If you ever found yourself in Shashato City, I highly recommended heading to Big Roof Shashato on the north side of the city center.
What kind of place was it, you asked?
I suppose I would have called it a city within a city.
That probably sounded nonsensical, didn't it? Don't worry; you would have understood once you saw it for yourself. It was a building grander and more massive than anything you had ever laid eyes on.
If you did go, the one thing you absolutely had to try was the Curry.
It was a dish where you dipped Bread into a soup packed with various spices, and man, it was delicious. It was so good you would have forgotten yourself. The first day I ate it, I stood in line three separate times.
By the way, the shop that sold the Curry was called Maruura, and it was the kind of place where you had to line up and buy the food yourself. It was a bit unusual, wasn't it? They had plenty of chairs and tables, yet I still wondered why I had to stand in line to get my food.
But the answer was simple. It was a shop, yet not really a shop. It was a Food Stall. If it was a Food Stall, then lining up to buy your own food was perfectly normal. A regular told me that while I was waiting in line, and I found myself convinced.
As for that Curry, it was also delicious if you dipped items bought from other shops into it instead of Bread. Since you were dipping them, they had to be solid, of course—things like chicken grilled with herbs were perfect. I didn't recommend mixing in other soups, though. It just watered down the flavor. Take it from me; that was a lesson learned from experience.
But moving on. Maruura’s Curry was legendary, but they didn't just deal in Curry. They served Pizza, fried food, rice bowls, and Pasta as well. Let me explain them one by one.
First, the Pizza. It was essentially flat dough topped with various ingredients and baked. The flavor changed completely depending on the combination of toppings. During lunch, the shop decided the flavors, but you could customize your order to an extent in the evening. If you were a picky eater, I recommended going at night.
What kind of toppings did they have? Well, there were Tomatoes, eggplants, Asparagus, Broccoli, potatoes, Garlic, and herbs. And it wasn't just vegetables. Thinly sliced meat or simmered chicken was also fantastic. I even saw people arguing over whether a soft-boiled egg belonged on top. But the one thing no Pizza could do without was Cheese. Piles and piles of Cheese. That was Pizza.
Next was the fried food. They took ingredients, coated them in Wheat flour and beaten egg, covered them in breadcrumbs, and then simmered them in Oil. They called the process "frying," which was why they called them fried foods.
Was it actually good? It was incredible. For fried food, they had Pork Katsu and Beef Katsu, which were served as one massive piece on a plate. "Katsu" was the name the people at Maruura used for the dish, so I just accepted it as fact.
There was also something called Kushikatsu. They cut the ingredients into bite-sized pieces and served them on skewers. They used pork, beef, chicken, Onions, Lotus Root, eggplants, Shiitake, Tomatoes, and eggs. They even used sliced Fish. Then there was Nerimono—kneaded and hardened Fish meat—which was also excellent.
You didn't eat them plain, though. Before taking a bite, you poured sauce over them. The taste was beyond words. Naturally, the recipe for that sauce was the shop’s lifeblood. No matter how important a person was or how low they bowed, the shop wouldn't share the secret. At most, a lucky few might have received a Small Bottle of it to take home, and even then, they acted like they had won the lottery. It was that good. The staff did warn people not to eat too much, however, since it was all fried in Oil.
Next were the rice bowls. These weren't on the regular menu; they were only available when the shop had Rice. Since a rice bowl was just a dish served over Rice, the simmered beef was my top recommendation, though the Pork Katsu simmered with eggs and soup was also great. Unfortunately, the shop decided what kind of rice bowl was served each day. Apparently, they were labor-intensive dishes, so they couldn't take specific requests.
Money wouldn't change their minds, either. Truly. If you had gone to that shop, you would have understood—they simply didn't have the time to listen. But there was no need to be disappointed. The rice bowls were so well-regarded that people said there wasn't a single bad choice on the menu.
Oh, and there was a secret way to eat them. You could ask for Curry to be poured over your Rice. I polished mine off in an instant, only to be struck by immediate despair. Why hadn't I taken the time to savor the flavor?
