The Other World Dining Hall Chapter 2: Teriyaki
Author Note From Web Novel:
It is part Fantasy, with multiple magicical worlds, but the shop owner is not a part of one
The Shopkeeper is a normal old man, other than cooking he can’t really do anything that could be considered extraordinary
The customers often change each chapter, however a few become regulars and show up often in the story
The time that regulars began attending the weekly visits vary. The oldest has been coming to the Other World Dining Hall for 30 years.
Be aware of the above, and we hope you enjoy!
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MTLed and Edited by iballisticbunny (Syntax + Google Translate)
Note: [ ] for nickname. { } for their special food. ” ” for dialogue, and ‘ ‘ for thoughts.
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Apparently it’s also winter over here.
Opening the black oak door that was floating on the edge of a mountain, Tatsugorou sucked in small wisps of warm air leaking from the mysterious entrance while releasing a cool stream of white breath.
He really liked this unique feature of the restaurant. In the summer, it was cool while the reverse happened during winter. The thing called “Air Conditioning” from the Other World was an ingenious invention, having the power to make summer cool and winter warm.
The Different World Dining Hall was simply incomparable to any inns or taverns. To him, even the most comfortable palace and castles that belonged to the highest of royalty and aristocracy could not hold a candle to this place.
“Owner, I’ll be in your care.”
He once again repeated the words as the frost melted off of him. Every time, during the past 30 years, he without fail always opened the door and said the same greeting.
“Yes, Welcome!”
The man who was once a youth had now aged and became a middle aged man and inherited the shop from the previous owner. The new owner returned with his usual response. Suddenly the face of the former shopkeeper overlapped with the new owner as Tatsugorou realized with a wry smile
“…I see. I’ve grown old”
Thinking about it, it had been around ten years since the new owner took over the restaurant. At that time, the new owner had a face that you could say held traces of youth. Now that same face was filled with an aged dignity, a bold face.
Over the past ten years, the various dishes that the previous owner prepared slowly faded away. In their place, new dishes appeared as they were written down, resulting in the current volume. The old regulars that used to show up slowly began to disappear one by one as well. Now new faces, who he had never seen around, would begin to take their spots.
“Owner-, Sorry young Miss, I need to get past you.”
It was the new kid on the block, yet somehow they seemed familiar. Even though there were plenty of free seats open, that girl always sat at the same place surrounded by {Minced Cutlet} and {Cabbage} with a bright smile.
Lowering his long standing partner, his Samurai Sword, he sat down. The comfort of the chair made him exhale deeply with relaxation.
“Hey… It’s been a month [Teriyaki]!”
The voice of a fellow regular of this shop came over from the direction of the kitchen towards Tatsugorou. Clad in a robe that had been worn by time, the old man was rather skinny. Despite this, most likely in habit, he held a cup of cold golden beer, of which there were numerous more lined up on top of his table. The fizz of the beer could still be heard, it was as if something was being fried, it was a favorite aspect of this restraint for this man.
“Oh, I was a little busy with work. You look the same though [Roast Cutlet].” Tatsugorou replied to this fellow regular with whom also had a very long relationship with this store.
As part of tradition, people call each other by the name of their most favorite food from this Dinning Hall. The exact person who started this tradition in the beginning had been forgotten and lost in time, but it had turned into a custom that bordered obsession.
“Hahaha! When I can no longer eat {Roast Cutlet} and drink {Beer} is the day I die!”
He chewed the Roast Cutlet that had been dusted with mustard and pounded down the beer in one large gulp. It was… quite a sight but also very vulgar.
‘And to think this old man is a wise Sage.’
Thought Tatsugorou after seeing the sigh in front of him. He inwardly had a wry smile, in front of him was [Roast Cutlet], someone who was extremely proficient in the ways of magic. He was famous among all magicians as a wise man of legend and even the common folk knew who he was. Perhaps [Roast Cutlet] also knew his real name, Tatsugorou, after all he had been slashing and killing many of famous monsters for 30 years as a foreign swordsmen and could be considered to be another legend. Yet there was no relationship between the two outside the shop. They were just fellow customers, one who loved {Teriyaki} and the other {Roast Cutlet}, just a pair of drinking buddies.
“Have you decided on your order sir?”
Oh, {Teriyaki Chicken} please, and could you also bring a bowl of rice along with some pickles? At the same time… some cold sake.”
He relayed his usual order to the owner.
“Yes, the usual then.”
The owner quickly went back into the kitchen, his back had begun to resemble the old master thought Tatsugorou as the owner brought out the food he was waiting for.
