Chapter 521: Role Reversal (1)
Chapter 521: Role Reversal (1)
The greatest difference between Daniel and Rachel lay in how they brought out the unique flavour of the ingredients themselves. At first glance, that difference seemed trivial, but in reality, it was like night and day.
Rachel now understood Minjoon’s point. Although he hadn’t directly told her what she was lacking, her expression wasn’t bright. She wasn’t worried about herself; instead, she feared he might feel disappointed because he had gone through all this effort to make her a perfect chef. She knew how difficult it was to solve her problem.
“It’s challenging to truly bring out the taste. For example, it’s difficult to extract the flavour of steak from steak or sugar from sugar,” she said.
Anyone unfamiliar with cooking might be confused by her point—it seemed obvious that steak should taste like steak and sugar like sugar. But she wasn’t referring to such simple tastes.
What she meant wasn’t a fleeting flavour that stimulates the tongue for a moment before disappearing. Rather, it was a taste that makes you feel as if your whole body becomes the ingredient itself. When swallowed, its flavour seems to flow down to your toes through the bloodstream, not just linger in the throat. Achieving that kind of taste proved what made a chef genuinely great, like Daniel.
Minjoon said confidently, “You and I both don’t know failure. So I’m sure you can reach the goal of perfect cooking.”
Meanwhile, news that Jotus Guide had evaluated Rose Island’s main restaurant quickly spread among many people. Usually, only those interested in Minjoon and Kaya paid close attention to developments like this. But their evaluation of Rose Island’s main store drew widespread interest from ordinary chefs because Rachel was being evaluated by her own student.
Chefs not only in the United States but across Korea, Japan, and Europe began paying attention to their verdict. This included Chef Enzo and his son Theo in Paris.
Theo hurried into Enzo’s office. “Dad! The latest issue of Jotus Guide is out! I bought a copy!”
“Does it include an article about their evaluation of Rose Island cuisine?”
“Of course! I brought it for you. Would you like to see?”
Enzo nodded. In fact, they were secret fans of Jotus Guide. Initially, their curiosity arose due to their connection with Minjoon and Kaya. After reading it, they subscribed because they appreciated its unique format. Most of all, they liked how Minjoon and Kaya carried their conversation while tasting dishes, not to mention their evaluation of the food. Through their dialogue, Enzo and Theo could delve into the minds of other chefs, especially the couple who had outperformed them at the Paris International Cooking Contest.
Minjoon and Kaya’s sense of cooking was undoubtedly different from that of ordinary chefs. People marvelled at how the two analysed the same dish from numerous angles. Both were genius chefs, and all readers of Jotus Guide had to acknowledge this.
Perhaps this was part of what they aimed for through Jotus Guide.
Just as reading a famous book might make one respect the author’s genius, readers of Jotus Guide naturally became curious about Minjoon and Kaya’s cuisine as well as the restaurants featured.
Even when just eating, Minjoon and Kaya often studied and analysed their food, so it was no surprise that the dishes they produced after much thought were delicious and near perfect. Each article and review they wrote increased their reputation.
In this respect, the latest issue of Jotus Guide would change many chefs’ perception of Minjoon and Kaya. Many previously thought of Minjoon merely as Rachel’s student. In reality, he was her junior—but people tended to pay little attention to juniors.
Enzo was no exception. Yet he had to reconsider his view of Minjoon and Kaya. Jotus Guide contained detailed observations and impressions about the dishes they sampled. Particularly, Minjoon’s analyses of problems within dishes were almost perfect when he was determined to find fault. His tenacious attention to identify and correct flaws was remarkable. Enzo had never noticed this attitude in Minjoon before.
Theo murmured, “Is Minjoon really not as good as Rachel?”
Minjoon and Kaya, the team behind Jotus Guide, evaluated Rachel.
People did not forget that easily, understandably so, since the two chefs had exceeded expectations when those expectations were already high.
Ordinary people wondered why it was even an issue that the two chefs had surpassed Rachel. There was no rule that an evaluator must be better than the person they evaluated. Most restaurant reviews were written by ordinary customers who simply tried the food.
So it made sense that Minjoon could evaluate Rose Island’s main restaurant. That was the ordinary perspective.
But the reason so many chefs took notice of Minjoon and Kaya’s review of Rachel’s restaurant was more complex.
Minjoon gave advice to Rachel.
Many didn’t interpret this as meaning Minjoon was superior in cooking. One could gain a broader perspective by watching another chef at work. But not every chef could give Rachel advice. Most, despite a wider perspective, were still confined to their narrow views.
Minjoon was different. As an observer of Rachel’s cooking, he was now skilled enough to notice her dishes’ shortcomings—at least well enough to evaluate them professionally as the founder of Jotus Guide. Ordinary chefs dared not challenge the two’s level.
Much was said about Rachel. Some speculated that after her ten-year hiatus she had ceased improving. Others spread rumours that her legendary status was a bubble, a beautified memory. But those who knew her well did not even entertain such thoughts. Her legendary image was no illusion; she was a giant chef not to be recklessly doubted.
Minjoon understood and analysed this giant chef perfectly. Anyone knowledgeable about cooking could feel that beyond their advice, Minjoon and Kaya’s insights into every aspect of Rachel’s cuisine were profound and forward-looking.
The process of their evaluation further highlighted their unique characteristics. The division of roles was clear: Minjoon perfectly analysed the tastes of dishes that ordinary gourmets struggled to describe. This was not mere linguistic talent.
Rather, it demonstrated his effort—the painstaking thought and agony he poured into every taste that others overlooked or ignored while enjoying her cooking. He expressed them all. People finally realised he didn’t rely on talent alone.
Naturally, his efforts were not universally well received. If one looked at a fundamental difference between Western and Asian education, it lay in how they viewed effort. In Western education, those who worked hard were often regarded as lacking talent; people preferred those who succeeded with little effort. This caused hard workers to lack confidence.
This was why people were puzzled by Minjoon and Kaya. They thought him a genius chef, yet he obsessed over every detail of Rachel’s dishes. Why did he analyse so intently? Did he even try to analyse?
Minjoon and Kaya debated differences between Asian and Western education, but Minjoon strongly believed even geniuses had to work hard, and those who had everything without effort were trying to gain more through labour.
So, what about the cooking of such a person?