I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 130



Only Noblemtl

Episode 130 Glenfiddich 30 Years

[Why is Segreto more expensive than others?]

└Because it sells better if it’s expensive?

└You’ll know when you see it. Just looking at the interior and the tableware, you’ll think, ‘Ah! This isn’t a place for the common people!’ and take a step back.

└Not that much. If you push yourself, you can eat it once every two months. But the catch is that once you go, you’ll want to go again.

└There were a ton of staff. I tried to raise my hand to ask for a change of dishes, but they were already at the table before I could call.

└What kind of beggar is this, doing business based on his reputation and guts?

└There are many foreign chefs. They will pay wages based on New York standards. It is natural for the unit price to go up.

└If you go there in person, you won’t find it expensive. In particular, be sure to order the amuse-bouche with caviar and shrimp. One bite and you’ll never forget it… .

Knock knock

“Soyoung. What are you doing?”

Sam asks Soyoung, who is typing on the monitor. Soyoung flinches her shoulders as if she has been caught doing something bad. Then she slowly turns around.

“Hehehe. I think there’s some controversy in Korea about Segreto being expensive.”

Sam looks at the screen that Soyoung was looking at.

“I don’t speak Korean so I don’t know what’s going on, but I heard that the prices are the same as in New York. We’re not a cheap restaurant in New York either. That could very well be the case.”

“But it’s too much to just curse without even coming!”

“Anyway, there’s a fixed number of customers at fine dining restaurants. The rich would rather like it if it were expensive. Aren’t there quite a few people here who order wine worth hundreds of dollars?”

“That’s true.”

“When do you plan on coming back, Head Chef? I think I’m starting to feel exhausted.”

“You’re doing well. If it weren’t for Sam, the head chef wouldn’t have been able to leave like this.”

“You too. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Huh. Of course. I am the pillar of Segreto.”

Soyoung stretched with her characteristically cheerful laugh.

* * *

I’m at the broadcasting station to meet with the Gourmet Road team. I wanted to clarify the concept of this special before filming.

The filming crew is busy preparing something. I follow the staff’s instructions to the conference room and am offered a cup of coffee. After waiting for a while, the PD and MC, Yoo Han-young and Jung Soo-jung, come in. They greeted me briefly, sat down, opened their laptops, and began explaining to me.

“PD, the popularity of cooking shows is just beginning. There are many surveys that show that the public is interested in the profession of chef. However, there is little information about how chefs in restaurants, especially fine dining restaurants, work. I hope this special episode will satisfy viewers’ curiosity.”

The PD explains to me with a serious expression. His broadcasting sense is definitely different.

“I would also welcome it if there was no artificial production. But wouldn’t it be fun?”

“Haha. Don’t worry. We’re the ones who have to have fun. That’s why Han-young and Soo-jung will be going around the restaurant’s kitchen and other places together, introducing them to the viewers.”

“You are considerate of us.”

When Segreto was embroiled in a controversy over the cost of production, it seems that PD Kim wanted to give us a chance to explain himself. There is no place in fine dining where money is not spent in every corner.

“Even if it’s not exactly like that, it’ll definitely be fun.”

I met with them to decide the direction of the broadcast and finalize the concept.

* * *

Segreto was in business again today.

It is true that we were worried in the early days of opening because the no-show rate was over 20%.

There is probably nothing more troublesome than a no-show in fine dining. Fine dining dishes rarely come out immediately after they are ordered. There are many dishes that require preparation from as little as two or three hours to as long as several days, so if a guest cancels a reservation, they are completely lost.

Korea has achieved unprecedented economic growth, but its civic consciousness is lagging behind.

As time goes by, our people will acquire manners befitting their economic status, but at least for now, that is not the case.

The public of this era considers making a reservation at a restaurant as light as putting a bag on an empty bench. If they want to sit, they can sit, and if they don’t, they can just leave. A deposit would solve a lot of these problems, but it’s still too early. Why else would a French chef who ran a restaurant in Korea say this before closing down?

