Chapter 536: Unexpected Twist (16)
Chapter 536: Unexpected Twist (16)
Even Rachel, standing beside Minjoon, was left speechless, seemingly embarrassed by her silence. Had an emcee been present, they would undoubtedly have asked why she hadn't voiced her thoughts on the taste—whether out of awe or hesitation—but there was no emcee. As a result, those watching the judges were left puzzled by their quiet after sampling Dave’s first dish.
At that moment, June broke the silence. “What an idiot!”
“Why? What’s the matter?” Eva asked, clearly curious and unable to contain herself.
It was natural for Eva to ask. All the chefs had fallen silent after tasting the soup. Instead of answering, June scooped a little soup and handed it to Eva. Eva opened her mouth as if to speak but quickly closed it again.
June stared at Dave. “You’ve created something incredible!”
It was, without doubt, the best carrot soup in the world. It tasted better than carrots and yet tasted more like carrots than carrots themselves. It was reminiscent of a dish Daniel once made—one Rachel had praised for its perfect balance. Dave’s cooking echoed Daniel’s brilliance.
From the first bite, the other chefs recognized they could not compete with Dave. They wondered, no matter how hard they tried, if they could ever catch up.
The emulsion atop the soup was flavoured with an array of herbs and spices. There were thousands of flavours the carrots evoked—every taste carrots could create in other dishes worldwide seemed condensed in this soup. The chefs couldn’t grasp how an apparently simple, home-style dish could deliver such an overwhelming flavour.
Though lacking colourful techniques, its taste was so profound that those who sampled it felt the chasm between it and all other carrot soups.
Not just the others but June herself realised just how far ahead Dave was.
June knew she couldn’t beat him.
Whatever people eat, they expect certain inherent tastes as a matter of course. Pork should taste savoury; beef, rich in its unique iron-like flavour; apples, sweet; tangerines, fresh and zesty.
These expectations were what chefs most mind. Cooking pork was easier than ever; chefs could bring out countless flavours depending on preparation, but public expectation centred on that unique pork taste.
Of course, unique pork flavours exist—for example, roasting in oil still produces pork taste—but chefs aim to find the ideal essence to satisfy diners consistently. That quest is a substantial challenge.
Deborah’s dish thrilled many because it suggested she had finally solved this challenge: bringing out each ingredient’s unique flavour. Though basic in concept, it was one of cooking’s toughest tasks.
Yet Dave’s carrot soup even made Deborah forget her competitive desires.
Yeah, trying to catch up overnight is just unreasonable… she thought.
Truthfully, Deborah had never intended to compete with Dave. It wasn’t ignorance of him or lack of rivalry. She acknowledged, on cooking alone, he was ahead. His carrot soup expressed every positive note the vegetable could offer.
But he hadn’t yet revealed his main course.
What followed the carrot soup was beyond expectations, as anticipated: fried foie gras. At first glance, a small piece resembling bread sat atop yellowish cream.
Rachel asked, “Just like with amuse-bouche and the carrot soup, it seems you’re mocking chefs who follow orthodox courses, throwing aside the so-called rules and common sense.”
“Isn’t that what you told us? Not to dwell on the usual?”
Rachel nodded, conceding.
Still, she found Dave’s break with tradition startling. She knew he created extraordinary dishes but never imagined he’d venture into such uncharted territory.
Serving a fried dish so early was surprising. Generally, high-end restaurants avoid deep-frying aside from amuse-bouche. Serving fried foie gras alongside an appetizer was almost unheard of.
Yet no one dared question Dave—they trusted he knew what he was doing. After serving the unexpected carrot soup, they believed there was reason behind his choices. Silence fell, tense and expectant.
Dave continued, “I made the cream with carrot and dill.”
“Carrot…” Minjoon murmured.
He didn’t ask for explanation—he preferred tasting over words. Eager, he sampled the cream.
It was pleasant but not overwhelming like the carrot soup. The flavour reminded him of sweet pumpkin porridge.
Before tasting both the fried foie gras and cream combined, Minjoon paused, wondering what flavour the pairing would produce. What was Dave’s aim with this combination? If he could discern it now, he feared losing other impressions forever. Like hearing one melody deeply, it becomes difficult to grasp another similar one afterward. Perhaps it was needless mental strain—but Minjoon relished this intellectual challenge, knowing it would help him grow.
Yeah, gastronomic level 10 isn’t beyond reach.
The system hinted he glimpsed a pathway to mastering gastronomic level 10, though imperfectly. He wouldn’t settle for a mere glimpse, jealous of Dave’s skill. He intended to create something of his own.
Minjoon imagined every possible flavour combination, judging whether he could reproduce this dish. Then he tasted the pair.
His imagination fell short once more. He was not yet able to replicate Dave’s creation.
This is nonsense… he smiled bitterly.
As the unique, luxurious foie gras melted on his tongue, he felt it matched perfectly with the subtle, simple carrot cream. The cream was no longer simple. Like Cinderella elevated to royalty by meeting the prince, the carrot cream had entered foie gras’s realm.
He pondered, What’s the difference?
He reflected on the difference between Kaya and himself. He always believed it was the palate—the tongue—but watching Dave made him question if taste alone explained such a disparity.
To Minjoon’s knowledge, Dave’s palate was not as flawless as Kaya’s. Yet Dave conjured a dish beyond his reach.
Then it isn’t just taste.
He set the thought aside, focusing on tasting Dave’s next dish. As Rachel said, Dave seemed to mock traditional notions of high-end cuisine. But the next course halted Minjoon’s contemplation.
Dave served soup again.
“Soup, again?”
“You’ll like this one,” Dave said, offering no further explanation.