Mister Ajikko 41

Mister Ajikko Volume 5 Chapter 6 Cover for Ten-Don

Page 104

Youichi: Okay! / It's finally the day of the match with Tensei!

Youichi: Let's go all out, Kou-chan!
Youichi: Let's show that old man our impressive skill!

Youichi: Mum!
Youichi: Are the ingredients all done?!

Youichi: Alright!
Youichi: Let's do the final check.

Youichi: Prawns!

Youichi: Cuttlefish!

Youichi: Scallop!


Page 105

Youichi: Perilla!

Youichi: Gingko nuts!

Youichi: ... Lastly, pumpkin!

Mum: It'll be fine.
Mum: Everything's prepared!

Youichi: And this...
Youichi: This ginger will be important!

Koutarou: Ginger?!
Mum: That's for... Ah! As a garnish, right?

Youichi: Is that what you think?
Youichi: Ehehehe.

Youichi: Anyhow, let's be off!
Youichi: There's no telling what's gonna happen during the match!


Page 106

Tensei Owner: Hoh!
Tensei Owner: As promised, you came!

Tensei Owner: I thought you'd give up after all this time.
Tensei Owner: Are you here to beg for forgiveness?

Youichi: Grrr...

Youichi: Anyways, Gramps!
Youichi: The promise!

Youichi: If I manage to impress you with my ten-don...
Youichi: You'll allow Kou-chan to work here again!

Tensei Owner: Fufufu
Tensei Owner: Fine with me.


Page 107

Youichi: Okay, I'll whip it up in a flash!
Tensei Owner: Hold your horses.

Tensei Owner: If I said your ten-don was bad, would you be able to accept it?

Tensei Owner: In just one hour, this restaurant will be packed.
Tensei Owner: Your ten-don's success will be decided by the customers.

Everyone: What?!

Tensei Owner: The customers here come regularly so they're the ones who know the taste of tendon the best.
Tensei Owner: It's up to you to satisfy their tongues!

Tensei Owner: What now, boy?
Tensei Owner: Do you accept the challenge?

Youichi: Of course I do!
Youichi: In just one hour, I'll show you the best ten-don ever!


Page 108

Tensei Owner: Fufufu.

Tensei Owner: Stupid boy.

Tensei Owner: My ten-don has a flavor that's been cultivated for 50 years.
Tensei Owner: There's no way you'll beat the technique or the topping!

Tensei Owner: How close can you get...
Tensei Owner: to the taste of my ten-don?

Tensei Owner: Alright boy, it's nearly time!
Tensei Owner: Put up your menu!

Mum: Okay

On the paper: New menu / Jumbo Ten-Don


Page 109

Tensei Owner: Oh... a jumbo ten-don, huh?
Tensei Owner: The name is certainly flashy.

Customer: Hello, Sei-san.

Customer: Today's the day of the match, right?
Customer: What kind of dish are you serving?

Tensei Owner: Today's dish is that jumbo ten-don.
On the paper: New menu / Jumbo Ten-don
Tensei Owner: That's the only things we're serving today.

Customer: Oh?
Customer: Then I'll have that!

Customers: Finally!
Customers: Sei-san, are you in?

Customer: Ho, a new menu?
Customer: I'll have that jumbo ten-don.
Customer: Me too!

Tensei Owner: Are you prepared yet, boy?!
Tensei Owner: I hope your dish goes well!


Page 110

SFX: sizzle

Tensei Owner: Wha-

Tensei Owner: Kakiage?!
Tensei Owner: Not only that, it's a super sized kakiage!

Tensei Owner: I see! The topping isn't fried individually, so there's no technique involved!
Tensei Owner: Rather, the kakiage is a mix of all the ingredients!

Tensei Owner: And this volume!

Tensei Owner: This is...


Page 111

Tensei Owner: He's adding more batter on top of each other to create layers!
Tensei Owner: With this, the heat can reach the insides of the super-sized kakiage!

Tensei Owner: Very clever, boy!
Tensei Owner: I see now you're not all talk!

Tensei Owner: But that's not enough!
Tensei Owner: Your plans for the topping and tare sauce isn't good enough!

Tensei Owner: The true ten-don has so much technique and experience backing it up!
Tensei Owner: One taste from the customers is all that's needed to expose you!

Youichi: Alright!
Youichi: It's done!


Page 112

Tensei Owner: Hahaha...
Tensei Owner: WAHAHAHAHA!!

Tensei Owner: As I thought, you're just a newbie, boy!
Tensei Owner: That ten-don has an unbelievable flaw!

Youichi: What?!

Tensei Owner: There's no way you can fit a lid on top of that absurdly thick kakiage!
Tensei Owner: A ten-don without a lid... that's a fatal mistake!


Page 113

Tensei Owner: The ten-don's lid isn't just for show! / In that single minute it takes for the dish to reach the customers... / The steam inside heats up the rice! The tare sauce spreads! The tempura becomes crispy!