Finally, the Pasta. Yes, the same kind of Pasta you could find elsewhere, but the mainstream choice at Maruura was a slightly rare, long and thin variety. At first, I thought it looked difficult to eat, but you just took a Fork and gave it a twirl. It looked easy, but you had to be careful at first, or you'd splatter sauce all over your clothes.
As for the flavor, there were many varieties, but I partial to the Meat Sauce—the one with minced meat, Onions, and Tomatoes. Then there was the one coated in plenty of Oil, which was a bit spicy. Since Shashato City was a port, they also had plenty of options using seafood like shells and Fish.
The most popular flavor was a bit of a toss-up. Since the thin Pasta was a recent addition, everyone was still busy trying out all the different combinations. Of course, I also tried dipping the Pasta into the Curry. It was delicious.
I apologized if my reviews weren't very descriptive beyond calling everything delicious. For the finer details, you would have had to experience it yourself or ask a poet.
Wait, a secret trick? Ah, come to think of it, that was what started this conversation. A way to easily eat Maruura's food.
Keep this strictly between us. Right across the street from Big Roof Shashato stood Ifuls Academy. If you became a student there, you could eat Maruura's food for lunch every day. You couldn't pick the menu, but it was essentially dirt cheap since the cost of lunch was included in the tuition. It was the truth. There was even a section of Big Roof Shashato set aside specifically for those students. If you doubted me, you could have gone and asked someone there.
In a certain noble household, a conversation took place between a master and his Butler.
"It seems such a conversation was circulating about two months ago," the Butler reported.
"And what of my daughter?" the master asked.
"She has enrolled in Ifuls Academy."
"Enrolled? How did she pay the entrance fee? She took some money when she ran away, but it shouldn't have been enough for that."
"Apparently, they have a Scholarship System. By working while attending, a portion of the fee is waived, and the rest can be paid in installments later."
"So, my daughter is actually working?"
"She was working as a Waitress at Maruura, the city's most popular shop. To think that once-selfish young lady has become so responsible... it brings a tear to my eye. Incidentally, the young lady, who previously refused to wear anything but pants, was wearing a skirt."
The master's eyes narrowed. "...By any chance, did you go see her?"
"I did. I am your Butler, after all."
"..."
"Is something the matter, Husband?"
"Is something the matter? That's not fair! My daughter in a skirt... ahem. I mean, to think you were the only one to see her in such a state."
"I was not the only one. The Madam and several Maids went to see her as well."
"What?"
"It is a ten-day journey by Carriage to Shashato City, but only four days by ship. We have been visiting in shifts. Oh, and the Curry was quite excellent."
"I—I'm going too!" the master declared.
"Unfortunately, you have a meeting scheduled in the Royal Capital. It is nearly time for you to depart."
"Ugh..."
"The Madam has already paid her respects to Magistrate Ifuls of Shashato City. You may rest easy on that front."
"No, that’s not the point!"
"I will make arrangements for you to head to Shashato City once your meetings are concluded. In the meantime, I have prepared something called a Burger for your lunch, a dish I discovered at Maruura. It consists of various ingredients sandwiched between slices of Bread and is quite popular for being easy to eat while traveling. Incidentally, I received a handmade Burger from the young lady herself while I was there."
"You... you scoundrel!"
The master and the Butler proceeded to scuffle right there in the hall.
"Are you alright?" the Head Maid asked, handing a wet towel to the Butler a short while later.
"Thank you. I am fine," he replied.
"Please try not to tease the Husband too much."
"The quarrel between him and the young lady was the reason she ran away in the first place... I couldn't help myself."
"I understand the feeling, but still."
"I would never do such a thing in public, of course."
"Naturally. And what of the young lady's protection?"
"I left two guards behind to watch over her. Everything is under control."
"That is a relief."
The Head Maid started to turn away, but the Butler spoke up again. "...She told you where she was going from the start, didn't she?"
"My? Whatever could you be talking about?"
"Even though I am currently holding a letter addressed to you from the young lady?"
The Head Maid gave him a sharp look. "The young lady dislikes that mean-spirited side of yours, you know."
"That is a problem. I must strive for improvement. For starters... I shall arrange a Carriage and a ship for you tomorrow at noon. You should go and see how the young lady is faring yourself."
The Head Maid offered a small, satisfied smile. "That is a wonderful improvement."