Because the pork belly was cut into thin slices, Ryusei's barbecue was ready in just a few minutes. At this time, the other candidates began to return to the venue one after another, dragging the Great Stamps they had managed to capture.
After a quick bleeding and removal of internal organs, they immediately placed the entire carcasses directly onto the fire. This approach was certainly influenced by the sight of the huge grills next to the stoves, which clearly seemed designed for whole-roasted pigs.
While the rest of the candidates were busy trying to subdue and cook their massive ingredients, Ryusei was ready to begin the review.
He carefully arranged a few skewers on a plate, then carried the plate over to the table where Menchi and Buhara were sitting. Placing the plate down, he presented his dish.
"This is a Kebab, please enjoy," Ryusei said calmly, looking at the two examiners.
Smelling the combined aroma of the roasted pork and the faint, sweet fruit glaze, both Menchi and Buhara looked slightly surprised. It certainly smelled appetizing, a notable deviation from the expected simple roasted meat.
"It looks pretty good," Menchi conceded. "Then, let's begin the review."
With a solemn expression, Menchi picked up a skewer of the barbecue and took a deliberate bite. She chewed slowly, her eyes focusing on the flavor. After a moment, she nodded.
"It was grilled to perfection, and even though this is pork belly, it wasn't greasy at all," she commented, impressed. "At the same time, the fruity flavor also makes the taste of the barbecue richer, balancing the fat. Although there are still some minor shortcomings, it's already good enough to be able to achieve this quality."
"Qualified," Menchi announced, giving Ryusei a passing grade. In her estimation, Ryusei's cooking skills were comparable to those of chefs in decent, professional restaurants, which was extremely rare among the Hunter aspirants she usually encountered.
Menchi's review was completed. Now it was Buhara's turn.
The giant examiner, however, did not bother with the decorum of a skewer. He simply picked up the entire plate and poured the remaining barbecue directly into his mouth. A look of complete satisfaction instantly spread across his honest face.
"Delicious, delicious!" Buhara exclaimed, chewing happily. "The taste is very good indeed. There is no problem in qualifying."
But, he added with a hint of dissatisfaction, "It's just a little too little!" Ryusei had made just enough for a generous bite for Buhara, who was expecting a feast.
However, Buhara did not use his hunger to penalize Ryusei. "Qualified."
Hearing that both Menchi and Buhara had given him a pass, Ryusei was not at all surprised. After learning cooking techniques for such a long time, if he couldn't pass this simple test, the exam would indeed be outrageous.
He returned to the stove. Ryusei couldn't resist. He was curious about the true flavor of the Great Stamp meat itself.
Soon, Ryusei made another batch of barbecue with pork belly. This time, to isolate the pure taste, he didn't add any seasoning or fruit glaze.
Once baked, Ryusei took a bite. Instantly, his mouth was filled with fragrance. Unlike ordinary pork, the meat of the Great Stamp was chewier and had a stronger, more profound aroma. The fatty part was surprisingly not greasy, possessing a pleasant toughness and an excellent mouthfeel. Furthermore, despite being a wild boar, the Great Stamp meat lacked any unpleasant musky or fishy smell.
It could easily be said that among all the pork he had ever eaten, the meat of the Great Stamp was definitely the most delicious. As he ate, Ryusei could also feel his body slowly growing stronger under the subtle effects of the "gourmet cells" the meat contained.
While Ryusei was quietly enjoying the delicious Great Stamp barbecue, the rest of the candidates finished their frantic preparations. Todo, the sumo wrestler, was the first among them to present a whole roasted pig.
He served the slightly charred entire roasted pig with impatience. "Hurry up and finish eating so I can pass!" Todo demanded. He only wanted to be done with this absurd test.
Buhara, still slightly full from Ryusei's kebab, gave Todo's roasted pig a cursory look and was prepared to give a passing grade, purely out of his desire to eat.
However, Menchi was not so lenient. She delivered a direct "Unqualified" grade.
"It's over-roasted!" Menchi commented, her face expressionless, hiding her true annoyance. "It's a complete waste of the deliciousness of the meat itself." She would never tolerate such disrespect to food.
"What are you talking about! You haven't even tasted it," Todo yelled, looking at Menchi angrily.
"This is a clear-cut failure!" Menchi was impatient. The full pig was served in such a short time; it was obvious Todo had cranked up the fire to cook it as quickly as possible, and the burnt smell wafting from the carcass was all the proof she needed.
"Hateful." Although Todo was deeply unwilling to accept the result, he knew in his heart that Menchi's evaluation was not wrong. He could only retreat helplessly.
Following Todo, several more candidates brought up their roasted full pigs for inspection. However, without exception, they were all judged as unqualified by Menchi.
Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika looked at the string of failures and the strict scrutiny, feeling bewildered. They didn't think their upcoming roasted pigs would be any better than the others.
Kurapika suddenly smiled, a flicker of realization in his eyes. "I see. This exam is about cooking, but what is truly being tested is originality and observation," he deduced. "I don't know if you noticed, but the only candidate who passed the review—Ryusei—wasn't roasting a whole pig."
"I see!" Leorio and Gon looked as if they had suddenly grasped the solution. The full roasted pig must be the problem!
The two then rushed off to prepare their own dishes. Soon after, Leorio and Gon proudly presented their whole roasted pigs, which were adorned with small flags and flowers, respectively, in a misguided attempt at originality. This utterly confused approach naturally failed to pass Menchi's scrutiny.
Then Kurapika served his meal. Compared to Leorio and Gon, Kurapika had been more attentive. He had simply cut the roasted entire pig into pieces and used skewers to string some pork with vegetables and fruits—clearly imitating Ryusei's cooking style. It certainly looked more appetizing.
"Well, finally one of them looks like a dish," Menchi conceded, picking up a skewer and taking a bite of the grilled meat.
Kurapika was confident in his deduction. He believed that the key was in the presentation and using the provided ingredients in a complementary way, not necessarily the taste, given the provided setup. He was sure he would pass.
"It tastes terrible! It's substandard," Menchi announced, abruptly overturning the plate.
The flying kebab, however, was agilely caught by Buhara mid-air, ensuring no food was wasted.
Kurapika was left very confused by Menchi's actions. Could his analysis have been wrong?
"Although appearance is important, the taste must also match!" Menchi lectured. "You are on the same level as No. 403 (Leorio)."
Kurapika was deeply disappointed by this comment. To be compared to Leorio was an insult to his meticulous planning.
After Kurapika, the last few candidates served their roasted whole pigs, but they too failed to qualify.
Buhara, seeing that no one else was coming forward with food, patted his belly with a satisfied look on his face. "I'm done, I'm done. I'm so full," he declared, having devoured all the rejected, but cooked, food.
"Yeah! I'm super full too!" Menchi said, though she looked unhappy, clearly frustrated by the lack of quality.
Except for Ryusei at the beginning, every candidate had cooked an entire roasted pig, or a variation of it.
"So, only one candidate passed," Menchi announced very straightforwardly. "The exam is over."
Menchi's decision naturally caused immense dissatisfaction among the remaining candidates. A roar of disbelief and anger erupted in the courtyard.