Magical Journey: The Other Shore Blooms on the Other Shore

"You've come to the right person if you're asking about good places to eat." Standing in front of Elena was someone who seemed to know a lot about food.

After all, this kind of belly fat is definitely caused by overeating.

"The food on this street is delicious, except for a few places that are just so-so. Let me write down my recommendations for you." The chubby uncle enthusiastically wrote down a piece of paper and handed it to Elena. "By the way, I'm a food connoisseur."

Oh, so you're a food connoisseur too.

But I've met a lot of foodies, especially those who call themselves foodies.

But why not accept information that's free?

"It's rare to see you eat bread," Qin said.

"Even the most delicious food shouldn't be eaten so often," Elena said, looking at the flyer in her hand. "It's nice to change things up once in a while."

Let's go to the one that's most recommended first.

It looks very lively.

It seems to be a stall selling fried tofu skewers; as long as it's not selling fried mushroom skewers, it's fine.

"Boss, one skewer, please." Elena took out a few copper coins she had been saving for a long time. Money was meant to be spent. Although she wasn't rich now, she could still eat whatever she wanted.

"Alright, beautiful lady, you have excellent taste! My fried tofu is the most popular in the entire kingdom." The chef skillfully fried the tofu, then tossed it with seasoning. "Would you like it spicy?"

"Need not."

Before long, the fried tofu skewers that Elena had ordered were ready.

"The amusement park group welcomes you to visit us again," the shopkeeper said with a smile.

Theme Park Group...

Elena took a small bite of this highly recommended delicacy... mmm...

It's not so much delicious as to be impeccable; it's more like plain boiled water—utterly unremarkable.

Why is this the most recommended item? Do the people in this kingdom all have taste bud problems? It feels like a waste of money to buy this.

Elena eventually arrived at another fried rice stall. Although her staple food was usually bread, she was open to both noodles and rice dishes.

As long as you don't add mushrooms that taste like wood.

"The Paradise Group welcomes you back again." The fried rice chef served the fried rice to Elena.

It's the theme park group again.

Are you using some kind of code?

Elena picked up her chopsticks and took a small bite—hmm…why does it taste so much like wood?

It has no flavor. Did you add oil?

Or did you actually add mushrooms to it?

Is that so-called food critic kidding me? But wait, there are definitely a lot of customers coming and going from these shops.

Could it really be a difference in customs? But logically speaking, my taste isn't that unique or unusual. Many people clearly don't like mushrooms.

Elena glanced at the paper again, her eyes carefully examining the "least recommended" shops. If the most recommended dishes were this bad, how outrageous must the least recommended ones be?

Why don't you give it a try?

What if there's an unexpected bonus? What if this kingdom's dietary habits are different from mine?

So wouldn't the least recommended dish be the one that tastes best to you?

With these thoughts in mind, Elena stopped at a deserted old shop, which seemed to also sell fried tofu, but it was incredibly quiet compared to the first popular shop she had visited.

Even the owner becomes listless when guests arrive.

"Can I have one?" Elena asked.

"Huh? You really want a skewer?" The shop owner seemed a little surprised, hurriedly switching from a lazy state to work mode. Before Elena spoke, he had always thought she was just passing by for a quick look.

"What's wrong? Are you running this shop just for fun?"

"I'll make it for you right away." The owner skillfully prepared the dish, and from these actions alone, Elena didn't sense any difference between it and the most popular restaurant.

"Please enjoy."

Taking the fried tofu from this least popular shop, Elena composed herself and took a bite.

Contrary to my expectations of bland and tasteless, this skewer of fried tofu was surprisingly delicious. Despite being just tofu, it had a unique aroma.

Compared to the original tofu skewers—where one bite only left you with a mouthful of seasoning and tofu that didn't taste very good—this was a completely different experience.

The fried tofu skewers here are far superior to those from that shop that claims to be the most popular.

The prices are clearly the same.

It seems that everyone's tastes are just different. It's a pity that this shop was born in this country. If it were elsewhere, it might have grown into a big and successful business.

"You're our first customer in the last few days, so I don't want to take the money." Just as Elena finished eating and was about to leave, the shopkeeper placed a few copper coins on her table.

"So you really are doing charity work, huh? Just running this shop for fun?" Elena said rudely, taking the copper coins off the table.

"You're really funny. We business people don't run shops for fun. It's just that we can't keep going anymore," the boss said. "Anyway, I'm closing down here in a few days, so I don't care about the money."

"you are nice."

The owner, pleased with Elena's praise, smiled and scratched his head: "So, what do you think of the taste?"

“It’s very nice. Strangely enough, this is the least recommended place,” Elena said.

"As long as it's delicious," the owner laughed. "As for not being recommended, none of the other shops around here are recommended either. If you have the chance, you can try it out."

"Is it because the people here aren't used to the food?" Elena asked.

"They just don't come to eat. After all, people only follow trends. If the country thinks a place is good, they will unanimously choose the places recommended and accepted by the public. You should have met the Paradise Group by now."

"Ah."

"This is a group that came from abroad a few years ago. They spent money to control the country's voice. Anyone who joins their group can get recommendations, while anyone who doesn't will be suppressed."

The boss complained, "Franchising requires a hefty fee, and you have to use their expensive and stale ingredients. They also take a cut of the profits from the food we sell—my old friends and I didn't want to join, and you can see what happened."

Seemingly realizing he had complained too much, the owner shut up: "But anyway, thank you for your praise. After all, when I first opened the shop, my initial idea was to promote my traditional craftsmanship."

After hearing the whole story, Elena nodded thoughtfully.

I see, I see. It seems there's nothing wrong with my tongue.

However, this theme park group did give me some inspiration.

"How about I recommend one for you?" Elena said with a smile.

"I don't quite understand."

“I’ll recommend you and act as your shop’s advertising ambassador. I won’t charge you for that, but you still have to share some of the profits with me,” Elena said.

"what?"

“Just say, ‘This delicious food is praised by beautiful girls and is worth trying.’ I’m sure people will come to eat it, and your reputation will gradually spread.” Elena seemed to have said something extraordinary, but for her, these were all things she was used to.

After much deliberation, the boss finally adopted Elena's idea.

However, it seemed that no one came before Elena set off on her trip.

What happened after that, Elena, who had already left, was unknown to the public.