Chapter 46
There were two reasons he didn’t serve the crab meat with bisque soup together. The first reason was because if the crab meat got over cooked, the softness would disappear. So it was best to serve the soup the latest he could.
The second reason was simple. Service. The more luxurious a restaurant got, the price got more expensive. And what was included in the price wasn’t simply the food. There were many places where the head chef would personally come to explain the food on two or three star michelin restaurants.
And the one who was pouring the bisque soup wasn’t only Jo Minjoon. Kaya too was helping him serve. For the customers, it was a good thing. Because Kaya was one of the most popular participants of Grand Chef. Specially, it was more fun to see if she was together with Jo Minjoon, who had made a scandal with her.
There were even customers who asked them to stand together for a minute. But the director didn’t particularly stop them. They weren’t asking something excessive, and they were funnily giving him broadcasting material, so he had no need to do so.
Of course, the result of that was the exhaustion for both of them. Kaya took a short breath and looked at the tables. While she was serving the bisque soup, the customers showed so much interest to the point she felt burdened.
To smile at them wasn’t a difficult task. Because when she worked in the market, there were several occasions where she had to put on a fake smile. However, it was also true that it exhausted you mentally.
And right at this moment, Kaya was more exhausted than ever.
The last customer for lunch. Jo Minjoon and Kaya were standing nervously. They could only do so. On that table, was seated a familiar face. Emily, and also Joseph. But the one they had to be aware of was Emily. Because she was in charge of evaluating the blue team, Kaya’s team, and Joseph was in charge of Jacob’s team. What Joseph had to evaluate was the dinner, and Alan had to look and evaluate at the participants that were in the kitchen and not the tables.
“Can you explain to me what kind of dish this is?”
At her words, Kaya glanced at Jo Minjoon. He opened his mouth and said calmly.
“I’m going to pour bisque soup in a not cooked crab meat. Yes, just like this. The aroma of the bisque soup will seep inside the meat but inside of it, the delicious and sweet flavor only crabs have will be felt. I will recommend you concentrating on that point. And first, drink the soup.”
Emily followed Jo Minjoon’s words and drank a spoonful of soup, and then, ate it along with crab meat. In her mouth, a faint smile appeared. It seemed like she wasn’t completely satisfied, but at least, it was not a dissatisfied face.
“It’s good. Ah, the proper evaluation will be done after the mission. Go and keep working.”
“Yes.”
They replied like that but actually, there was nothing left to do. At least, it was like this right now. There weren’t even people who had finished their soups to withdraw their plates. Jo Minjoon whispered to Kaya that was standing next to him.
“Go to the kitchen. Chloe’s sea bass should start coming out.”
“Ah, okay. I understand.”
Kaya massaged her own neck and went in the kitchen. Chloe had already finished roasting the sea basses. Kaya opened her mouth.
“Is it done?”
“Wait a minute, I’m doing the plating.”
Chloe carefully placed the sea bass on top of the velouté sauce. The side that got in contact with the sauce was the meat part that wasn’t covered by the skin. If the skin got wet with the sauce, then there was no point to roast it crisply. She placed thyme that was the size of a nail, and the plating was done. Kaya opened her mouth while watching her work.
“I will help you. You don’t mind right?”
“Of course.”
Kaya opened her mouth while assisting her.
“The reaction for Minjoon was good. Now’s your turn.”
“Mmm…….I’m suddenly feeling burdened.”
“I said it because of that.
Kaya talked like that and grinned. Although it seemed ill-natured, it was her way to express herself. Chloe wasn’t so small minded as to refute that to a girl that wasn’t even in her twenties and didn’t know how to express herself.
There were a total of twenty roasted breams placed in two carts. When Chloe and Kaya were pulling the cart and getting to the dining room, Jo Minjoon got in the kitchen. And he was also pulling the cart that contained the empty dishes. There were no dishes that had bisque soup left. Chloe slightly laughed.
“You are the best.”
Jo Minjoon laughed but didn’t reply. There was nothing happier for a chef for the customers to eat and not leave a thing on the dish.
As Chloe praised Jo Minjoon, she felt her heart beating more wildly. The cooking was well done. At least, it was for her. However, if the customers said that it wasn’t delicious, Chloe wasn’t confident on being able to overcome that situation.
“It will be delicious.”
Kaya opened her mouth. Chloe looked at her because she felt like she had been seen through. Kaya evaded Chloe’s eyes and continued to say.
“You cook well. The sea bass I ate yesterday was good, and it’s not the point to come all the way here and become a mistake. This plate right now, I’ll bet one dollar that they will eat everything including the sauce.”
“…….But 1 dollar is not much.”
“Shut up.”
Kaya snorted and turned her head. Chloe laughed and opened her mouth.
“Thank you.”
But a reply didn’t come back. Maybe she wasn’t accustomed to getting compliments? Or was she sulking because she said that the dollar wasn’t much? She was curious, but she could only keep it for after she was done. Soon, the cart was getting in the dining room.
“Wow, Chloe! This time I get to see your cooking. The dishes I saw in the broadcast all seemed delicious.”
“Thank you. I hope that this dish won’t disappoint you.”
“Can I take a picture with you later?”
“Yes. First, take a picture of this dish. I think that you will want to do that more than taking a picture with me.”
Chloe smiled brightly and replied. And it was not only for that customer. Every time she placed the plate in the table, Chloe made eye contact with every customer and smiled brightly.
Normally, it could be easy to look at that as a job smile. But Chloe was different. The people that saw that smile all felt their heads brighten. It was that bright and vivid. It was so much that it made someone who thought that the smile was made up to feel guilty.
