Osam Bulgogi That Satisfied Both the Meat Advocate and the Fish Advocate
Osam Bulgogi That Satisfied Both the Meat Advocate and the Fish Advocate
When she heard it was made by stir-frying squid and pork belly together, Andrea found herself thinking: why bother?
Meat was already perfect on its own.
There was no reason to mix squid into it.
Seeing her skepticism, Lucas told her she'd understand once she tasted it, and piled her rice high with osam bulgogi.
The scent of Pog fat, spicy red seasoning, and vegetables mingling together tickled her nose.
An unfamiliar smell that jabbed at her senses.
The strange aroma that rose when squid was cooked alongside the meat prodded Andrea's sensitive elven nose.
It was subtly different from the fragrance of the bulgogi and samgyeopsal she usually ate.
Normally, she'd have already mashed it all together with her spoon and wolfed it down, but this unfamiliar guest called squid gave her a rare moment of hesitation.
"It's delicious...."
She watched Lucas shiver slightly as he savored his own cooking.
At least he'd never lied to her about food before.
She decided to trust Lucas.
The most skilled chef she had ever met.
She mixed the seasoning into her rice.
The oil-rich sauce of the osam bulgogi stained every grain a deep red.
Onto her spoon came onions softened and saturated with seasoning, rice, squid cross-hatched with honeycomb cuts, and pork belly sliced to just the right size.
The complete osam bulgogi experience, all in a single spoonful.
Andrea shut her eyes tight.
I'm eating it because there's meat.
And she put the well-mixed spoonful into her mouth.
The spicy seasoning hit the tip of her tongue first — a sharp, welcoming kick. A heat and deep savory saltiness no human cooking could match, followed immediately by the rich flesh and juices of the meat.
The Pog pork belly, saturated with spicy sauce and fat, proclaimed unequivocally that meat was the true master of all food.
Now THAT is what meat tastes like. Isn't this the whole reason everyone eats meat?
She chewed the rice, satisfied.
"Hm?"
Her teeth sank into the bouncy body of the squid — the resilient texture caught her off guard. Then the clean, chewy flavor that followed surprised her all over again.
It wasn't simply fishy. It had blended beautifully with the seasoning and the fat of the Pog meat, carrying its own distinct savory depth.
Fish can taste like THIS?
Andrea snapped her head up and looked at Lucas, startled.
And that's when she saw it.
Michelle was staring at Lucas with an expression nearly identical to her own.
And their eyes met.
Michelle had been nursing a very similar doubt.
Eat it together with land meat, he says.
She remembered vividly the taste of the mulhoe and the squid sashimi she had just eaten.
How delicious that chewy, tangy squid had been, mixed with the spicy-sour chogochujang.
How wonderful its springy, supple texture was.
Knowing that, she felt no need to mix meat into it.
If anyone other than Lucas had recommended this, she wouldn't have lifted her spoon.
But the delicious smell teased her nose. A scent entirely different from the smell of cooked fish.
Maybe, just maybe, his words would prove true.
No. Hold your principles, Michelle. There's no way land meat could be tastier than fish — fish obtained through the blood and sacrifice of our people.
Andrea's smug face flashed in her mind, declaring that land meat was the best.
She couldn't accept that.
She mustn't accept that.
Fish had to be the supreme ingredient.
She carried a certain sense of mission about fish being superior.
With those thoughts, Michelle scooped up seasoning and rice together with her spoon — she didn't mix it in. She simply lifted it as one would eat a rice bowl, keeping the components distinct.
Then she topped it with squid and meat, both well-coated in sauce, and took a bite.
"Mmm~."
The sauce clinging inside every honeycomb cut of the squid married the flavors in perfect harmony. The moment she bit into the squid, the deep umami of the seasoning brought her palate fully alive.
Then came that unfamiliar texture and savoriness. And the instant the pork belly broke apart in her mouth, its juices and fat amplifying the deep flavor of the osam bulgogi — it felt like lightning struck inside her head.
She finally understood, viscerally, what Andrea meant when she said land meat was delicious. It was a taste completely different from fish.
The flavor was magnificent.
If asked which was better, she would of course still answer fish. But at least now she understood why Andrea raised her voice so ardently in meat's defense.
Her eyes flew open and her head lifted, meeting Andrea's gaze.
