Chapter 251
Chapter 251
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 251
Chapter Title: The Sushi Shop's Shortcomings
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Do-kyung picked up the mackerel sushi with trembling chopsticks. He could probably guess the taste just from my reaction.
It was already a polarizing flavor to begin with. If it wasn't even made well, the low point would be unimaginably bad.
I had called it out first since it was sushi, planning to eat it together. Who knew it would turn out like this.
I didn't need to look to know. Do-kyung's fans would be glaring daggers at me, unleashing a torrent of vicious comments.
> "Our hardworking pure pup is suffering T_T Don't eat it if you don't want to! It breaks my heart seeing our baby—who never picks at food—struggling like that."
> "Is GMBB a freak show that feeds kids weird crap? Can't he just quit that garbage program?"
> "lololol another screw-up. Why force that non-food on our baby? Can't you see him shaking??"
> "Company, give some feedback already."
For the sake of my mental health, I decided to tune out the personal attacks and profanity. Before Do-kyung could shove the mackerel sushi into his pale mouth, I reached out and stopped him.
"......?"
Seeing the fear in his eyes made me feel unnecessarily guilty.
It was like I was the villain tormenting a small animal. Sure, he was a head taller than me if we compared builds.
I shook my head slowly.
"You don't have to eat it. We've had enough with what I've tried."
"......! Okay."
Do-kyung set down his chopsticks, relief washing over his face.
That should cut the hate comments in half.
"I'd like to meet the owner in person. Could you come down to the shop floor?"
-Yes, of course~.
After Im Hye-eun's response, I turned to Do-kyung sitting across from me.
"Do-kyung, you can head inside now."
"Got it."
Once Do-kyung left and I was alone in the shop for a moment, I glanced around the kitchen.
The bar-style counter attached to the prep table still had all the owner's tools laid out from just moments ago.
Vinegared rice in a wooden tub, prepped raw fish slices. A small bowl of water for wetting hands, and even the sashimi knife used for slicing.
I picked up the water bowl first.
'When gripping sushi, dry hands make the rice grains stick uncomfortably. That's why the standard is to keep water nearby to wet them.'
The bowl was filled to the brim with rice grains.
This wasn't just for wetting hands—it was at washing level. Dipping and pulling out hands multiple times in this water felt outright unsanitary.
Usually, it doesn't accumulate this much rice residue. Just how bad was the rice condition...?
My question was answered as soon as I peered into the tub full of rice residue.
"Whoa. So that's how you did it."
I'd noticed the rice tasting salty even while eating the sushi. But the rice was practically a glutinous lump.
I turned on the sink next to it, wet my hands, and tried gripping some rice.
"......"
As expected.
It stuck gooily all over my hands, and I couldn't form it properly. Every attempt to shape it just made it cling messily—no way it would hold.
Exaggerating a bit, it was half rice sticking to my hand, half actually gripped.
"No wonder the water's so murky...."
A sigh escaped me naturally. With rice like this, good sushi was impossible.
I needed to adjust the cooking method and vinegar ratio from the start.
Whether the gripped rice tasted bad due to the rice itself or poor technique—I'd figure that out step by step.
'Can someone who can't even cook basic rice properly grip it right?'
A reasonable doubt followed.
Moving on, I headed straight to the neta—the raw fish toppings. I examined the pre-sliced pieces closely.
"These... the knife work is off."
I picked up two pieces of neta.
Both flounder. Same fish.
"See this? One side's way thicker, right?"
Lining up their cross-sections side by side made the thickness difference even starker.
"When they're this uneven, the sushi taste changes completely."
It becomes hard to deliver consistent flavor. Which leads to lower customer satisfaction.
"If you'd served them at this thickness earlier, I might've eaten mine fine too."
Plenty more to say, but let's hold off.
"Mind if I check the fridge?"
I went to the fridge in the back. Opening the door revealed fish aging inside. The one that immediately caught my eye was, without a doubt, the mackerel.
