Chapter 266
Translator: penny
Chapter: 266
Chapter Title: A Blessed Palate
I widened my eyes and stared at Bong Kang-min, and he pressed on in an excited tone.
"That's how incredibly blessed that talent is! Just being able to distinguish such subtle differences in flavor is enough to elevate your cooking to a whole new level, isn't it?"
Well... of course it would be helpful. Checking the saltiness of sauces or soups, or ensuring flavor harmony—those were definitely my strengths.
"You know better than anyone how crucial flavor consistency is. Even chefs with decades of experience struggle to nail that standard."
Flavor consistency was a key factor directly tied to customer satisfaction. No matter how much of a perfect 10 a restaurant was, if I went and got served a 7 on my visit, it'd stick in my mind as a 7-point place.
"And don't get me started on inspecting ingredient freshness and quality. You even caught the honey spoilage in a sauce that's been processed multiple times."
Bong Kang-min poured it all out in a rush, then paused to catch his breath. Only then did he seem to realize how worked up he'd gotten, coughing awkwardly with a hem-hem.
"Anyway. It's no mere 'party trick'—that's what I'm saying."
"Haha. Thanks."
"I'm not just saying that. I knew you had a picky palate, but I had no idea it was this sharp."
Bong Kang-min muttered to himself without realizing it.
"If I could, I'd hand over my entire fortune to buy that ability of yours."
His tone was so earnest that his sincerity came through loud and clear.
I'd always thought of it as just having a slightly more sensitive tongue than most. I never imagined it'd impress Bong Kang-min this much.
"That's enough out of you."
Jeong Ha-neul shook his head and patted Bong Kang-min's shoulder.
"Chef An, wrap things up inside. Chef Bong, go get some air and cool off. Chef Song, mind waiting a sec?"
"Sure. Of course."
"Hey, I'm fine—what's the big deal?"
"No backtalk. Come on. You're embarrassing yourself."
Jeong Ha-neul dragged Bong Kang-min out by the arm, leaving just me and Anderik behind.
"Chef! I remade the plum sauce!"
Right then, the assistant came running with a new pitcher of plum sauce. We grabbed fresh spoons and each took a taste.
Unlike before, the heavy aftertaste was gone, replaced by a clean, bright plum aroma that shone through.
Anderik and I exchanged glances and nodded; the assistant dashed off again.
"Looks like we salvaged it somehow."
Luckily, remaking the sauce hadn't taken too long, so with just a slight delay, the course could proceed as planned.
Anderik nodded, eyes following the oriole meat as it finished up.
"I should head out. Kitchen's getting hot in here."
With summer in full swing, hanging around the stove was starting to make me sweat.
At my words, Anderik silently opened the door we'd come through.
Click. The air outside felt much lighter. Finally, I could breathe. As I took a deep breath, Anderik spoke first.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
"If it weren't for you, I'd have made a huge mistake."
"Most people wouldn't have noticed unless they were extremely sensitive."
Even if it had gone out as is, I doubted one in ten thousand would've caught it. I'd only picked up on it because of that faint difference lingering on my tongue.
"It doesn't matter if others notice or not. I can't serve food I'm not convinced by myself."
That unyielding attitude of his was truly admirable. I inwardly stuck out my tongue in awe. Someone whose standards came from within, not from outside validation, had a rock-solid core that commanded respect.
"And thanks to you, I realized there's still more I need to refine."
Even more from here? Just how monstrous did he plan to become? I was reeling at the thought when Anderik fixed me with a straight gaze. Meeting his eyes, I let my smile fade into a serious expression.
"Next time, I'll treat you to a proper meal."
"My standards are pretty strict. You sure you can handle it?"
I teased lightly, but Anderik fired back casually.
"I'll keep at it until you're satisfied."
I grinned and extended my hand.
"Looking forward to it. Invite me when you unveil the new season's course."
Anderik clasped my hand firmly.
"You can look forward to it."
His grip conveyed pure sincerity. The foodie inside me squirmed with delight. It was amazing. One taste could make my heart race like a kid's on the eve of their birthday. Maybe that devilish power to turn grown adults into kids was the true magic of delicious food.
Rustle.
The sound of flipping papers rang in my ears. The desk was buried under a mountain of documents that seemed endless, no matter how many I read.
