Chapter 148 Four dishes and one soup
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"Don't worry, Ma Lu has already registered with the city manager, so your existence won't be exposed."
Hearing what Yan Wu had to say, Jigina finally relaxed, then spoke into the phone's microphone.
"Sorry, my people and I are just taking refuge in your universe, and we don't want the people here to know about our existence."
Yan Wu then explained, "The Valkyrie People were enslaved by an evil dragon for tens of thousands of years. Although they escaped, they are always cautious of other intelligent species, especially those that dominate a planet."
"I see, so you've come to Earth for refuge?" Ma Lu turned to the small people on the ground.
Liliem nodded. It was her first time dealing with a giant and she seemed a bit nervous, speaking faster than before.
"We are small, eat little, and our population is also quite small, just under four thousand, so we won't use too much of the resources on this planet. When we were in the mountains, we farmed our own food."
"Oh, no problem, I don't mind at all," Ma Lu said.
Although he was an Earthling, he was just a restaurant owner and had no say in matters of races and immigrants.
Moreover, ever since he met Old Wang, Ma Lu had met quite a few visitors from different dimensions, going from initial surprise to gradual numbness. He no longer knew how many outsiders might be hidden on this planet.
But since everyone had been living peacefully for so many years, then just continue to make do, what else could they do? After all, if something really happened, there was always that pigeon to help cover for them.
Also, these Valkyrie People were genuinely pitiable, having lost their own home and having traveled so far to Earth. After so much time, they only staked a claim on Mount Everest and kept to themselves, until now when they sent someone down the mountain to gather information. They didn't seem to harbor any ill intentions.
Having finished speaking, Ma Lu placed the Spiny Whip Spider Eggs and Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream dish on the ground.
"Please enjoy."
This dish used two ingredients from different dimensions, Spiny Whip Spider Eggs and Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream meat, each a three-star ingredient. Combined, they raised the dish's Deliciousness Index to ★★☆.
This group of Valkyrie People had trekked all the way here from the Tibetan Plateau, and probably hadn't eaten very well on the journey.
Seeing such a big piece of meat in front of them, everyone's eyes glowed green with hunger. Yet, they still maintained excellent discipline, all turning to look at Jigina.
Although he had just suffered a social death, as the leader of the group, he had to take the lead. If he didn't eat first, the others could only continue to wait.
Jigina was salivating wildly at the smell of the meat, but he hadn't forgotten the proper etiquette.
He stood with hands on hips, bent his right leg, placed it against the inside of his left leg, and then twirled on the spot like a ballet dancer for two and a half circles, performing the same action for Ma Lu.
"This is the Valkyrie People's way of expressing gratitude," Yan Wu explained as Ma Lu looked on in bewilderment.
"Ah, so what should we do, twirl back? But I'm not that good at balancing, I'm afraid I cannot twirl that many times."
"It's okay," Liliem said. "This is our custom, and we don't expect others to do the same. In fact, we equally respect the etiquette of other species. Just act as you usually would."
Relieved, Ma Lu extended his index finger and "shook hands" with Jigina.
After the exchange of courtesies, the Valkyrie warriors then climbed onto the plate and sliced off a piece of Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream meat the size of half a pinky nail with a small knife they carried.
As he put the piece of meat into his mouth, he immediately tasted a smoky flavor mingled with the sweet scent of fruitwood.
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This is also a characteristic of Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream Meat, it not only retains the alluring smokiness typical of smoked meat but also keeps the moisture in the fresh meat to the greatest extent. Taking a bite, you can feel the juices explode between your teeth and on your tongue.
Jigina didn't speak, but from the way he was wolfing down his food, the other Valkyrie People could tell how delicious this grilled meat was.
So they didn't hesitate either, and they all rushed forward. Liliem, who had looked quite ladylike before, turned out to eat more fiercely than anyone else, pushing her way to the forefront of the crowd, just slightly behind her brother.
And after finishing one piece of roasted meat, she lined up again, this time aiming for the yellow pearls on top of the grilled meat.
Girls naturally like round, shiny things, regardless of race.
Moreover, the large pearls were edible this time. Liliem bit down, and rich juices spurted out, unexpectedly showering her face, although some splashed into her mouth as well.
That immediately opened the door to a whole new world for her!
The large yellow pearls were filled with meat juices, but not from the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream. Instead, it was the juice of another high-protein meat, abundant with meat fibers.
It would be more accurate to describe it as a piece of flowing meat rather than just juice.
The texture was completely different from the previous meat ribs, brimming with juices, yet when bitten into, it had a gritty texture and even a spicy taste reminiscent of curry.
Liliem quickly grew fond of this unique and magical sensation, and more people started noticing the yellow pearls on the steak.
Curious, they, too, stepped forward to taste, and soon they were exclaiming in amazement, just like Liliem.
Seeing this, Yan Wu couldn't help but shake his head.
These Valkyrie People didn't know the proper way to enjoy this dish; they were all too eager.
In contrast, the hardware store owner had been as steady as Mount Everest, waiting a few more minutes. With the continued warmth of the steak, the spider eggs on top finally burst open, and the liquids inside flowed down, drizzling over the steak beneath.
Only when he saw this did Yan Wu pick up his knife, cut a piece of meat, and put it in his mouth.
Perfect!
The flavors of the Spiny Whip Spider Eggs and Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream Meat, so different from each other, finally blended together perfectly at that moment!
This was a union of strengths, where the two ingredients didn't just sit side by side, but complemented and contrasted each other, bringing out the flavors even more strikingly.
It took less than ten minutes for the Spider Egg Roast Sand Dory to be completely devoured, with Yan Wu himself having half the dish, and the remaining half divided amongst the Valkyrie People.
And at that moment, Ma Lu came out with the second dish.
——Iron Plate Magma Worm.
This dish still used ingredients from a Different Dimension, Lava Giant Lizard and desert worms, and the preparation was somewhat similar to the earlier volcanic grilled sausages.
However, volcanic grilled sausages are more suited to street stalls rather than being the main course of a restaurant.
So, Ma Lu chose Iron Plate Magma Worm this time, stuffing Lava Giant Lizard Meat into desert worms. When cooked, there's no need to add extra oil, and as it grills on the iron plate, the fat from the desert worms infuses into the giant lizard meat, making the meat aromatic and rich.
And to ensure this dish isn't too rich, Old Wang added a fresh segment of asparagus in the middle.