Chapter 169: The Friendly Judge (5)
Chapter 169: The Friendly Judge (5)
Jo Minjoon looked towards the applicants. The furrows in their brows showed just how quickly their minds were working.
He then glanced towards the dining room, where the demi-chef applicants from the first group were sitting alongside the selected prep cooks and apprentice. Ella, seated near the front, happened to meet his eyes and immediately smiled brightly, waving at him with an excited expression. Jo Minjoon returned the smile before shifting his attention to the person sitting beside her.
Javier. Current top candidate.
Unless one of the remaining thirteen applicants proved to be more skilled than Javier, Jo Minjoon was fairly certain he would be selected.
The dish Javier had presented was not a main course, but an appetiser. Honestly, that had probably been the smartest choice. With such limited time, an appetiser made more sense than a main course if the goal was to showcase technique and individuality.
Javier’s appetiser had been unusual. He had lightly poached a Gould’s razor shell, wrapped it in squid cut to the appropriate size, topped it with carp roe, then ground dried sage and thyme over it so that the herbs resembled snow. After that, he had smoked an egg yolk and chilled it in the refrigerator. That was the entire dish.
At first glance, it seemed quite simple. In fact, its Cooking Score had only been seven points. Yet in terms of flavour, it was not inferior to some eight- or even nine-point dishes Jo Minjoon had tasted. The fragrance of the herbs harmonised beautifully with the distinctive aroma of the seafood, creating a freshness so striking that Jo Minjoon considered it one of the best dishes he had ever eaten.
We could put this on the menu immediately.
That had been Rachel’s opinion, and Jo Minjoon agreed completely. At the same time, however, the dish had stimulated him in a different way.
A seven-point dish.
If someone asked him to reproduce it, he certainly could. But if someone asked him to create another seven-point dish capable of drawing the same reaction, Jo Minjoon had no confidence that he could do so.
That was the side effect of how obsessively he had focused on cooking scores until now. He had become overly dependent on splendour and technical craftsmanship, almost like the hollow villains who often appeared in cooking films and dramas—chefs capable of producing impressive dishes without understanding what truly made food memorable.
I need to fix that.
He was not anxious about the realisation. He was still young, and because he had recognised the problem early, he had plenty of time to correct it. If anything, he felt refreshed. He had finally identified the source of the vague frustration that had been lingering inside him for some time.
Jo Minjoon’s gaze sharpened.
The situation now was entirely different from the prep-cook test. With the prep cooks, he had been able to point out mistakes and guide them while they worked. He could not do the same with the demi-chef applicants. The assignment was to create a signature dish, meaning their recipes were entirely their own, and whoever was selected would ultimately hold the same demi-chef rank as Jo Minjoon. If he started interfering with their cooking or telling them what they were doing wrong, it could easily come across as arrogance rather than guidance.
Because of that, once they began cooking, Jo Minjoon kept his eyes fixed on their hands. He watched how they selected and prepared ingredients, how they handled pans and knives, and how much knowledge was revealed through the structure of their recipes.
Once he began viewing them as fellow chefs—and even competitors he could learn from—the same movements started to look completely different. Even when they displayed bad habits, Jo Minjoon found himself thinking about what he could learn from those mistakes and what he himself needed to avoid.
They say cooking is something you learn by looking over someone’s shoulder…
Now he understood why.
Among all the applicants, Janet drew his attention most strongly. It was not simply because her Cooking Level was the highest. Her ingredient choices themselves were interesting.
Lemon butter and pear. Mint-flavoured risotto. Then grilled salmon on top…
Risotto was a sensitive dish. It demanded prolonged attention, and if someone wanted to make it properly, they needed to measure their ingredients accurately from the beginning. Once the liquid had reduced and the rice had begun absorbing it, casually adding more ingredients could disrupt the balance and affect how the rice cooked.
That was why risotto did not lend itself easily to careless complexity. The chef had to find the right balance between all the ingredients while ensuring none of the flavours clashed.
Jo Minjoon continued watching Janet with growing curiosity.
It did not take long for that curiosity to turn into admiration.
A glossy green risotto spread across the plate, and once Janet placed the grilled salmon on top—basted repeatedly with olive oil and butter using the arroser technique—the system window appeared.
Cooking Score: 9/10.
Jo Minjoon stared.
…I’ve never seen anyone make a nine-point dish this easily.
Anderson and Kaya were both Cooking Level 8 as well. Even so, Jo Minjoon could not confidently say that either of them could stand in Janet’s place and produce such a polished dish this effortlessly.
Experienced.