'Setting up a nonprofit is no joke. Bylaws, officer list, statement of purpose, business plan...'
I'd braced myself, but it still made my head throb.
Still, plenty of people wanted in on the merchants' association, and traffic coordination had gone smoothly enough. That was a relief.
If the franchise owners under [The Song]—who got weird side-eye just for being part of a chain—had taken the lead, there would've been major backlash.
'[Chicken & Dori]'s President An Dong-woo stepping up saved the day.'
Everyone in the alley knew we were close, but since he wasn't one of my underlings, the other merchants didn't push back much, making consensus easy.
Once the association was up, An Dong-woo and his crew would likely drive the activities.
'His parents had run a shop here forever and earned everyone's respect.'
He'd probably trailed after them around the neighborhood since he was a kid. Not many existing merchants would hold a grudge against him.
All things considered, An Dong-woo seemed like the perfect bridge between [The Song] and the other shop owners.
'I'll submit the incorporation application to the local government. Skip the business registration for now—no legal issues there...'
I was poring over the papers when—
Bzzz— My phone rang. I tilted my head at the name on the screen. 「Do Kyung_Alley Secret」 What could this be? Filming wasn't for a while yet. Puzzled, I picked up.
"Hello?" - Hi, President Song. Got a sec? Why the formal speech all of a sudden? The thought was fleeting. I could hear a noisy crowd—voices I'd only heard on TV whispering "Whoa," "He actually picked up!"
I got it right away. 'They're filming right now?' Then I'd play along.
"Sure. What's up?" - Well, I'm on the set of [Three Meals a Day]! [Three Meals a Day]. It was that healing cooking show where celebrities whip up simple breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some griped there wasn't much to see in guys cooking for themselves, but it had a solid fanbase. This season's cast chemistry was supposed to be killer, from what I'd heard. Do Kyung must've been a guest. - I'm trying to cook, but it's not working out... Mind if I pick your brain on a few things?
"Of course. What're you making?" -Spicy braised chicken! Ah~. Sounds tasty. Thinking of that spicy broth-soaked chicken leg made me swallow hard. - But the chicken smells a bit off. Not spoiled, but... why?
"Could be from sitting in the fridge too long... Did you thaw frozen chicken by any chance?" - Gasp. Yeah, spot on.
"Frozen chicken's bound to have that smell." - I soaked it in milk like they said, but it's still there. What do I do? There were tons of ways to kill chicken funk, but the key was what they could do on-site. I started with basics.
"Got ginger?" - Nope.
"Lemon?" - No lemons either...
"Alright. Vinegar?" - Vinegar...? Oh! Yeah, we do! Good. Better than nothing.
"Wash the chicken under running water first, then soak it in water with a spoonful of vinegar for about five minutes." -Got it!
"Don't leave it too long or the meat'll toughen—just five minutes flat."
Clatter-clang! I could hear the crew scrambling on the other end.
"No lemon's a shame... But you could add some makgeolli or soju and boil it once." -Got it!
"Oh, and blanching the chicken first would make it way better." -I'll try that. If it still smelled after all that, it was trash chicken—better toss it. Since he'd reached out, I hated to hang up without more, so I shared extra tips.
"A dab of miso in the spicy braised chicken seasoning amps up the umami. Fresh cracked pepper on top is perfection." -Whoa.
"And at the end, when you add the green onions and simmer, toss in a pat of butter. Makes it so much richer and smoother—add it if you've got it." -Butter? Really? I can't picture it...
"Trust me, just do it."
My confident tone got Do Kyung shouting he'd give it a shot.
"If it tastes bad, call me and complain. I'll come show you the real deal next time."
My playful add-on drew belly laughs from the other end. I faintly caught "Even if it's good, we gotta say it's not?" and "Come as a guest next time~!" -Think... I can pull this off...? Do Kyung mumbled dejectedly. Probably not many chances for him to cook hands-on. And now, on camera, responsible for feeding big seniors—nerves were natural.
"Don't worry."
I smiled as I said it.
"Spicy braised chicken's great tasting, but the cook's heart is what matters most. Food made with care lifts people's spirits."
And knowing Do Kyung, he'd pour that heart right in.