Isn't That the Basics of Being a Chef?
The midday sun beat down hot over the West Lake Number One Inn. The peak of the lunch rush had passed, and the last few customers were rising from their seats one by one.
“The ramen was amazing again today!”
“I’ll be back, Chef Kang!”
Kang Yeon saw the satisfied guests off, then leisurely untied his apron. Wiping the beads of sweat from his brow, he stepped to the kitchen doorway.
“Well, now we’ve got some free time.”
Muk Hyang-ru still stood with his arms crossed at the entrance to the kitchen.
“Truly rude. Making me wait like this.”
Irritation filled Muk Hyang-ru’s voice. Kang Yeon answered with his usual calm expression.
“Sorry, but paying customers who ordered food come first. Isn’t that the basics of being a chef?”
“Hmph. Well said, but…”
Muk Hyang-ru snorted. Yet he could not refute the words. Prioritizing the guests was only natural for a cook. To deny that would cast doubt on his own qualifications as a chef.
Already the inn and the street outside thronged with people drawn by the rumors. Contestants from the Central Plains’ Premier Culinary Competition, as well as ordinary residents of West Lake, packed every window with a view of the kitchen and crowded around the entrance. Some even stood on chairs for a better look.
“Hey, look over there! That’s Muk Hyang-ru, the Food God’s chief disciple!”
“It really is him! He looks even more arrogant in person.”
“Still, his skill is undeniable. Back in Luoyang people waited months just for a chance to taste his cooking.”
“But his opponent is our own Chef Kang from West Lake… This is going to be something to watch!”
Wang Jun, a chef who had come from Luoyang, whispered to his colleague Jang Dae-bang.
“Muk Hyang-ru’s skill is already ranked among the best in the Central Plains. His flashy technique is unmatched. The Celestial Hundred-Eight Cuts that the Food God himself taught him are pure artistry.”
Jang Dae-bang nodded.
“Even so, you’ve tasted Chef Kang’s ramen. It looks simple, but the flavor is first-rate. That unforgettable spiciness and deep savoriness once you’ve had it once…”
“True, but a proper cooking duel will be different. A simple convenience dish like ramen won’t easily beat authentic imperial cuisine.”
Meanwhile, near the stairs to the second floor, Baek Mi-ong and Jin Seol-hyang watched the confrontation. They had stepped back slightly so as not to interfere, yet they still had a clear view into the kitchen.
“Master, do you think Senior Brother can win?”
At Jin Seol-hyang’s worried question, Baek Mi-ong lifted his teacup and answered evenly.
“Hyang-ru’s technique is already complete. I taught him everything I could, and he has made it perfectly his own. But…”
Baek Mi-ong’s gaze settled on Kang Yeon. An unreadable expectation glinted in his eyes.
“Beating Yeon will be difficult. He has something that goes beyond technique.”
“Something beyond technique?”
Jin Seol-hyang studied Kang Yeon. In such a short time he had completely won over her master Baek Mi-ong. She still could not grasp what made him special. On the surface he looked like nothing more than an ordinary young chef.
Just then a staff member dispatched from the Heavenly Treasure Merchant Guild raised his voice.
“All right, everyone! We will now hold an impromptu cooking duel!”
Having heard of the match between Kang Yeon and Muk Hyang-ru, the Heavenly Treasure Merchant Guild treated it as part of the Central Plains’ Premier Culinary Competition and had hurriedly sent personnel to oversee it. A high-profile duel like this was a perfect chance to raise interest in the entire event.
“Preparations are complete. Both of you will use the kitchen of the West Lake Number One Inn. For fairness, you will share the same space and the same stoves.”
Muk Hyang-ru gestured to his attendants. They began taking cooking tools one by one from the large chests they had brought. First came a cutting board of pure white jade. It caught the sunlight and glowed softly, a work of art in itself.
“Is that… Kunlun Mountain white jade?”
“That’s right. One of those is worth a thousand gold taels.”
Next came knives with handles of thousand-year ironwood. Their blades were Cold Ice Iron polished by a famous smith, and a ladle and spatula ornamented with pure gold took their places as well. Every piece was closer to art than to a tool.
“Oh-ho… Even the tools are something else.”
“One of those knives would cover a month’s revenue for an ordinary inn.”
“A month? More like a year.”
Kang Yeon, by contrast, simply continued using the ordinary-looking tools he had been working with all morning.
Jo Seol spoke in a worried voice.
“Oppa, are you sure those tools are okay? Should I ask the Heavenly Treasure Merchant Guild to lend us something better?”
Kang Yeon shook his head.
“No. Familiar is best. Tools don’t need to be flashy. What matters is the heart of the person using them.”
In truth the tools only looked ordinary; Kang Yeon had forged them from meteoric iron. The dispatched official raised his voice again.
“The rules are simple! The same format as the previous duel with Chef Jin Seol-hyang!”
Muk Hyang-ru looked up toward the second floor. Absolute confidence rang in his voice.
“Judging can be done by Master here.”
Baek Mi-ong nodded.
“Very well. I will judge fairly.”
