I am the Entertainment Tycoon

Bao'er Restaurant, Tower Middle Sectio, Sakura Skytree Tower, Lythari Vandor Park, Sakura City.

Theo and the others examined the restaurant menu with curious eyes. They weren't used to eating Pangese food, so some things were still new to them.

There were so many options that some of them were a little confused about what to do, but among them, there were professional cooks who could understand what dishes would be the best to order.

"Theo, Ayia, and the others, you'll know much more than us. What should we order?" Sam asked as she looked at them.

The others who couldn't cook anything also looked at them with pleading looks.

Half of their group worked as professional cooks in Theo's restaurant, so they had enough knowledge to make this decision.

"I studied a little bit of Pangese cuisine back in my gastronomy school, and I can say for sure that we should order the Char Siu or even the Char Siu Noodle Soup." Kumiko commented as looked at the description of the Char Siu.

Char Siu is a type of Cantonese roast meat. To make char siu, pork is marinated in a sweet BBQ sauce and then roasted. A good char siu recipe has a depth of flavor––a salty/sweet contrast with a hint of spice that compliments the pork and allows it to stand alone with just a simple mound of steamed rice and blanched choy sum. The taste is so unique that some chefs fused the Char Siu with Noodle Soup to create a brand-new type of ramen.

"We have to get the Wonton Soup as well!" Gwen suddenly exclaimed, "I used to work in a restaurant that served this dish, and it was one of my favorite dishes to prepare as it was so delicious."

The others looked at the Wonton Soup's description on the menu with curiosity.

Originating in Northern Pangu, wontons are a type of dumpling draped in egg yolk wrappings, covering cooked and savory meats or seafood filling. Wontons can be either fried or steamed; however, wonton soup often calls for steamed wontons submerged in boiled chicken broth that is garnished with green onions. This bowl of warmth is the perfect comfort food, allowing it to be sought after year-round and around the world.

"We have to get the Broth-Filled Steamed-Pork Xiaolong Bao. As the name of the restaurant entails, the Bao is their specialty. There are all kinds of Bao here, but the Broth-filled one is the most delicious." Ayia commented.

Xiao Long Bao is one of the most famous Pangese steamed dumplings, but one of the most time-consuming to make from scratch. They are steamed dumplings consisting of a paper-thin wrapper enveloping a seasoned pork filling and hot, flavorful soup. Inside the dumpling are little pockets of gelatinized broth made from chicken, pork, and cured ham. When the dumpling is steamed, the broth gelatin melts. Once steamed, the delicate dumplings are dipped in a mixture of Pangese black vinegar and julienned ginger for a perfectly balanced bite.

Everyone's eyes lit up when they read the description of the Xiaolong Bao dish. It looked extremely exotic and delicious!

They had to order one for themselves.

"Don't forget the Sweet and Sour Pork." Max commented.

Sweet and sour pork is a staple dish enjoyed in Western Pangu that is also often found in Pangese restaurants around the world. This dish is constructed around its main ingredient, deep-fried pork, which is stir-fried in a sweet and sour sauce, typically made of sugar, ketchup, white vinegar, and soy sauce. Additional ingredients including onions pineapple, and green pepper also work to complete this signature meal, leading it to become one of the most popular dishes in Pangu.

"You guys mentioned so many dishes, but you didn't talk about the Mapu Tofu." Theo said with a mischievous smile.

Ayia, Kumiko, Shizuka, and the other cooks' faces changed a lot when they heard that.

"You can't be serious, Theo!" Kumiko exclaimed.

"No one can take this dish." Shoko shook her head.

"Seriously, I don't even know how people can eat this dish." Ayia commented.

"..."

The other cooks also expressed their disbelief in this dish, but the ones who didn't work in the gastronomy industry were confused by their reaction.

They were curious to know why, other than Theo, almost everyone was so against this dish.

"Why? What's up with this dish?" Sam asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'm curious to know why you all are acting as if this dish has radioactive ingredients." June commented.

The others also wanted to know, so they all looked at the person who brought up the dish.

"Come on, Theo! Tell us!"

"Yeah, why are they acting like that?"

"..."

Theo laughed heartily as he observed their silly behavior.

"I don't know why they are acting like that. Mapo Tofu is extremely delicious. The tofu pieces are braised in a rich spicy, and savory sauce along with fresh garlic and scallions, with a small amount of ground pork to enhance the flavor." Theo briefly explained the dish with a smile on his face.

Ayia and the other cooks scoffed loudly when they heard his explanation.

"Rich spicy? That's funny." Max laughed.

"More like death-level spicy." Kin added.

"I won't let Theo fool you guys. Let me explain how the Mapo Tofu is prepared." Kumiko said as she shook her head, "First of all, every ingredient of this dish had a certain amount of spiciness. And as it is cooked we add..."

Kumiko then started to explain as the level of spiciness increased without stopping as the dish was prepared.

The more they listened to Kumiko, the more pale they became.

They couldn't understand how a person could eat this dish without getting sick.

The amount of spiciness was too much!

It was only after Kumiko finished her explanation that they understood why Ayia and the other cooks reacted so harshly when they heard Theo mentioning this dish.

"Theo!"

"Do you want to kill us?"

"I think he does!"

"..."

Theo couldn't help but laugh out loud as he heard their scoldings.

In such a way, they had fun scolding Theo before they ordered their food, without the Mapo Tofu.

Theo thought it was a pity that they didn't order the Mapo Tofu.

The food didn't take long to arrive, and just as Ayia said, the food was delicious!

Every restaurant on the floor had a view of the city outside, so it was possible to admire the stunning view of Sakura City. But because they arrived a little later, they weren't able to get a table next to the window. Nevertheless, from where they sat, they still could see a little bit of the outside.

They enjoyed the delicious Pangese lunch prepared for them with smiles and feeling happy to enjoy this meal with each other.

It was another happy meal for the group!