‘Brunch In Brooklyn’ was a TV program that had enjoyed quite a lot of popularity not only in the United States but all over the world recently. Originally, it was a talk show format in which guests talked about a lot of stuff over brunch, not a cooking program, but it was a bit different today because the guests today were not ordinary celebrities, but chefs.
“Oh, do you think we can bring more viewers to our show this week? Last time our supervisor complained badly because hundreds of thousands of viewers declined last week. Are you sure Chef Min-joon is a famous guy?”
“Don’t you know how much audience figures increased during the Grand Chef Season 3 because he appeared there? That was the same when he was on the Hunger Trip program. Anyway, any TV program with him on board is supposed to draw lots of viewers’ attention. He is just a great attention grabber!”
“It’s amazing that a chef can be famous. Our world has changed a lot.”
“Don’t be arrogant to him by any chance. You may not know it because you’re in the broadcasting industry, but in the foodservice industry, nobody dares to mess with him. If you try to mess with him, you are going to be showered with lots of curses from the viewers.”
“Have I ever gotten fresh with guests? You don’t have to be worried about me!” Karin replied, grumbling.
But Scott looked at her nervously as if he could not feel reassured, then looked around again. The place where they were now was the Rose Island branch run by June in New York. Since Karin was today’s host, not the production crew, it was not unreasonable for her to not know what a great opportunity today’s event was, for everyone knew that June’s Rose Island hardly gave TV companies the permission to broadcast her restaurant.
June was rather a mysterious person. Of course, she was available for a brief interview for magazines, but she was seldom available for a long documentary series. At first, Scott wondered why made herself so scarce, but he could understand the reason now. As a matter of fact, those in the TV production area had some vague fantasy about her. And that fantasy was possible only because she had never been properly introduced before.
From the days when it was difficult for a woman to be a chef, June became the best chef in New York after overcoming all the difficulties. Even if she wasn’t a chef, she achieved a lot for others to admire. Since people found it hard to look at her face unless it was printed in very famous magazines, they naturally tended to envy her, thinking she was in a different league.
Scott thought, ‘And she is now patronizing Min-joon? How am I going to make the best of this program?’
The answer to that question was surprisingly simple. A little later when they started filming the program, Scott had no choice but to be startled to hear what he didn’t know until then.
“Ah, then, can you think that Min-joon is almost June’s star pupil?”
“Well, I feel like Min-joon is rather my junior than my star pupil. And I have a different star pupil of mine, though he lost to Min-joon at the Paris International Culinary Competition.”
Perhaps this was something that would break Dobby’s heart if he heard June saying this.
Karin smiled kindly and opened her mouth.
“To be honest with you, I don’t know much about high-end dining. I’m the kind of woman who eats just about every food that I put in my mouth. But I’ve heard something about the fusion trend that Min-joon is setting these days. I hear that his dishes are breaking all the existing common senses about fusion food. Is that true?”
“In fact, there was a time when fusion food was popular before. But it didn’t last long because it was just a rough mix of dishes from different countries, but it failed to bring about any nice change. But Min-joon is different. He naturally ignores the prejudices people have about fusion food. In his mind, milk doesn’t have to be liquid, a cream doesn’t have to be cream, and the sauce can be either jelly or powder. In fact, I’m often surprised by his liberal cooking concepts.”
“By judging from what you said, it’s not too much to say that he is the best among New York chefs?” Karin asked June with a naughty smile.
In fact, it was a question she asked to tease her gently because if she replied in the positive, it would undermine all the sous chefs in New York. Of course, even if she answered yes, Karin could take it gently.
But June surprised Karin with an unexpected reply.
“Is there anyone among the world’s best chefs who’s better than Min-joon?”
“Hahaha. I think you are praising him too much.”
“I’m serious. Min-joon won the Paris International Culinary Competition. He also created the fantastic dessert called Cho Reggiano. None of the sous chefs in the world has ever achieved that.”