Muk Hyang-ru stepped into the kitchen and rolled up his sleeves. When he took up his knife, the onlookers held their breath. Outside the kitchen windows people stood on tiptoe, straining to see inside.
Shasak— shashasak—
The knife began to dance across the cutting board. No—even “dance” fell short. It was pure art. Carrots became threads finer than hair and scattered through the air; radish turned into paper-thin translucent slices; green onions were cut at perfectly even intervals, as if measured with a ruler.
“Hah… Is that knife work even human?”
“Insane… That speed and that precision?”
“I can’t even see his hands! Only afterimages!”
Jin Yeong, a chef from Hangzhou, muttered as if in a trance.
“Thirty years of cooking and I’ve never seen knife skill like that… Truly the Food God’s disciple.”
With a triumphant expression Muk Hyang-ru produced the finest ingredients. First came a massive Yellow River carp whose scales gleamed gold.
“Isn’t that a Yellow River Golden Carp?”
“It is! The golden fish of the Yellow River!”
Muk Hyang-ru explained.
“I obtained this Yellow River carp specially yesterday. It lives only in the clear upper reaches of the Yellow River and costs ten gold taels a piece.”
Next he carefully took out petals of the snow lotus that blooms only beneath the eternal snows of Kunlun Mountain. A delicate fragrance rose from the white petals. Finally he prepared musk mushrooms that grow only near desert springs.
“Crazy… Those ingredients alone would exceed our inn’s monthly revenue.”
“A month? For our inn it’d be three months’ worth.”
“He’s going to use all of that for one dish? Mad.”
Muk Hyang-ru spoke with supreme confidence.
“The dish I will create today is the World’s Finest Floral Dragon Fish! It is my own reinterpretation of the Dragon-Phoenix Twin Gathering that Master Food God invented in his youth.”
Whoosh—
Muk Hyang-ru tossed the Yellow River carp high into the air. In the fleeting moment the fish spun, his knife moved like lightning.
Shashashashak—!
In an instant the fish fell onto the plate in exactly one hundred and eight pieces, each identical in size and thickness, as precise as if cut by machine.
“Waaaaah!”
“Isn’t that the legendary Celestial Hundred-Eight Cuts?”
“That’s right! The technique Master Food God created in his youth—and he executes it perfectly!”
Muk Hyang-ru began arranging the sliced fish into the form of a dragon. Golden scales became the dragon’s armor; the white flesh formed its body. Thousand-year wild ginseng became the dragon’s whiskers, and a seven-colored pearl oyster its eyes. Snow-lotus petals turned into the clouds the dragon rode, and the musk mushrooms became the wish-granting pearl it held.
Sizzle—!
When the dragon-shaped fish was lowered into the hot oil, a crackling sound rose and the golden light shone even more brilliantly. Muk Hyang-ru judged the oil’s temperature with perfect accuracy by sound alone, without any measuring tools.
“He can tell the oil temperature just by the sound…”
“That’s the skill of the Food God’s disciple.”
While the fish fried, Muk Hyang-ru began preparing his special sauce. Dozens of spices—star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and more—were blended in exact proportions. Each spice was roasted separately to maximize its aroma before being combined.
“Just looking at the spices makes my head spin.”
“He has the entire combination memorized. Incredible.”
At last the golden-fried dragon was lifted onto the plate. Muk Hyang-ru finished by pouring the special sauce over it.
Chwaaaa—
When the hot sauce met the dragon’s body, steam rose and fragrance flooded every corner of the inn. A complex aroma—sweet yet spicy, refreshing yet deep—filled the air.
“Ahh… that scent!”
“My mouth is watering on its own!”
“This is heavenly cuisine!”
Muk Hyang-ru declared proudly.
“Complete! The World’s Finest Floral Dragon Fish!”
Baek Mi-ong rose slowly and came down to the kitchen. He picked up chopsticks and tasted a piece.
“Mm…”
His expression grew serious. He chewed slowly, savoring every nuance.
“Excellent. Technically it is nearly perfect. The clean flavor of the fish and the harmony of the spices, the contrast between the crisp exterior and the tender flesh—everything is superb.”
A triumphant smile spread across Muk Hyang-ru’s face.
“Thank you, Master.”
Baek Mi-ong looked at Kang Yeon.
“Now then, Yeon—your turn.”
Muk Hyang-ru spoke with a sneer.
“I am curious what you can possibly make to defeat this perfect dish.”
Kang Yeon walked to one side of the kitchen.
“A perfect dish, you say… Well, I just make food people want to eat.”
Muk Hyang-ru laughed loudly.
“Hahaha! Don’t tell me you mean to beat my World’s Finest Floral Dragon Fish with that simple noodle dish? The lowly stuff where you just throw noodles into boiling water and stir in seasoning?”
Kang Yeon calmly began heating water.
“Why? Is simple a bad thing? The value of a dish isn’t decided by how complicated or flashy it is.”
Jo Seol whispered with a worried look.
“Oppa, are you really okay with ramen? He made something so extravagant…”
Kang Yeon smiled.
