The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

Despite it being over twenty years since I last cooked in my kitchen from my past life, as soon as I stepped into the kitchen, my body moved with astonishing precision and speed.

I turned on the gas stove, boiled water in a pot, and simultaneously added an anchovy stock pack, dried kelp, and two spoons of Joseon soy sauce to brew the broth.

Modern conveniences are truly a blessing.

In my past life, I secretly thought that modern conveniences, which made cooking so easy, standardized the process and hindered the diversity of flavors. But after being reborn and finding myself in an environment without the blessings of modern civilization, I couldn’t help but feel how spoiled I had been.

If even a single ingredient lacked popularity, no matter how minor or small the quantity, I had to procure and prepare it myself. Living in such an environment made me realize how much I had taken modern civilization for granted every time I sought ingredients.

Even something as simple as an anchovy stock pack, which I could easily pull out and use now, would have required me to remove the innards of each anchovy and dry them myself in Astram.

I felt a surge of emotion as I realized this.

Of course, while I was moved, my hands didn’t stop moving as I continued cooking.

Zucchini and carrots.

I thinly sliced the two vegetables into long strips, seasoned them with salt, and lightly stir-fried them in a frying pan.

As you can tell from the types of vegetables used, the type of noodles I’m making is a Korean dish called “banquet noodles,” which is typically served on special occasions like weddings or 60th birthday celebrations.

Actually, when I heard the term “somyeon,” I thought they might be expecting a Chinese-style noodle dish. But since we’ve met in the place of my past life, serving a Korean dish that I can no longer eat rather than a Chinese-style dish that I can have anytime seemed like the right choice.

After stir-frying the vegetables, I quickly scrambled an egg in the residual heat of the pan to make a thin omelet.

Once the omelet was done, I sliced it into long strips suitable for garnish.

Even in my past life, my hands weren’t slow, but the physical abilities I gained after reincarnation allowed me to complete all these processes as if I were speedrunning.

Modern conveniences and fantasy-level physical abilities.

It feels like a dream.

And it is a dream.

By this point, about 10 minutes had passed since I started brewing the anchovy stock.

Anchovy stock should not be boiled for too long, as it can develop a fishy taste. It’s best to use it within 15 minutes at the latest.

After removing the anchovy stock pack and kelp, I immediately took out two servings of somyeon and boiled them in the stock.

Once the noodles were cooked, I divided them onto plates and topped them with the prepared vegetables and egg omelet.

Then, I finely chopped some well-fermented cabbage kimchi that I had personally made and placed it on top.

Sometimes, a separate seasoning sauce is made to adjust the taste of banquet noodles, but if you have delicious, well-fermented kimchi, it’s much better than a mediocre seasoning sauce.

The seasoning used in making kimchi itself acts as a natural seasoning sauce.

I also wanted to eat kimchi after a long time.

And since this is my dream, there happened to be perfectly fermented kimchi at its most delicious stage, so I used that.

Finally, I crushed some seasoned laver into powder and sprinkled it on top.

It took about 15 minutes from when the water started boiling.

It’s done.

Kimchi banquet noodles.

Clatter.

“Eat the noodles first. Dumplings take longer to make, so they won’t be ready right away. We’ll probably be able to eat the dumplings when the others arrive.”

Unlike banquet noodles, dumplings require at least an hour just for the dough to ferment.

Including the time to shape and steam the dumplings, it takes even longer.

“Ooh…”

I placed the banquet noodles in front of ○○○ and explained, but it seemed like ○○○ wasn’t listening, their gaze fixed on the bowl of noodles.

“Actually, when I mentioned somyeon, I was thinking of a Chinese-style dish with chicken or pork broth…”

“What? So you made banquet noodles for no reason?”

Did I go with Korean food for nothing?

But ○○○ shook their head in denial.

“No, this is actually better. It’s beyond my expectations. I had completely forgotten about it… I never thought I’d get to eat banquet noodles again… Even if it’s a dream, it’s fine.”

“…I’m glad you like it. But don’t just admire it, eat it before it gets cold. Noodles lose their flavor when they cool down.”

“Right. I should.”

“Ah. And when we make the dumpling dough later, you should help. Unlike noodles, we need to make enough dumplings for everyone, so we’ll need extra hands.”

