Chapter 618: A Flower on the Cliff (6)
Chapter 618: A Flower on the Cliff (6)
He truly meant it. He wondered what it would take to build a reputation surpassing Minjoon’s—who flew around daily, presenting himself to world-renowned chefs. It seemed impossible unless he could create a recipe as extraordinary as Minjoon’s Jo Reggiano.
Thinking of this, he hesitated to tell Gwen that winning the Grand Chef competition wasn’t everything, knowing that a victory would indeed give her a promising career start.
“I’ve lagged behind other chefs all my life. Even if I take one step forward, I’m still a hundred steps behind the average chef. Peter, that’s why I can’t take even one step carelessly,” Gwen replied.
Her voice was so melancholic Peter had no answer. You can lift a rock, but not a distressed heart. Having felt crushed by heavy burdens himself, Peter understood better than anyone.
“Well, even if you say that, I won’t let you fall,” he said.
She laughed at his bluffing conceit. “You don’t have to worry—I’m going to beat you.”
A full-course mission had always been the Grand Chef finals’ theme.
Because the full course best tests participants’ breadth. Through it, judges assess how deeply contestants grasp everything from appetizers to desserts and the three-dimensional perspective they craft in their dishes.
Some viewers occasionally suggested the finals’ full-course should have a theme. But those critics saw only one side.
A free theme entrapped participants in more frustrating ways.
I think I understand now.
Seated as a judge, Minjoon grew quiet and sentimental. Looking back, he’d rarely had to create a full course himself. When Kaya said the finals were the hardest, he’d been perplexed; to him, creating a full course was enjoyable—the dream of every aspiring cook.
In truth, it was a dream shared by not only novices but also established chefs. Though many chefs had kitchens, few restaurants served full courses—especially in America.
Americans, largely westernized, disliked long full-course dinners, preferring simple three-course meals: starter, main, and dessert. Even that was often enough.
Thus, only high-end restaurants served full courses; even they mostly kept to three courses.
So that was precisely what Gwen and Peter had to prepare: a full course. Neither was yet a professional chef, making this both a huge opportunity and a formidable trial.
Man, I really struggled inventing a full-course idea for the finals.
Yet he was better off than Gwen or Peter. He could discuss ideas with Kaya and seek advice from others, and he had more time. Unlike them, who had only a week.
Working at Rose Island had taught him much about full-course preparation. He was in stark contrast to Gwen and Peter, both inexperienced with full courses.
He glanced around, catching Kaya’s face briefly, then other faces beside hers. Not just Joseph or his staff, but numerous chefs in uniforms, all serious.
He was pleasantly surprised to recognise most of them, having met many while working with June.
This means I’ve spent considerable time here.
Though it hadn’t felt like it during the early stages, a humble house he had built now soared like a castle in his mind.
He enjoyed that strange pride and looked again.
The mission was classic: Gwen and Peter would present their full courses to chefs from all over America for evaluation. Simple—only culinary skill counted.
“Who do you think will win?” Minjoon asked quietly. Though mic’d, he didn’t care. Martin would decide its airworthiness.
Kaya answered immediately, “I think Gwen will win.”
“Why?”
“She’s more accustomed to Western cuisine.”
Her analysis was logical: Peter, from India, might not satisfy the overwhelmingly Western palate of the judges.
Nodding, Minjoon said, “Then I’ll cheer for Peter.”
“What? You want to bet on him?”
“No—we’ll see if he can beat her with food unfamiliar to him.”
At that, Kaya fell silent, remembering what had caused his previous Grand Chef failure. Back then, he made a Korean full course unfamiliar to American judges, leading to his elimination.
Indeed, it was an unfair mission—required regardless of whether he could fully demonstrate his skills.
“I hope Peter can bring out the unique feel of Indian cuisine,” Minjoon said softly.
He would be disappointed if Peter abandoned Indian uniqueness for Western conformity—not disappointed in Peter, but in the country.
America was predominantly white. In Hollywood, leading roles were almost always white—even Genghis Khan was once played by a white actor. Expecting Peter to impress with Indian uniqueness was idealistic.
But Minjoon wanted Peter to strive for that. He desired a life of fighting, not surrendering.
Peter was weary of the world’s absurdities, yet Minjoon wanted him to fight and win rightly.
Soon, Peter and Gwen entered the kitchen.
Minjoon, Kaya, and Joseph passed tables of the nation’s finest chefs en route to the podium. The aura was electric; the atmosphere enough to inspire a strange euphoria in him, the judge.
He wished to keep that feeling—walk on a red carpet forever, make the carpet wherever he stepped, and have others walk it with him.
He turned to see Peter and Gwen’s tense faces—this was their final challenge, the most important moment for them.
Who would win in the end?