“Seol-ah, just watch. I’ll show you that flashiness isn’t everything.”
Bubble bubble—
The water came to a boil. Yet Kang Yeon did not put the noodles in at once. Using his internal energy, he carefully adjusted the flame, bringing the water to the exact temperature he wanted.
“What’s with him being so careful just to boil water?”
But the chefs watching closely noticed something odd.
“Wait, look at that fire control.”
“What about it?”
“He’s regulating the boil with incredible precision. Not a rolling boil, not lukewarm—he’s holding a perfect middle temperature.”
Kang Yeon added the noodles and began gently separating them with chopsticks.
“If you stir too hard the noodles break; too gently and they clump. This is just right.”
He murmured as if to himself, then added his special seasoning. The red paste dissolved and turned the broth a deep crimson.
Swaaaa—
In that instant an astonishing aroma filled the kitchen—spicy yet savory, a scent once smelled that could never be forgotten.
“This fragrance…”
“Why is it making me so hungry?”
Muk Hyang-ru’s expression began to change. The cooking process looked simple, yet why did it smell so delicious? It was a powerful aroma that could only be felt during the cooking itself—different from the finished dish he had already tasted.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Kang Yeon continued adjusting the flame, sometimes stronger, sometimes gentler. Under that precise control the noodles developed perfect elasticity.
“Look at that fire control… that fine?”
“It looks simple, but it’s not simple at all.”
“He’s reading the exact doneness of the noodles. That’s real skill.”
Kang Yeon lifted a strand with his chopsticks to check. The noodles were pleasantly chewy yet soft.
“Good. Now the finish.”
He finely sliced green onions and scattered them in, then cracked an egg carefully so the yolk stayed whole. The egg half-poached in the hot broth.
“There. Done.”
Red broth, yellow noodles, green onions, and a white egg. Nothing flashy, yet the sight alone made mouths water. Above all, the aroma was overwhelming. It possessed a simple yet intense charm completely different from Muk Hyang-ru’s extravagant creation.
Baek Mi-ong lifted his chopsticks. First he sipped the broth.
“Mm…!”
His eyes flew wide. Then he lifted the noodles.
Slurp—
The moment the noodles entered his mouth, Baek Mi-ong’s expression changed completely. Surprise and admiration flashed across his face at once.
“Ha… as expected, it’s wonderful.”
As if unable to stop, he continued eating.
“Master?”
Jin Seol-hyang asked in astonishment. Her master, who normally took only one or two bites during a cooking duel, had never eaten so much. Baek Mi-ong set down the empty bowl. Beads of sweat stood on his forehead.
“It’s been a long time since I ate my fill like that.”
Muk Hyang-ru spoke as if he could not believe it.
“Impossible! That’s nothing more than noodles boiled in water! I must taste it myself.”
Kang Yeon nodded and cooked a fresh bowl. Muk Hyang-ru hastily took a portion and tasted it.
Slurp—
“……!”
Muk Hyang-ru’s hand froze and his pupils shook. Then the chopsticks moved again. He could not stop.
What is this? It’s even better than when I tasted it before. Why is it… so delicious?
It was neither flashy nor made with luxury ingredients, yet once tasted it created a strange craving for more. The heat stimulated the tongue without being unpleasant; instead it made one want another bite. The chewy noodles and the deep broth blended perfectly.
Is such a flavor possible with such simple ingredients?
When Muk Hyang-ru came to himself the bowl was empty. He had finished the entire ramen without realizing it—broth and all.
Baek Mi-ong rose and declared:
“Both dishes were excellent. Muk Hyang-ru’s World’s Finest Floral Dragon Fish was technically perfect, a dish that gives joy both to the eyes and to the palate.”
Hope lit Muk Hyang-ru’s face. But Baek Mi-ong’s next words shattered it.
“But Kang Yeon’s ramen… is a dish that captures the heart. Once you eat it, you want to eat it again—an addictive charm. If I must choose only one… I choose the ramen.”
“Master!”
Muk Hyang-ru cried out, stunned.
“Why? My dish is superior in every way! Ingredients, technique, completeness!”
Baek Mi-ong answered with a gentle smile.
“If someone else had judged, the result might have been different. Hyang-ru, your dish is one that draws admiration. After one bite a person thinks, ‘How magnificent.’ But Kang Yeon’s dish makes a person want another. Tomorrow, the day after, again and again.”
Baek Mi-ong paused, then continued.
“But what is the ultimate purpose of cooking? To flaunt extravagance? To show off expensive ingredients? No. It is to make the eater happy. And true happiness comes from wanting to eat it again. That is why I chose Kang Yeon’s dish.”
Muk Hyang-ru stared blankly at the empty ramen bowl. He himself had cleaned it without noticing. Even now the thought of eating more rose unbidden.
“So this… is real cooking…”
Kang Yeon approached quietly and spoke.
“Muk Hyang-ru, cooking isn’t completed by technique alone. Something a hungry person can eat without burden, something that can comfort a weary person—isn’t that real cooking?”
Muk Hyang-ru let out a deep sigh and bowed his head.
“I… I lost.”