34: Dinner at Edible Crisenum
"Hmm, hmm."
This is the restaurant of the hotel Edible Crisenum.
The premium seats offer a view of the planet Glorgroveeta through a large window, but we've chosen a seat toward the edge—focused on our meal and positioned for easier response should anything happen.
Tables, chairs, dishes, and furnishings are, of course, of top-tier quality.
As for the menu, there are choices for certain drinks and some items with two or three options, but overall it seems we'll be enjoying the set course the restaurant has prepared to showcase its best.
Yeah, this is promising.
While a home cook's intuitive combinations aren't bad, the ones crafted by professionals—logically designed because they know what tastes great—turn out to be truly exceptional.
"Sata. What about the finer details?"
"It's decided, so it's fine. Vee."
Thus, today's menu.
Appetizer: Salad made with edible flowers.
Soup: A vegetable-rich French onion soup.
Main course: Grilled petals of steak broom flowers.
Dessert: A jelly-like treat centered around the petals of a plant known as Simunhana.
Also, for drinks, mead or juice flavored with floral scents are served, so Vilijanira and I each choose a different flavored juice.
"Let's eat."
"The appearance is vibrant, and the taste... truly wonderful."
First, a salad made from edible flowers—flowers gathered specifically for eating.
The salad, made from vividly colored flowers, looks like a blooming garden on the plate, and its fragrance... hmm, not just the sweet scent of flowers, but also a stimulating aroma that whets the appetite.
Now, let's try it.
Hmm, the flowers have been processed to minimize the influence of the Sw from the Groglobeta star system, yet each one remains fresh and delicious.
There's a slight spiciness and bitterness, but more than that, it makes your mouth water—your tongue and stomach practically beg for more, again and again.
Oh, this one's good too.
Continuing with a vegetable-packed French soup.
The soup, with its deep red column heads floating in a yellow broth, contains common vegetables such as onions, carrots, and potatoes.
Of course, every vegetable is grown in the Grogrobeta star system.
Take a bite and you'll see... ah, wonderful.
The umami from various vegetables blends harmoniously, spreading aroma and happiness from your mouth all the way to your nose.
And this flavor? It uses absolutely no mods—only the bare minimum, from peeling the vegetables to simmering them into soup. Even the seasoning was adjusted without a single mod, purely by the chef’s skill with just seasonings—true, authentic taste.
Simply being able to eat this dish makes visiting this hotel worthwhile.
"This...!?"
Next was the petals of steak brosuum, lightly seared to medium, topped with a sauce made from salty fruits.
Accompanying it were vegetables from the Glogrobeta star system.
The steak brosuum has petals that are deep red, thick, and large, with the ability to store nectar inside. Its nutritional profile is similar to that of animal meat.
The scent emanating from a single petal, grilled whole, carries the rich aroma of well-cooked meat.
The knife passed through effortlessly.
When separated, the inner nectar blends naturally with the sauce, releasing a fragrant aroma and creating a sweet-and-savory sauce.
Put it in your mouth... ah, delicious.
The more you chew, the more umami bursts from the petals of the steak blossom, and as the sauce mixes in, the flavor deepens and becomes even more satisfying.
When combined with the accompanying vegetables... ah, this too is absolutely exquisite.
The distinct flavor, texture, and other qualities of the steak broccoli perfectly harmonize with the sauce, delighting the palate.
"Unbelievable... this is what a top-tier meal tastes like..."
The juice infused with floral notes is equally remarkable.
By giving the floral aroma a fresh, subtle touch, it resets a tongue accustomed to previous courses, making each subsequent bite feel truly exceptional once again.
Though a supporting role, this one performs such a splendid job that I can't help but praise it.
"Is this similar to agar?"
"Simunhana... apparently a plant drifting in the oceans of Planet Glogrobeta 1."
Finally, the dessert features the petals of the Simunhana flower as its main component...
Visually, it resembles agar shaped like flower petals, drizzled with a sweet sauce.
The Simunhana is a plant drifting in the oceans of the planet Glorobeta One. It floats gelatinous, transparent flowers on the sea surface while extending poisonous-colored roots and leaves beneath the surface—appearing to be a naturally occurring species born during the terraforming process, rather than an industrial one.
It somewhat resembles jellyfish in appearance.
The flowers are edible, but the roots and leaves are toxic, so they're apparently collected for removal.
Yeah, it's a jellyfish, right?
"Ah, it's delicious."
"Right."
As for the actual taste... the sweet sauce drizzled on it is really tasty, and it has a jelly-like texture that makes it fun to eat.
Still, compared to previous dishes, it feels like there's still room for improvement.
That said, it's not inferior to the other dishes, and according to the information provided, it's said to provide a moderate sense of fullness when eaten last, making it quite suitable as a dessert.
"But still, the air conditioning mod is impressive. This place."
"Yes, it is. The scent of a flower field seems to spread throughout, yet the fragrances don't blend together."
Moreover, though it may seem obvious at this point, what's truly remarkable about this restaurant is that, despite being so rich in fragrance, the scents are never overwhelming or unpleasant.
Upon closer inspection, the meal consists entirely of edible flowers, which would normally produce a strong aroma, yet the fragrance is skillfully balanced—never reaching the point of discomfort.
Any scent, if too strong, can become unbearable, yet there was none of that—quietly, yet remarkably impressive.
"Yeah, I'm satisfied."
"Indeed."
With feelings of contentment and fullness, we left the restaurant.
09/23 Correction of typo