I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 107



Only Noblemtl

I got the omnipotent tongue 107

Public news (2)

Upon arriving at the SBB building in Mokdong, I was immediately guided to the waiting room.

There, I listened to the assistant director’s instructions and checked the script. Not everything goes according to the script, but it serves as an overall guideline. As I was watching the screen on the monitor in the waiting room, a staff member came to pick me up after a while. As I walked down the hallway, staff members passing by greeted me. I greeted them brightly and went into the studio, and the filming staff members stuck to me and set up a microphone on my clothes.

The camera is now anchoring the scene. I am sitting quietly in a chair off-screen, waiting for my turn.

“Today’s Cultural Invitation has invited someone who is very closely related to our lives.

Sometimes viewers ask why we invite cultural figures on the news. We believe that culture is the factor that has the greatest influence on our lives.

Today, we will be talking about the most important food culture. I think some of you may have guessed by now. We will be inviting Chef Shin Je-hee.”

The camera turns around and captures me and the anchor in one frame.

“Hello. My name is Shin Je-hee and I run a restaurant in New York.”

“You introduced yourself very humbly, but this year, you became the first Korean to receive a star in the Michelin Guide. You also oversaw the opening dinner at the G20 Summit. It is widely reported that you received great reviews from the leaders. Chef Shin Je-hee is truly at the top of the Korean fine dining scene, and I would like to thank you for accepting our invitation today.”

“You are so kind. I am honored to be invited.”

“Let’s start with the story of the G20 that just ended. What was the most important factor that the chef considered when preparing the dinner?”

“The leaders are always tired. Many arrived on the same day. Above all, they have a lot of experience attending banquets. If you serve a typical dish, there is a high chance that they won’t even touch it. So, I spent a lot of time creating a menu that is unexpected but can be easily enjoyed by tired bodies.”

“There was this kind of effort behind the favorable reviews.

Let’s change the subject a little. Chef, have you ever heard of the term “gastrosexual?”

“there is.”

“I guess it’s because you live in the US that you quickly come across new words.

To explain to our viewers, Gastrosexual is a compound word of gastronome, meaning gourmet, and sexual, implying sexual attractiveness. It can be said that it is a word that shows the recent trend in the West that men who are good at cooking are attractive.

This trend is the same in Korea. In a recent survey by a matchmaking company, when asked, “What is the strength you want in a spouse?” 23.4% of respondents answered cooking. This could be seen as a reflection of the changing times. What do you think about this, Mr. Shin Chef?”

“I believe that cooking is ultimately for others. When I’m alone, I eat instant food or cook a very minimal meal to make a simple meal. However, when I have guests over or am eating with acquaintances I want to treat, I take the time and effort to cook.

Cooking basically requires diligence. It is very important to buy ingredients, cook, and clean up well. In other words, the fact that cooking is a hobby means that you know how to cherish people and are diligent, so I don’t know if women can be said to be wise.”

“That’s a new perspective. Chef Shin has become a public enemy for men these days. He is a good cook, tall, and handsome. He is also socially successful. He must be very popular. What kind of joy do you get from living as a celebrity? This is also a personal question for me. I have never been popular.”

“Haha. Actually, I have a girlfriend that I’ve been seeing for 7 years. We were dating before I went to the States. At that time, she was a freshman in college, and she’s about to graduate from graduate school. So I don’t know if I’m popular, but I can definitely say that I haven’t enjoyed that kind of life.”

“Oh, my. I think I can hear the sighs of women all over the country. Let me change the question to change the mood. There are still many people who are not familiar with the term ‘fine dining.’ What is the difference between the fine dining restaurant run by Chef Shin and a regular restaurant?”

“Fine dining literally means high-quality meals. Quality includes many factors. Of course, it includes the meal itself, but also the restaurant’s atmosphere, service, and unique dishes that reflect the chef’s philosophy. If fast food means food that is cheap and quick to eat, fine dining is a concept that stands at the opposite end of slow food. It can be defined as a space where you can enjoy expensive, time-consuming, and highly skilled dishes with the best service.”

“It’s easy to understand when you say it this way. Fine dining has not developed as much in Korea as it has overseas. What do you think is the reason for that?”

“In order to consume culture, the economy must grow to a certain level. Japan was able to develop this culture sufficiently during the bubble economy of the 1980s, but our country missed an important period during the IMF crisis. And now, I think our country has grown enough to pay attention to culture again. In the past, it was not an attractive market even from overseas, so famous overseas dining establishments did not enter Korea. But not anymore. They are also eyeing Korea.”

“What do you think is the reason?”

“It may be because they have now decided that they can generate sufficient profits in the Korean market as well.”

“That’s clear. Now, our country has become a market that foreign countries can look up to. I guess that’s how it should be summarized.”

“That’s correct.”

“Let’s talk about the Michelin Guide. This year, you became a hot topic both domestically and internationally for earning a Michelin star in New York in the shortest amount of time. Was there a secret?”

“I hope you don’t get too caught up in the phrase ‘shortest period of time.’

I have taken the steps sequentially. From my study abroad at the CIA to Luce de Sole where I first worked, now it is the only Michelin three-star Italian restaurant in New York, but when I started, it was only one star. From there, I went through the steps of intern, trainee, comi, demi, CDP, and sous chef. And I grew along with the restaurant.

