I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 115



Only Noblemtl

Episode 115 Menu Evaluation

“Brother, why are you just standing there blankly?”

I guess I was in a daze for a moment because I was still in the throes of a dream.

“No. I think I had a dream, but I can’t remember it.”

“But why are you laughing?”

“Maybe it was a happy dream.”

I clearly had a conversation with someone in my dream, but I couldn’t remember it.

“What is that?”

Joohee laughs as if she finds it ridiculous.

“Would you like some breakfast?”

“Can I eat the food you made for me today for the first time in a while?”

Joohee’s eyes sparkle. Now that I think about it, I haven’t cooked for her in a while.

“Okay. You must be having a hard time going to school and working these days, so I’ll make you something delicious.”

“Is it really okay for me to enjoy such luxury, having breakfast prepared by Chef Shin Je-hee?”

“If you know, you will do better in the future.”

“Haha. Okay.”

She giggles and answers.

I went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. There were only retort and instant foods, and simple salad vegetables. I looked in the pantry and saw dried pasta and sauces. Pasta is a bit heavy for breakfast. I thought about a delicious dish that I could make quickly. Looking at the ingredients, it seemed possible.

Finely chop the shallots and peppers. Cut the tomatoes in half and dice the mushrooms. Slice the garlic and set aside. I saw an avocado, so I cut it in half, removed the seed, and scooped out the flesh with a spoon. Pour olive oil in a pan, preheat it, and then cook the cut surface of the tomatoes.

Cheeeeek.

The tomatoes are cooking with the heat and hot oil, making a delicious sound. Push the tomatoes to the corner of the pan and fry the shallots, peppers, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and add flavor with rosemary. In the empty space, cook the cut surface of the avocado as well as the tomatoes.

I took out another pan, oiled it, and put two eggs on it. After the bottom was cooked to some extent, I sprinkled chopped chives, salt, and pepper on top of the eggs. Then I poured a little water into the pan and closed the lid. This way, the bottom of the eggs will be fried in oil, and the top and yolk will be cooked with steam. The scent of the chives will also make the eggs more delicious.

Put the bread in the toaster and set the timer.

Chioooo.

The sound of vegetables ripening is as sweet as music.

In the cold winter, the sky is clear, and eggs and vegetables are cooking on the pan, making a delicious sound. The smell of bread and eggs baking, and the aroma of vegetables meeting oil and fire began to spread throughout the house. Joohee finally couldn’t stand it anymore and came to me.

“Just wait a moment. It will be finished soon.”

Gulp.

“okay.”

She swallows and sits down quietly at the table.

Place the tomatoes, which are cooked on both sides, on a plate. Quickly stir-fry the spinach and place it on top of the tomatoes. Top it with stir-fried vegetables such as shiitake mushrooms and shallots, and it looks good. Finally, sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano to finish.

Tick.

The bread comes out of the toaster. Spread butter on the bread and mash the cooked avocado. Put an egg on top and breakfast is ready. Joohee takes out the milk from the fridge and pours it.

“Let’s eat.”

“Is this possible in 15 minutes? This is no joke. You won’t get breakfast like this even at a hotel.”

Click.

Click.

Joohee is obsessed with Instagram these days. This devilish app has a bewitching power. I have no choice but to use it for business, but I vowed never to use it for personal purposes.

Buttered and cooked avocado is spread on toasted bread, and chive-sprinkled eggs are placed on top. Spinach and mushrooms on top of roasted tomatoes are also delicious.

Joohee picks up a fork and knife and cuts the bread. The yolk bursts out and soaks the bread. She carefully picks up the bread with her fork and brings it to her mouth.

“Ahh. I’m so happy. This is the best breakfast I’ve ever had in my life.”

She’s shivering. She looks really happy.

“It’s not even that great of a dish, but you like it that much?”

“Food isn’t just about taste. It’s about the narrative.

“My brother flew to Boston at midnight yesterday to see me. We had dinner, watched a movie, and fell into a happy sleep. When I woke up in the morning, the sky was blue and my boyfriend was cooking for me. And the food was perfect.”

I think I know what she meant by the story. She is happy now. I am too.

So I spent my holiday and came back to New York.

* * *

Businesses and restaurants still haven’t realized that social media is an effective promotional tool.

Segreto was a pioneer in actively using Instagram for promotion during this time.

This did not stop at simply posting photos of Segreto’s menu, staff’s daily lives, and the hall and kitchen on the restaurant’s account. Jehee did not forget that creating an environment conducive to the public taking photos to post on SNS is the most important part of SNS marketing.

Segreto has given points to several elements since receiving its Michelin star.

We researched plating that would make the dishes stand out the most by customizing the dishes and plates. We also paid attention to the restaurant’s interior, as well as the paintings and flowers, so that even if customers took photos, they would get great pictures. As a result, photos of people who visited Segreto were being uploaded one by one on SNS.

[After much difficulty in making a reservation, I was finally able to visit Segreto.

The reservation page opens at noon on the last day of every month, and my girlfriend and I waited and clicked at the same time to get a good time. It was my first time to fine dining, so I was a little worried, but the staff explained things kindly, so I was able to have a wonderful day without being nervous.

It’s a bit funny that customers get nervous when I’m paying for a place like this. But we tried to follow the dress code by wearing nice clothes and even looked through books on dining etiquette, so we were nervous.

