Chapter 29 chapter eight

Almost eight years later, I left "Iwata" and returned to Kansai, and entered the chocolate workshop of "Goldfinch" in the basement of the store, where I was in charge of making chocolate. That year, I suddenly received a postcard from Umezaki. It turned out that it was the opening notice of the restaurant, and his dream really came true.It was the Southern French cuisine restaurant that he excitedly described when he was in "Iwata". The letter said that a special meal was prepared for me, waiting for your visit, and also specified the date and time I hoped I could go.Of course, if I can't cooperate, I can choose to live by myself.

Anyway, I happened to be free that day, so I went there as promised. When I walked to the reserved seat, I suddenly found that Mr. Nagamine had already taken the seat, and he seemed to know that I would come too, without showing any surprise. Mr. Nagamine, who I haven't seen for a long time, is more calm than before, and he looks more like a general. He is completely different from the him when he yelled at Umezaki in the kitchen. Mr. Changfeng took the initiative to greet me: "Long time no see!" The corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a slight smile. "It seems that Chef Iwata is also invited to come, but unfortunately the time is not available, so Chef Iwata will come the day after tomorrow."

"I didn't expect him to invite Mr. Changfeng." "Maybe he wants to invite me to taste it! He wanted to open a shop a long time ago, didn't he?" Even though eight years have passed, can you still not forget what happened in "Iwata" back then?However, I think Umezaki definitely did not entertain Mr. Nagamine for this reason, but because of his trust in him.How do Umezaki and Mr. Nagamine view each other?To be honest, as a bystander, I really don't understand. "After Umezaki left 'Iwata', did you contact Mr. Nagamine?" "No, it's better when we work together!"

"Good?" "Yeah! I often call him to the store, scold him for being too sloppy, and correct his work attitude. I think no one else will see it!" People don't use the word "good relationship" to describe this kind of relationship. ——However, according to what he said, it is understandable why Umezaki invited Nagamine-san.When we went for a drink, Umezaki, who half-jokingly yelled "I'm going to kill Nagamine!" I hope to get the affirmation of the enemy, because Mr. Changfeng is a trustworthy person who can judge things calmly.Maybe Umezaki realized this when he was scolded bloody.

Otherwise, when we were drinking in the izakaya, Umezaki had already noticed this, but he just didn't want to admit it, so he deliberately vented his emotions. I think the latter is closer to the truth. "Where did you get high school?" Mr. Changfeng asked me. "Responsible for research and development of chocolate at 'Goldfinch'." "Are you planning to develop in this direction?" "Well, it seems more suitable to me than pastry making." "Are you going back to Tokyo?" "Probably not. I want to stay here. Chocolate in Kansai has great potential for development recently!"

"Oh……" "Is Mr. Nagamine coming from Tokyo?" "No, I came back here earlier, and I also specialized in research and development of chocolate." "Which store is it?" "Amano Chocolate Factory." (Chocolatier AMANO) "This store is huge! I remember it has branches in Tokyo and Paris..." "I entered this store to study on the premise that one day I will be able to stand alone." "Are you going to open your own shop? A French dessert shop?" "Basically, chocolate is the main product, but chocolate is not enough, so we still sell some biscuits and cakes."

Before the meal, Umezaki came to say hello to us.Although his figure has become slightly out of shape with age and has added a bit of stability, he still has a fashionable hairstyle and his frivolous tone of voice remains the same as before.However, he thanked us very politely for the special honor and wished us a pleasant meal with a smile. When Umezaki returned to the kitchen, Mr. Nagamine murmured: "That guy really hasn't changed at all!" "Maybe in his eyes, we haven't changed, have we?" Mr. Nagamine heard me say that , a wry smile appeared on his face. As expected, the cooking is not picky. It seems that the chef hired is quite two-handed. Mr. Changfeng also feels the same.

And finally dessert.There are two desserts on the plate, one is pure white Bavarian pudding soaked in French custard sauce; surrounded by fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.Sure enough, it is the Umezaki style that is very particular about fruits, and each one looks so plump and dazzling. The other is the bursting chocolate cake with whipped cream. The taste of chocolate and the way of matching are very careful. I thought both desserts were delicious, but when we left, Nagamine said coldly to Umezaki who was standing at the door to see us off: "If you want to use chocolate to make a difference, you need to use a little more heart. It is not necessarily delicious if you use chocolate from a well-known brand. Since you insist on pairing fruits, you have to think about how to make the taste more harmonious. Although the current matching method feels good, But the overall feeling is a bit weak, and it cannot satisfy the taste-conscious gourmets.”

Umezaki didn't look angry at all: he responded with a smile: "Thank you for your suggestion, I will pay attention to it." Then he said: "If you don't dislike it, I look forward to visiting you again. I trust Mr. Changfeng's tongue, for the future development of this store , please do not hesitate to enlighten me." "Do you want us to be food critics?" "Since everything has been said so plainly, I can't deny it...of course it will be entertained for free by our side." "I don't like this," Mr. Changfeng immediately rebuffed: "If you want to pay to pick a restaurant you like, I don't like to eat and drink for free, so as not to be short-handed and eat people's mouths."

"That's right...then I'm sorry to ask you..." "If I pay for it myself, it's okay to come once a year, but you have to hone your skills. If you don't improve, I won't come to the door again." "No problem!" Umezaki replied confidently: "Stay tuned! Next time I will definitely make a dessert that satisfies Mr. Nagamine."