“Is that such a big achievement?”
“If you compare him with a scientist, he is Einstein, and if you compare him with a painter, you’d have to pick Da Vinci. Now, New York is blessed with a chef that it has never seen before. He is a gem you should never miss.”
When June said that, Karin looked at Min-joon who smiled awkwardly, standing in the kitchen. It was hard for her to realize that this gentle-looking man was such a great chef. But June did not blame her for that because it was extremely normal that she showed such a reaction. Like her, there were lots of people who still didn’t know who he was. It was only natural they didn’t know because they didn’t have a chance to hear it.
‘That’s why I’m going to tell you about him.’
This was what June, the head chef of Rose Island’s New York branch and one of the best chefs in New York, has commented about him. Karin thought it would be hard for people not to believe what she said about him.
At that moment, Min-joon came out with his dish. There were only a few peas on top of a risotto made with beetroot and gorgonzola sauce, but the plating looked so beautiful.
Min-joon said in a confident voice, “Please try it.”
It was the beginning of her fantasy.
‘Well, I don’t have to introduce a course meal today,’ Scott thought.
Actually, he didn’t have to worry about it because Scott, the main PD of this program asked for the shortest course, if it was possible, saying that it was hard to edit the full course meal because of too many parts.
That was why Min-joon brought risotto from the start. Of course, his risotto wasn’t just an ordinary risotto. The main components of the sauce were beet juice and gorgonzola, but at the same time, he added something special to it.
It was the extract from the condensed puer tea. The risotto with the astringent taste peculiar to puer tea tasted soft and fresh at first, but it looked like it got stuck to the tongue and the palate of the mouth. But it definitely whetted one’s appetite.
When Karin tried it, her mouth watered naturally, and she came to crave for the next dish.
When she took another bite of the risotto and put it in her mouth, the rich taste of the cheese and the bitter taste peculiar to the beet whetted her appetite, then quickly dried up again.
It had a ridiculously rich taste and poor taste at the same time. Even before other staff tried such a contradictory taste a little more, she emptied the plate quickly. In fact, Min-joon made the risotto only for a few servings, so it was not enough for the whole staff there.
“So, how about it?” June asked. Of course, she gave the impression that she already knew the answer while asking it. At that moment, Karin was afraid she might play into the hands of Min-joon and June, but at the same time, she felt reassured because she liked his dish so much.
“Well, I really can’t wait for the next dish. I feel like I want to chew the spoon now.”
“Really? You’re really enjoying it then.”
“Do you think I’m enjoying it now? I feel like I’m being tortured.”
“But it’s a delightful torture, isn’t it?” said June with a laugh.
Meanwhile, Min-joon came back with another dish.
Before she tried it, though, Karin asked, “Is this a sherbet?”
“Yes, I made it by mixing lime juice and leek paste.”
“You have used leeks like herbs.”
“Because it’s actually a hub.”
Not only green onions but also leeks smelled as strong as basil and thyme.
Karin lifted the spoon and scooped some sherbet in an apparent reverent manner.
Obviously, until she touched it with the spoon, she felt like she touched the shell of a crustacean, but with a little force, the sherbet moved as she wanted, as if only the part she touched by the spoon melted. At that moment, she felt like her hand was putting a spoon in the melted sand, as if she touched a cold hardened cream, then she put it in her mouth.
‘I didn’t know leeks had this kind of taste!’
Karin momentarily looked at his ice cream as if she could not believe it. In fact, she thought that when she saw the sherbet, it was quite a bit different because he used leeks, but she wasn’t shocked that much. She had seen quite a few such ice cream. After all, wasn’t mojito a signature drink that showed the combination of lime and herbs? So, she simply thought he made the ice cream by slightly changing the mojito.
However, this sherbet was not as simple as she thought. She once again scooped the sherbet and took it to her mouth. She wanted to feel its taste a little more clearly, so she quietly closed her eyes while concentrating on the taste in her mouth.
