.”
“…Crunchy and tasty.”
“Ah, well, Barbera can handle it as is. That’s expected, being a dragon.”
The ara-jiru and sashimi platter.
If it works out, they could be the main attraction for seafood-based side dishes, but everyone’s reactions are mixed.
…I’ll put my hopes on the final dish that Anna-san and Colette helped me prepare.