Chapter 500: Jotus (4)
Chapter 500: Jotus (4)
June watched Minjoon and Kaya with interest as they exchanged opinions on how to rate Jamie’s dishes. Was their quarrel over cooking caused by immaturity? Or was it because they loved cooking too much?
“You don’t have to try to convince each other. Just give your own evaluations separately,” June said, shaking the tape recorder. She intended to edit and include not only their ratings but also their heated exchanges in the Jotus Guide. In fact, this was June’s best advice: not to strive for a perfect guide, but a genuine one.
June reminded them that food evaluation was inevitably subjective and imperfect, and ordinary people should be able to see that their opinions affected the ratings. When readers witnessed how hard Kaya and Minjoon worked dissecting each dish, they would appreciate the true value of their assessments.
Most rating guides were based on the personal views of gastronomes with overwhelming expertise, making them hard for ordinary people to understand or agree with. The Jotus Guide aimed to be different.
Their heated discussion didn’t end there. They argued over why a dish was good or bad with such intensity that even the server bringing the samples looked embarrassed and flustered. Kaya and Minjoon instantly identified the key ingredients as if second nature. They pointed out strengths and flaws that many gourmets had commented on before. The server felt as though dozens or hundreds of gourmets, not just two chefs, were evaluating these dishes all at once.
That’s why Jotus is so famous.
The server didn’t recall the chefs’ names, only the name Jotus, which everyone was excited about.
The tea consommé with wild mushrooms filled with foie gras ravioli made from duck liver, and the croissant-textured bun topped with rice paper and truffle butter, earned Minjoon’s praise but only a lukewarm response from Kaya.
The scallops served with caramelised celery root and celery foam drew some positive reactions but no outright praise from either.
The tomato compote seasoned with black pepper and vinegar, and the oxtail steamed in gravy, were quite good. Minjoon, recalling the oxtail dishes he used to enjoy in Korea, liked it a lot, while Kaya compared it favourably to osso buco. Both gave good scores for the dish’s fun and deliciousness; its cooking score was nine, matching the rating for the lamb ribs with curry sauce he had tried here before.
But the next dish left them truly dumbfounded.
“Good job!” Jamie was drenched in sweat. He looked around the kitchen, breathing heavily as if exhausted. He wondered whether he had ever concentrated so intensely on any other dish as he had today. Given that he was sweating this much when no fans were present, it must have meant he was extremely nervous while cooking.
Julien approached, wiping Jamie’s sweat with a towel. As Jamie let him wipe his face and neck, he turned, eyes shining. At that moment, the server returned.
“How did they react?” Jamie asked.
He didn’t ask directly how Minjoon and Kaya liked his dishes, as he knew it would sway his mind regardless of their answer.
But the server hesitated, wearing a frustrated expression that made Jamie’s heart sink.
Anxiously, Jamie pressed, “So, their reaction wasn’t good?”
“Not necessarily,” the server sighed, looking complicated. After glancing once around the hall, she said, “You should check with them yourself. There’s more you might want to see than I can tell you.”
“Man, you’re driving me nuts…”
Sighing, Jamie headed toward the two chefs with a heavy heart. When he saw Minjoon and Kaya’s faces, he almost wanted to turn around and retreat. They were arguing about his dishes in a lively, excited manner.
Oh no, maybe I counted my chickens before they hatched...
It was a tremendous opportunity to be chosen as a Jotus Guide candidate, but losing it would be a disaster. What if Minjoon gave a poor rating to a restaurant he had previously visited? People would think East Rabbit Garden was declining, not improving.
In that sense, the powerful recognition and support from Jotus Guide could be a double-edged sword for those rated.
I just hope for no terrible rating. I can bear it as long as it’s not too bad…
“Oh, Jamie! Come on!”
“Ah, yeah.”
Minjoon waved as Jamie approached, mumbling to himself.
Startled, Jamie hurriedly controlled his expression and came forward.
He was surprised instantly. He had expected anger over poor dishes, but Minjoon’s tone was not harsh.
“It was a really good meal. Each plate let me glimpse what you were thinking while cooking. The one with a cooking score of nine must have come from a great chef.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I especially liked the wagyu steak with aged plums, potato soufflé, and onion purée. At first, I doubted such a combination could be good, but the moment I tasted it, I gave up my prejudices.”
“Actually, it shows your strong cooking foundation. The recipe’s idea was good, but it wouldn’t have been such a delicious dish without perfectly cooked ingredients that brought out each flavour. I was truly moved.”
“It’s the first time I’ve given a cooking score of ten to your dish, Chef Jamie.”
Jamie, hearing the alternating comments, raised his head, incredulous.
“Ten points?”
“Yes. Ten points—ten for cooking and taste. Fun scored eight, unfortunately.”
Jamie didn’t mind the eight for fun. Ten points meant his restaurant would definitely be included in Jotus Guide. People would realise his restaurant wasn’t stuck in place. Even if Michelin dropped a star from his restaurant, his cooking skills hadn’t diminished.
Tears welled in Jamie’s eyes as Minjoon took out a sheet of notebook paper and handed it to him.
Breathing deeply, Jamie took it and asked, “What’s this?”
“I hope you won’t feel bad looking at my notes. I wrote down some disappointments and how I’d improve them if I were you.”
“Really?”
Embarrassed, Jamie read the notes carefully, holding his breath as he took every word to heart.
Startled, he asked in a trembling voice, “Did you grasp all of this instantly?”
“Do you think my notes will help?” Minjoon smiled.
Jamie couldn’t reply properly. He just kept looking at Minjoon. Even after agonising for months without clues, Minjoon and Kaya had perfectly understood all his recipes today.
The notes felt like treasure.
“Oh my God, Jotus...”
Choked by overwhelming emotion, Jamie couldn’t complete his sentence. He was confused; the notes were exactly what every chef craved, yet reading them made his heart sink despite the joy. Was it because he dreaded facing his flaws? Or because he wanted to keep trying without knowing the right answers? Or was it because he felt small and worthless compared to how easily Minjoon and Kaya solved his problems? Deep inside, he struggled with these feelings silently.
Jamie smiled gently at them and said, “Thank you.”
He felt uneasy—not because of their advice, but because his own stupidity had delayed his finding these answers without their help. Yet he could not let them feel uncomfortable because of that.
“Are you going to take their advice?” June asked Jamie suggestively.
Jamie didn’t answer immediately; his mind was too confused. If he accepted all their advice, could he maintain the integrity of his own dishes? Or would they become dishes of Minjoon and Kaya instead?