Chapter 574: Each Team (5)
Chapter 574: Each Team (5)
The judges exchanged glances, slowly deciding which team’s dishes to sample first. Minjoon asked, “Joseph, which team are you curious about?”
“Well, I’m curious about Michael’s team. There seemed to be some disagreement among them, but it looks like they came up with a solid dish.”
“I want to try Gwen’s team. They seemed the most unstable, but they reassured me later. Plus, their dishes are fresh,” Minjoon said.
“I’d like to check Gwen’s team first, too, since I agree with him,” Kaya added.
“So, our first choice is decided,” Joseph said with a curious smile, amused to see Kaya and Minjoon agree so quickly. The duo’s shared opinion about Gwen’s team seemed both fresh and endearing.
The two looked somewhat puzzled at Joseph’s smile.
“Gwen, Merlyn, Peter, please bring your dishes,” Minjoon called out.
Nervously, each came forward with their plates. Merlyn’s serious, chubby-faced expression nearly made Minjoon burst into laughter.
He smiled warmly. “Merlyn, you made the appetizer, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Could you explain it?”
“I added poached eggs with a bit of black truffle powder. There’s also onion compote... oh, and green onion, plus pate negra.”
“You mean pata negra?”
(Translator’s Note: Pata negra — A highly prized Spanish cured ham from the Iberian Peninsula, known for its rich, salty flavour. It dates back centuries and is often used in gourmet dishes worldwide.)
“Yeah! That’s it! The dish uses pata negra to add saltiness, and the yolk from the poached egg blends with the ingredients to make it tastier. It’s fun!”
“Really?” Minjoon grinned brightly.
The judges waited to try the dish simultaneously, knowing the flavours would change as the poached eggs burst. They dipped their forks into the yolks mixed with onions, truffles, and pata negra, then savoured the first bites.
Kaya spoke first. “You used vanilla essence here, right?”
“Oh! Yes! How did you know?”
“Because it tastes good.”
Merlyn’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Kaya. Rumours had recently circulated that Kaya’s palate rivalled Minjoon’s, and hearing her identify ingredients so easily convinced Merlyn of the truth.
Minjoon checked the cooking point on the system.
Six points.
His personal score matched. It was a good dish—not outstanding, but impressive for a little girl. The appetizer had all the flavours it should, and Minjoon was eager to try it again.
“Peter?” Minjoon called next. Peter responded calmly but with hidden tension.
Peter explained, “This dish is fish and chips. Pea purée, pipe-shaped French fries, topped with crispy champagne batter and fried sea bream. The sauce is made from salmon roe marinated in wine and sugar.”
“That’s a good attempt. It could have been boring, but you added fresh ideas. I’m especially curious about the sauce.”
“Good job, Peter,” Kaya said, smiling before immediately picking up a fry.
The hollow pipe-shaped fries soaked in pea purée tasted surprisingly sophisticated for amateur cooking.
Joseph marveled silently, Peter’s come a long way. He remembered Peter’s early struggles and felt genuinely happy for his growth.
Minjoon admired Peter’s dish for another reason.
Cooking score: eight points.
That score was higher than expected. Besides technical merit, Peter’s dish was fun in unexpected ways: fries soaked in pea purée, a delicate hint of champagne in the batter, deep-fried sea bream, and salmon roe sauce bursting gently in the mouth.
It was more artistic than anything Grand Chef participants had presented before.
“You’ve changed a lot, Peter,” Kaya whispered.
Peter trembled without realising it. To him, those words meant much more than they might to others—they signified recognition of his skill as a chef.
Minjoon smiled warmly. “Looks like you’ve started to like cooking, Peter. Your dish was delicious.”
Peter’s blank expression betrayed him. Minjoon said he’d come to like cooking, but Peter knew he hadn’t. Cooking was his only refuge, a mouse hole of hope amid hatred and broken dreams.
Do you really like cooking? Is he serious?
He wanted to say, No, I don’t, but something restrained him. Deep inside, his wounded heart, anger, frustration, and pain softened at Minjoon’s words.
Minjoon studied Peter silently.
Peter didn’t want to cry again. Minjoon understood how deeply sadness was buried in that quiet face.
This was Peter’s perfect moment to release pent-up emotions. If Minjoon had comforted him with a pat on the shoulder and kind words, Peter would have welcomed it. But Minjoon refrained.
He can’t be the tragic hero anymore.
People are drawn to tragedy at first because they sympathise. Until now, Peter wasn’t a tragic hero but the villain tormenting Kaya and Minjoon.
He was gradually freeing himself from that image, but Minjoon knew people couldn’t always see him as just a tough character fighting hardship.
Peter needed a new image—not necessarily of someone who has escaped misery—but of a chef worthy of respect.
That was why Minjoon didn’t give Peter sympathetic feedback or cheer him on as a friend. He judged him strictly as a chef.
“Peter, you didn’t cook like this before. Honestly, your past cooking lacked in many ways. Besides the freshness of your ideas, you lacked cooking fundamentals.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s why I worked hard.”
“I can see it in your dish. Your technique is flawless, and I love your creative recipe. When I saw your tandoori mackerel, I thought your skills had improved, but I didn’t expect much creativity because tandoori mackerel is common. This dish exceeded my expectations!”
“You’ve become a professional chef today—not just a contestant.”
“Are you serious?”
“Anyone who tries this dish will see that you’re better than most chefs.”
“Chef?” Peter muttered the word uncertainly. He hadn’t thought much about becoming a chef. He had no hopes or expectations, fearful of the future. Though entering the Grand Chef with hope before, he had returned empty-handed, bitter and frustrated.
He learned then to give up early if he couldn’t get what he wanted—that’s how he learned to live.
But Minjoon and the judges kept trying to instil hope in him.
Can I really hope again?
In the past, he might have smiled brightly at Minjoon’s kindness. Now, he was scared—it felt childish to hope. Perhaps his distorted worldview saw hope only as betrayal.
Still, he longed to hold Minjoon’s hand—the one who gave him hope.