Mister Ajikko 44

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Mister Ajikko
Chapter 9 My Rival's Curry is...!?

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Yoshio: We will now begin
Yoshio: the first round of the Ajiou Cuisine Group Grand Prix Contest!
(on Yoshio's suit): Master of Italian Cooking / Marui Yoshio
(on the big sign above the contestant's heads): [partially hidden by panel] isine Group Grand Prix Contest

Yoshio: The theme of the dish is seafood curry!
Yoshio: One of these four chefs will be eliminated in this first round!

Yoshio: The time limit is two hours!
Yoshio: The match will end at exactly twelve o'clock, at which time, the judges will judge the dishes!

Yoshio: I wish all the contestants good luck!
Yoshio: Please proceed to your cooking stations!


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Kazuya: Hmm... I heard that you're in charge of the French cuisine within the Ajiou Group.
Kazuya: I look forward to seeing you in action.

Shimonaka: Senpai, if you were still in your prime,
Shimonaka: you would've been the person in charge, instead of me.

Shimonaka: Alas, your skills have become rusty after long periods of unuse,
Shimonaka: I wonder how much of a threat you are to me.

Kazuma: Youichi!
Kazuma: This is it!

Kazuma: I'm gonna pay ya back for defeatin' me last time!
Kazuma: I'll wipe the floor with ya!

Youichi: Okay!
Youichi: I'm excited too.

Kazuma: Excited!?
Kazuma: Why you! Let's see ya be "excited" after the match!
Yoshio: And with that...

Yoshio: Begin!!


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Kazuma: Ho!
Kazuma: My preparations are all done!

Kazuma: The ingredients for my dish were assembled so nicely.
Kazuma: I don't even need two hours.

Kazuma: In fact, what I'm interested in
Kazuma: is who's gonna be eliminated first.


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Kazuma: First is
Kazuma: Konishi Kazuya!

Kazuma: He's the guy who clashed with Ajiou and was kicked out of the company. He was known as the foremost genius when it came to meat dishes.
Kazuma: He's super-skilled in meat dishes, but how will that help him make a seafood curry?

Kazuma: ... Ho...
Kazuma: He has lots of kinds of shellfish on display.

Kazuma: The rich variety of seafood ingredients will give off the waftin' scent of the seashore.
Kazuma: In other words, a super traditional seafood curry!

Kazuma: Just by lookin' at the colour of his roux and smellin' the aroma, I can tell he's usin' a carefully measured spice blend.
Kazuma: I'm expectin' it'll smell awesome.

Kazuma: Even though he's from a different field of cookin', he's still someone to look out for in this match.
Kazuma: This guy's not bad at all.


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Kazuya: If it isn't one of the brats.
Kazuya: He's looking at his competition with that arrogant face.

Kazuya: Sakai Kazuma, huh...
Kazuya: First it was Youichi, now that brat too. The number of kids just keep on increasing.

Kazuya: But since it's a kid,
Kazuya: why don't I show off a little as my dish is coming together nicely?

Kazuya: This match isn't all about just curry!
Kazuya: The key is the rice!

Kazuya: It's something that the majority of Japanese people eat everyday,
Kazuya: which means how you deal with rice is the most important aspect of this match!

Kazuya: This rice isn't normal steamed rice,
Kazuya: it's been fried with butter!

Kazuya: To that, I add the deciding factor,
Kazuya: wine!

Kazuya: Then, to prevent dullness of flavour,
Kazuya: I add basil as well!

Kazuya: The ingredients for the curry are added to the roux early and simmered slowly.
Kazuya: The resulting umami flavor of the seafood will produce the best curry!

Kazuya: Scared yet,
Kazuya: kid!?


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Kazuma: Hmph...!!

Kazuma: Okay, next is...
Kazuma: the representative of the Cuisine Group, Shimonaka Motoyuki.

Kazuma: He's using kinmedai*.
TL Note: Translates as golden-eyed sea bream. Google for more info.
Kazuma: Is he gonna be keepin' it whole in his seafood curry?

Kazuma: It's a given that white fish go well with curries.
Kazuma: The curry spices eliminate the fishy smell, leavin' only the delicious flavour!

Kazuma: As expected of a senior chef.
Kazuma: He's making good use of his ingredients like Konishi-han*.
TL Note: "-han" is the Kansai dialect equivalent of "-san", which is a polite honorific suffix for a stranger or acquaintance.

Kazuma: Now to check on his roux...

Kazuma: Hm!?

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Kazuma: What is that!?

Kazuma: That's coconut milk!! / He blended desiccated coconut and coriander in a mixer to make coconut milk!! [TL: Wonder why he didn't buy a can of the milk instead]

Motoyuki: It's great that you realised it.
Motoyuki: As expected on a kid chef who's selected to appear in this GP contest.

Kazuma: Grr!

Motoyuki: I'll stir this coconut milk
Motoyuki: into the roux!!


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Motoyuki: This will create the perfect body and flavor for the roux.
Motoyuki: The roux will then impart the ultimate flavor to the kinmedai!

Motoyuki: It's important not to depend on the merits of the base ingredients alone.
Motoyuki: It's what you do to those high-quality ingredients that count.

Kazuma: That's what you can expect from a high ranking chef from the Cuisine Group.
Kazuma: Though it appears haphazard, he's paying close attention to the ingredients and their cooking.

Kazuma: Interestin'!
Kazuma: Yer definitely a tough one!

Kazuma: This is the contest hosted by the Ajiou Group after all!
Kazuma: If I win, it'll prove my worth to be here!


