Chapter 82: The Unfamiliar One (4)
Chapter 82: The Unfamiliar One (4)
Shark fin soup in Chinese cuisine could broadly be divided into two types: a thick, dark-coloured preparation and a lighter soup with considerably more broth. Chloe’s dish belonged to the former category, and her shark fin had a sweet, savoury flavour reminiscent of Dongpo pork.
(Translator’s Note: Dongpo pork —A Chinese braised pork-belly dish traditionally associated with Su Shi (1037–1101), the Northern Song poet, writer, and statesman better known by his literary name Su Dongpo. The dish is particularly associated with Hangzhou in Zhejiang and is typically prepared by slowly braising pork belly with soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine until extremely tender.)
One of the first things a food critic might examine when judging a Chinese restaurant was how well its chef handled shark fin. Among the countless dishes in Chinese cuisine, shark fin ranked among the most difficult ingredients to prepare properly. That did not mean it required especially complicated techniques. In truth, if the ingredient itself was of sufficiently high quality, the dish was already half complete. Someone who was not particularly discerning could probably enjoy it without much difficulty. After all, shark fin had very little flavour or aroma of its own, making it relatively inoffensive.
For a gourmet, however, matters were different. The distinctive fibrous texture of shark fin was important, of course, but compared with other dishes, the real standard by which shark fin was judged lay almost entirely in the sauce or broth. There was no avoiding that. The chef had to preserve the subtle character of the shark fin without overwhelming the original flavours of the accompanying ingredients.
Perhaps diners would have been more forgiving if shark fin were inexpensive. But good-quality shark fin could command an astonishing price, and naturally, dishes made from it were equally expensive. When a person spent that much money on a meal, even the slightest flaw could easily provoke the anger of a gourmet.
The judges were no exception. If anything, they concentrated even more intensely than usual, carefully tasting the sauce while paying close attention to the chewy, fibrous shark fin between their teeth.
Their conclusions were unanimous.
Joseph spoke first. “Chloe, what do you think determines whether shark fin soup is well made?”
“...I think the shark fin needs to retain its texture without falling apart, while the flavour of the sauce has to be controlled so it doesn’t become too overpowering.”
“And do you think your shark fin meets those standards?”
“I hope so. At least, I did the best I could...” Chloe hesitated. “No, I can’t say that. I couldn’t even plate it properly. But when it comes to the flavour, I really did try my best. ...Was it not good?”
She seemed confident at first, but by the end, uncertainty had crept back into her voice. It could hardly be helped. The only experience she had with cooking shark fin had come from helping her mother.
Precisely because of that, she had paid more attention to the seasoning than ever before. She had constantly checked the state of the pan and the heat, forcing herself to stay focused on both the ingredients and what was happening around her. She had thrown herself into this dish more desperately than anything she had cooked before.
But effort alone did not guarantee good food.
Alan spoke in a grave voice. “Do you know that the larger a shark grows, the more mercury accumulates in its body?”
“Yes.”
“Then by eating even one bite of this shark fin, we may have shortened our lives by a week. Can you say with confidence that this dish was worth that?”
Chloe could not answer.
Emily sighed. “Chloe, all three of us reached the same conclusion about your dish. One week of our lives?”
That was when it happened.
A smile suddenly blossomed across Emily’s previously solemn face. The change was so abrupt that Chloe did not even have time to look confused; only the muscles in her face twitched.
“I’d give up fifteen days for this soup, not just one!”
“...What?”
“I’m saying your shark fin was perfect. Chloe, relax. Why is someone who made a dish like this trembling so badly?”
Emily spoke brightly, and Joseph gave a faint smile before continuing.
“Emily says she would give up fifteen days rather than one, but as an old man, I can’t agree with her. You can eat many different dishes in fifteen days. Still, when the final moment comes and the flame of my life is about to go out, I think I might remember your shark fin soup.”
Chloe said nothing.
Her double eyelids trembled like those of a frightened puppy, and tears slowly began to gather in her eyes. She raised both hands and covered her face, but she could not hide the sound of her sobbing.
Emily wrapped an arm around Chloe’s shoulders with an apologetic expression. “We made the atmosphere far too serious, didn’t we? I’m sorry.”