“Please take your time, here is the rice and pickles, also the miso soup today contains tofu and seaweed.”
The owner placed the food down and left. Pickles along with a pure white rice bowl finished off with miso soup. The reason why Tatsugorou loved this restaurant so much was all lined up right in front of him. At the sight of the food, he smiled broadly and deeply inhaled the warm fragment steam as he bowed his head.
In high spirits, he picked up his chopsticks and rice bowl and took a plain hot mouthful. The rice… its sweet aroma from the grains was gentle and soothing as it spread out all over his mouth. There was a clear difference between the dry and crumbling brown rice from his home town and this fragrant steaming white rice that Tatsugorou chewed so thoroughly in pleasure.
The more he chew it, the more the sweetness of the rice came out and spread throughout his mouth. Once he was satisfied with that sweetness, Tatsugorou swallowed the rice and bit into the pickles to change his palate.
With a loud crunch the memories of winter and merchants in the shopping districts selling their humbly made yellow pickles drifted up from his memories. A strong saltiness erased the sweetness lingering in his mouth.
Then, right after his mouth started to almost overflow with saltiness, he took one more mouthful of rice. While barely chewing the food already in his mouth, he poured down the miso soup into his mouth. The white soft tofu and the green ocean gra.s.s known as seaweed could not be found in his hometown which was surrounded by mountains. The rice slid down into his stomach together with the hot soup.
“…Whew.” He leaked out an involuntary breath.
Unlike the bread that was made from ground up wheat and that had been spread throughout the entire Eastern Continent, Tatsugorou felt that the rice grown in the paddies had a nostalgically flavor of his hometown where they also ate it every day. The soft sweet and white bread that could only be tasted in this restaurant was definitely not something he hated, but he thought the reason why he felt rice was so much better was because it reminded him of his hometown which he had left long ago and never returned to. A bite, a taste, the flavor of memories, however…
‘This restaurant’s food might be too good though, I don’t think I could ever go back to my hometown when they don’t have soy sauce or miso soup!’
He continued to savor his rice as pointless thoughts drifted into his head. White rice with pickles washed down by miso soup. This was Tatsugorou’s usual habit of enjoying the meal as an opening act before the leading actor arrived.
“Thank you for waiting, here is your {Teriyaki Chicken} along with some sake.”
And while he was enjoying this opening act, the leading actor finally decided to show itself. The large ma.s.s of chicken meat bathed in a salty sweet sauce which had than been grilled, the {Teriyaki Chicken}. The taste of which had remained in his thoughts for over twenty years is what made Tatsugorou fall deeply in love with this restaurant.
‘Wow, so it’s finally arrived!’
After being satisfied with his fill of rice and soup, he was perfectly read to eat his fill of {Teriyaki Chicken}. He picked up a slice of meat that had been cut thinly to make it easier to eat with chopsticks. Heavy amounts of a light-brown translucent sauce complimented and coated the chicken’s brown skin. Yet the meat inside was so whiter than a maiden that knew no disgrace, the sharp contrast was mesmerizing.
Chicken_Teriyaki.jpg
First he had to enjoy it with his eyes… before bringing it to his mouth. The skin was sticky and had just the right amount of fat as the feeling of the tender meat spread out in his mouth. With each bit, the fat from the skin peeled away, allowing the salty sweet mix of soy sauce and sugar to soak into his tongue as the meat juices flowed out from the young chicken’s tender meat.
‘Ahhhhh… this isn’t good!’
Tatsugorou then hurriedly shoveled rice into his mouth, knowing that the simple yet complicated flavor of the {Teriyaki} eaten together with the plain and sweet rice was simply a match made in heaven. Tatsugorou thought this combination created the perfect taste and was the most enjoyable way to eat rice.
Long ago there had been fierce arguments on which was the best between {Currey Rice}, {Omurice} and {Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl} with the other regular customers, which at best had turned into serious brawls. Reminiscing in his past memories, Tatsugorou let out a natural smile as he stuffed his mouth full of rice.
The most delicious dish of the entire restaurant. This had been a common discussion that occurred frequently between regular customers, but due to the vast variety of cuisine there had yet to be a decisive winner.
Now… it was finally to taste the Other World’s liquor, onto their sake! First he filled the cup halfway to full before downing it in one gulp. He enjoyed the rough strength of alcohol that burned his throat that came along with a fragrance of fruit that filled his nose. After that, he began to drink little by little to prevent himself from getting drunk and to keep enjoying the flavor in full.
