Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: The Departed and the Returned (3)
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We left the dinner menu entirely up to the innkeeper without choosing ourselves. She boasted that she'd just bought a ton of great seafood at a bargain price from some Lavata merchants who had arrived in the city, so we could look forward to it.
When someone who even prepared eel at home has real expertise with seafood, how could we not be excited! We waited for the food to be ready while munching on the olive ciabatta she brought out.
"Wow, it smells amazing."
El, unable to tear her eyes away from the kitchen even as she tore into her bread, sniffed the air and spoke in an excited voice. Just as she said, the aroma wafting from the kitchen was incredible. The salty scent of seafood without a hint of fishiness, mixed with the spicy notes of various spices...
*Gulp.*
My throat bobbed. Swallow!
The well-pickled olive ciabatta was light and delicious, but the temptation from the kitchen's aroma was so overwhelming that I couldn't tell if the flavor was hitting my mouth or my nose.
*Sizzle...!*
How much time passed like that? A sound like steam escaping rang out. Finally, dinner time. I waited in reverent anticipation.
*Thud!*
But what was placed before us was just an empty plate. No, platter would be more accurate. The enormous platter, taking up more than half the table, was completely empty. I stared at the innkeeper in a daze, while El, sitting beside me, gazed at her with a hollow look like she'd lost her place in the world.
"Hahaha, just a moment! Hang on!"
Reading our expressions, the innkeeper wiped the sweat from her forehead and headed back to the kitchen. Then she emerged carrying a basket nearly as big as her upper body. It was so massive she might topple backward, piled high enough that its contents peeked over the rim.
"Need a hand?"
"Oh, yes, could you grab that for me?"
"Sure."
Where she nodded toward sat four small wooden mallets, each the size of a palm.
'Mallets...?'
Puzzled, but following her request, I picked them up and returned to the table.
*Whoosh!*
"......!!!!"
With El's help, the innkeeper poured the basket's contents onto the giant platter. What spilled out was a bounty of perfectly cooked seafood and fresh vegetables.
At the center was a massive mangrove crab, red and thick, bigger than an adult fist. A whole octopus, uncountable coral shrimp, gaping white clams, red abalone, and mussels steamed to perfection! Fluffy potatoes and bright yellow corn rounded it out...
This must be what they mean by "legs about to break from the feast."
I had to be careful not to drool. I quickly sat down and passed out the mallets. Whoa, now that I'm seated, that subtle spicy aroma wafting up...
"It might be a bit spicy. Dig in. I'll prepare the next course."
Whew, perfect. Seafood like this goes down easy without end. Especially with good wine... I pulled two bottles of chilled white grape wine from my subspatial ring. *Pop!* Uncorking them produced a clear sound and wisps of white vapor. Ah, that sweet fragrance...
I couldn't hold back any longer.
Crustaceans have sharp shells, so you have to eat carefully—especially with whole steamed ones like these, untouched. In my old world, restaurants would provide gloves, but not here. In this world, you can't survive whining over a shell prick.
'The main event is the mangrove crab...'
Mangrove crabs look distinctly different from snow or king crabs. I'd never tried one myself—only seen them on gourmet shows—but I'm looking forward to it?
*Crack!*
*Snap!*
I first detached a thick front leg and handed it to El. Then to Lloyd and Calisto. Finally... the heaviest, biggest leg was mine!
*Bang!*
*Boom!*
The shell was tough, but no match for the wooden mallet and my trained grip. I smashed the claw with fierce momentum. Peeling back the shattered shell revealed...
"Whoa..."
Firm, snowy crabmeat. I bit into the steaming chunk, and its signature sweetness exploded with salty, slightly spicy umami.
Insane.
This is insane.
The crabmeat melted in my mouth. No need to chew. It coated my tongue sweetly before dissolving smoothly. I could hardly believe I was eating this.
I sucked the smaller legs clean with care. What remained...
*Gulp.*
Crab guts.
Ah, this calls for sesame oil and white rice... In this world, bread it is. I tore off a piece of white bread to dip into the shell. Or tried to.
