Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

The barbecue shop owner pulled out an enormous knife and swiftly carved all the roasted meat from the grill.

With several sharp chops, he separated the huge racks of ribs one by one. Each rib was nearly as long as an arm, with an astonishing amount of meat clinging to the bone.

He returned the sliced meat and ribs to the charcoal for a final sear, brushed them with one last coating of sauce, then piled everything onto an oversized platter and finished it with a light sprinkle of his special seasoning before handing it to Haruto.

Steam still curled from the grilled meat. The surfaces had been roasted to a glossy reddish brown, with thin blackened edges providing just the right amount of char.

A rich crimson sauce clung to every piece, making the entire platter look irresistible.

Haruto picked up one of the ribs and immediately took a bite.

The crisp exterior came first, carrying a faint smoky char, followed almost instantly by a rush of rich meat juices.

Sea King meat had a firm texture with pronounced muscle fibers, but it was not tough or dry in the slightest. In fact, the more he chewed, the richer the flavor became.

The real highlight was the house sauce.

From the taste, Haruto guessed it had been slowly simmered from fruit, soy sauce, and a mixture of spices.

It had a touch of sweetness, a little saltiness, and a distinctive aromatic depth, yet it never overwhelmed the powerful natural flavor of the Sea King.

Instead, it drew out even more of the meat’s savoriness.

The fatty portions of the rib had been roasted until most of the fat had rendered away, leaving them rich enough to melt in the mouth without becoming greasy. The leaner meat had absorbed the sauce completely, giving every bite a savory depth complemented by the unmistakable smokiness of charcoal.

One mouthful filled his entire palate with the fragrance of roasted meat, and Haruto could not help narrowing his eyes in satisfaction.

He finished the first rib in only a few bites before reaching for a thick slice of grilled meat.

That was just as good.

The more he ate, the more addictive it became.

Before long, the entire platter of meat and ribs had disappeared.

Haruto wiped his mouth, still wanting more, paid the owner, and continued down the street.

He had barely walked a few steps before another restaurant caught his attention.

It was a small but spotless establishment, with a large glass tank by the entrance containing all kinds of brightly colored deep-sea fish.

The sign above the door read:

Fish-Man Deep-Sea Cuisine

Interested, Haruto stepped inside.

The owner was a sea bream Fish-Man holding an exceptionally thin sashimi knife. He was in the middle of preparing an order, his hands moving so quickly that the blade almost seemed to leave afterimages.

Within seconds, an entire fish had been sliced into neat, perfectly even pieces.

"Welcome. What would you like?"

"All of our deep-sea fish are kept alive until they’re ordered, so everything is cut fresh."

The Fish-Man owner greeted Haruto with a smile.

Haruto looked up at the menu on the wall.

Most of the dishes were various kinds of sushi and sashimi.

His interest faded slightly, but he was still curious about the flavor of deep-sea fish from this world.

"I’ll have your signature sashimi platter."

"Coming right up."

The owner nodded and immediately got to work.

Only a few minutes later, an elegant platter was placed in front of Haruto.

A thick bed of crushed ice covered the plate, topped with neatly arranged slices of sashimi in a wide variety of colors.

There was fatty deep-sea tuna belly, silver-scaled salmon loin, tentacles from an unfamiliar deep-sea octopus, and several other fish Haruto could not identify.

Each piece had been cut to precisely the right thickness and gleamed invitingly beneath the light.

Beside the platter sat a small dish of special soy sauce brewed with seafood, along with freshly grated wasabi.

Haruto began with a slice of deep-sea tuna belly.

He dipped it lightly in the soy sauce and wasabi before placing it in his mouth.

The moment the fish touched his tongue, rich fat spread smoothly across his palate, carrying the deep sweetness and umami unique to tuna.

There was not the slightest hint of fishiness—only extraordinary richness and a silky texture.

The wasabi was surprisingly gentle. Rather than producing a harsh burn in the nose, it carried a clean, refreshing sharpness that perfectly cut through the richness of the fat.

Meanwhile, the savory saltiness of the soy sauce drew out the natural sweetness of the tuna.

The combination lingered wonderfully after he swallowed.

Next, Haruto picked up a slice of silver-scaled salmon loin.

Unlike the fatty richness of the tuna, the salmon was crisp and tender, with a clean sweetness and a faint springiness when bitten.

Its flavor spread lightly across his tongue, pure and refreshing, without even the slightest unwanted aftertaste.

The unfamiliar deep-sea fish each had their own character as well.

One was firm and pleasantly chewy, with a faint milky sweetness.

Another was so soft and smooth that it nearly melted the instant it entered his mouth, leaving behind an intense burst of umami.

A third had a subtle natural tartness that made it particularly refreshing.

Haruto took his time tasting each one, finding something different to enjoy in every variety.

Before long, the entire sashimi platter was empty.

Thoroughly satisfied, he bought several live deep-sea fish directly from the Fish-Man owner and stored them inside the Gourmet Restaurant before leaving.

The moment Haruto stepped outside, another aroma caught his attention.

It was completely different from the smoky richness of grilled meat or the clean freshness of sashimi.

This was the warm, mellow fragrance of a soup that had clearly been simmering for hours, filled with the richness of meat and the deep savoriness of mushrooms. Merely smelling it seemed to warm his body.

Haruto followed the aroma and soon found a restaurant with a long line stretching from its entrance.

The sign read:

Granny’s Sea Turtle Soup

Everyone waiting in line was craning their necks toward the restaurant, clearly here for the same thing.

