AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 118
Episode 10-20
“The final dish is… this!”
“Naoya? Isn’t that… not food?”
“Naoya-san, why don’t you take a little break? Unlike me, you do get tired.”
“…Is it hard?”
I show the dish placed on the tray of the cart I brought over. Chloe, unusually, is making a valid point, and Anna-san is worried about me. Barbera looks at the white lump and tilts her head.
It’s the 26th day since I became the manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store. Sure, it’s been 26 days straight, but it’s not like I’m so tired that I can’t think straight.
“This isn’t meant to be eaten as is. What you eat is the inside, the inside.”
I put on the heat-resistant gloves that I brought with the cart. I tried to lift the tray with the white lump on it and froze.
“Oh, heavy.”
“…I’ll help.”
“Ah, hey, Barbera, it’s hot, so be caref—”
“…It’s fine.”
Barbera grabbed the tray, which I had just taken out of the oven, with her bare hands. It was hot enough that regular oven mitts wouldn’t help much for long, but Barbera seemed fine. Also, it was too heavy for me to lift, but Barbera did it with ease. As expected of a dragon.
By the way, the apron-wearing skeletons helped me out when I was cooking and placing it on the cart. Thanks for your hard work!
“Is the inside a narwhal? Even if it’s a small one, lifting it alone… You’re amazing, my lady!”
“Oh, this fish is called a ‘narwhal’? It certainly has quite a horn.”
“…Hmph. My horn is more amazing.”
“Yeah, yeah, Barbera’s horn is impressive too.”
“Hey, Manager, how can you speak to the young lady like that! She’s upset—no, actually, she’s pleased… Is that okay, my lady…?”
From the white lump on the tray, a long, slender horn was sticking out. I couldn’t see inside, but the fish was about 2 meters long without the horn, and it looked like a tuna or bonito.
“Naoya, what exactly is this? Do you eat it as is, with the ‘narwhal’ inside?”
“…Salty.”
“Hey, Barbera-chan, don’t lick your hands… Wait, the white lump is salty? No way, Naoya-san, is this entire thing made of salt?”
“Not all of it, but there’s quite a bit.”
I set the tray on the table and took out a small wooden mallet that the skeletons had brought. Holding the mallet, I glanced around at everyone gathered for the tasting session. Chloe, Barbera, and Colette looked curious, while Anna-san and Francine-san were a bit put off by the idea of “quite a bit of salt.” The iguana was leaning out of its child seat, front paws on the table.
After confirming that everyone was watching, I made my announcement.
“The final dish is… ‘Narwhal Salt Crust Bake’!”
I lightly brought the mallet down. The impact resonated through the table with a loud thud.
The white crust cracked open. From inside, the moistly baked “narwhal” appeared, with steam and a delicious aroma wafting up.
“Ooooh! So this white thing was an eggshell! Is this how narwhals are born?”
“There’s no way a fully grown creature comes out of an egg, Elf. Though, in another world, that might be possible? I mean, there could be creatures this size right after hatching. Wait, anyway, that’s not the point!”
“You wrapped it in a shell to steam it from the inside. And this scent… herbs, perhaps? It’s quite appetizing.”
“I believe presentation is important for a signature dish. By the way, Anna-san, you have a sense of smell and appetite? How does that work for an undead?”
“…Salty!”
“Barbera, don’t eat the white part. The fishy smell and fat have seeped into it, so we’ll discard that.”
“Oh, to use this much salt for one dish… and to just discard it…!”
“M-Mother!”
“Please calm down, Francine-san. This salt isn’t that expensive. And as for egg whites, the yolks can be used for many things, so they usually go to waste anyway.”
Colette steadies Francine-san, who wobbles unsteadily. The rooftop of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store turned chaotic even before the tasting began. Only the iguana silently widened its eyes. Was it surprised?
“Anyway, just try it.”
I put the cracked pieces of the salt crust into a trash bag and brushed off the surface of the narwhal with a new brush. I quickly cut it into portions and served them onto plates. Even after putting a serving on the table for each person, no one was eager to try it.
Ignoring them, I took a bite with my chopsticks.
“Hmm, tasty. But maybe a bit too salty. I guess you can’t get it right on the first try, even with a commercial oven.”
The narwhal looked like tuna or bonito, but it was a white-fleshed fish. That’s why I decided to bake it in a salt crust. The steamed meat was moist both inside and out, with excess fat and fishiness removed, giving it a refined flavor. However, it was a bit too salty. Maybe the cooking time was too long, causing the saltiness to seep in, or perhaps it was because it took a long time to encase such a big fish in a salt crust. Also, the combination of herbs available here didn’t seem quite optimal.
“…Bake?”
“I see. It might be better to have Barbera bake it with her breath rather than experimenting with the commercial oven.”
According to Anna-san, a dragon’s breath “brings about the desired result.” If it could fire pottery just by blasting clay shaped as desired, baking a salt crust to perfection should be a cinch. Probably.
“Well, if the salt crust bake gets good reviews, I might ask you. Here, Barbera, you should try it. Ahh—”
Barbera opened her mouth wide. I tossed a piece of perfectly flaked narwhal into her mouth. Barbera chewed, then her eyes widened, and a flame shot up from the tip of her tail.
“…Delicious! The best fish ever!”
“Oh, that’s great to hear. And Barbera, your hometown is near a port town, right? If it’s the best you’ve had, then… does that mean this has a chance?”
“W-What is this! Delicious, delicious, Naoya! I’ve never eaten anything like this in the village or the town!”
“I was surprised by the white lump, but now I see, salt was displayed on the shelves. If used generously, such delicious dishes can be made.”
“…More!”
“Wow! It’s tasty, Mother!”
“Yes, indeed, Colette. It’s really delicious. Thank you, Naoya-san, no, Naoya-sama. To think I would get to taste such a luxurious dish with so much salt used and discarded, I have no more regrets.”
“Please have regrets, Francine-san. Salt can be replenished. It’s not an outrageously expensive ingredient.”
I soothe Francine-san, who looks like she’s about to declare this her final meal. Although I’m a bit dissatisfied with the result, the narwhal salt crust bake was well-received.
Yes, I should thank the apron-wearing skeletons who tirelessly whisked the egg whites. The Aion Mall Otherworldly Store probably couldn’t function without them. From the start, perhaps.
On the 26th day since I became the manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store, the tasting session finally ended, receiving mixed but mostly favorable feedback.
If I can stock up on seafood, I feel like I could sell side dishes and condiments as well. Next, I need to think about transportation methods.
“Delicious… If it’s this good, even Aniki and his wife might… in that case, this might actually work…”