“So, do you want to say it’s good?” Deborah asked.
“Yeah, it is good as far as I can see it. You haven’t changed the menu, compared to the last time when I came here, but I don’t see any recipes that are particularly problematic. Besides, there is nothing you lag behind in terms of services or interiors of your restaurant. You have really worked hard, and changed a lot,” said Min-joon with a smile.
Watching him. Deborah let out a sigh of relief.
As if to tease her, he said, “In fact, I thought you wouldn’t bother to call me.”
“Really? Why did you think so?”
“You’ve already heard everything you’re going to hear from me, and I’ve given you all the help I can give you. And you have fixed all the stuff I felt you needed to. So, I don’t think I can give you any more advice right now because I have already pointed out all the problems I can.”
Deborah smiled, watching him quietly.
“You haven’t learned everything from June yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, one’s greed and weakness,” Deborah said in a quiet voice. “Yeah. You pointed out everything you could, and I’ve almost fixed it. I know my restaurant today is different from what it used to be. Maybe I can aim for not two, but three Michelin stars. Despite that, I called you here. Why?’
“Well, I wonder if you are coveting the top position of Rose Island?”
“No. I already know that it’s hard for me to achieve it. Of course, I can go out of my way to get the position, but I am not that greedy.”
“Then what kind of greed are you talking about?”
“Well, one’s desire to be recognized by others.”
Min-joon lamented at that moment. He felt like I knew her feelings because he shared it. People are funny animals. They are living for themselves, but at the same time, they want to let others evaluate if they have had a good life.
Maybe he might also have had the same problem like others if he had not won the popularity as it is now through broadcasting because nobody would have recognized him. They would not even know if he was a chef. So, he might have to explain repeatedly that he was a chef, he worked at Rose Island, what kind of dish he made and he had a perfect palate.
Even if he went through all this process, it didn’t mean they would recognize him because it was he, not the media, that promoted himself. Min-joon as advertised and promoted by the news media was definitely different from Min-joon as promoted by himself.
Maybe Deborah would have the same problem as all the other head chefs of Rose Island branches. Of course, those working in the foodservice industry would recognize her, but the thing was they were not as powerful as the news media in terms of enhancing her recognition.
In that sense, Rachel made a pretty good decision to select Min-joon as a judge. Even though he was young, his remarkable achievements and perfect palate made the chefs respect his words.
Deborah said, “When you recognize me, I feel like people around me also recognize me. I feel like they are praising me, ‘you’re really doing great.’ Yeah, that’s how I feel.”
“Thank you for saying so, Deborah.”
While appreciating her gratitude, he wanted to ask her one question. But he hesitated to ask a bit. Of course, he didn’t have to keep his distance from her at this point.
So, he asked shyly, “Do you think Rose Island chefs will recognize you, or all the chefs will also recognize you?”
Deborah smiled at him as if he was cute because she already knew why he asked such a question. The moment he asked the question, she immediately noticed his true intentions.
“Well, all of them will think so. So, it’s about time you also realized how valuable you are. I’m sure, you have the confidence of a veteran chef who has been in the field for decades, and your worth is more than billions of dollars.”
“Come on, billions of dollars is too much. Maybe millions of dollars.”
“You look humble but arrogant at the same time,” she said, nodding with a smile.
The reason Min-joon asked that question was simple. If people outside Rose Island could trust him so much, it would mean that he was already recognized by them for what he achieved until now.
“It’s funny.”
“What’s funny? Funny because your worth has gone up?”
He said with a smile, “Well, it’s funny because what I think of myself is different from what others think of me.”
***
“Well, the way you look at yourself is different from the way others look at you.”
Inside a plane, a man who identified himself as a lyricist said with a smile.
Min-joon asked, looking back at the man called Larry, “It looks like you have had the same experience?”
“I think everybody has experienced it. Sometimes you feel worse than you think, sometimes you feel better than you think. That’s what I feel when I write lyrics. I wrote the lyrics that I thought were really good, but when I showed them, people’s response was not good. But when I felt depressed because of the lyrics that I thought were bad, people made a big fuss, praising the lyrics were so good,” he said with a smile.