“No, no. It’s not that...” Chloe sniffled as she wiped away her tears.
Her double eyelids seemed more deeply defined than usual, making her eyes look even clearer. She opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, but apparently felt too overwhelmed and let out another shaky breath instead.
Minjoon simply watched her.
Presenting the dish in the pot rather than plating it properly would certainly cost her points, but he was not worried in the slightest. It was not because his concern for Chloe was shallow. He simply had no reason to worry.
Her score was...
“I’m sorry. I was too nervous... and then I got relie—ugh... It’s because I’m relieved.” She must have been truly tense, because she even stumbled over her words.
Alan smirked as he watched her, then glanced towards Minjoon. “Minjoon.”
“Yes. I’m coming.” Minjoon immediately walked forwards as though he had been waiting for the call.
Alan stared at him in disbelief. “I haven’t even told you to come over yet.”
“You made me eat cow phallus for the sake of broadening my tasting experience. I assume the same applies to shark fin. Am I wrong?”
“...Score it.”
Minjoon placed a piece of shark fin into his mouth with an expectant expression. The moment the sauce touched his tongue, he realised the shark fin’s texture was slightly different from what he had imagined. He had expected something closer to jelly, but instead it resembled a rounded, fibrous vegetable. Even so, it was pleasantly fresh and resilient. He wondered whether a well-aged bellflower root might feel something like this if it had even more elasticity.
The sauce was excellent as well. Cinnamon, star anise, and several other spices seemed to have been blended into the soy-based sauce, yet beneath the rich aroma lay a surprisingly gentle flavour. The shredded radish and onions served alongside it retained their own distinct tastes and filled in the emptiness left by the shark fin’s naturally mild flavour.
Minjoon smiled.
He had no particular attachment to any one national cuisine, yet for some reason, the dish reminded him of the meal he had eaten at Rose Island.
Food alone could make people happy.
There was no moment when those words felt more convincing than when he could taste that happiness directly on his tongue.
A broad smile appeared on Minjoon’s face. If it widened any further, it looked as though the corners of his mouth might split.
“It’s the best.”
“...What exactly does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said. It’s both a compliment and an explanation. The flavour is the best. The technique is the best. And of everything she’s cooked until now, it’s also the best...” Minjoon paused.
He could hear the judges swallowing, their gazes fixed on his lips as they waited for him to continue. Seeing their reaction made him strangely pleased.
The corner of his mouth lifted. “It’s the best dish that has appeared in the Grand Chef house so far.”
“Could it be...?” Alan’s eyes widened slightly.
Minjoon nodded. “Yes. Nine points.”
That was why he had not worried at all despite Chloe’s major mistake.
It was the first nine-point dish.
And Minjoon believed there was no possibility Chloe would be eliminated after producing something worth nine points.
Chloe shook her head as though she could not believe him. “That can’t be right. I’ve never even properly cooked shark fin before...”
“The first time I made an eight-point dish was when I cooked risotto. I didn’t have much experience making risotto either.”
“...I made a nine-point dish? Really?”
Minjoon smiled brightly. “You’re a good chef. I’m not surprised at all that you were the first among us to make a nine-point dish.”
“But I...” Chloe stopped.
She was someone who was not even certain whether she should continue walking the path of a chef. No—perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she was simply someone who happened to be good at cooking.
She could not bring herself to say that in front of the other contestants.
Joseph spoke in a low, gentle voice. “Minjoon is right. Nine points. I don’t know precisely how his scoring system works, but there is nothing excessive about giving the contents of this pot a nine. The delicate control of the flavours shows all the fundamentals you’ve built up until now.”
Alan nodded. “Not adding too many different vegetables was also a good decision. The moment too many flavours became mixed together, there was a good chance the shark fin would have been reduced to nothing more than one minor element among the rest. Chloe, from now on, I want you to cook the way you did today.”
For once, Alan laughed openly.
Chloe instinctively turned towards Emily.
Emily gave her a warm smile. “Even if this shark fin soup had been served to me at an expensive Chinese restaurant, I would have eaten it happily. Thank you for giving me something delicious.”
