The menu had been fully scrutinised from top to bottom at least ten times over by now and Ares had slumped half dead in his seat as he dreamt of a seemingly unreachable finality. He couldn''t really blame the sisters as the food was just all scrumptious and you could close your eyes to pick something and still get a delicious dish. The food on the menu wasn''t anything fancy, as Remmy was still getting her sea legs in the culinary world, but the taste was divine. A lot of classic dishes from all walks of life were present and choosing between a hall of fame of dishes was not an easy task. Thankfully for Ares'' sanity, they did eventually come to a conclusion, even if it was without him, and now it was time to open the booth and wave to Gavel. Normally she would come check on everyone occasionally, and waving to her in such a manner was rude, but there were special circumstances regarding their dining experience tonight so it was fine. Or rather, Gavel wasn''t going to disturb the trio until they called for her so she''d made it necessary to do so if Ares ever actually wanted to put some food in his mouth...


    The second the sisters looked at one another and nodded their heads in agreement, the booth door had been swung open and Ares'' head poked out of it in search of Gavel. If she was in the kitchen Ares might honestly go and call her he was that desperate to be freed from the indecisiveness of Enyo and Blo Blo. Thankfully Gavel happened to be nearby, as she''d just taken an order from another booth not too far from Ares'', and so there would be no chance for the sisters to change their minds! They were locked in for good now! Neither of them had it in them to waste Gavel''s time and start ''uhm-ing'' and ''ah-ing'' at the menu in front of her so they would stick to their guns and pick exactly what they''d agreed on even if they weren''t too sure anymore. They could be here the whole night if Ares let them so he had to take at least some measures to prevent it. This place had a closing time after all! Staying beyond that would just be bad manners even if Remmy and Gavel were willing to hang around.


    Gavel came into the room with a notepad at the ready but had no intention of using it. She could remember everything off the top of her dome she jus really liked the way it felt to have a notebook with her like some kind of big shot manager. Ares leaned back in his seat and let the two sisters order because even now Ares really didn''t know what was in store for him. Couldn''t go wrong really so he would be content either way. Plus there were three whole dishes being ordered so he was bound to be enthused over at least one... Although knowing how well Remmy cooked just about everything he would inevitably end up liking all three of them. The biggest issue he faced wasn''t liking the food, it was managing to eat any of it before the greedy guts next to him wolfed it down before he could even blink.


    In the end, they ordered some Bhorashka red wine, a vegetarian curry, steak and kidney pie, and shellfish bisque which, while not as notably popular as the other options, was Remmy''s specialty... And quiche Lorraine... The sneaky women ordered a fourth dish! In the end, they were unable to simply choose three and so it had come to this... Ares felt bad for ordering more than they should have during their freebie meal but, well, it was probably fine? Gavel didn''t seem to care, and was maybe even shocked they hadn''t ordered more, and the wives were looking as though they wanted to start adding a million more dishes to the list... Ares was going to have to bring them both back here sometime in the future... Before the two sisters could start adding on to the list of orders, Gavel had left the room and went to go forage around for some of the wine they''d asked for. She returned not long after with three bottles in her hands and Ares felt incredibly guilty... But he was also the only one who felt like he was taking advantage as Enyo had gleefully taken all the wine off Gavel''s hands as the two knowingly winked at each other. Sometimes women were beyond the scope of Ares'' understanding of the world and so t was just better if he didn''t question it all or think too much about it.


    Even though they''d already ordered, the sisters spent the wait for the food staring at the menu and trying to figure out where they went wrong... They''d already changed their minds! Secretly Ares was glad they''d picked though because he was also joining them and trying figure out what he would have chosen and it was not an easy task. Options galore but what Ares was really interested in were the new additions to the menu since his last visit. He could get a rough idea of what Remmy had been experimenting with just via the ingredients and dishes she chose to use and what she created out of them. One major addition to the menu was roast chicken as Remmy never used to touch chicken with a barge pole. It''s not that she didn''t even really know how to cook it or anything, the dead bird just creeped her out a bit. She must have overcome that fear and practiced cooking poultry enough times to feel comfortable selling it which meant it was definitely up to standard.