Any dish capable of drawing a crowd like this was probably worth trying.

Haruto joined the back of the line.

While waiting, he asked the customer ahead of him about the soup and learned that it was made from deep-sea turtle meat, more than a dozen varieties of mushrooms, and several other valuable ingredients.

Everything was simmered gently for a full twelve hours.

Only one pot was prepared each day, and every customer was limited to a single bowl.

Once it sold out, that was it.

After roughly twenty minutes, Haruto finally reached the front.

The restaurant itself was small, with only a handful of little wooden tables. Behind the counter stood an elderly woman with white hair, but despite her age, her movements were quick and practiced as she ladled soup for each customer.

"Granny, one bowl of sea turtle soup, please."

Haruto was already looking forward to it.

"Of course. Just a moment."

The old woman smiled, filled a porcelain bowl nearly to the brim, added several pieces of sea turtle meat that had been simmered until tender, then finished it with a small scattering of chopped green onion.

Haruto accepted the bowl and found an empty seat.

The soup was milky white, with a thin layer of golden oil shimmering across the surface. Steam rose continuously from the bowl, carrying such a rich aroma that even smelling it made his stomach feel warm.

Haruto picked up his spoon, scooped up some broth, and took his first sip.

His eyes immediately lit up.

The soup was extraordinarily smooth and creamy, almost like silk. The moment it touched his tongue, it seemed to glide naturally down his throat.

Then the concentrated savoriness of the ingredients unfolded across his mouth.

The deep, mellow flavor of the sea turtle blended perfectly with the sweetness and umami of the mushrooms, creating far more complexity than Haruto had expected.

Even the seasoning was perfectly balanced.

Only a modest amount of salt had been used, just enough to bring out every ingredient’s natural flavor without making the soup heavy or overly rich.

If anything, each sip seemed even more savory than the last.

The warmth traveled from his throat down into his stomach, and his fatigue seemed to disappear almost immediately.

Haruto scooped up a piece of sea turtle meat next.

It had been simmered until so tender that it practically dissolved beneath his tongue. The meat had absorbed the soup completely, leaving it soft, rich, and full of flavor without the slightest trace of dryness.

Even the mushrooms had soaked up the broth.

When he bit into them, hot, savory juices burst across his mouth, while their naturally crisp texture provided a pleasant contrast.

Haruto finished the entire bowl in only a few mouthfuls.

His whole body felt pleasantly warm afterward.

More importantly, his Gourmet Cells had become unusually active, and he could feel his physical abilities improving slightly.

Unfortunately, the soup was strictly limited to one bowl per customer.

Haruto could only leave reluctantly.

Strangely enough, despite everything he had already eaten, he felt even hungrier than before.

That only made him more eager to keep exploring.

A fried-food stall nearby had attracted a large crowd.

The owner was dropping small battered fish into a pot of bubbling oil. The instant they hit, the oil erupted with a sharp hiss and the aroma immediately spread through the street.

Naturally, Haruto bought a portion.

The freshly fried fish had a golden, crisp shell that cracked loudly when bitten. Inside, the flesh was snowy white, delicate, and overflowing with juice.

A sprinkle of seasoned salt and chili powder gave it a savory, mildly spicy kick.

It was the kind of food that made someone want to lick the seasoning from their fingers afterward.

The grilled conch stall next door was equally busy.

The owner removed fresh meat from enormous sea snails, cleaned it thoroughly, then returned it to the shells with butter, minced garlic, and herbs before roasting everything over charcoal.

As the butter melted, its creamy fragrance combined with the roasted garlic so beautifully that walking past without stopping was almost impossible.

Haruto bought several.

Using a bamboo skewer, he pulled a piece of roasted conch from its shell and popped it into his mouth.

The meat was firm and springy, carrying the richness of butter, the toasted fragrance of garlic, and just enough sea-salt savoriness.

Eating them one after another was incredibly satisfying.

Haruto continued down the street.

Next came candied sea bananas coated in a crisp sugar shell, soft and sticky inside without being overly sweet.

Then a freshly baked seafood pizza with a crisp crust, stretchy melted cheese, and so many fresh shrimp and scallops piled on top that every bite was loaded with seafood.

After that came little fish-roe cakes made with flying-fish roe. Each bite sent countless tiny eggs popping across his tongue, releasing bursts of fresh, savory flavor.

But the dessert that impressed Haruto most was a sea-salt caramel pudding.

It came in a small glass bowl.

The pale-yellow pudding was topped with a thin, brittle layer of caramelized sugar, with a few mint leaves and fresh raspberries arranged beside it as decoration.

It looked almost too delicate to eat.

Haruto picked up his spoon and lightly tapped the caramel shell.

Crack.

The thin layer shattered beautifully.

He scooped up some pudding together with the broken caramel and placed it in his mouth.

The pudding was impossibly smooth and tender, melting almost instantly with a rich aroma of eggs and cream.

The caramel on top carried a faint bitterness from the burnt sugar, perfectly complementing the sweetness of the pudding beneath.

But the best touch was the small amount of concentrated sea salt from Water 7 mixed into the dessert.

That barely perceptible saltiness balanced the sweetness of both the caramel and the custard, giving the entire dessert far more depth while keeping it from becoming cloying.

Every spoonful was sweet without being heavy, creamy and exceptionally smooth.

Even after Haruto swallowed, the rich fragrance of caramel, eggs, and cream lingered pleasantly in his mouth.

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