Chapter 155: The Destined Match (1)
Chapter 155: The Destined Match (1)
The first condition…?
Jo Minjoon stared at the sentence in confusion. It was a notification he had never seen before. Did that mean reaching level nine worked differently?
Anderson looked at Jo Minjoon, who had once again fallen into thought, with an expression that plainly said, There he goes again. Since none of them could see the system window, all they saw was Jo Minjoon staring blankly into empty space.
“Hey, snap out of it.”
“I am.”
“You sound like someone who just woke up.”
“…I did wake up. From a dream.”
It had been a long, deep dream. Seeing the relief on Jo Minjoon’s face, Anderson gave him a strange look.
Had he somehow grown in that brief moment?
Although Anderson thought there was no way it could be that easy, when it came to Jo Minjoon, common sense had never applied in the first place.
…Whether he did or not, I still have to catch up to him.
He did not believe the distance between them would suddenly widen just because Jo Minjoon had realised one thing. Besides, Jo Minjoon was not the only one improving.
As Anderson organised his thoughts, Jo Minjoon looked at Samuel and smiled.
“I’m sorry for spouting nonsense earlier, Samuel. Everything was so delicious that I think the more satisfied I became, the more I started expecting something beyond that.”
“Thank you for saying that.” Samuel smiled and released a breath. Although he had tried not to show it, he had actually been extremely nervous.
It had not been long since his restaurant received its third star. Sera and Anderson might still be newcomers, but Emily and Jeremy were recognised food critics, while Rachel was one of the finest chefs in the world. On top of that, Jo Minjoon was said to possess the most perfect palate in existence. Samuel could not help paying attention to every single word they said.
I thought I wouldn’t be afraid of anything once I earned my third star.
Perhaps that was precisely why Jo Minjoon’s words meant so much to him. Samuel smiled with genuine goodwill and spoke quietly to Jo Minjoon.
“Actually, your opinion was the one I was most concerned about. I’m truly glad I was able to hear a proper evaluation from someone with absolute taste. I think this will give me courage for a long time.”
At Samuel’s words, Jo Minjoon’s expression grew complicated.
Having absolute taste did not bring only honour. It drew this much expectation towards him, and every word he spoke carried an enormous weight.
That was why Jo Minjoon could only push himself harder. Whether he liked it or not, the words he spoke now were no longer treated as the words of an ordinary novice chef. They carried a weight that even veteran food critics and chefs could not easily match.
“Samuel’s restaurant is excellent. Local and global… Let’s leave the complicated discussion for later. What I can say with certainty right now is that it’s delicious. And I think I’d be even happier if… I were here with the person I love.”
“Ah, are you talking about that person?”
“…Sorry?”
[Right on target.]
[You’re doing great, Samuel!]
[Who’s ‘that person’? I have absolutely no idea. Lol.]
…Why do people get so excited about someone else’s private life?
He had heard that Americans respected personal privacy, but then he remembered that America was practically a holy land for paparazzi.
And when he thought about it, not everyone watching the broadcast was American anyway. Anyone who understood English could tune in from anywhere in the world.
“I’ll order this. Foie gras steak with apples and onions.”
He ordered it to change the subject, and Samuel did not press him any further.
When the dish arrived, however, a crooked smile appeared on Jo Minjoon’s lips.
[Foie Gras Steak with Apples and Onions]
Freshness: 93%
Origins: (Hidden, too many ingredients)
Quality: High
Cooking Score: 10/10
…The moment I stop obsessing over ten-point dishes, one finally appears.
Well, perhaps it was only natural. Even if Japanese cuisine tended towards simplicity, this was fusion cuisine, incorporating cooking techniques from multiple countries. The more processes a dish went through, the greater the chance its score would rise. It was reasonable that at least one dish like this would appear.
Come to think of it, does the score rise the longer the dish’s name gets?
Jo Minjoon looked at the plate.
At the bottom lay a piece of beef coated in a glossy sauce. Onions were layered over it, followed by foie gras, with sliced grilled apples arranged on top as garnish.
“…That looks delicious.”
“Want some?”
“Can I?”
“I don’t mind sharing. It may not look particularly elegant, but we’re not eating to look elegant in the first place. More importantly…” Jo Minjoon pointed towards his stomach. “I’m starting to get full.”
“We have eaten quite a lot.” Anderson smirked and passed him his plate.
Jo Minjoon personally served him portions of steak and foie gras.
[I wish he’d serve me too.]
[Foie gras wasn’t that delicious when I tried it. I can’t get used to how greasy it is.]
[You have to eat unfamiliar food several times before you get used to it. Especially when the flavour is strong.]
“I used to dislike foie gras too.”
“What?”
“Ah, nothing. I was talking to the chat. Anyway, foie gras has an aggressive flavour and aroma. That oily richness feels like it rises through your nose and straight into your head. But instead of trying to resist that aggression, just surrender to it. That helped me a lot. Although, of course, I still wouldn’t say foie gras is something I particularly like.”
[Should I call that poetic, or is he just weird?]
[Good poetry doesn’t come from an ordinary mind. So both.]
“…What’s wrong with the way I describe things?”
“Sometimes it’s fine. Other times it’s irritating. Like, what the hell is this guy even talking about?”
