Gourmet: Cooking for the Multiverse — Chapter 576

Chapter 576: The King of Wines and Yuko’s Mining Expedition

It was only halfway through their lavish meal that Legolas and his companions finally remembered the masterpiece they had temporarily sidelined: the Burgundy wine-stewed beef. In their war-torn world of Middle-earth, such a decadent luxury was practically a myth. Cattle were scarce in many regions, and even where they roamed, prime beef was not something one could simply demand on a whim. More often than not, their travel rations consisted of tough, cured horse meat or whatever wild game they could hunt along the trail.

Aragorn took the initiative, ladling generous portions into large, rustic bowls. Thick, succulent chunks of beef tumbled into the rich, dark sauce. Gimli’s eyes sparkled, grinning like an overgrown, bearded child weighing several hundred pounds as he eagerly accepted his bowl. Surprisingly, the fellowship had taken quite well to chopsticks. Treating the slender wooden utensils as an extension of their own martial prowess, they wielded them with the precision of seasoned weapon masters, using them for everything short of drinking the broth. Yakumo Yukari and the other regulars barely batted an eye at the sight; in a restaurant that bridged dimensions, being shocked over someone mastering chopsticks was a deep waste of energy.