“Sure. Of course.”

○○○ nodded blankly, their gaze still fixed on the banquet noodles.

Are they even listening?

Well, if they’re not, I can just tell them again later.

But unlike me, who could cook and often recreated Korean dishes during adventures whenever possible, ○○○ couldn’t cook, so it’s understandable that they’re a bit overwhelmed.

I shook my head and started eating.

.

.

.

Let’s see.

I made it according to the request, but now that I’m sitting down to eat together, I can’t help but feel excited too.

I made banquet noodles as ○○○ requested, but in fact, banquet noodles are also a dish I haven’t had in a long time.

Astram is primarily a Western-style culture, so when it comes to noodle dishes, it’s usually pasta. And the kimchi and seasoned laver used as toppings couldn’t be obtained unless I made them myself.

…Maybe I should make some kimchi when I wake up from this dream.

I didn’t particularly prefer Korean food in my past life, but I find myself missing it now.

But first, the food in front of me.

I picked up a spoon and first took a sip of the banquet noodle broth.

Hoo.

The warm, comforting aroma of the anchovy stock that immediately permeates my body.

Despite not using any special techniques, the broth from the anchovies was light and clean.

It’s good.

Even though I’ve only taken the first spoonful, I realized that this is the kind of broth I could drink endlessly without getting tired of it.

At this level, I could even put it in a tumbler and drink it whenever I feel peckish without getting bored.

“Kuuu…”

From across the table, ○○○, who had also taken their first sip of the broth, seemed to share the same opinion, holding the bowl and drinking the broth while letting out an involuntary exclamation of admiration.

“Hoo… The broth is just right.”

“Of course. Who do you think made it?”

Anchovy stock can easily develop a fishy smell if mishandled, but this banquet noodle broth didn’t use the stock pack for too long, and the Joseon soy sauce helped eliminate any off-flavors, resulting in a clean taste.

Moreover, it had a different kind of umami compared to meat-based broths. The umami from meat mainly comes from fat, which has a strong and stimulating flavor but tends to get tiresome quickly.

However, fish-based broths like anchovy or mackerel derive their flavor from the bones and flesh, making them less stimulating and less likely to tire the palate.

○○○ then picked up their chopsticks and started slurping the noodles.

Slurp.

I also picked up my chopsticks to savor the noodles.

Slurp.

The noodles, made simply from flour, have no special flavor.

But that’s actually a good thing.

The noodles used in banquet noodles are the thinnest somyeon.

They are light and pair perfectly with the anchovy broth, allowing you to keep eating endlessly once you start, like a slope with no bumps.

Slurp.

Slurp.

Slurp.

It’s as if I’ve forgotten how to stop using chopsticks, and once I pick them up, they keep moving up and down without finding a stopping point.

This is the charm and the danger of banquet noodles.

It’s a devilish infinite loop combo that keeps you eating until you’re about to burst.

And just when you start to get tired of the floury taste, the presence of the vegetable toppings.

They’re not just there to add color to the banquet noodles.

The stir-fried carrots and zucchini add a light accent to the monotonous texture of the noodles.

Crunch.

Carrots and zucchini may not be particularly rare ingredients, but they teach you not to underestimate the subtle sweetness that comes from a bit of salt and the vegetables themselves.

And the soft egg omelet proves that eggs are not just a complete food nutritionally but also in terms of flavor.

After enjoying about half of the noodles and broth, it’s time for phase two.

The finely chopped cabbage kimchi that was placed as a topping.

I gently press the kimchi with my chopsticks, which I had intentionally avoided until now.

Then, I stir it gently to blend it with the broth.

The clear yellow broth soon turns into a faint red hue, like the onset of twilight, as I stir.

The warmth of the banquet noodles seeps into the cabbage kimchi, and the salty tang of the kimchi mixes into the noodles.

Once the cabbage kimchi is fully dissolved into the broth, a completely new flavor begins.

Taking another spoonful of the broth, I notice a refreshing and slightly spicy aroma, different from the initial clean and cool taste.

Picking up a piece of cabbage kimchi and putting it in my mouth.

Crunch.

This is banquet noodles.

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