The first drink was pure standalone liquid gold. After that, he snaked on {Teriyaki} in between sips, this was the way that Tatsugorou liked to enjoy his sake. He filled his gla.s.s cup with more alcohol that was as clear as water and smelled of sweet fruit. Despite it’s clarity the sake was as strong as the spirits that the roughest dwarves enjoyed. The strong dry flavor of the sake which burned the tongue was complimented well by the sweet and savory flavor of {Teriyaki}.
This type of liquor was another thing unique to this Other World. In this Other World Dining Hall, there were familiar drinks such as beer and wine but many were drinks that could only be found here, and all of them were delicious in their own respect.
According to rumor, every time Sat.u.r.day came about, dwarf blacksmiths and other craftsmen would come here and drink, trying to find out a way to replicate the Other World liquor, this had been going on for quite a number of years. Recently they managed to find a few links to follow and created alcohol that was revered back in their world, with many claiming it was almost a crime to be so delicious and worthy of worldwide acclaim, yet these were not able to satisfy the people who knew of the deliciousness from the Other World’s alcohol. In other words, it unfortunately meant that in Tatsugorou’s lifetime, the only place he could drink such a sake would be in this Other World Dining Hall.
“Mhhh…. {Teriyaki Chicken} looks good too!”
[Roast Cutlet] couldn’t help be mutter and sigh after seeing Tatsugorou enjoy his meal so much,
“If you want, I’ll trade you for the middle part of your {Roast Cutlet}.”
Partially due to their friendship, Tatsugorou gave a proposal offering to trade his {Teriyaki Chicken}. Although {Teriyaki} was definitely the ultimate combination with rice, he knew that the {Roast Cutlet} which had been soaked in plenty of sauces went great with rice as well.
“…Can’t it be from one of the ends?”
“No way. If you don’t like my offer, order some yourself.”
This was a point he wouldn’t budge on.
From then on, he enjoyed his meal while having some idle conversations.
Drinking alcohol, enjoying the middle piece of roast cutlet that he traded some teriyaki for, and having a chat. Time pa.s.sed as he enjoyed himself…
“Well… if I don’t head back now, my disciples will start to get fussy.”
[Roast Cutlet], who had taken many disciples like any legendary Sage should, stood up from his seat and got ready to leave. Tatsugorou started to do so as well.
“Hey Owner! I’ll leave the payment here!”
Tatsugorou took out several silver coins out of his purse that had been tucked away in his breast pocket and laid them out on the table. Every time, the amount he paid increased by just a bit. When he had been young and poor, the previous owner had taken care of the bill and lost out on his profits, so in a way this was Tatsugorou repaying his debt.
“Understood. Thank you very much!.”
The owner was used to this extra amount so he compliantly took the money and began to clean the table.
“I’ll come again soon.”
Tatsugorou gave a single bow to the owner before walking to the exit with Roast Cutlet.
“Hmmm…. So that’s [Minced Cutlet] the Second?”
Roast Cutlet muttered on their way out, in his gaze was a single female adventurer… the new face Tatsugorou had noticed earlier.
After finishing her main meal, she was relaxing and drinking some sort of Other World tea called coffee.
“…What do you mean by that?”
At [Roast Cutlet]’s sudden remark, Tatsugorou tilted his head.
“Exactly what you think I mean, just look.”
Laughing at him, [Roast Cutlet] left the restaurant.
“I wonder what he meant… that strange old man.”
As he thought that, he took the final step and was outside the restaurant, finding himself in the middle of the mountains, illuminated only by the bright moon. The exit to the restaurant was the same place where you entered. Traveling in the dark was dangerous, so he carefully headed towards a nearby shelter to sleep.
“Ahhh…. That’s right. The Second, huh?
Feeling slightly tipsy as he walked, he somehow suddnely understood what [Roast Cutlet] was talking about.
“Now that I think about it, how many years has it been since I last saw him… that [Minced Cutlet] guy.”
From the rumors that he heard, [Minced Cutlet] had died from sickness. The man who loved {Minced Cutlet} more than anyone else in that restaurant and would often fight with [Croquette] and [Roast Cutlet] over which dish was the tastiest.
“I see now… I suppose the world keeps on going, even without us eh?”
Most likely, that girl was a blood relative of [Minced Cutlet].
Their age seemed to be quite the ways apart though, but for a great-grandchild it seemed about right.
‘Hmmm… maybe I should bring that promising guy to the Other World Dining Hall sometime…’
He suddenly had that thought, with his what time he had left, he felt that it would be a waste if he died completely forgotten long with the entrance to the Other World Dining Hall.