-I’m so happy. I can finally get out of this hellish no-show.

No-shows are a problem, but it’s also a problem when people suddenly demand a reservation. This happens when the person you’re talking to is a celebrity.

-Don’t you know our actor? It’s Hong Seo-rin! I’m going tonight, so please reserve at least one seat.

Of course, no one prepared a place for her in Segreto. And a few hours later, a woman wearing sunglasses and a mask showed up and got into a fight with Jonghyun.

I think Segreto is also playing a part in establishing dining culture in Korea.

What we ask for is not much. Dress neatly, arrive on time for your reservation, and eat with neat manners.

There are many drinkers in Korea, so the side dishes tend to be excessive. I asked Jonghyun to never allow a guest to drink more than one bottle of wine.

This may be basic manners in the West, but it may be unfamiliar in Korea.

When the orders were almost finished, I looked around the hall.

A middle-aged couple in their fifties are enjoying a delicious meal while raising their wine glasses and making a stylish toast. Judging by their neat hair, well-fitting suits, and refined table manners, they seem to have lived abroad for a long time. When I turn around, I see a handsome man wearing sunglasses eating with a dazzlingly beautiful woman.

‘Where have I seen it?’

Half of his face was covered by sunglasses, but he looked familiar. I tilted my head and tried to go back into the kitchen, but he looked at me. Then he raised his hand and called me.

‘Should I go?’

I hesitated for a moment, but since there were quite a few customers who came to see me this way, I walked towards the table where he was.

“Jehee! Hey! It’s been a while. When you open Inma, you should have sent an invitation to Hyung in advance. Why are you so cold-hearted?”

He speaks to me as if I were his own younger brother.

“yes?”

I was confused as to what on earth this guy was talking about, but I didn’t miss him winking at me without the girl knowing. It seems like he was just a pathetic guy who wanted to show off in front of the girl.

“Did we know each other?”

The man’s pupils shook at my cold words. However, in a restaurant, you should never embarrass a customer. I kindly explained the dish to them and left the place, asking them to take good care of me in the future.

“You said we knew each other well, but that was a complete lie?”

“Haha. Maybe it’s been so long since I’ve seen it that Chef Shin doesn’t remember it very well.”

“Tch. That must be true. That’s just how my brother is.”

I can hear two people talking behind me. The restaurant is really full of all sorts of customers. If you don’t control them at an appropriate level, they will keep getting dragged around and it will have a negative impact on the operation.

After work that day, I came down to the parking lot and picked up my car.

bread.

As I was about to open the car door, someone honked the horn. I looked back and saw a Bentley parked there.

‘What’s going on?’

As I was looking at the car, the door opened and a man walked out. It was Choi Deok-su.

“I was very rude earlier.”

He bows his head politely.

“No problem. It was an interesting experience in its own way.”

I tend to be generous to people who know how to apologize. It wasn’t something that caused me much harm, so I decided to let it go.

“She was a woman who worked hard and diligently, but today was not her day. It wasn’t her intention.”

He takes off his sunglasses. Only then can I see who he is.

Choi Deok-soo, he is a top star who is always in the top three when choosing Korean male actors. His popularity was still intact until just before I returned. He is also evaluated as a natural entertainer with a neat appearance, witty talk, and irreplaceable acting skills.

‘No. Why would someone like this brag about something so useless…?’

It’s absurd, but there are many different types of people in the world. Trying to understand them all is pointless.

“It’s okay. But I guess the woman from earlier left?”

I felt sorry for unintentionally interrupting his work. Perhaps he often used this kind of improvisation.

“Haha. Don’t worry about it. Don’t you hear that a batsman who can hit .300 is good? I can’t always succeed either. But this is the first time I’ve met someone who so abruptly refuses.”

He shakes his head and says smugly, as if he doesn’t care at all.

“I don’t have that kind of personality. The restaurant receives a variety of customers. My job is to provide the best food and service, not to act.”

“Haha. I overdid it earlier because that girl said she was a fan of Chef Shin. As a way of apology, I’d like to buy you a drink. Would you mind?”