"Land meat is quite delicious, isn't it?"
"Right? Fish is far better than I ever imagined, too."
A mermaid and an elf, acknowledging each other's tastes at last.
"I think I was too narrow-minded. In the end, cooking is what transforms the ingredient, depending entirely on who prepares it."
"I agree. Squid is surprisingly good."
Over a serving of osam bulgogi, the two achieved a dramatic reconciliation between land and sea.
Both took another spoonful of osam bulgogi and rice, savoring the flavor.
The taste of squid and pork belly united in deep seasoning.
A dish that commanded texture and umami alike — their bodies responded before their minds could.
They wanted to keep eating.
Couldn't stop wanting more.
They scraped their bowls clean.
The spicy seasoning, the rice with just enough starch to drink it all up, the vegetables stir-fried until their very roots soaked up the sauce, and as the crowning touch — the texture of the squid and the savory richness of the Pog pork belly.
When they came back to their senses, the bowls were empty.
They were comfortably full.
Forgetting the dignity of her station as a princess, Michelle had eaten three separate dishes in a single meal.
Squid sashimi, mulhoe, and on top of that, osam bulgogi.
Have I lost my mind?
She'd never eaten this much in her life.
It was just too delicious.
Like a baby bird, she'd eaten up everything placed before her as if her mother were feeding her.
But what could she do.
It was delicious.
Besides, she was a special customer.
The only one among all the patrons of this restaurant who ordered fish dishes.
The only one who knew the true extent of his fish-cooking skill....
"Ahem."
Her heart fluttered a little, as though she alone possessed a secret no one else knew.
She cleared her throat and shook off the idle thought, then wiped her mouth with a tissue and offered her verdict.
"That was superb."
"Agreed! Boss, that was truly delicious!"
Andrea had already scooped herself another bowl of rice and piled more osam bulgogi on top.
"I suppose I should discard the prejudice that land meat isn't tasty."
"And I, well... it was delicious. The fish. I think I'll be coming back for it regularly from now on."
Watching Andrea briskly mix the sauce into her rice, Michelle opened her mouth before she realized it.
"But must you really mix the white rice into the seasoning like that? Keeping the white rice and the sauce separate while eating would better preserve the original flavor of the ingredients, I'd think."
"Oh my? What a thing to say. The true flavor only comes through when you mix it. The sauce has to seep between every grain of rice for the real taste to emerge."
"I suppose that's to be expected from a stubborn elf who adores land meat... If you mix everything together like that, you lose the pure taste of the rice itself."
"Oh my, then is our dear customer Michelle implying that the boss is stubborn as well?"
At that, Michelle hastily glanced at Lucas's bowl.
Half of Lucas's rice was still untouched by the sauce.
"Unlike some people, he didn't mix the entire thing."
"Only someone with no conviction of their own would let another person's actions sway them."
"Excuse me?"
Just as a fresh debate was about to ignite between the two—
"M-Master, this is really delicious. The strong Gallek aroma is exactly to my taste. Hehe."
—Bldi, mouth crammed full of osam bulgogi, chewing away, made the remark and a brief silence fell.
"Don't chatter so much while eating."
"Ahem."
"Hah... I'm sorry. I got a little carried away."
Her innocent smile and Lucas's warning shut them both up.
"Sorry."
"Apologies."
***
In any case, I watched Michelle and Andrea achieve their dramatic reconciliation.
The osam bulgogi must have been satisfying.
Sure, they'd started bickering over the proper way to eat it, but that was fine.
That sort of thing happened all the time back in my original world.
From the dip-versus-pour tangsuyuk wars to the red-bean versus custard bungeoppang schism — there were endless topics like that to argue over.
I've long since realized that the right harmony of ingredients creates a better flavor. They'll make peace again soon enough.
Having emptied my bowl down to the last spoonful, I stood up.
"Let's get back to prepping ingredients."
"Understood!"
"Y-Yes...."
Bldi fumbled with her bowl and started helping to clear up.
"I'll help too."
"No, Lady Michelle, you're a guest...."
"But this was a staff meal that I shared. I'd like to help."
"Very well."
As she tidied up beside me, Michelle asked,
"How do you manage to make such delicious food?"
"Nothing special. You just cook with the sincere wish to share the flavors you yourself find delicious with others."
