Chapter 531: Unexpected Twist (11)
Chapter 531: Unexpected Twist (11)
“Are you confident you can win the competition?” Minjoon asked Deborah as he stood on the podium, looking down at her. Despite the height difference, his eyes were full of respect.
She smiled in reply. “Well, let me forget about that for now. I just wanted to show you my cooking.”
Perhaps that answer impressed him, because he smiled warmly. Then Rachel spoke.
“I know some rumours floating around among you,” she said. “Rumours like ‘the winner has already been decided, so I’ll just cook enough to save face.’ Honestly, I’m not surprised that some cooks have that frame of mind.”
The head chefs whispered among themselves, some clearly wanting to excuse themselves, but Rachel denied them the chance.
“That doesn’t matter. Look at Deborah today. Her cooking is the best she’s made so far. She’s more admirable than ever. I want each of you to show me your best cooking, prove that you’ve improved.”
Was there any chef who wasn’t stirred by her words? She smiled mischievously, watching them refresh their determination.
“Of course, for now, focus on Deborah. Deborah, I can clearly see all the hard work you’ve put in preparing for this competition. Do you have anything to say?”
Deborah looked embarrassed. Though she was ready to hear the judges’ evaluations, she wasn’t prepared to speak for herself. For a time she was lost, unsure what to say. But no one pressured her. As Rachel said, she was the star today. Maybe this was the only moment in her life under such a spotlight, and she could not ruin it with a reckless reply.
“Well, I’m…”
At last Deborah spoke. “I’ve thought about this deeply. You know, just maintaining Michelin stars was a burden and stress for me. At some point, I stopped focusing on my cooking and started worrying about others’ opinions. While preparing for this contest, I wondered whether I should try to make a dish to impress Chef Rachel or just make what I was used to. But I quickly realised there’s no such thing as a dish made just to show others. Making my dish the best I can is the best way to show others. That’s how I developed and improved. It was really hard.”
Minjoon nodded. “I could clearly feel the time and care you put into your own way of cooking.”
Deborah replied, “To be honest, I didn’t mean I forgot about winning. Of course, I want to win—but I didn’t want to be distracted by that. I’ve realised over the years that the moment I started focusing on what cooking could give me, I lost sight of something more important. Thanks for your advice, Minjoon. I truly appreciate it. You’ve helped me always, even now.”
Reporters whispered among themselves, curious about her relationship with him. Since she expressed such sincere gratitude, they assumed he had given her plenty of help and advice.
Minjoon felt embarrassed by her thanks. He smiled shyly and answered, “I’m glad I was helpful. If I have the chance to taste a dish like this, it’s an honour.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
“It was a perfect course. I hated comparing it to other chefs’ dishes because yours was so good. But I can say clearly that I like your dish best among all the participants’ so far.”
“Thank you very much,” she replied with an awkward smile, as if surprised by the high praise. In truth, she was the first participant to have her dish judged, so it was natural that her dish seemed the best. His comment could be taken as meaning hers could also be the worst.
Watching Minjoon and Deborah interact so amicably, the reporters once again wondered about their relationship. Their curiosity had nothing to do with scandal; everyone knew he was dating Kaya and they were a solid couple.
What puzzled them was Minjoon’s warm praise. Was it because he wanted to protect Rose Island’s reputation? Was he burdened by judging chefs tied to Rose Island, like himself?
The answer would come the next day — and they would be greatly mistaken.
“Are you really sure you can criticise them?” Kaya asked.
Minjoon had heard that question many times before. Lisa, Marco, Anderson, and the reporters had all asked if he could be harsh as a judge when confronted with dishes he didn’t like. Even Kaya was unsure whether to ask, knowing his gentle nature.
He sighed. “Well, I’m not trying to be a bad cop. I just evaluate dishes as they are. I’ll judge honestly, good or bad.”
“Won’t that be hard? Right now you’re judging people you know, directly or indirectly. They all belong to Rose Island. Won’t it be uncomfortable to criticise them?”
Minjoon grumbled, “If I have to criticise someone, it’s their fault, not mine. Even if I wanted to be nice, their cooking would force me to be honest. How great it’d be if they were all like Deborah.”
Honestly, he didn’t expect everyone to improve like Deborah — that would be too optimistic. Though she struggled during her slump, not all her past dishes were bad. There was no one among Rose Island chefs who could be called mediocre, and Deborah was decidedly not among the lowest.
Compared to her past self, she’d matured greatly after Minjoon had scolded her and offered good advice repeatedly. Compared to other chefs, she was equally mature. That maturity was what helped her grow and improve.
What about the others? Could they show their best?
At least Minjoon didn’t expect to face a bad case immediately after Deborah. The next to be judged was Nathan.
Their first meeting had gone poorly. Nathan was very unhappy that the contest favoured Dave and June, and he hadn’t been friendly to Minjoon.
When they met, Nathan accepted Minjoon’s advice and even said he would change, so Minjoon naturally expected Nathan to present dishes as good as Deborah’s. But those expectations were dashed.
Minjoon wasn’t sure how Nathan saw himself as a chef, but he didn’t think Nathan was incompetent. Rather, Nathan was an excellent chef who hadn’t yet unlocked his full potential.
During a past evaluation at Nathan’s restaurant, Minjoon pinpointed his biggest problem: fear. Nathan was too scared to use recipes that weren’t proven to be universally loved.
Minjoon understood. Although relying on proven recipes robbed Nathan of uniqueness, it gave security. But Rose Island needed more than security. They wanted familiar dishes, yes, but also fresh, original cooking.
So Minjoon hoped Nathan would bring something fresh and original to this competition.
If not, he was ready to deliver the harsh advice again. Nothing was more pointless than having to repeat oneself, for someone who forced him to do so once was unlikely to change even after ten repetitions.
“I guess he’s changed, right?” Minjoon asked.
Rachel shrugged.
From what she remembered, Nathan had been a timid student. But full of ambition—he could not stand not being the best. That’s why June and Dave shone even more in this competition, making Nathan all the more jealous.