It had been a long time since he had seen someone who embodied that word so clearly. Janet was like a blade honed to a razor edge, to the point that it was difficult to believe she was still only a demi-chef.
“…Anderson, where are the applications?”
“Hold on. Ah, here.”
After taking the application forms from Anderson, Jo Minjoon searched for Janet’s. A small sound of surprise escaped him when he saw the name of her previous workplace.
Pierre Garnier.
It was not unfamiliar to him. The restaurant had maintained three Michelin stars for nearly twenty years.
“Why? Interested in her?” Anderson asked.
“Of course. Out of everyone I’ve seen so far, her cooking is the most memorable.”
“…That green risotto? I don’t know. It looks like some typical vegan dish.”
“If it were vegan, she wouldn’t be using dairy products or fish.”
“Then pescatarian, at best.”
(Translator’s Note: Pescatarian — Describes a person whose diet excludes meat from land animals but includes fish and other seafood, often alongside otherwise vegetarian foods. The English term pescatarian combines Italian pesce, “fish”, with vegetarian and became established in English during the late twentieth century.)
“Even if it were, that wouldn’t be something worth deducting points for. What matters is how it tastes.”
“The problem is that it looks typical.”
“I’m guessing you weren’t paying attention while she was cooking.”
Jo Minjoon gave Anderson a look that plainly said, I knew it.
Anderson responded sharply.
“You seriously expect me to watch every single chef at once?”
“I did.”
“The two of you, stop bickering and come over here. We need to judge.”
“…Sorry.”
At Rachel’s words, Anderson answered with a disgruntled expression and walked over. A few of the applicants even laughed at him.
Rachel stopped in front of the first dish.
“From what I saw, you simmered the chicken in sauce and then braised it with meringue?”
“Yes. The sauce is made from orange juice with a little soy sauce.”
Jo Minjoon cut off a small piece of chicken breast and put it into his mouth. The combination was surprisingly enjoyable. The moist meringue worked well with the chicken breast, and although breast meat tended to dry out easily, this piece remained tender.
It was not simply because it had been simmered.
People often assumed that boiling meat automatically made it moist because water entered the flesh. That was not entirely wrong, but it worked best when the meat had first been salted to increase its internal salinity. After excess salt was brushed away and the meat was placed into broth or sauce, osmosis helped the liquid penetrate more effectively.
Cooking really is science.
As time went on, perhaps there would even come a day when molecular gastronomy became commonplace in ordinary homes.
Jo Minjoon looked at the applicant.
“This is the kind of dish that shows what a chef with strong fundamentals can do. The chicken breast is cooked perfectly, the meringue is light, and the two work very well together.”
“Thank you.”
The applicant smiled at Jo Minjoon’s praise.
Whether or not they ultimately joined Rose Island, simply receiving an evaluation from Jo Minjoon was already a valuable opportunity. After all, he was officially known as the man with the most sensitive palate in the world, and standing beside him was the legendary Rachel Rose. It was difficult to imagine a more luxurious examination.
Naturally, not every dish could receive praise.
Whether the problem came from nerves or insufficient skill did not matter. The only thing the judges could evaluate was the food placed in front of them.
“Sweet potato mousse and cod mousse… Honestly, while I was watching you cook, I was looking forward to this. But the two don’t harmonise at all. Mr. Chris, why do you think that happened? Is the recipe itself flawed, or did you fail to execute it properly?”
“This steak is cooked well. But that’s all. A sauce made from apple cider vinegar and wine isn’t enough by itself to make this a signature dish. The combination hasn’t been developed enough to justify being the defining feature of the plate.”
“Each individual ingredient is good. But if you ask me whether they work together as one dish, I’d have difficulty saying yes.”
The more dishes he tasted, the further away Janet’s risotto seemed from the rest.
Jo Minjoon eventually looked towards her with a slightly tired expression. Perhaps because they were both Asian, he had unconsciously expected some degree of familiarity from her, but Janet returned his gaze with a cold expression completely devoid of friendliness.
Rachel stepped in front of Janet’s plate.
“Pear and mint… The stock was chicken stock?”
“Yes. For a fruit-based risotto, I believe chicken stock is the best way to support the flavour without overwhelming it.”
“There was another refreshing note in the rice besides the pear and mint. Something softer rather than sharp… Hmm. Lemon butter?”
“Yes. You really can tell everything.”
For the first time, Janet’s expression softened with something resembling admiration as she answered Rachel.
It was completely different from the way she looked at Jo Minjoon.
He could not help feeling slightly disappointed.
That disappointment vanished the moment he put the risotto and salmon into his mouth.
His expression immediately brightened.