I looked at my watch. Tomorrow was a day off. I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a drink with him.

T

“Let’s do that.”

“Then let’s go to the store I know. It’s a place where you won’t have to worry about losing your face, so you don’t have to worry.”

The place we arrived at after about 10 minutes in his car was a bar.

“This is a members-only place, so not just anyone can come in. It’s a place you go to when you want to have a drink in a relaxed atmosphere.”

He opens the door as usual, goes in, and sits down at the bar. I sit down next to him.

“Martini. Shake it, don’t stir it.”

This guy seems to have a habit of flirting. He smiles at the female bartender and slyly orders. It’s a famous line from James Bond.

“Black Russian. Stir it well, please.”

The bartender chuckles silently and starts making cocktails.

“You have good sense.”

He chuckles as he looks at me. I feel relaxed as I come to the bar after a long time. I used to enjoy drinking quite a bit. But since I started cooking, I haven’t had a chance to drink much.

The cocktails arrived shortly thereafter.

I like the taste of the cocktail mixed with vodka and Kahlua, which is a skilled bartender. The strong coffee flavor comes up and neutralizes the strong alcohol taste. There is no potato or corn flavor that is usually found in vodka. Rye is probably the main ingredient.

Didn’t this bartender try out different types of liquor to pair with his cocktail before choosing this one?

“Vodka is a little different.”

“I see you like alcohol. That’s right. When I make Black Russian, I use Sobieski (Polish vodka). It goes best with the coffee flavor.”

Whether they are chefs or bartenders, they tend to feel good when their customers recognize what they are making. The bartender makes something without me even ordering it and hands it to me in a pretty glass.

“This is a service. Chef Shin Je-hee. Since you have an absolute sense of taste, would you like to try to guess the ingredients?”

“Hey. I’ve been coming here so many times, but I’ve never received any service….”

Choi Deok-su makes a joke to the bartender with a look of resentment on his face.

“Because Actor Choi likes all kinds of alcohol. If it were Chef Shin Je-hee, I would ask her to taste it even if I had to pay for it.”

The cocktail the bartender made for me was a mojito. Mojito is usually made with apple mint, lime, sugar, and rum. After adding the ingredients and muddling (a technique of extracting the flavor by crushing with a stick), it is completed by pouring ice and soda water. However, it was not apple mint, but a familiar scent. I picked up a glass and tried the cocktail.

The refreshing scent of apple mint and the tangy taste of sweet gin stimulate the tongue. And the scent of basil comes up late.

“It’s basil. And you added just a little salt.”

The bartender’s eyes widen.

“You really have a perfect sense of taste. I mixed the basil separately and then strained it to use as a hidden flavor. I used the salt to emphasize the sweetness a little more. I didn’t know you could do it all so well.”

“Cocktails and cooking have something in common. They are both techniques commonly used in cooking. But this cocktail is very delicious.”

I feel like I should increase my sales by showing my appreciation to the bartender.

“What kind of whiskey do you have?”

“We have almost everything you need.”

“Then, please give me Glenfiddich 30 years.”

This is a whiskey I used to enjoy. When I take off the seal and open the cap, a subtle aroma spreads far and wide.

“Wow. It smells good. I’ve never tried this liquor before.”

I smiled and poured his glass and offered the bartender a drink. I wanted to try the first drink straight.

Gulp gulp.

The golden whiskey rises from the bottom into the clear glass. I savored the aroma for a moment and then emptied the glass in one gulp. I felt a hot sensation going down my esophagus. Then, the soft scent of vanilla rose to my nose. And later, the scent of caramel and the scent of aged oak finished the taste cleanly. This is indeed a good whiskey.

We finished off the bottle while chatting about this and that. When I looked at my watch, I realized it was time to go back. I apologized to both of them and got up.

ping.

Suddenly, I feel drunk. My head feels dizzy. I pause for a moment and wait for the dizziness to subside, but my condition only gets worse.

Ring ring ring.

The phone rang, but I didn’t pick up.