Now then, what was this beef curry like? I sat across from Aletta at a table, watching her beam while awaiting the beef curry.
Master brought out our food as if we were visitors to the restaurant. “Sorry for the wait. Here’s your beef curry!”
He set down a pitcher full of water that tasted faintly of fruit and then put down glass cups of ice water. Then there was the plate of white weeds, “rice.” Last but not least was the main course—beef curry. Although it was much darker than its chicken counterpart, it still smelled curry-like.
The master laid the different foods out himself, eventually setting down some silver spoons.
The aroma coming from the curry was weaker than chicken curry’s but still recognizable.
Aletta narrowed her eyes as she took it in. “Wow.”
I felt this temporal form of mine smile instinctively. I didn’t know why.
The master watched us and narrowed his own eyes. “It’s a little hot, so be careful,” he explained as if we were customers, before heading to the back. “Enjoy!”
“Oh, demon lord, thank you for the food.” Aletta was clearly impatient. Her prayer to it was much shorter than usual.
We grabbed our spoons and began to eat the curry in front of us. I pulled the plate of dark brown curry off to the side and carefully poured it onto the rice, taking great pains not to spill any. The dark curry covered the white rice, and I took a moment to enjoy its scent.
Aletta began to eat a little earlier than me. She preferred to scoop rice up with her spoon and then put curry on top.
After taking her first bite, she immediately scrunched up her face. “Gosh! It’s spicy but delicious!”
She immediately took a sip of water and then returned to the curry. She clearly didn’t hate it.
I collected myself and finally took a bite of beef curry.
It’s not terribly spicy, but it’s delicious. That was my first impression.
It was much milder than the chicken curry I usually ate. Like the chicken curry, however, it was full of soft vegetables. Still, its composition was even more complex, and it had a strong, savory taste. The meat flavor was also powerful compared to chicken curry.
Is the meat soft, too?
Aletta ate her curry and rice first, leaving the other ingredients for now. “What kind of meat is this? It’s really tender.”
Actually… I hadn’t put much thought into that, but it was indeed true that beef curry included beef sinew. Or, at least, that was what the master had said.
In that case, it must taste different.
I scooped up a piece of meat, noticing how it jiggled slightly atop my spoon. Curious as to what it would taste like, I put it in my mouth and found myself surprised.
The meat is melting?
I was stunned to realize that the meat dissolved on top of my tongue. Its mouthfeel was completely different from the chicken curry meat I was familiar with. It melted on its own, and I could chew through it without even putting it between my teeth.
That strange sensation accompanied the meat’s incredibly savory taste, which was the true source of the beef curry’s flavor.
Aletta quietly continued to eat—a scoop of rice, a scoop of curry. She occasionally stopped to scoop up a piece of meat.
For a while, the restaurant was filled only with the sound of spoons brushing against plates.
“Now, that’s what I like to see! Looks like I’ve got enough for seconds for you both. How about it?” the master asked as he brought over his own plate of food.
Aletta and I nodded simultaneously at the question.
✦ ✦ ✦
After eating with the master, Aletta let out a content sigh, facing her empty curry plate.
“That was delicious! Are you sure you don’t want to add beef curry to the menu? I’m sure Alphonse would love it.”
Clearly, Aletta wanted the master to make this a permanent staple of the restaurant.
Unfortunately, the master shook his head at Aletta’s proposal. “Well, you see, my staff actually pointed out a huge problem to me. So, beef curry’s a no-go. I’ll probably only serve it as a daily special every once in a while.”
“What kind of huge problem?” Aletta looked down at her clean, empty plate. She must’ve really enjoyed the beef curry.
What a waste of something so delicious. I couldn’t help voicing my own thoughts.
Although the beef curry’s spiciness didn’t compare to chicken curry, the savory curry soup—full of soft vegetables and tender meat—was good enough that I would’ve liked to eat it every now and then. It was well made.
“The beef curry’s tastiness isn’t really the problem.” explained the master, shaking his head. “I mean, dealing with beef sinew and the like is a pain, but that’s not the biggest issue.”
“Someone asked me to make curry without pork, because they can’t eat pork,” he continued. “The problem is that the country they’re from is full of people who love curry but can’t eat beef. Cooking doesn’t amount to much if people can’t eat it. Doesn’t matter whether it’s good or bad. That means that I have to settle for chicken curry, which I know everyone can eat.”
✦ ✦ ✦
It looks as though there’s still much for me to learn about the other world, I thought to myself that night.