He continued, “I felt the same thing even when I was young. When I sat at my desk at school and wrote lyrics, my friends looked at it and cast a glance at me, suggesting my lyrics were childish. So I was really curious if my lyrics were childish because they were so good in my eyes.”
“So, what did you do?”
“If I had quit there, I would have stopped there. And I would always remember that writing lyrics was just a childish hobby in my life. But when my name became known to the world, the situation changed. Now people say my lyrics are beautiful even if I write childish lyrics. That’s the power of recognition.”
“After all, what you want to say to me is just do what you want to, right?”
“You bet. This is America. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you want as long as it’s not illegal. Of course, there are a lot who are doing illegally.”
While he was conversing with Larry, the plane lowered its altitude and started landing.
Larry glanced at the window and soon smiled looking at him again.
“It was nice to meet you. Have a nice trip.”
“You, too, Larry. Take care!”
After saying goodbye to him, Min-joon got off the plane. He felt people here were rather fatty.
It was Chicago where Dave’s restaurant was located.
***
“No matter how many times I come, I feel like my heart is beating,” Min-joon said in a slightly tense voice. When he saw her first, Elly was his exclusive server, but she was now a sommelier. She said, smiling kindly, “Thank you for telling me that. You’re probably one of the people who visit this store happily to enjoy our menu here.”
“Because it’s so delicious here.”
“Would you like the chef’s special menu as usual?”
“Yeah, I believe in Chef Dave’s judgment.”
When he said that, she smiled, then began explaining the menus one by one.
With his eyes sparkling, he listened to her explanation. Dave’s dishes were always beautiful. Should they be called authentic? It was rather ambiguous to describe it that way, for he didn’t seem to pay much attention to molecular cuisine. But it wasn’t because he was old-fashioned, but because he didn’t like it.
It was Dave who cooked more scientific and modern than molecular cooking in an authentic way. Min-joon quickly asked Elly, “Is the veal cheek meat still on the menu these days?”
“Maybe that dish won’t disappear from the menu, but unfortunately, it’s not on the chef’s tasting menu.”
“Oh really?” Min-joon looked sincerely regrettable. The veal cheek meat he ate at Dave’s restaurant was his first 10-point dish. Although he often enjoys 10-point dishes these days, he has not yet forgotten the strong impression he got from Dave’s veal cheek meat.
“If you want it, I can serve you additionally.”
“No. I don’t want to disturb Dave’s composition. I didn’t just come to enjoy it, but because I have come here for the purpose of evaluation. So, I have to be faithful to my duty.”
As a matter of fact, he had to pay more attention to evaluating Dave’s dishes because he was the most promising candidate except for June as the next successor of Rachel. How about Dave’s dishes that he would taste after a long time? Now that he has come to appreciate June’s dishes, how would Dave’s dishes impress him? Can his dishes taste better than June’s? Can he determine which one is better?
Dave’s cooking certainly overpowered Min-joon, starting off with amuse-bouche.
[Beet macaron with foie gras and smoked eel]
Freshness: 95%
Country of origin: (There are several ingredients, so it is hidden)
Quality: High
Cooking score: 9/10
[Tomkakai jelly, shrimp sashimi, and crayfish crackers with cilantro]
Freshness: 92%
Country of origin: (There are several ingredients, so it is hidden)
Quality: Award
Cooking score: 8/10
[Seaweed sushi cracker with red salmon, cilantro, curry mayonnaise]
Freshness: 98%
Country of origin: (There are several ingredients, so it is hidden)
Quality: High
Cooking score: 9/10
‘Man, his cooking score is fantastic from the beginning…’
Dave prepared three dishes. Min-joon put some macaron in his mouth first according to Elly’s guidance. And he had no choice but to feel thrilled. His dish made Min-joon understand why he was considered one of the most promising candidates as Rachel’s successor without engaging in external affairs like June.