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Kazuma: Now, Youichi!
Kazuma: Yer the one that stands out in this contest!

Kazuma: What are ya gonna do?
Kazuma: How are ya gonna make things fun for me!?

Kazuma: Hm?

Kazuma: Eh...

Kazuma: What?

Kazuma: Nyahahahaha!!!
Kazuma: Nyahahahahahahaha!! [TL: feel free to add or delete as many 'ha' as you need]


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Youichi: What?
Youichi: Is there something weird on me?

Kazuma: The weird one is you, Youichi!!
Kazuma: Is that yer curry!?

Kazuma: Yer ingredient is just one squid!!
Kazuma: Ya don't have any strategy for yer roux at all!!

Kazuma: And ya say you'll beat me!?
Kazuma: Yer taking cooking too lightly, aren't 'cha!?

Youichi: Hehe~
Youichiu: Is that what it was?
Kazuma: What!?


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Youichi: Don't worry, I have a big plan!
Youichi: It's just that you can't see it until the end of the match!

Kazuma: Hmph!
Kazuma: Yer full of confidence even when yer out of ideas, aren't 'cha?

Youichi: Oh, yes I am.
Youichi: SInce I'm gonna win after all.

Youichi: What about your curry that you're so confident with, huh!?
Youichi: You've been observing other people's cooking all this while, haven't you?

Youichi: Are you that confident that
Youichi: you aren't going to be booted out in this first round?

Kazuma: Ha!
Kazuma: You dummy!

Kazuma: Look at this!
Kazuma: The finest quality spiny lobster!!


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Kazuma: It's on a whole 'nother level to yer squid.
Kazuma: The flesh will melt in the judges' mouths.

Youichi: Ohhh?
Youichi: Didn't Shimonaka-san say that cooking isn't just about ingredients?

Youichi: Your curry roux doesn't look any different.
Youichi: You won't win this round with just a spiny lobster.

Kazuma: Heh!
Kazuma: Ya need glasses then!

Youichi: ...Wha-

Kazuma: The fact that ya can't see my plan
Kazuma: means that it's you who should be worrying about losin' this first round.

Youichi: ... What?
Youichi: What is it!?

Youichi: Where is the plan?
Youichi: What is he doing in his curry that's different!?


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Youichi: The spiny lobster...
Youichi: you removed the brains of the lobster!!

Youichi: There should be roe as well, but
Youichi: there isn't any!!

Youichi: Why!?
Youichi: What did you do with them!?

Youichi: You added them to the roux!?
Youichi: You added the brain and roe into the roux to bring out the seafood umami flavor, didn't you!?

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Kazuma: Correct!
Kazuma: Yer good, spottin' that!

Kazuma: They'll give body and the aroma of the sea to the roux.
Kazuma: The subtle sweetness of the lobster coupled with the umami flavor will delight the judges' tastebuds!

Kazuma: My curry's the best!
Kazuma: I'll win no matter what plan ya have, Youichi!

Youichi: ...
Youichi: You really are a thorn.

Youichi: But I won't lose!
Youichi: The match begins now, Kazuma!

Yoshio: You now have
Yoshio: thrity minutes left!

Yoshio: This is the time to think about plating up your curries!
Yoshio: You'll also need to prepare a salad sidedish!


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Kazuma: ...Wha-
Kazuma: What is he schemin'?

Yoshio: What's wrong, Youichi? Why aren't you chopping up your salad!?

Yoshio: Even if your squid curry is deliciously prepared, the salad is an integral part of the dish!
Yoshio: Without the salad, the judges will definitely mark you down!!

Youichi: Don't worry, Marui-occhan*! [TL: "-occhan" is a childish way to saying "-ossan", which is an informal honorific suffix for a middle-aged man]
Youichi: My salad is all ready! I just have to wash with water and strain it!

Yoshio: What!?


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Yoshio: That's...
Yoshio: a seaweed salad!!

Yoshio: Ao-nori*, [TL: Green seaweed]
Yoshio: ko-nori*, and [TL: shredded seaweed]
Yoshio: tosaka-nori*! [TN: Red algae - Meristotheca papulosa]

Yoshio: I see! It's a salad that uses the bounty of the sea!
Yoshio: It's simple to make, yet miles apart from the other salads!

Kazuma: Youichiii!

Yoshio: Time's up!
Yoshio: Serve up your curries!!


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Yoshio: Shimonaka Motoyuki!
Motoyuki: Kinmedai coconut curry!

Audience: Woaah!
Audience: It's a whole kinmedai!

Audience: This kind of curry...
Audience: It's the first time I've seen it!

Yoshio: Konishi Kazuya!
Kazuya: Shellfish curry with buttered rice!

Audience: That curry's packed with shellfish!
Audience: If that's not using the "bounty of the sea", I don't know what is!


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Yoshio: Sakai Kazuma!
Kazuma: This is spiny lobster curry!

Audience: A whole lobster!?
Audience: Such a extravagant curry!

Yoshio: Ajiyoshi Youichi!
Youichi: Curry-stuffed squid!!


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Audience: What the heck is that!?
Audience: That's just one squid, isn't it!?

Kazuma: Youichi!

Ajiou: Fufu...
Ajiou: He's done it again.

Ajiou: But, one of them
Ajiou: will be eliminated from this round.

Ajiou: Now then,
Ajiou: who will it be?

Yoshio: With that,
Yoshio: please bring your dishes to the centre table for the judges!