Chapter 681 - Delicious!
In Chaos City, the Buffett Winery was just as renowned as Buffett Banks, and it was known as the best winery on the entire Norland Continent.
This was the pride of Chaos City, and almost all of the city’s residents knew about it.
Wine hadn’t been invented by Ian Buffett, yet it had become an extremely renowned luxury item due to the existence of the Buffett Winery. All of the nobles on the continent were avid supporters of wine, and drinking the delicious reddish-purple liquid had almost become an indication of one’s place in the social hierarchy.
As such, Ian Buffett was referred to as the godfather of wine, which was sufficient indication of everyone’s acknowledgment of his contributions to wine.
And now, Ian was glowering at Mag like an enraged old lion, all because of the wine that Mag was using to cook his steak.
“Just where did Boss Mag get this wine from? It’s not every day that you get to see Old Man Ian get so angry.”
“I knew immediately after tasting this steak yesterday that the wine used was of an extraordinary caliber. It appears that Old Man Ian shares my opinion.”
“Stop flattering yourself!”
“Setting everything aside, the fact that Boss Mag is willing to use such precious wine to cook steak is sufficient indication of his attitude toward food. We’re all extremely fortunate to be able to sample such a delicious dish for 1,500 copper coins!”
All of the customers discussed among themselves in hushed tones while appraising Mag and Ian with curiosity in their eyes. Old Man Ian was renowned for being a cultured and benevolent man, so it was extremely rare to see him so flustered and enraged.
“In order to make the most perfect steak, I must have the best beef, wine, and black pepper. I only use the best of the best ingredients in my dishes, so I don’t think I’m committing sacrilege or blasphemy against wine. In my eyes, wine is merely a precious ingredient, just like the beef and black pepper used.” Mag looked into Ian’s eyes with a serious expression on his face. He had thought that the old man was coming here to test him and negotiate a deal regarding his steam engine, but it looked as if Ian was more interested in smashing up his restaurant.
But then again, if his father from his past life were in this old man’s shoes, his reaction would most likely be quite similar. The more a person loved wine, the more opposed they were to seeing good wine being wasted.
Of course, in Mag’s heart, this wine certainly wasn’t being wasted on his steak. Without such premium wine, how would he be able to cook such exceptional steak? Cooking good food was his main priority, after all.
“All good wine has soul! How could you compare it to beef and black pepper?” Ian glared as he waved a hand at Mag, and said, “Get me a bottle of the wine you used. How much of it do you have left in your restaurant? I’ll take all of it and pay the same price as for the most expensive wine brewed by the Buffett Winery.”
All of the customers drew sharp breaths upon hearing that. The most expensive wine sold by the Buffett Winery could reach the price of 200,000 copper coins per bottle, and that was the price charged directly by the winery. After switching hands a few times on the market, the price could swell to 300,000 copper coins. Even at that price, there was still an extremely limited supply.
Mag shook his head with a smile, and replied, “I don’t have much wine in the restaurant, so I’m only going to use it to cook my steaks. I’m not selling it individually.”
“Do you know how much the most expensive wine from the Buffett Winery is sold for per bottle? If you sell me just one bottle of wine, you’ll be earning the equivalent of what you get from selling 200 steaks! You’ll be using much more than a single bottle of wine to marinate 200 steaks. You’re going to get struck by lightning if you keep wasting such exceptional wine!” Ian was getting even more enraged. He had thought that this restaurant owner would be quite an intelligent man, but it appeared that he was an absolute idiot!
“Once again, I’m not going to sell my wine individually, so please do not force the issue. If you’d like an alcoholic beverage, our restaurant provides beer, and you can order as much of it as you like. If there’s nothing else you’d like to speak to me about, then I have to go back to the kitchen now; my customers are still waiting for their dishes.” Mag nodded before turning back to the kitchen in a rather rude manner.
“Old Man Ian offered 200,000 copper coins for one bottle of wine, but Boss Mag still rejected him!”
“There aren’t many people in this world that I admire, but Boss Mag is now one of them. He’s a true man and a true chef!”
“Indeed. How can those chefs that charge extravagant prices for shoddy food even compare to Boss Mag? He’s using wine that’s worth 200,000 copper coins per bottle to marinate steak, and he’s only charging us 1,500 copper coins per steak!”
“I’d like another black pepper steak, please!”
The entire restaurant erupted into a frenzy at the sight of Mag’s departing figure. At the same time, everyone was filled with an even higher level of awe and respect for him.
“Get back here, you little bastard!” Ian abruptly rose to his feet, and was about to charge toward Mag.
“Master! Master… Please calm down. This is not something worth getting angry about.” Brooker immediately stood up and held Ian back. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had seen his master get so angry. “Master, maybe this wine only has a rich aroma, but is lacking in flavor. I, for one, don’t believe that there could be better wine than the wine produced by our Buffett Winery. Also, no matter how you look at this place, it simply can’t possibly have the facilities required to brew exceptional wine. Perhaps he was able to use some tricks to enhance the aroma. He’s a chef, after all, so it’s very plausible that he could have some special tricks up his sleeve.”
Ian looked at Brooker and calmed down slightly upon hearing this as he sat back down in his chair. “Brewing wine is an incredibly technical procedure; without several decades of experience, there’s no way that anyone can brew good wine. He’s a chef, not a winemaker, so you could be right, Brooker. Also, I’ve never heard of using wine in cooking. I can’t imagine this steak would be any good.”
Ian looked at the steak before him, which was giving off a delectable aroma, and hesitated momentarily before slicing off a piece and having a taste.
He gently chewed down on the steak, and delicious meat juices immediately gushed into his mouth. The fragrance of the black pepper complemented the beef to perfection, and the delicious flavor dancing on the tip of his tongue put an involuntary smile on his face. This flavor was simply incredible.
He wasn’t an avid foodie, but the chef at the Buffett Manor was most definitely one of the best chefs in Chaos City. However, he had never tasted beef anywhere near as delicious as this steak before.
After chewing and savoring the beef carefully, Ian’s expression abruptly changed. Aside from the amazing flavor of the beef itself, the fragrance of the wine also blossomed in mouth, adding a new layer of complexity to the extraordinary flavor of the dish.
This was a combination that was simply irresistible. The flavor of the beef wasn’t drowned out by the black pepper in the slightest, yet the black pepper featured prominently in the dish, taking the flavor of the beef to the next level and also contributing a unique texture to the dish.
Furthermore, this wine was the richest and most delicious wine he had ever tasted. Even the flavor of the beef and the black pepper was unable to drown out its incredible fragrance.
In contrast, the V-grade wine produced by the Buffett Winery, of which only three barrels were brewed per year, was far inferior.
The steak was completely impeccable, and entirely tipped Ian’s perception of beef on its head. He felt as if every single cell in his body was dancing with joy; he had been completely won over by this phenomenal flavor.
He suddenly understood. Such delicious beef deserved only the most premium wine.
“Delicious!” Ian praised with a genuine expression as he swallowed the mouthful of beef.