"There it is. The culprit mackerel."
I spotted the issue at a glance.
"Poor prep."
The proper way to prep mackerel for sushi topping is like this.
Split the belly to remove guts, then start from the back and fillet both sides.
It looked like the process had been followed at first glance.
The fillets were neatly laid on a wire rack in the fridge, with coarse salt lightly sprinkled on the surface.
But a closer look revealed the problem.
"Here. Either the guts weren't fully removed, or the blood didn't drain properly."
The bottom layer on the rack was soaked in blood, forming clotted meat.
"That gives it a fishy bitterness."
There was the source of the fishiness I'd tasted in the mackerel sushi.
"Usually, you salt and vinegar-cure it. I'd need to hear your curing method to know for sure, but it looks like it was in the vinegar too long."
Pressing with my finger, the mackerel was overly watery.
"That kills the mackerel's unique flavor, leaving just a sharp sourness."
Naturally, no one wants to eat that.
"Mackerel sushi is picky taste-wise, but that's why it has such a dedicated fanbase. Do it right, and people line up."
Meaning the mackerel sushi itself isn't the problem. It's that it doesn't taste good.
"Honestly, I like it quite a bit. Well-made mackerel sushi highlights umami and oily richness over any fishiness."
Plus, the firm texture, the harmony of fish and rice seasoning, capped off by ginger's cleanse—perfection.
"But this place's mackerel sushi... First-timers won't dare try it again."
A real shame.
It narrows people's flavor horizons instead of expanding them.
"Um...."
Then a small voice came from behind. Turning, I saw a middle-aged man shrunk like a frightened turtle.
His darting eyes screamed tension.
"You... called for me."
It was Lee Hyung-bae, the owner I'd briefly seen earlier while he made the sushi.
His plump, kindly face was his charm point—not off-putting at all.
Head wrapped in a cloth, yukata on with an apron over it. The yukata knot was sloppy, but he looked the part of a sushi shop owner.
"Owner Lee. You watched us taste-test, right?"
He bowed his head deeply at my question.
"You must've noticed. Customers left a lot behind, didn't they?"
"Y-Yes. Th-That is true. But some devoured it saying it suited their taste perfectly, and we have a regular or two, so... I didn't think taste was the issue."
"There's always one or two like that everywhere. You can't base it on them."
The so-called 'easy eaters.' Some are just undisc picky, others enjoy offbeat aromas others avoid.
One key thing owners must watch.
You can't please everyone, but catering to one or two out of ten won't sustain a business.
Don't get swayed by regulars' honeyed 'Your skills are the best, Owner' flattery. Filter customer feedback properly.
Otherwise, you're just hearing what you want.
Lee Hyung-bae seemed to realize it late, unable to lift his head. Finally feeling the embarrassment, huh.
"Owner. Have a seat first?"
"Y-Yes."
We sat across at a table. Serious talk ahead, so we had to move spots.
"Owner."
"Yes."
Lee Hyung-bae braced for the criticism, face resolute.
"To be frank, you're failing most categories."
"......"
"Ever learned to grip sushi properly?"
"Th-There was this program where big shots pass down secrets. I crash-coursed it there...."
"Crash-course?"
My voice rose, and he peeked at my face before bowing deeper.
"Owner, how long was this crash course?"
"Just... about two weeks there...."
Unbelievable.
From gripping sushi to everything else—total amateur hour.
I barely suppressed a deep sigh.
"Opened the shop right after two weeks of training?"
"Y-Yes."
"Owner...."
Sushi shops used to be artisan territory, but lately, new winds are blowing.
Demand for casual sushi over high-end has grown.
Chains standardize rice weight and fish size for minimum quality via training.
In my past life, even rice-gripping machines emerged. Efficiency over craft is rising.
But.
This is excessive.
'Chains have HQ oversight and expert manuals.'
Doesn't mean you can run it this sloppily!