    It was an interesting thought experiment to try and figure out how Remmy created each of these dishes and the processes she used as her main ''gimmick'' as a chef was to not alter the original taste of the ingredients at all. She simply enhanced the flavour to extremes which led to some seriously mouth watering food filled to the brim with taste. If you were keen on any particular flavour, and it was on this menu in this restaurant, you were in luck as there was probably no better experience in the entirety Sheryashka. Point in case, the coffees here were divine and Ares had been lucky enough to be rewarded with one for his work back when he was younger. It was stimulating in all the right ways. He''d been given it black but it was still oddly creamy in texture and smooth as it slid down his throat. The spice and richness of the coffee nearly blew his mind as it was just so fantastically raw. Combine that exceptional quality of distinct flavour with the complete lack of thickness of the liquid and presto you have a coffee worth remembering. Regardless of what the sisters ordered for dessert, Ares was getting his coffee later! The real issue was fending off the two vultures who would be circling his cuppa and demanding ''just a sip''. Just a sip? Yeah right. One sip later and Ares would be coffee-less!


    Before the menu had three separate holes stared into it, and before the alcohol was chugged down to the last drop, Gavel arrived with some of the food. Naturally she couldn''t bring it all at once but she''d asked the other waiters and waitresses to leave this booth to her. First up was the quiche and the steak and kidney pie. Ares went for the quiche first primarily because that was also what Enyo and Bellona were gunning for. If he went for the pie first he wouldn''t be surprised to find the quiche long gone and he wanted to at least try everything! He took a bit of quiche, making sure to include the crust as he wanted to check that too, and gave it a whirl...


    Sigh


    Remmy was really just way too good at her job. Ares wasn''t sure if he was eating clouds or not but they tasted phenomenal either way. Somehow even the crust was melting in his mouth and crumbling on his tongue like it was hardly even there. And that wasn''t even touching on the strong flavour either. It tickled his tongue and the bacon, specifically, was to die for. It was salty, yes, but boy did it pack an unforgettable punch. Each tiny chunk of bacon was like a flavour bomb that mixed with the creaminess of the egg, producing a more-ish taste that couldn''t be defied. Even Ares wasn''t able to bring himself away from the dish even though he wanted to get a taste of the pie. There was something about this quiche that just drew you in with its light and airy mouth feel while the bacon titillated your tongue. The incredible part about all of this was that Remmy didn''t even currently use magic in her cooking. She used it primarily to gauge quantities and hadn''t even gone anywhere near flavour adjustment or enhancement. She had a long way to go on her journey but, damn, she was already a little prodigy in her own right.


    Ares put that thought to the back of his head and went to go dive back into the quiche but it was already gone! The look of shock on everyone''s face meant that the trio had experienced the exact same confusion as the quiche had literally just arrived, right?! Gavel had only just now brought in the other two dishes and this one was already gone?! How on earth did the critics who ate here do it? How did they savour the taste slowly without succumbing to greed? Actually, although they were unaware of this, most critics had to order twice because they made the same mistake the first time they ate here too. It was almost unavoidable really but the quiche, in particular, was notorious for this. It was the lightest dish on the menu and would evaporate whenever bought. It''s not even like the sisters had pigged out any more than Ares either as he''d gotten more than his fair share of the dish, he just wanted more! He might have even had a significantly larger portion than the sisters as they were currently sending him a soft glare... And here he''d been worrying about them stealing all his food when he''d just gobbled up the one thing they''d intentionally ordered as extra because they couldn''t let it go... What a grand faux pas this was and he could be damn sure they wouldn''t let him forget about it until he bought them another one at some point. Actually, after the international, when he took these two on individual dates, they were invariably both going to demand he bring them here weren''t they? Honestly, good choice. Ares couldn''t really fault such a decision... Although for Blo Blo specifically he might make another suggestion entirely. There was a place that did burgers better than even Remmy could and, given Bellona''s fondness for the meal, it was worth taking her there instead.


    Gavel chuckled at the sight of Ares sheepishly scratching his head and looking to the side after wolfing down most of the quiche. She''d seen such an occurrence plenty of times when other couples also made the same choice to share dishes. For some reason it was almost always the men that ate more of the quiche. Maybe it was the bacon that got them hooked? It''s not like the reverse wasn''t also occasionally true, especially for any dish that came with homemade chips as those disappeared in seconds flat, but in this case the men who ate here were completely unrestrained in their appetite. The quiche was one of their best selling dishes ever since they added it almost entirely because it was so frequently bought two, three, or sometimes even four times in one sitting as if the customers were trying to catch lightning in a bottle and grab a hold of the taste forever. It never worked which just led to repeat customers failing over and over to have the taste linger for even a fraction of a second longer.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Anyway, Gavel left the trio to it and took her leave. When the trio were done with everything, which looked to be soon at the rate they were eating, they could call her back to take their dessert order instead. It might even take them longer to choose their desserts than it will to eat the mains at this rate! Although probably not. Most people realised the mistake they made after eating one dish and would slow themselves down, hard though it was, and enjoy the rest of the meal at a leisurely pace... Or try to anyway. A lot of people failed and just went back to their ravenous, brain off, digest everything in sight style of eating. Mortals typically had a rougher time of this because their mental acuity was low in comparison to a cultivators. On that note, it was worth mentioning that there was some cultivator food out there that was so exquisite mortals couldn''t eat it without dying. The taste was actually so strong it would overload their brain and kill them on the spot. It had happened many times before in the wider world and was something people had to keep an eye out for.