Tensei Owner: Those are what decides the flavor of ten-don!
Tensei Owner: Your ten-don is nothing but an imitation!

Youichi: That's it?
Youichi: That's what you're excited about?

Tensei Owner: ...What?!

Youichi: For the lid...
Youichi: I can just do this!


Page 114

SFX: voila

Youichi: To act as a lid...
Youichi: the foundation layer of the kakiage is good enough!

Tensei Owner: Wha...?!
Youichi: Okay, send it out!
Youichi: The rest are coming soon!

Mum: Sorry for the wait!


Page 115

Customer: Wow...
Customer: Amazing! I've never seen such a thick kakiage!

Customer: Ehh?!

Customer: There's a lot of heat...
Customer: There's so much steam!

Customer: Delicious!
Customer: The tempura is fluffy! The rice is perfectly steamed! Awesome!!

Tensei Owner: WHAT...?!


Page 116

Tensei Owner: HOW?!
Tensei Owner: How can a lidless ten-don achieve this?! This fluffiness!!

Tensei Owner: That's it!
Tensei Owner: The part that's acting as the lid... it's because of its flatness!

Tensei Owner: That boy made the first layer touch the surface of the wok!
Tensei Owner: By doing that, he made that layer flat and able to act as a lid!

Tensei Owner: With that as a lid, the rice and other ingredients are all moist and fluffy!
Tensei Owner: By not letting the heat escape, the ten-don became extremely tasty!

Tensei Owner: But,
Tensei Owner: That's as far as you go, boy!


Page 117

Tensei Owner: You still have obstacles!
Tensei Owner: Yes, the tare sauce!

Tensei Owner: I'll congratulate you on the idea of the super-size kakiage.
Tensei Owner: However!

Tensei Owner: The thickness prevents the tare sauce from reaching the insides!
Tensei Owner: The outside may be tasty but the insides will be flavorless!

Tensei Owner: The first bite doesn't matter!
Tensei Owner: The following bites will be your downfall!

Customer: It really is a huge kakiage.

Customer: Yum! Delicious!
CUstomer: This flavor of the tare! Sweet and spicy, so good!!

Tensei Owner: HOW?!
Tensei Owner: How did the tare get to the insides?!


Page 118

Youichi: It's thanks to
Youichi: these black cubes!

Tensei Owner: What are these?

Tensei Owner: This is tare...
Tensei Owner: This is tare that's been solidified using gelatin!

Youichi: I added them to the batter!
Youichi: Then, while it's being fried, the tare inside will melt and spread all over!

Youichi: Hehe--

Tensei Owner: Who is this boy?!


Page 119

Customer: The frying technique and the sauce is delicious!
Customer: What about the other ingredients?

Customer: This is... prawn.

Customer: So good!
Customer: The sweetness of the prawn is subtle yet delicious!

Customer: This is cuttlefish.

Customer: It's fluffy, yet also springy! I can't get enough of it!

Customer: This is scallop.

Customer: The scallop is full of savory juices.
Customer: My mouth is filled with it.

Customer: There's so much fresh seafood in it.
Customer: It's all tender, moist, and I can pull out whatever and it's all delicious!

Customer: This is perilla leaf.

Customer: What a refreshing fragrance...
Customer: It really washes away the oily aftertaste.

Customer: This is pumpkin!

Customer: This is gingko nut!


Page 120

Customer: ?

Customer: What is this?
Customer: This prickling on my tongue and my appetite being stimulated...

Customer: It's ginger!
Customer: There's minced ginger added to the tempura!

Customer: What a wonderful meal!
Customer: The ginger, which is added to the abundant variety of ingredients, increases the appetite to create the ultimate ten-don!

Customer: Tensei always uses extra-large tiger prawns, whiting, shiitake and perilla leaves...
Customer: Each of them used a different technique to fry and the tare is wonderul.

Customer: This kakiage don doesn't really have amazing ingredients but,
Customer: In its simplicity, the volume and freshness shines through!


Page 121

Customer: As expected of Tensei's new menu! / I want to have this kakiage don from tomorrow onwards!
Customer: Me too!

Tensei Owner: Boy...
Tensei Owner: Let me taste that kakiage don!

Tensei Owner: Everyone!
Tensei Owner: Listen to me!

Tensei Owner: The person who made this kakiage don was
Tensei Owner: actually this boy right here!


Page 122

Customer: Ehh?!
Tensei Owner: It was a bet.
Tensei Owner: Thsi boy claimed that he could make a better then-don than mine!

Tensei Owner: I thought he wouldn't be able to do it. I was stubborn.
Tensei Owner: But he did a remarkable job!

Tensei Owner: I applaud him!
Tensei Owner: This unbelievable boy!

Customer: ...
Customer: This boy?
Customer: He really made this?
Customer: Marvelous!
Customer: Amazing!

Youichi: Umm... / About Kou-chan's job...

Tensei Owner: I'll keep my promise.
Tensei Owner: It'll be good influence for my stubbornness.

Koutarou: Yes!

Youichi: Yay!!