Alien Cuisine (karmawg & dicequeer)

[karmawg]

The restaurant called Grande Bouffe was relatively popular on the little hub planet it resided on. Known for the care put into its food and the generous portion sizes, it appealed to many of the different alien travelers. Another aspect that drew people in was that the owner and chef, Kuiper, was always trying out new ingredients and adding new things to the menu. After all, he felt it would be an utter waste to not take advantage of the travel hub’s ability to import new meats and plant ingredients from other planets. He wanted the most tender steaks for his meat based dishes, the most succulent fruit for his desserts, and the most exotic spices to make foods that made an impression on his customers.

All of this did come at a certain cost though. Importing such a variety could get expensive and more so than that, he didn’t want to waste time on dishes that no one would order. He knew his own tastes and could tell if he liked a dish, but he also knew he had far more appreciation for unusual foods than the average traveler. So it only stood to reason that he should get second opinions on new recipes he put together. Today he was expecting just such a person, the restaurant being closed for the day but the front door unlocked as he was expecting his paid “taste tester” to arrive.

The furniture in the restaurant varied some in size, suited for aliens both large and small, but he was fairly certain that the person who responded to the ad was either human or human-sized. He couldn’t quite remember the exact wording of their response. So he had a table and chair set up near the door to the kitchen so he could easily bring things in and out.

Hard at work as he was to get everything ready, the delicious scent of various savory foods drifted out into the main dining area from the kitchen. Dessert had been prepared ahead of time and was in the cooling unit, kept fresh until needed. Everything else he wanted to be as fresh and warm as possible so that it would taste exactly as it would for his customers. After all, he wasn’t looking to find out how they tasted as reheated leftovers or as food that had been late to leave the kitchen. He wanted to put his very best foot forward so these recipes got a fair shot, even if he was preparing them in smaller than usual amounts on little saucers for sample purposes.

He turned his attention away from the oven as he heard the front door open, leaving one of his robotic helpers to keep an eye on the food there as he went to peek out of the kitchen door. He ducked some to get under the doorway as he peered out, grinning at his guest.

“Hey! You’re my help for today, right?” he greeted the stranger, smiling at him in a way he hoped downplay his sharp teeth. He didn’t want to accidentally intimidate him. “I’m Chef Kuiper. Or just Kuiper to you, I guess, haha. You’re right on time. I was just getting the appetizer samples put together. I figured we’d do things in order.” He stepped out of the kitchen so he could stand up straight again, imposing despite his best efforts at ten feet tall. It wasn't something he could help, given his species. So he relied on friendliness to not appear threatening rather than staying hunched over in a pointless attempt to look smaller than he actually was. “Ah, but what should I call you? I know not everyone uses their preferred name for their communicator,” he asked, wanting to be polite so he didn’t come off as a no-nonsense boss.

 

[dicequeer]

Maddax was a little excited about his current side job. Grande Bouffe was a well know restaurant. The kind of place he'd never be able to afford on his salary. He was a courier by trade, but the company didn't pay great in between jobs, so he often picked up other work. Being paid to eat at a fancy restaurant was much better than what he normally did.

With a spring in his step Maddax walked through the streets toward the restaurant. It was close enough to were he was staying that he didn't feel like wasting money on transport, not to mention it was a nice day out. Maddax wore a casual jumpsuit and some boots. He had long ago learned it was better not to wear his courier uniform to other jobs. People tended to get the wrong idea. He was relatively short for a human, had a mop of curly ginger hair he pulled back with a headband, and a face dotted with freckles.

Maddax arrived at the restaurant at just the right time. In his line of work it paid to be punctual, so he'd made it a habit. He pulled open the door to the restaurant, and even expecting it, was surprised by how nice it was. He didn't have long to take it in before his employer was there speaking to him. Kupier, as he introduced himself, demanded attention with just his presence. He was tall, and quite friendly in a way that didn't diminish his force of personality.

Maddax was a little bit intimidated, but he'd dealt with aliens before. Sure, they weren't normally twice his size, but it didn't seem like Kupier meant him any harm. "You can call me Maddax," he said with a bright smile, trying to match Kupier's friendly demeanor. "Happy to be of help. You've got quite the place here." Maddax stepped forward towards Kupier, looking around the room again.