    Back to the trio, they''d just gotten a taste of the pie and there was reluctance on their faces. Not because the food tasted off or anything, not in the slightest, it was the exact opposite! The food was so good they just wanted to mindlessly chew on it again. Thankfully it was nothing more than a temptation that they were able to pry themselves away from by distracting themselves with wine or other dishes. Ares stuck to the pie a little longer though because the taste on the tip of his tongue was taunting him! There was something in the gravy that provided a hint of sweetness and he wanted to figure out what it was exactly... Pear pulp? Ares was stunned! Since when did Remmy get creative like this!? She was a growing as a chef and exploring beyond the boundaries of the box all chefs started in. This was an interesting concept as it gave the meal a tiny, ever so tiny, essence of fruitiness that gelled really well with the strong meat flavours. A lot of meats went well with fruits. Apple sauce! Cranberry sauce! Pineapple on pizza!... Ok, maybe not that last one but the point was still salient in spite of the horror of that last suggestion.


    Ares himself had used some berries to cook a meaty meal for Allie, Enyo, and Aejaz way back when they originally set off for their Baja mission so he was familiar with this type of creation. Still, pear had never occurred to him as an option but it was a wise choice. Pear could be quite watery, so that had to be dealt with to prevent it from diluting the flavour of the dish, but it also meant that it wasn''t overpowering if you could fix that aspect of it as the taste was relatively subdued. It would become a subtle freshness to bring some contrast to the steak, kidney, and gravy. It was probably needed, actually, as Remmy''s signature flavour overload style could potentially go overboard if she wasn''t careful. Some flavours were great in extremes but that didn''t mean it couldn''t be too much if she piled it on. Something like pear helped mitigate that without compromising too much on flavour. Ares almost hadn''t even noticed the pear and the sisters definitely hadn''t. Not because they didn''t have a refined enough palate or anything, it was just because Ares was scrutinising every single inch of every flavour within these dishes so he could steal like a proper bandit! Not that it was an easy task to savour the food slowly like this. The meatiness of the pie was like a sucker punch to the jaw when you weren''t looking. He''d put a bite into his mouth and nearly been sent reeling sue to the impact it had on his tongue.


    Ares had to struggle to draw himself away from the pie but he he managed to do so when he reminded himself that everything else was going to be just as good. Next up was either the shellfish bisque or the vegetarian curry... The bisque was Remmy''s specialty so Ares figured he would save the best for last... Not that it was even possible to tell what was the best in this little booth of food heaven right now. Like receiving a double handy from the wives, which was going to happen later for sure with how drunk everyone was getting. How the hell was he supposed to know which hand felt better?! He was absolutely going to get asked this too but he already had a sly response primed and ready! ''Which ever one''s working harder''. He thought it was funny but that would only be up until they both started working harder and then the fun would end pretty prematurely... He wasn''t usually a quick shot! This time will be an exception! One he''d brought upon himself, sure, but definitely not the norm! Or, rather, wasn''t he getting ahead of himself here? How was he able to predict the future so accurately? Was his knowledge of the sisters so transcendental now he could foresee events yet to happen!? He knew in his heart of hearts this was absolutely the kind of thing that would happen and it was pleasant knowing he could make pretty solid predictions about his wives'' behaviour patterns now. Much like how they knew what he was up to, most of the time, did he now possess the ability to know their next move? It was a small thing but a good sign his bond with them had deepened a little further. There was already love in the air, yes, but it''s not like they''d being dating for that long yet so small things like this were definitely still in store. Ares hadn''t expected it though so he caught himself in the act and was momentarily taken aback...A foolish mistake! While he was being sentimental about his wives, his wives were being sentimental about the food they''d just finished pigging out on! Ares was being left behind in the dust (crumbs) so he had to jump right back in the saddle and get some grub in his gob.