I was planning on ordering the cheapest course, but since I was already here, I wanted to try the most expensive course at the hottest restaurant in New York.

Can you see the picture?

Plating is a true work of art. Don’t worry about it being just pretty to look at. All the food was really great. I loved the appetizers that depicted the process of a plant blooming, the authentic Roman pasta, the main course made with dry-aged veal, and the desserts that were talked about. There was nothing I couldn’t enjoy.

When will I be able to go again next time? I think the Engel’s coefficient (the percentage of total household consumption expenditure spent on food) of my life will increase because of Segreto.]

Through Instagram, Segreto has gradually become known among the general public who are not interested in fine dining. However, I know that this success is temporary. It doesn’t take long for a successful restaurant to collapse. The moment you become satisfied with your fame and neglect your efforts, both the chef and the restaurant are finished. In that sense, I wanted to give the staff a warning.

“Is everyone here?”

“Yes, Chef.”

“I told everyone to gather today because there’s an announcement to be made. I thought it would be better to say it directly rather than posting it on the bulletin board.

I know you guys are working hard to create a dish that will be on the restaurant menu, but how long do we have to wait?”

After I finished speaking, I looked around at the chefs. They were all embarrassed and avoided making eye contact with me.

“Of course I know you’re busy. But I still hope you’ll try harder.

Next Wednesday, after business hours, we will hold a tasting event. Please show off the dishes you prepared then. If they are chosen for the menu, I will post a picture on Instagram and advertise them. Of course, I will also post the name of the chef who developed the recipe. It would be nice to have a chance to make your name known like this.

“You’ll be able to make money because you’ll get a certain percentage of the sales of that menu according to the contract. I’ll give the trainees the same opportunity. It’s ridiculous that you can’t put a great dish on the menu because you’re a trainee. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Chef!”

The chefs answer loudly.

A restaurant cannot be run alone. There will inevitably be a limit to my creativity. Other chefs need to develop and inspire each other, and grow together. It is not good for the restaurant if they depend too much on me like ducklings following their mother.

After that day, Segreto would stay after work and the chefs would be busy making something. Even when they went back to their quarters, they would watch each other’s reactions as they cooked and ask for each other’s feedback.

* * *

“Sam, what are you going to make?”

Dominic talks to Sam, who is taking a break.

“curious?”

“Of course. I think everyone thinks that if he gets chosen, it’ll be Sam.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Haven’t you seen the course the head chef prepared this time? It has to be of that quality to be on the menu. I’ve worked at a Michelin three-star restaurant before, but Segreto now is no different than it was back then.”

“Is that it? This is my first time working in fine dining, so I don’t know much about it.”

“You should know that you are lucky. You don’t know yet how blessed you are to be cooking under someone like the head chef, who you can learn so much from. You should know that there are so many chefs who are underpaid and who are just copying the same old dishes that they have no idea about.”

“If you think about it that way, Sam was lucky. He came to Segreto after working under Chef Romeo.”

“Of course, opportunities come to those who work hard. Back then, I never made a dish that would make it onto the menu, but I really hope I make it this time. Our chef is particularly bad at tricks.”

“Once you taste it, you’ll know how it was made.”

“Do you really have time to chat like this?”

“I don’t know yet. Even when I was Mr. Chef, I never cooked a dish that the head chef was truly impressed by. But I’ve really improved since I came to Segreto. So I think I’ve gotten better since then.”

“Ella and Soyoung’s gazes have also changed. They are usually quiet kids, but when it comes to cooking, it seems like they have no intention of losing.”

“Soyoung probably thinks her cooking is closest to the menu. She’s always confident.”

“Soyoung’s ability is acknowledged by the head chef. Why else would he have picked her up right after she graduated from school? Of course, Ella is also great. Now that I think about it, you have some really great classmates. Your future will be smooth sailing.”

Sam looks at Dominic with a slightly salty expression.

“I hope so. I have no intention of losing either.”

* * *

Soyoung closed her eyes and visualized the taste of the dish she was going to make. Jellied rockfish, shrimp, and caviar. What kind of sauce would go well with it? As she thought about it, Soyoung’s face turned red.

“Ugh. This won’t work.”

She screams and tears out her hair.

Soyoung asked Jehee how she could make such a variety of dishes. Jehee answered Soyoung’s question by saying, “I close my eyes and visualize the taste by adding and removing various ingredients in my head.”

“Isn’t what you’re trying to do some kind of miracle that only a select few chosen by the God of Cooking can do?”

Ella looks at Soyoung and smiles.

“I wanted to be chosen too.”

“It’s okay. Cooking is something humans do for humans. You are very blessed.”

“Are you ready?”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this nervous. I’m surprised at how much I still don’t know about myself. I think I like competitions more than I thought. I don’t hate the feeling of my heart pounding.”

Ella snickers, finding herself funny.

“You seem confident?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I’ve definitely improved since the past. Now I want to show it. The head chef always encourages us to grow. If we stay in the same position, won’t we not be able to even assist? We have to grow.”

Soyoung also became serious at Ella’s determined expression.

“This time, I’ll show you why I was Segreto’s number one scout.”

A sense of triumph blossomed in Soyoung’s heart.