She had a different character to Kaya or Jo Minjoon, a really clear and fresh feeling was felt from her. Chloe’s smile made the customers to be able to eat their dish in a more happy and comfortable way. Because even until now, they were shocked at the amounts of cameras so they couldn’t enjoy the meal comfortably. But now, they were a lot more relaxed. And that was also seen with another meaning.
Precisely speaking, it was seen in Jo Minjoon’s eyes.
[Chloe’s friendly and gentle attitude makes the customers feel more comfortable.]
[The ‘roasted sea bass with veloute sauce’ brings the utmost of its flavor.]
Saying the truth, he didn’t even need to see that window. It was obvious. If the chef treats you with that kind of face, with that kind of smile you could only enjoy your meal, except if it was not delicious. Jo Minjoon mumbled in a low voice.
“Did I learn something new?”
“Learn what?”
At the unexpected voice, Jo Minjoon got surprised and looked at his side. He didn’t know when he came but Anderson was checking at the customers with his arms crossed. Jo Minjoon calmed his surprised heart and replied.
“I mean Chloe. To the customers……. How do I have to say this…. Treat well? Act gently? Something’s lacking. Right. To smile and serve them honestly. With just that, the atmosphere which the customers have their meal changes completely.”
“That’s obvious.”
“Even though it was obvious, I can’t do it well. To make a smile so bright as to the person that’s watching you feels good.”
At those words Anderson snorted. He opened his mouth and said coldly.
“If there are people like Chloe, then people like you and me should exist. Take into account that all of the chefs smile like that. Rather, they would prefer meaner chefs.”
“That’s right. ……..But why are you here? Aren’t you in charge of the main?”
“Because I have time to spare. I only finished the preparations. Don’t ask beyond that. I’m not getting deceived by a spy.”
“You really like calling me a spy.”
Anderson didn’t reply. It was at that moment. Kaya was coming towards them with her cart with empty plates. Precisely speaking, she was walking towards the kitchen that was behind them. When they looked at her unconsciously, Kaya frowned and looked at Anderson.
“Don’t put on that trashy posture. You are blocking the door.”
Only then did Anderson realize that he was blocking the door. Anderson blushed his ears and got out of the way. Kaya got past Anderson and said to Jo Minjoon.
“If you don’t have anything to do then follow me.”
“Why, do you have something to make me do?”
“If you don’t, I’ll make something. Come. And don’t play with the red team’s bitch.”
“Bitch….. Did you say that to me?”
“Shut up. If you feel bad become the head chef.”
Kaya didn’t even look at him and went past him. Jo Minjoon’s mouth was half open as if he found it absurd and followed Kaya’s back. And then asked.
“If Anderson is the red team’s bitch, then am I the blue team’s bitch?”
“Why, you don’t like being my bitch?”
“Is there someone that likes being one?”
“Then I will make you the captain bitch.”
“What if I still don’t like it?”
“…….This crazy.”
Jo Minjoon thought that those last words were directed at Kaya herself. However Kaya’s eyes weren’t directed at Jo Minjoon, but was fixed in front. Jo Minjoon slowly followed that gaze. And he too, stiffened his face.
[Tandoori chicken breast]
Freshness: 87%
Origins: (Too many ingredients to show)
Quality: High(Average ingredients)
Cooking score: 3/10
He believed in him. That even if he did make a mistake, his cooking level was basically level 6. He believed that he wouldn’t make the same mistakes twice.
But it was a disaster. Jo Minjoon looked dumbfoundedly at the tandoori chicken breasts that were in front of him. It was chicken breast applied with India’s traditional masala sauce, that was tandoori chicken breast. However the thing that was in front of him couldn’t even be called tandoori.
“…….How did this get this burnt?”
Kaya replied coldly. Peter was pale even at first glance and opened his mouth stuttering.
“I, I put it in the oven but…….it seems like I only preheated the lower side of the oven. I looked at the top and it still seemed raw so I kept it in, but the lower part…….”
“Are you stupid? No, are you a spy? Preheat only the lower side? What were you doing without even checking that simple thing? You said you wanted to do the main. That you were confident. But is that only this dirtily burnt chicken breast that’s similar to your face? I even feel sad calling this chicken breast. Peter. Answer me. Are you really stupid? If you are, then I would at least bear with it. Don’t just keep your leech like disgusting lips closed and reply to me, you fucking stupid!”
Kaya poured out curses severely. However, no one was planning to stop her. It was a team mission. And everyone’s fates were in the line. But to make that kind of mistake in this kind of mission. Their luck wasn’t good, it wasn’t a thing to just let it pass.
Peter twitched his brows for a moment and let out a sigh. It would be a lie to say that he didn’t get angry at Kaya’s words, but if he got angry in this kind of situation, it was obvious that he would only worsen it. Peter calmed his heart the most he could and tried his best to say some words.
“The burnt parts….. I will remove the burnt parts and serve it. So give me some time…….”
“What? Are you crazy? Not only did the chicken breast get burnt, but did you also burn your brain? To present this kind of thing to the customer? Are you planning to kill someone? Please, think. They say that indians are intelligent. I thought like that too, but maybe that isn’t the case? Or only you are stupid? No, this isn’t even a problem of being stupid or not. How dirty of a human are you to make the customers that came to eat your dish, eat this piece of coal? Honestly, I thought that I was the most straightforward person in this program, but I wasn’t. Amazing. Really amazing.”
Peter couldn’t reply back anything. He was slicing off the burnt parts of the chicken breast as if he didn’t listen anything. Kaya was glaring at him for a moment and extended her hand. That hand grabbed the chicken breast Peter was slicing. Peter looked back at Kaya’s hands sulking. Kaya said while grinding her teeth.
“Listen well. This, is trash. And.”
Kaya emptied her hand. The thrown chicken breast fell in the trash bin. Kaya continued speaking.
“There are no chefs that serve trash on a dish.”
< Unexpected fame (3) > End