"You all stay here and rest a bit—I'll go help out in the kitchen."
At the center was a round table, surrounded by a few resting benches. Shelves nearby were stocked with various items. The entire restaurant wasn't particularly large and had been divided into several sections using folding partitions. Based on Ron's estimation, the space could only accommodate three or four tables of guests dining at the same time. After all, the only two people working here were Menchi and Buhara—not just as chefs but also acting as the servers.
The interior design wasn't luxurious, but it had a unique charm and ambiance. The real draw of this restaurant, without a doubt, was still the culinary skills of Menchi and Buhara. But that didn't mean the other details could be neglected.
Misty looked around curiously, while Sally walked to the other side of the restaurant, studying the content displayed on the walls. Shizuku stared blankly ahead, occasionally flipping open her notebook to glance through it, then looking back at Ron.
Ron, on the other hand, was staring at the crystal orb in front of him—an object only he could see.
They hadn't even officially entered Gourmet Paradise yet, but Ron's Observer's Intent had already begun absorbing characteristics of the place. Now that they had stepped onto the island, the absorption process had accelerated noticeably.
"This pace is quite good. If it continues like this, I might reach one hundred percent within a month. I just don't know what kind of Nen Beast will emerge this time."
Ron had several guesses in mind. Since this was Gourmet Paradise, centered around food, and considering his own memories, there were several culinary-themed works that came to mind—Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma, and Chuuka Ichiban, as well as Toriko.
"But the likelihood of something from Toriko is low. I already have Toriko. And based on past experiences, the same background setting doesn't get used twice. So characters from Toriko can be excluded."
"Most likely, it'll come from one of the first three worlds."
Eventually, the sounds from the kitchen faded. Menchi and Buhara stepped out, with Buhara carrying a massive tray that nearly matched the diameter of the round table.
"Dinner's ready~" Buhara placed the tray on the table, and everyone took their seats.
He lifted the lid of the tray, revealing more than a dozen dishes, all steaming hot and beautifully plated. Menchi gestured invitingly. "These are dishes Buhara and I specialize in. Please, give them a taste."
"This one is pork from the great stamp Pigs—you remember, Ron? You encountered them during the Hunter Exam. Those examinees really wasted the ingredients."
Ron nodded. He of course remembered the great stamp. In fact, he had even raised a batch in Sumas's space.
"This is Chocolate Cicada, a very rare species of cicada that secretes chocolate and stores it within its body. After catching it, you just remove the excess parts and it's ready to eat. Absolutely delicious."
"This is a centipede. It may look terrifying on the outside, but the taste is astonishingly good—far better than most fish or shellfish."
"...…"
"And this one—Snakefrog. A hybrid of snake and frog, its meat is incredibly firm."
As Menchi encouraged everyone to eat, she introduced the dishes one by one. Ron stared at the food in front of him and was suddenly struck by an intense sense of familiarity. These exotic ingredients were shockingly similar to those found in the world of Toriko.
It surprised him, but on second thought, it made sense. Both this world and Toriko's were ones with supernatural elements. So of course, their ingredients would also include extraordinary elements.
"How's the taste?"
"It's excellent," Ron said. "Truly delicious—this is the best food I've had in this world so far."
That wasn't an exaggeration. Whether it was the Zoldyck Estate, the Underworld in Yorknew, Heaven's Arena, or the Dragon Dojo in the Fiora Kingdom, Ron had visited many places and tasted the cooking of many chefs. But in terms of pure flavor, none compared to this table.
The reason was simple—Menchi and Buhara were professionals, the very top of their field.
After eating these dishes, Ron could feel his own "Gourmet Cells" growing more active, visibly boosting his physical capabilities—far more than any prior meal had achieved. With this, Ron's anticipation for the rest of his journey in Gourmet Paradise intensified.
"If I eat all the food here, how much stronger can I become? And the Nen Beast created from this—if it specializes in cuisine, how much of a boost could it give me?"
The human species didn't rank high in terms of lifeform hierarchy. The energy within their bodies had natural limits. Even someone as talented as Netero struggled when faced with the Chimera Ant King who was born less than 3 months ago upon their meeting.
Was the King especially hardworking?
Had he trained for years?
No.
It was purely that the King's lifeform tier was higher than Netero's.
But with "Gourmet Cells," Ron could raise his own physique to an extraordinary level.
This came from three sources—the traits absorbed during the Hunter Exam, the background of the Toriko universe, and the countless gourmet foods he consumed.
How far could this take him in the future?
"So good!" Misty nodded rapidly, her eyes bright with excitement. Menchi and Buhara smiled in response—there was no greater joy for a chef than to have one's food genuinely appreciated.
"Right," Menchi added, "let me give you a quick overview of how Gourmet Paradise is organized."
"I'm guessing someone from your cruise already introduced it briefly?"
Ron nodded. "We met a few tourist groups on the deck, and some of the guides explained it."
"They said Gourmet Paradise is divided into four zones—World Zone, Academy Zone, Graduate Zone, and Mystery Zone."
Menchi replied, "That's a fair breakdown."
"Where we are now is the Graduate Zone. Anyone opening a restaurant here must have excellent culinary skills and be capable of using extraordinary ingredients in their dishes."
"There's no set timeline for opening restaurants here. Some operate on a reservation-only basis."
"I'd suggest starting from the World Zone. If you try too many dishes from deeper zones first, you might not be able to appreciate the outer zone's food anymore."
"Some dishes in the World Zone really aren't that impressive—some are almost indistinguishable from what you'd find outside."
"Heaven's Arena even has restaurants of a similar standard."
"But the Moon Institute is a great place. The students there are energetic and full of ambition."
"Oh, and recently, the Moon Institute is holding a large-scale event. You should definitely check it out."
"It's called the Elite Ten Challenge Tournament!"