“This is really good! I was wondering how you were going to handle the bitterness of the mint, but the sweetness of the pear balances it perfectly. The lemon butter gives the rice a refreshing richness, so even though it’s creamy, it still goes down smoothly. And the salmon…” Jo Minjoon shook his head in admiration. “There’s almost nothing to criticise. The arroser was executed perfectly. This is excellent.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Compared with Jo Minjoon’s enthusiasm, Janet’s response remained completely stoic.
Anderson was not exactly friendly either, but Janet’s attitude towards Jo Minjoon felt almost venomous.
Feeling strangely as though he were being disliked for no reason, Jo Minjoon leaned towards Anderson and asked quietly,
“Do people usually get a bad first impression of me?”
“I can’t honestly say no.”
“…Everyone else seemed fine until now.”
After tasting several more dishes, it was time for the judges to discuss their choices.
Janet might not seem to like him, but Jo Minjoon liked her.
More importantly, he liked her food.
He stated his opinion firmly.
“Janet Pei. I think we absolutely need to bring her onto the team. Her recipe was excellent, and I couldn’t find any flaws in her technique. There were plenty of other strong applicants, but she’s the only person here I can confidently say is better than me.”
His support was unusually forceful.
Seeing Jo Minjoon push for Janet so enthusiastically, Anderson answered dryly,
“…How admirable. She treats you like ice and you’re still this persistent.”
“The important thing is her food. If she cooks well, I don’t care even if she swears at me all day.”
“I suppose that explains why you were like that with Kaya.”
Jo Minjoon ignored him and looked towards Rachel.
“Let’s bring her in. We need her.”
“We must be destined to meet again.”
Janet narrowed her eyes at Javier, who was holding out his hand with a bright smile.
She accepted the handshake.
“Since it’s been confirmed that we’re more than just passing strangers in each other’s lives, I suppose one handshake is acceptable.”
“Congratulations on being selected.”
“You were selected too. Why are you talking as though this only happened to me?”
“Then just call me Javier.”
“Fine. And just call me Janet. Being called ‘Miss Janet’ makes me feel ill.”
“No problem. Janet.” Javier then turned towards Jo Minjoon and Anderson. “Ah, Mr. Minjoon, Mr. Anderson.”
Jo Minjoon shrugged.
“Just Minjoon is fine for me too.”
“All right. Minjoon. Then please call me Javier.”
“That dish you made earlier with the Gould’s razor shell and squid… I’m not really sure what to call it, but it was excellent. I’m looking forward to working with you.”
Jo Minjoon smiled as he spoke.
All nine newly selected members of the Rose Island family were gathered in the dining room, slowly getting acquainted with one another. The atmosphere felt almost like a small party.
Anderson had not memorised everyone’s names and did not feel much need to do so immediately, but Jo Minjoon was different. Memorisation had always been one of his strengths, and he went around greeting each new member face-to-face.
Watching him, Anderson shook his head.
“I could never do that.”
“You didn’t seem like such a difficult person on television.”
“Who deliberately acts badly on television? That’s stupidity before it’s bad behaviour.”
He grumbled as he answered, but even the complaint itself came across as oddly likeable.
Javier smiled.
“I’d be happy if you called me Javier. Can I just call you Anderson?”
“No, you can’t.”
The answer did not come from Anderson.
Javier looked down, following the childish voice.
Ella stood there with her chin raised proudly, as though she were the host of the entire gathering. The only thing undermining the image was her outfit: instead of some elegant dress, she wore a flower-patterned T-shirt and yellow shorts.
Anderson asked cautiously,
“Why not?”
“Uncle Minjoon said you should call people by the name they like best.”
“…And what name do I like best?”
A strange sense of dread crept over Anderson.
Ella smiled mischievously.
“Uncle Dduksam!”
“…I knew it. Why does that punk always…”
“What does she mean? Dduksam?”
“It’s nothing. Forget it.”
Anderson briefly considered correcting Javier and explaining that it was Duksam, not Dduksam, then wisely decided against it. Nothing good could possibly come from making the nickname easier to repeat.
At that moment, Janet took a sip of sparkling water and spoke.
“You’re all getting friendly very quickly. It might be better not to get too comfortable yet.”
“Why not?”
“Rose Island is only beginning to bloom again. That means a lot of things still haven’t been decided. And among those undecided things…”
Janet’s voice sharpened like that of a warrior issuing a challenge.
“…is which section each demi-chef will be responsible for. For the record, I’m claiming appetisers.”
Anderson looked at her challengingly.
“…And what if I’m interested in appetisers too?”
Janet met his gaze without hesitation.
“Then you’ll have to compete with me.”