So, I think it is inappropriate to say that Segreto was selected for the Michelin Guide simply because it was the shortest period of time.”

“I think what you are saying is that being able to quickly obtain a Michelin star is the result of a long period of training and effort. Now, let’s talk about advancing into Korea. Although he is a chef loved by the people, we have not been able to come across his dishes in Korea. How long will this continue?”

“The Korean market has been decided. If possible, I will try to bring the same menu as in New York without any changes. However, I am having a hard time because the situation regarding the availability of ingredients is different. I really wanted to cook in Korea, so I am very happy that it has come true. I think I will be going back and forth between Korea and the US for the time being.”

“That’s great news. Chef Shin is also famous for his absolute sense of taste. Do you think your sense of taste played a big role in getting to where you are today?”

“I can’t say that it doesn’t have any influence. If we use a musical analogy, I know that there are quite a few people with perfect pitch. However, if you ask them whether they are all excellent pianists, singers, or composers, most of them are not. Likewise, having a keen sense of taste definitely helps. However, it is only a small part. The rest is something you have to fill in yourself.”

“That makes sense. If you have any final words, please feel free to say them.”

“Thank you for waiting so long. I really wanted to meet you. I will come see you soon.”

“I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Chef Shin Je-hee of the Ideal Culture Invitational. Thank you.”

* * *

Because it was a live broadcast, the public’s feedback was immediate. It took less than an hour for the interview to be published as an article.

└He’s smarter than I thought. He speaks well and logically.

└Congratulations, official! Segreto enters Korea(?)

└Can we achieve success in Korea like in the US?

└Don’t you think something has changed? LOL

└I envy your girlfriend. Why did you guys date for 7 years?

└That’s because you’re overseas. Your girlfriend must have gone to America with you.

└You’re going to graduate school, right? You must have studied abroad.

└Hasn’t your face become more handsome than before?

└He was already handsome. Men are usually at their peak around their thirties.

└Finally, there is a fine dining restaurant worth going to in Korea. I plan on going on the first day.

└Do you think that will work? Will there be an open run?

└Thanks to Shin Je-hee, it seems like we were able to save some face at events like the G20.

└I can relate to the interview. I have perfect pitch, but I can’t play the piano or sing.

There were generally many favorable reactions.

I drove to Gangnam and went to Garosu-gil. I could see buildings that existed only in my memories going up one by one. Garosu-gil had already been developed considerably. All the old buildings had been torn down, and various restaurants and workshops were open with their lights on even late at night.

As I was walking, I saw a sign that said Italian restaurant. Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten all day. I decided to do some market research and walked into the restaurant.

From the entrance, you can tell that they put a lot of thought into the place. The clean building and the European-style interior of the entrance seem to be telling customers that this is an expensive restaurant and that they will be serving delicious food. I looked around and sat down in a corner where there weren’t many people. I didn’t want anyone to recognize me and talk to me and interrupt my meal.

As soon as you sit down, a server brings you a menu. It’s a typical Korean restaurant.

Let’s open the menu. There are various champagnes and wines, and course menus written in neat font. However, as soon as I saw the menu, I burst out laughing.

Palo Alto Sparkling Brut is 20,000 won by the glass and 100,000 won by the bottle. This wine is the cheapest champagne that can be purchased for less than 5 dollars at an American supermarket. I kept looking around and reading the menu. The atmosphere is casual dining, but the menu doesn’t seem like dining. But I wanted to try it anyway, so I ordered a course that included seafood spaghetti and sirloin steak.

Bread was served before the meal. In fact, there is no concept of bread before the meal in fine dining in Italy or France. The server brings bread whenever you need it. It is meant to be enjoyed with various butters and cheeses along with the accompanying dishes.

The bread here was factory bread. The jam and butter were also ready-made. The pasta that came out after was a Korean seafood pasta with a rich broth. I can understand that much in terms of localization of food. However, what I couldn’t stand was that they added Hondashi (Japanese dashi) to the pasta to make it taste better. The steak that came out after was overcooked. I ordered medium rare, but it was cooked even more than medium. And the heat control was not good enough, so the outside was burnt. This was not a dish made by a chef.

“ha.”

I sigh. This is by no means a cheap restaurant. But the service and food are far from it. I can’t eat it, so I put my fork down and pick up the bill. And as I’m about to leave, someone comes out in a hurry.

“Are you Chef Shin Je-hee?”

A man in a chef’s uniform recognizes me and speaks to me.

“Yes, that’s right. Are you the chef here?

“I am Shim Seon-chang, the owner and chef. Nice to meet you.”

“No. I was just finishing my meal and was about to leave. Okay, that’s it.”

I didn’t want to talk for long. I was paying and about to leave when he said something.

“Did you not like the food? You barely ate it. There are rumors that you will soon open a store in Gangnam. However, if you actually come here, it will not be easy.”

Did he think I was ignoring him? I heard some unkind words.

“Like that burnt steak over there?”

“If you come here, you will see that Korea is not easy.”

He glanced at the steak, his face turned red, then hurried inside.

It seems that unlike the comments on the Internet, there weren’t only favorable views towards me.