Chapter 637: Newlywed Chefs (11)
Chapter 637: Newlywed Chefs (11)
Was it true that a teacher and disciple eventually resemble each other? While June was consumed by insatiable greed, Minjoon couldn’t easily escape the swamp of his own desires.
It was already long past dawn. In a few hours, the day would break, and he would have to present Kaya with the recipes he had promised. Notes were scattered across the desk. Grabbing his hair, he stared down at them, then stopped thinking for a moment. He even considered giving up, but he didn’t. He still wanted to create new recipes to replace Jo Reggiano and Six Meats.
Can I do it? he wondered.
Since deciding to replace those dishes, all his existing recipes suddenly felt shallow—even though he had chosen them carefully and thoughtfully.
Frustration welled within him, but he was still devising something in his mind. In other words, he imagined a gorgeous, beautiful, perfect dining course that would not pale compared to Rachel’s or June’s.
But right now, that vision was vague. Though he was clearly drawing something perfect in his mind, when he tried to put it on paper, he couldn’t. In some ways, it was no surprise—no matter how talented, he could not create a Jo Reggiano or Six Meats overnight.
“Have you given up?” Kaya asked.
Not looking at her, he gazed down at the desk. He should say he had, but he couldn’t.
Slowly, he came over and gently stroked her neck.
“How stupid you are!” she said.
“I thought I could make it.”
“I know. You must have wanted to. I understand because we’ve been aiming beyond our limits.”
In that moment, Minjoon understood why he regretted his unfinished recipe. Kaya was right. They had made countless great dishes so far—from judging the Jotus Guide and their activities, to Rachel’s dishes. That had built high standards for themselves.
By those standards, their current course did not fully meet expectations. That was why he pushed himself so hard with just one day before opening.
Kaya said, “You have to be bold. Even if you don’t get the result you want, you shouldn’t hesitate. Doing nothing is worse than making a mistake.”
“Was I too greedy?”
“Yes, I was too. But it’s okay. As you always say, you achieve when you’re greedy. Today isn’t the only day we’ll succeed.”
Suddenly, he realised she spoke like an adult. But he knew she wasn’t a child anymore; she had become a woman, an adult—a person grown old enough to talk like one.
He felt no need to rush. He knew she would be the best chef in the world. As long as he stayed with her and didn’t fall behind, he could make the dishes he desired.
He glanced back at the desk. Gazing at the messy recipe notes, he quietly began to organise them.
She took his hand and said, “Clean that up later. Let’s sleep first so we can work hard tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Well, I don’t like hearing that.”
He laughed awkwardly. It was dark. Exhausted, he fell asleep immediately.
Finally, opening day arrived. The dark clouds from the previous night had cleared. Some droplets clung to the glass but dried as the sun rose.
Ingredients arrived at Lotus Bridge, and preparations were flawless. Everyone in the kitchen arrived on time—or early—with eyes shining with anticipation and excitement.
This was the day Minjoon and Kaya had waited for all their lives.
Of course, they were not perfect chefs. As chefs opening a new restaurant, there was clearly much room for refinement in their cuisine and courses.
That was why their food was enjoyable for both chefs and customers—it was alive and growing.
Finally, customers arrived. With mixed expectations and doubts, they smiled after being served dish after dish. Even the dishes Minjoon thought imperfect looked appealing to the guests.
He felt no need to be impatient; they were just debuting as the new restaurant’s chefs—like newlyweds starting their honeymoon.
The sun set. The sky shifted from red to black. The moon rose before sunset, shining yellow among the stars.
Only empty plates remained on the tables in the hall, where the sound of customers’ laughter had faded.
People sometimes suspected June’s relationship with Minjoon. Some head chefs at other branches even asked if June took him as her sous chef to keep him from overshadowing Chef Rachel.
When asked, June just smiled quietly. It would be false to say she had no intention to monitor him, but she never hated or stifled his growth. At least he knew she was the best senior, teacher, and head chef he could have.
So when she arrived at Lotus Bridge on opening day, she felt a blend of pure expectation and concern. That’s why her feelings were so complicated.
She looked down at her phone and reflected.
When she first stepped into Lotus Bridge, what struck her most was the gravitas of the newly opened restaurant. It was a strange sensation—the sense of awe she felt upon entering Lotus Bridge.
First, the interior felt strange. White tablecloths covered the tables, surrounded by black leather chairs. The overwhelming atmosphere probably came from the restaurant itself: brown marble walls, colourful lanterns, and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
Vases and candles on each table added to the romantic ambiance. However, she questioned the candles’ purpose—the lighting in Lotus Bridge was so bright that candlelight barely cast a shadow.
Maybe this signalled their confidence that nothing about their dishes could be harmed by bright light—or they wanted customers to clearly see their cuisine. Like a student of Rachel, famed as a food artist, Minjoon's plating was simple yet sophisticated, much like Rose Island’s.
The amuse-bouche was orange dumplings—more precisely, crab leg meat, onions, and herbs stuffed into a wrapper flavored with orange peel. Combining the firm texture of crab with the chewy, fragrant zest of chilled orange was an ambitious challenge, fitting for young chefs like Minjoon and Kaya.
To be honest, the bread served after the amuse-bouche was unremarkable. Butter rolls, ink bread, and rye bread weren’t bad, but she wondered if diners could really feel full before the subsequent dishes.
Considering that pre-meal bread was often like this, it was nothing new. She wasn’t disappointed—instead, she was eager to see how challenging the appetizers following the bread would be. None betrayed her expectations.
Two appetizers followed: a boiled egg and onion compote topped with Australian black truffle and Ferrari prosciutto.
Ferrari prosciutto had a fairly firm texture for prosciutto, revealing how delicately Minjoon and Kaya approached cooking. Adding the soft egg texture to the firm prosciutto created balance. The black truffle’s aroma, sweetness of the onion compote, saltiness and savouriness of the prosciutto, and the egg’s own savouriness blended perfectly. While chewing some garnish sprouts, she wondered if this dish alone was worth the visit to Lotus Bridge.
The other appetizer was lobster soup with lemon ravioli and mint foam. As she tasted the foam with the broth, the mint flavour faded gently, leaving the clean taste of the soup.
Tasting it, June couldn’t help but notice the stronger influence of Kaya’s cooking than Minjoon’s. Likely, Minjoon preferred harmony in flavours and might have combined the mint and lobster more boldly.