At Emily’s smile, Chloe began crying again.
Minjoon held out his handkerchief. “You can blow your nose with it too.”
“...Thanks. But my nose isn’t running.” Even as she said it, Chloe sniffled the very next moment.
Her face reddened and she turned away.
Alan, who had been watching the two of them, glanced towards Kaya. Her expression was usually fierce enough already, but at that moment, her eyes seemed even sharper than usual.
Alan grinned. “Minjoon, you can go back now. If I need you again, I’ll call you. I’m talking about the calf brain and sea anemone.”
“...I’ll look forward to it.” His brief happiness collapsed immediately.
Minjoon sighed and returned to his place.
Joseph had been watching Chloe struggle not to cry. His expression became increasingly emotional before he finally spoke. “Don’t cry, Chloe, and don’t underestimate yourself. You know how to make something this delicious. There’s something I’ve thought whenever I’ve watched you. Compared with the ability you possess, you’re remarkably insecure. Why is that? Do you think you aren’t good enough?”
“...I’ll be honest. I don’t know which path I should take. Cooking is definitely what I want to do most, and it’s what I enjoy most. But I don’t know whether choosing my entire life based on the fact that I enjoy it is really the right decision... I know myself. If the day comes when I feel like I can’t enjoy cooking anymore, I’ll probably give it up.” Chloe finally voiced what she had been holding inside all this time.
Joseph looked directly into her eyes.
Without realising it, Chloe avoided his gaze. Even though he was an old man, his eyes were startlingly clear and pure.
Joseph continued. “You don’t merely enjoy cooking. And if you truly commit yourself to it, I don’t think you’ll grow tired of it so easily. Chloe, if you don’t become a chef, what would you like to do?”
“...I think I’d become a forensic scientist.”
The answer seemed so unlike her that laughter broke out around them.
Joseph, however, did not laugh. He nodded seriously. “You’re a good chef and a good person. You could probably become a good forensic scientist as well. But speaking purely from my own selfish wishes, I hope you become a chef. I believe you’ll shine more brightly as a chef than as a forensic scientist.”
“...Why?”
“Because I’m curious about the dishes you’ll make from now on. Of course... I’ll probably have gone up to heaven before I have the chance to taste all of them.” Joseph smiled faintly.
Chloe smiled too, moving lips that still bore the traces of her tears.
The judging continued.
Somehow, it became almost taken for granted that Minjoon would taste the other contestants’ dishes as well. He looked towards Martin as though asking to be rescued, but Martin seemed to have approved of the situation. Minjoon’s evaluations would not affect the actual results, so treating them as an entertaining addition to the judging was hardly strange.
Anderson earned eight points with the sea anemone, an ingredient that barely seemed suitable for cooking at all.
He had coated the sea anemone in cornflour, fried it, and served it with smoked paprika purée. The method itself was simple. Yet somehow, he had managed to preserve each flavour exceptionally well. Making fried sea anemone taste pleasant might not have been terribly difficult, but creating genuine depth of flavour from it was another matter entirely. Anderson had succeeded.
Not everyone could reproduce that level of skill.
Joanne had seared the deer liver well and had also succeeded in making a mango yoghurt sauce that paired nicely with it. Unfortunately, she had failed to remove its unpleasant odour.
The result was five points.
Ivanna fared better. She had spread butter over the tripe, stuffed it with vegetables, and baked it in the oven. She also served it with blueberry purée and received favourable comments. That was understandable, since the combination of butter and blueberry purée worked remarkably well.
Six points.
It was a respectable score.
Hugo had simmered the calf brain in a brown sauce as though preparing osso buco. Although the dish scored only six points, it was perfectly edible. Minjoon had expected the brain to crumble like tofu, so its unexpectedly elastic texture was a novel experience.
Lastly, Sasha had parboiled the octopus, coated it with basil and garlic, and roasted it.
It was a straightforward choice and earned a straightforward six points.
Now that the results had turned out this way, the others might still have been uncertain, but Minjoon could clearly see who was going to be eliminated.
He looked at Joanne’s back with regret in his eyes.
“We will now announce the contestant who has been eliminated.”
And there was no upset.