Jo Minjoon looked dejected at Anderson’s words.
Thinking back, when he had been teaching high school, his students often told him, ‘Teacher, you seem really mature for your age.’
…Was that not a compliment?
The realisation only made him more depressed. He took a bite of the beef.
The flavour… isn’t particularly rich?
It was not bad enough to be unpleasant, but it was far too ordinary.
Samuel hurriedly spoke. “You need to cut an appropriate amount of foie gras and eat it together with the onion and beef. Only then will you get the true flavour of the dish.”
“Ah, right.” Jo Minjoon cut off some foie gras and onion, speared them with his fork, then added a piece of beef.
Layered together like that, the structure almost resembled samgyeopsal, with three distinct layers. It was as though the foie gras compensated for the fat the beef itself lacked.
Jo Minjoon placed the fork in his mouth.
His reaction came immediately.
It could hardly be helped. Foie gras was the kind of ingredient that exploded with juices every time you chewed it. It was not even half the size of the beef, yet its flavour completely overwhelmed it.
“Ah…!” A moan escaped him.
Anderson did not make the same sound, but his expression suggested he had been just as affected.
It tasted completely different from eating the beef on its own. It was almost like samgyeopsal made with beef.
The rich, oily flavour of the foie gras lingered in his mouth until the very end, while the beef, soaked in that fat, released far more flavour than before. Yet his mouth did not feel overly greasy because the spicy sauce on the beef and the distinctive sweetness of the grilled onions cut cleanly through the richness.
Ten points.
This time, he ate without being fixated on that number.
Perhaps because of that, he could concentrate on the flavour more purely.
One of the requirements for reaching tasting level nine.
There was a reason such a requirement existed.
The food and the tongue. I had placed such a careless prejudice between them…
He felt regret.
If he returned to the restaurant from yesterday—the one that had disappointed him because it had no ten-point dishes—he felt certain he would taste something different now.
“This… is an excellent combination.”
“Oh, really?”
“The combination works, the sauce works, and the doneness is just right. I feel like it has everything a dish needs.”
“That’s a good reaction. Was it the most delicious thing you ate today?”
At that moment, Jo Minjoon hesitated.
Perhaps the Jo Minjoon from before this realisation would have answered yes.
But that was not his real answer.
Food existed to be enjoyed.
And the dish he had enjoyed the most was…
“No. I liked the three kinds of sushi best.”
“Oh, really? That’s unexpected. Actually, quite a few food critics who tried them said they had lost the true character of sushi.”
“True character…” Jo Minjoon laughed calmly.
For a moment, Samuel stared blankly at his face.
Jo Minjoon was still young, so why did he look like that?
Perhaps it was merely the vague impression Westerners sometimes had of Asians, but at that moment, he looked like an old, deeply knowledgeable Asian scholar.
“Leaves fall, and people grow older. Why should colours remain unchanged forever?”
The meal continued for quite some time after that.
Although they were already somewhat full, they ate slowly while talking with the viewers and continuing the programme, which gave them plenty of time to digest.
Sera was the first to bring it up. “So, what are we going to do about that?”
“What’s ‘that’?”
“You know, the thing I mentioned earlier. The match between Anderson and Minjoon.”
[Oh, right. They said they were going to do that.]
[What’s the theme going to be? If it involves tasting, Anderson’s at a huge disadvantage.]
[You never know. It could be about eating a lot, or eating weird things. If it’s stinky tofu, could Jo Minjoon even handle it? Imagine how much stronger the shock would be with that sensitive tongue.]
[I think he’d actually like it more because of that…]
The viewers spoke as though the match were already decided.
Jo Minjoon and Anderson stared at each other in silence.
“…What do we do?”
“I don’t know.”
[What? It looks like they didn’t even decide what they were competing in.]
“I’m sorry, everyone. What we said earlier was basically just talk. You’re much more eager for this than we expected… What should we do?”
“Well, having a match itself isn’t difficult. The problem is deciding what to compete in…” Jo Minjoon folded his arms and began thinking.
Samuel spoke. “You’re both chefs. Why not have a cooking match?”
“…Cooking?”
“I… can’t lend you my kitchen, but I can bring you some basic cooking equipment. And since we’re in a private room, you won’t disturb the other customers.”
“If you’re fine with it, then we’re fine too. But we still need to decide what to make…”
[Why overthink it? If you want something simple, what’s simpler than sushi? It’d be hard to bring in equipment for using fire anyway.]
[Right. Sushi. Let’s do sushi.]
[Ah, I don’t like sushi. It tastes fishy. Can’t they make something like ramen?]
[I wanted to see Korean-style chowder.]
The chat filled with suggestions for different dishes.
But unsurprisingly, sushi was by far the most popular choice.
Jo Minjoon and Anderson looked at each other.
Jo Minjoon spoke.
“I think we should go with sushi. What do you think?”
“I wonder. Can you actually beat me? I’m really good at making sushi.”
“Ha, listen to that confidence. But I’m not the same Jo Minjoon who lost to you before. Just wait, Andokusamu.”
Anderson’s face twisted. “What kind of name is that now? An… Anduku? It’s even hard to pronounce.”
Jo Minjoon smirked. “It’s the Japanese version of Anduksam.”