    The vegetable curry had... Stuff... In it. It was quite loaded so Ares couldn''t really tell what every ingredient was right of the rip but the colour was a pleasant green so he was fairly confident there was a good bit of spinach in it. The other obvious ingredient at a glance was chick peas and the dish had come with a side of saag aloo so it already looked promising. Plus the smell was divine and was filling the booth right now with its pungent aroma. Ares tried it and now his mind was working overtime to figure out the potential list of spices that had gone into this thing. Thankfully, as Remy made sure every flavour in a dish stood out in it sown way, Ares was able to get at least three quarters of the spices jotted down in his brain correctly. He would need to ask the elf for the rest of them at a later date as it was too hard to tell. Ares was almost more concerned with this task than rating the dish but he hadn''t forgotten to give it a ten out of ten!... Like every other dish this place offered! The saag aloo was so soft Ares was surprised simply resting atop the bowl wasn''t enough for it to disappear into thin air as the second it touched his tongue it melted like butter. Plus the taste was out of this world. So much so that Remmy could honestly sell it as a standalone dish and it wouldn''t be out of place in terms of quality. Still, the real kicker came when mixing it with the curry and Ares was at a loss for words. He simple could not describe the taste it was just that exceptional. The spinach had sunk into the depths of the thick sauce and was soaked to the core so every strand of it was laden with joy. Black peppercorn was a strong component of this dish and the kick it gave you intermittently while the sauce sloshed around in your mouth was perfect. It also made this dish one of the only two spicy dishes on offer in this selection but it was a welcome, numbing sensation that lit a fire in your mouth that was excruciatingly addictive and hard to put down.


    But put down the curry Ares must as the final dish needed to be given its five minutes of fame. The time to shine for the specialty of the talented chef was now and so Ares wasted no time in glancing over all the details he could spot with his eyes before he dug in. It was shrimp and crab, by the looks of it, and this was also the other spicy dish in the line-up. The bisque was a luscious orange that almost jumped out of the bowl and slapped you if you looked at it too long. The sheer flavour it was packing was evident just from the strong and vibrant colour alone. There really wasn''t anything fancy to observe with the dish, as it was really just shrimp and crab with nothing else added to it, so the important step was to taste it! Ares got a spoonful, making sure to get both the shrimp and the crab in one fell swoop, and down the hatch it all went.


    Ares was smiling from head to toe as the food went down a treat. It truly was Remmy''s best dish and had somehow managed to outclass all the others on offer. It was no wonder she spent all her spare time practicing this dish because she''d really hit the nail on the head with it and, so, developing it further was like adding the final touches to a masterpiece. She had to be careful not to ruin her magnum opus but with the vastness of her talent at her disposal there was a lot of room for small success to be added to the dish. She just kept piling on subtle changes that made the dish better and better and, when the cooking pillar did finally get involved, those individual successes would be far larger, spiralling the dish upwards in a meteoric rise of taste sensation.


    As for right now, the shrimp was buttery and spicy with a tinge of garlic added into the mix. it was a smooth taste, as the garlic was minimal but still present enough to make itself barely felt, that gave way to the powerhouse crab taste that came in like a wrecking ball a few seconds later. It was a glorious one two punch that lowered your guard before going for the knock out with the rich crab assault. Claw meat had been used so the nuttiness was reminiscent of when the mecha dryad had fired its seed gun at Ares, it was that devastatingly impactful. There were milder parts to a crab but Remmy chose to weave this part into the dish to combine it specifically with the shrimp. When the shrimp gave way to the crab, it passed on the spicy torch but not its original flavour so you went form mellow and hot to nutty and blazing. It was a spectacular feat that was simply to die for. A real masterclass of a dish and, clearly, everyone at the table was in agreement. Normally there would be idle conversation during a meal such as this but everyone was so pre-occupied with the food they barely even had time to stop and speak. Why quit eating when all that meant was that everyone else was going to steal your share? If your mouth was open, it was either talking or eating and you couldn''t do one if you were doing the other!... Well you could but you really shouldn''t... Anyway, point being that the trio ate in relative silence, other than the sound of cutting into food, or swiping it up, with forks, knives, and spoons at least, and were enjoying every second of it. There was plenty of time to chat once the dishes were long gone and that was looking to happen quite soon based on the rate they were going. They''d made every effort to slow down and they''d managed it to some extent but not enough, clearly, as the food was performing a magic trick right now and putting on a disappearing act. Pleasant chat could wait until they were finished although... The trio was getting pretty wasted on the alcohol at this point... God only knows what kind of nonsense gobbledygook they were going to start spewing from now ''till they went to sleep later...