"Hold on."
The innkeeper stopped me. She handed me a small glass bottle—olive oil, probably. But unlike regular, it had white flecks floating inside...
"...White truffle oil!"
"Hehe, I knew you'd recognize it~!"
Crab guts with white truffle oil! I carefully dripped three drops onto the guts—the aroma is strong, after all. Mixed with the innards and dipped in bread...
"Mmm...!"
The truffle's fragrance, the oil's richness, the guts' bittersweet creaminess blended into an artistic sauce. Wow, this is insane. Pure genius. I frantically dipped bread. Not quite sesame oil and rice, but damn close!
This world has its own flavors. Lesson learned today.
The mangrove crab vanished in no time. Now for the octopus, shrimp, and shellfish. Thanks to paprika powder and spicy seasonings, it didn't get tiring at all—just slid down perfectly. The seasoning was spot-on. No fishiness whatsoever! Probably from steaming whole limes and lemons. Pepper too... And what's that? I hammered away, devouring seafood while mentally noting the innkeeper's secrets.
The tender, salty abalone paired with the popping corn's sweetness. Corn juice cut through any potential shellfish fatigue. When it got spicy, a bite of melted cheese with soft potato. Wow, even storage potatoes taste incredible. And the octopus? Delicious boiled alone, but in this seafood broth, the flavors explode. Ah, now I want ramen too... This broth would make a perfect ramen finish. Shaking off the regret, I chugged more wine.
"Ahhh..."
"Theodor, have some of this too."
"Yeah, yeah."
Speaking of, Calisto here barely ate, then stopped to peel coral shrimp shells, placing the meat on my plate. Appreciated, but...
"You eat too, Cal."
"I've had plenty."
Sigh, what do you expect from an elf...
"Whew..."
Man, it's spicy. My spice tolerance is high, but my tongue's on fire from nonstop eating. So El and Lloyd...
"......"
"......"
Faces beet red. About to burst. I gave El sugarcane milk, Lloyd more wine. They seemed to calm a bit. As we caught our breath.
"Whoa, you finished already!"
The innkeeper returned with another large bowl, clicking her tongue. Next course? I sneaked a peek. In the slightly concave bowl...
'Just vegetable cream stew?'
No, too sweet-smelling for that. She cleared shells and empty plates, placing the new dish in the center.
Broccoli, carrots, shell beans piled high, drenched in sweet-scented cream sauce. Hmm, just veggies? More meat coming? Then—
*Crack...*
Something split. The center sank, sauce and veggies collapsing. I peered closely. Atop the plate...
"...Wow, I've never seen one this big."
A head-sized coconut crab, split in half. Clearly packed with meat... Ah, swallowing again. Even though I'm full-ish.
'They say the bigger the crab, the better.'
Heart pounding with anticipation. I claimed one quarter of the split coconut crab, glancing at Calisto still peeling shrimp.
*Ahem*... "Calisto."
"Yes, Theodor."
"Not having any of this?"
"No. Eat up without worry."
Score.
Grinning, I cracked the claw and bit into the meat. First bite plain, pure flavor.
"......Mmm!!!!"
Coconut crabs eat coconuts, so their meat carries coconut notes... I thought it exaggerated, but it's real. Fragrant coconut aroma and taste infused in the crabmeat! Subtle sweetness spreads on the tongue. So good.
*Chew chew...*
El was utterly focused on eating, not a word. Scary concentration. Can't lose. Now with sauce. Sweet, creamy coconut sauce perfectly matches the meat. Tears welling.
'If I'd known it'd be this good, I should've gone to Guam.'
Never considered solo since it's a honeymoon spot, but regret now.
"......"
No.
What's to regret?
I looked around. El devouring plate and all, Lloyd chugging wine, Calisto peeling shrimp...
"Eat up, El."
"Yeahph hweo!"
"Eat plenty, Lloyd."
"Thanks, Theodor."
"Enjoy, Cal."
"You're welcome."
Maybe this beats Guam.
Not alone, after all.