A Trip Down Memory Lane

Vy looked around to see that Dotty was right. By the window was a table of dwarves cheerily charting away and roaring in laughter. But from where her table was seated, they could barely hear anything. Vy looked down at the table and admired the cutlery, only to realise that the restaurant had no menu.

A server came over to the table and said, "Welcome to Memory Lane. My name is Bron and I will be your server for tonight. Would everyone like something to drink?"

Arkon nodded and replied, "Yes please, for everyone."

Bron nodded and went off to get the drinks. When he returned, he had a tray of drinks in his hands. Each drink was unique and mesmerising. Bron placed Vy's drink in front of her and the amazement on Vy's face said it all.

She had no idea what it was, but something about it made her feel at peace. Could this be trying to remind her of her past? The drink was served in a tall glass, with ice cubes to keep the drink cool.

It was sweet flavoured fruit tea with bits of aloe vera at the bottom. Drinking it made her feel happy and relaxed. What was going on? She looked around and noticed that Arkon, Chloe and Alias were all enjoying their drinks too.

"Do you like it," Arkon asked Vyrena.

"Yes it's delicious. It's just what I needed but how did they know?"

Arkon explained that the restaurant's owner, Chef Elayna, wanted all the patrons of her restaurant to have the best experience they could ever have. After many years of training in her magical abilities, she has developed a method that would allow her to figure out what the customer truly desires to eat.

Food was for the soul, and the soul tends to enjoy food that were attached to happy memories. Chef Elayna was able to figure out what makes a person happy and replicate the dish in her kitchen, with her own twist. Elvish cooking was different and unique, for they had many special spices that could mimic almost any flavour and texture in the world.

Many Elves spent countless years trying to perfect their culinary skills but it is never that easy. A good chef also needed to understand the needs and wants of the customer. Vy sipped on her drink and happily chewed on the aloe vera pulp that was in her drink.

The appetisers came out next, each white porcelain plate was filled with delicious food.

Bron, their server, also took the time to explain what each dish was. As the elves taste buds were often standardised, he was able to deliver the explanation with ease. But when it came to Vyrena's he was stumped. He had never seen anything like it before. He remained calm, as he had already asked the chef for details.

"This is a dish of bite-size toasted bread with pureed tomato paste, smoked cheese and slices of smoked sausage."

The rest of the guests at the table were intrigued by the dish served to Vyrena. They have never seen anything like this before. Clare and Alias had met and conversed with many humans before. They had also eaten with them before but never had they ever seen anything like this.

The bite-sized appetisers each had a toothpick inserted into each of them, making it easy for Vyrena to pick them up. She picked one of them up and put it in her mouth.

The soft toasted dough, though plain, paired well with the sweetness of the pureed tomatoes and saltiness of the smoked cheese. The smoked sausage added another level of flavour to the dish. This dish was a perfect combination!

Even in Timbretune, Vyrena had never seen any dish like this. Yet looking at it, and tasting it, the flavours were close to her heart. She could feel a tear in the corner of her eye but she did not know why she was getting so emotional.

Vyrena could tell that everyone was enjoying their food, there was not a single patron in the restaurant that did not like the food that was prepared.

The blend of flavours matched perfectly, how was this even possible? A faint memory of a distant past flashed past in her mind. But Vyrena could not put the pieces together. The memories were too fragmented. As she finished the appetiser at a quickened pace, the main course was served.

Vyrena's plate was filled with different skewered meats, accompanied by a small bowl of chunky sauce and a small side of white rice. The aromatic fragrance from the food was too good to resist. Even the other restaurant patrons looked on in envy.

Vy picked up one of the meat skewers and took a bite. She had assumed that they were similar to the ones that were sold in Timbretune, but she was wrong.

The spices that flavoured the skewer was completely different. It was a unique set of spices, marinated into the meat for hours. She picked up another skewer and dipped it into the sauce. The sweetness of the peanut sauce paired perfectly with the meat skewers!

What were these amazing flavours? While she did not crave any foods at the beginning of the meal, these dishes somehow hit the right spot.

"Are you enjoying the food, Miss Blackfire," Alias asked with a smile as he took a bite of his food.