Chapter 632: Newlywed Chefs (6)
Chapter 632: Newlywed Chefs (6)
Minwoo’s case was a good example. He and Minjoon had tried to talk about their ages, but when Minwoo realised Minjoon was a year younger than himself, he inadvertently referred to himself as Minjoon’s elder brother. After confirming each other’s ages, an awkward silence fell between them. Minjoon knew that Minwoo wouldn’t want to admit he was younger, and likely said it unwittingly.
Minjoon couldn’t hold that against Minwoo. It would be truly shameful if he refused to hire him just because of that uncomfortable moment.
Minwoo was clearly competent. Through numerous tests, he had shown a thorough understanding of ingredients and proved himself more than qualified as an apprentice cook.
Man, this guy is the best among the apprentice cook applicants.
In fact, many Korean-Americans and Koreans had applied to Lotus Bridge this time. One reason for the influx was that Koreatown was right next to downtown Los Angeles, but perhaps the main reason was that Minjoon himself was Korean.
It was no surprise, then, that more Koreans passed the interviews than other applicants. When Minjoon and Kaya chose four cooks, one of them was another Korean—or rather, a second-generation Korean-American. Fortunately or unfortunately, none of the successful demi-chef candidates were Korean.
Now it was time to select the sous chef.
“Anyone with experience as a sous chef, please raise your hand.”
“Is it okay if I have experience as a head chef?” someone called out confidently, as if wanting to show off.
She glanced at him and said, "Yes, raise your hand.” She didn’t bother to comment on his boldness. It didn’t really matter what kind of courage he had. Of course, if he showed reckless bravado, it would be seen as arrogance. The upcoming competition would determine if he was truly courageous or just reckless.
This time, Minjoon spoke.
“What kind of sous chef do you think we want? Oh, you don’t have to answer yet. It’s a multiple-choice question, not subjective. Let me give you three types of sous chefs. First, a chef who perfectly follows our instructions. Second, a chef who doesn’t give up on creating his or her own individuality despite our instructions. Third, a chef who can deny and doubt our instructions. Please raise your hand!”
Most applicants chose the third type. They felt it was the most sensible choice. No matter how good the head chef was, he couldn’t be perfect. They believed there was no better sous chef than one who could check and point out the head chef’s mistakes, rather than just follow orders like a machine.
Compared to the third type, the first and second had some issues. The first type simply followed the head chef’s instructions; such a sous chef would struggle to catch and correct mistakes.
The second type was a little awkward. Although it sounded appealing that a sous chef maintained culinary individuality—so as not to become a mere machine—it was rare for sous chefs to have the luxury of showing their personal tastes in dishes. Many restaurants didn’t allow sous chefs to influence cooking preferences. Of course, some, like Minjoon’s Rose Island main store, allowed demi-chefs or sous chefs to contribute recipes to the menu if they were good enough. But that didn’t mean sous chefs had the authority to define menus according to their preferences.
The restaurant belonged entirely to its head chef. Figuratively, it was the head chef’s responsibility to paint the restaurant’s picture. At best, the sous chef could advise on which frame to use.
“Many of you have chosen the third type—in other words, chefs who can deny and take our instructions with a grain of salt. Can anyone explain why you chose this?”
After asking, Minjoon scanned the room. Some hesitant applicants looked around nervously, but several spoke up with conviction.
“One,” said one, “because that’s the role of the sous chef.”
“Are you suspicious of the head chef?” Minjoon asked.
“Yes. While it’s important for the sous chef to follow the head chef’s instructions, it’s also their duty to check whether those instructions are good or bad. Would you even need a sous chef if the head chef were perfect? In that case, you could just turn on a loudspeaker and relay the head chef’s orders to the kitchen staff.”
It was Jill who made that argument. Minjoon recalled her résumé—actually, he couldn’t help but remember it because she had the most extensive and colourful cooking career among the applicants. All the schools and restaurants she’d worked at were well known among chefs.
Compared to Anderson, she had a superior cooking background, so it was natural Minjoon took an interest in her. He accepted her reasoning as sound. Anyone who fully understood kitchen dynamics would likely agree with her.
But Minjoon shook his head.
“You’re wrong.”
“Are you sure you don’t want that kind of sous chef? The second type? One who wants to show off their own individuality?” she asked, puzzled.
The first type was honestly unrealistic. If the answer wasn’t the third, then the second type was the most likely. Everyone knew Minjoon and Kaya encouraged chefs to express their best skills freely. If they wanted to give their staff a chance to fulfil their dreams, the second type wasn’t unusual. But Jill thought it was too idealistic.
Minjoon shook his head again. Jill’s expression hardened, and the other sous chef candidates showed the same reaction.
“Well, my answer is the first type,” he said.
“Oh no… that doesn’t make any sense,” she replied incredulously.
“I know why you’re reacting like that. To you, we might seem stubborn. I don’t want to lie, but I can say one thing clearly: I’m going to make our kitchen staff perfect.”
The sous chef applicants seemed unsettled by his words. Minjoon began pacing slowly in front of them, continuing, “Lotus Bridge is ours. Every dish we create will be ours. That doesn’t mean you won’t have room to contribute. If you give us a good recipe, we’re willing to add it to the menu. But it must align with the direction of this restaurant.”
Minjoon made it clear he intended to keep control. Even if he tried, it would be very difficult for ordinary sous chefs to surpass the partnership of Minjoon and Kaya.
At that moment, Jill, visibly disappointed, spoke up.
“You said you want your kitchen to be perfect. If that’s the case, I think you’re reducing the sous chef’s authority too much. The sous chef is like the last safety device to catch the head chef’s mistakes. If you only give the sous chef the right to obey, how is that different from a demi-chef?”
“Oh, I think you misunderstood. This is what I want to say: you won’t have time to point out the head chef’s mistakes.”
“Why not?”
“Because the head chef won’t make any.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Hearing that, Jill couldn’t hide her shock. She couldn’t understand what he meant. Surely the head chef could make mistakes inadvertently. When she thought about Minjoon and Kaya acting as if they would never make mistakes in the kitchen, she even wondered whether she had made the right choice applying to their restaurant.