Some say you should run a restaurant as though you're cooking for your own family.
I disagree.
To succeed as a restaurant, you have to cook as if your family will never eat it.
Why?
Because you need to construct flavors as boldly and intensely as possible.
If the food is spicy, a customer might complain that it's too spicy. But that customer will come back.
Serve salty food, and a customer might complain that it's too salty. Same thing — that customer returns.
Sweet, same result.
But if the food is bland?
They never come back.
They just silently vanish.
So the food you sell should be as bold and stimulating as possible.
Of course, this wasn't the kind of thing I could say to a noble young lady who didn't know much about cooking.
It might get distorted.
So I gave her the most exemplary answer.
"I see...."
She looked deep in thought.
"But why do you ask?"
"I'd like to try cooking myself someday, if the opportunity arises."
"You, Lady Michelle? Cooking?"
"Yes. Naturally I couldn't handle fish, but... I wondered if land-meat dishes might be manageable."
"Ah. When the chance comes, I'll teach you a few recipes you can make at home."
"Thank you."
Once the tidying was done, she left the restaurant, and we got to work prepping ingredients for the real business ahead.
Busy, busy.
***
"So you still haven't found him?"
In the Rose Palace — Princess Diana's residence within Crosel, the largest and most splendid palace in the imperial capital of Croselia — Princess Diana gritted her teeth at the report from Andy, vice-commander of the Imperial Princess's Knight Order.
"My apologies, Your Highness."
"It's fine. These things happen."
Crunch.
The dark circles beneath Princess Diana's eyes were far more pronounced than before.
These days, her life was flooded with stress.
The Emperor's illness was worsening.
A chronic condition that had plagued him for many years had flared up again, and as he endured the pain, he issued a trial to the princes and princesses — to choose his successor before it was too late.
- To whichever among you most wisely resolves the various problems spreading through the Empire, I shall grant the title of Crown Prince.
It made no distinction between prince and princess.
First Prince Zenon, First Princess Sentia, Second Princess Diana, and Second Prince Benesil, the youngest.
Even those outside the direct imperial line.
All received the Emperor's command, each selecting a problem to solve and moving forward.
Which problem they chose, and how they solved it, would determine whether they were named Crown Prince or not.
- Spare no means or methods. However, no harm must ever come to a member of the Imperial Household.
Do not harm the Imperial Household.
In other words, every method except that was permitted.
The nobles' checks against her grew fiercer by the day.
Their tightening grip made Diana's head throb without pause.
But what pained her most of all was—
"For today's lunch, we have prepared a steak of Pog meat freshly caught in the northern Robin Mountains, garnished with an assortment of vegetables. The side pasta is a gochujang pasta, made with gochujang butter — currently popular throughout the Empire. Steamed rice is also served."
—the food.
It wasn't that the dishes produced by first-rate chefs lacked flavor.
But none of them carried that refreshing quality that soothed a pounding head and washed away stress so intense it made her ears ring.
"How I miss him. Lucas...."
Whenever she ate Lucas's cooking, there was always something that awakened every sense.
"Your Highness, is the food not to your liking?"
At the chef's question, Diana turned her gaze on him.
Impudent creature.
Did he dare to interrupt her private thoughts?
Twang!
She felt a flash of irritation, as if someone had plucked a wire drawn taut to its limit.
- An insolent commoner, daring to offend an imperial's mood.
- Such a wretch demands harsh punishment.
- Kill him. Kill him and scourge his sins.
- No, he must be painfully tortured until he repents his wrongdoing.
Voices rang in her head.
Very occasionally, when her stress peaked, voices of unknown origin would incite her.
Listening to those foul voices, there were times she felt she might lose her mind.
Whenever that happened, she closed her eyes, focused her mind, and quelled her rage.
"Hooooh."
"Y-Your Highness?"
The dark thoughts faded.
The unpleasant voices piercing her ears grew fainter and fainter.
"Your cooking is delicious. I was merely reminded of someone from the past. Set your mind at ease."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
She looked to Andy at her side and asked,
"Why can you not find any trace of Lucas?"
"The thing is... it seems someone has deliberately erased his trail."
"Erased his trail?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
"My apologies."
"You do not know?"
"No, Your Highness."
"...."
She let out a sigh.
Stress was piling up from every direction.
"It is all my own doing."