I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 149



Only Noblemtl

149 Italian (3)

“I think it would be best to end the meeting here for today.”

Tom Vilsack, who had been silent, stood up and cleaned up his place. Then the American personnel also stood up and left the place.

“Ambassador···.”

The embassy staff catches him with anxious faces.

“I know. We should go back too.”

Even if things went wrong, there was nothing I could do right now.

Giuseppe gets up after packing his documents into his bag. Before leaving, he turns around to see the untouched meatball spaghetti on the table. He picks up his fork, cuts the meatball in half, and tastes it with the noodles.

“There must be something wrong with the American tongue.”

Giuseppe picks up a napkin and wipes his mouth. He then opens a bottle of water, takes a sip, and walks out of the office.

Thud thud.

Today was a day when I absolutely had to make even a small progress. However, I couldn’t control my anger at the moment and ended up ruining the meeting.

‘I guess it’s time to retire. You’re disqualified as a diplomat for harming your country.’

His back, with his shoulders slumped, looked lonely.

* * *

“Honey, what’s bothering you?”

Giuseppe’s wife, Gianna, looks at him and asks. The two are on a date on Broadway in New York to celebrate their wedding anniversary. However, Giuseppe is having trouble enjoying the day to the fullest.

“I’m sorry. I just have a lot on my mind these days.”

Italian men are generally considered to be philanderers, but Giuseppe has loved only his wife his entire life. Gianna, the daughter of a noble family, declared that she would marry Giuseppe, a mediocre college student, despite the opposition of those around her, and left home. At the time, she was only twenty years old.

“I made a reservation at a restaurant you’ll like today. You can look forward to it.”

Gianna grabs Giuseppe’s hand and they get into the car and soon enough they arrive at their destination.

“It’s beautiful. It looks like Tuscan style architecture.”

The restaurant she had made a reservation at was a building that looked like something you would see on a street in medieval Tuscany.

“I heard that it was actually designed based on that place. As I was flipping through the magazine, I saw a building that looked familiar in New York. So I looked into it and found out that it was a restaurant run by a famous Korean chef. I thought it would be nice to come today, so I made a reservation in advance.”

Gianna explains to him excitedly.

“But Gianna.”

Giuseppe hesitates to join the Korean chef. Italian restaurants are everywhere in the world. Having lived as ambassadors for a long time and visited Italian restaurants in various countries, the two have never been satisfied with restaurants run by foreigners.

“This place will be fine. I heard that Romeo’s only disciple is the head chef.”

Romeo Greco was a famous Italian chef in his home country who had received three Michelin stars in New York. Giuseppe was also a little intrigued by the fact that he was his disciple.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Daughter.

As you open the heavy door and step inside, you see an interior made of wood and stone.

It seemed that considerable care had been taken not only in the exterior but also in the interior. Gianna was reminded of the house in Milan where she lived as a child. The thick and soft carpet made her feel a pleasant thrill with every step. There was a nostalgic smell coming from somewhere. It was the smell of tomatoes, herbs, and cheese mixed together that she felt when walking through the alleys of Milan at dinner time.

“Welcome. This is Segreto. I will confirm your reservation.”

A sommelier in crisp clothes confirmed the reservation for the two and showed them to their seats. It was a seat with a large window that gave a cool view of the outside. On the wall was a painting depicting people riding gondolas with Santa Maria della Salute, a symbol of Venice, in the background.

“It looks like a painting by Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal * an 18th century Venetian painter who mainly painted landscapes). It’s nice to see Venice, even in a painting.”

In addition to that, there were various paintings hanging, all of which perfectly suited the tastes of the two. Gianna, who had not been able to go to her hometown for a long time, thought that the paintings and the atmosphere alone were enough to make it worth coming here today.

She ordered the special lunch course, which was the most expensive on the lunch menu. The restaurant’s best course is usually served at dinner. However, in this kind of atmosphere, she thought she could enjoy lunch as well.

“I started to feel excited.”

“Me too. There is no greater waste than serving poor food in a restaurant with this kind of atmosphere.”

While the two were talking, a server arrived with champagne, ham, and bread.

“Oh my! It’s grissini and ciabatta. There are many different kinds of ham. The culatello and salami are also Tuscan style. I miss it! The exterior and the food in this restaurant are definitely northern style.”

The two exchanged a quick toast with their eyes and began to drink wine. Then they enjoyed an appetizer of buttered bread and ham.

“The bread is a little different. It’s much softer than the traditional Italian style.”

“Italian wheat is a bit too coarse for bread. They probably used French wheat. The butter seems to be different, too.”

Gianna nods at Giuseppe’s words. Like a gourmet, Giuseppe savors each piece of ham, bread, and butter. Then, as he washes his palate with champagne, antipasto (appetizer) is served at just the right time.

“An appetizer with caviar and shrimp. The red color is extracted from pomegranate. I recommend tasting all the layers at once.”

The server greeted them and left the table. The two men couldn’t take their eyes off their appetizers.

“It’s beautiful. It’s like a jewel.”

Pomegranate-colored gelatin spreads across the plate, sparkling. In the center is white shrimp meat, and on top is deep blue caviar, creating a contrast of colors that almost makes you feel like you are looking at a work of art.

The two people put their forks deep in to scoop up the food and then bring it to their mouths.

The red gelatin spreads the rich taste of fish and spreads like a soft pudding in the mouth. Then, the chewy shrimp meat and caviar are chewed. Inside, there is a soft velouté sauce. The creamy scent and taste come late and finish the taste cleanly.

“The impact is huge.”

Gianna smiles with satisfaction.

“They say you’re Romeo’s disciple, and you live up to your reputation. The food was good.”

Giuseppe smiled at the satisfying meal he was enjoying for the first time in a long while.

“It’s beef tartare.”

The server brought a cart. On the tray were three kinds of raw meat, egg yolks, chopped vegetables, and salt.

“excuse me.”

Maitre Dee began to slice the meat into grids with her skilled hands using a chef’s knife. In no time, the meat was cut into small cubes. She mixed in the chopped shallots, celery, pears, chives, and coriander and broke the egg yolk.

She sprinkled salt and mixed the ingredients, then gathered all the ingredients together, shaped them, and placed them on a plate. It was a great job. She finished it off by adding basil leaves and pouring a thick sauce, and then carefully placed the plate in front of the two of them.

Giuseppe was greatly impressed by the unexpected performance. He enjoyed watching it the whole time.

“This menu was created by our head chef and is inspired by carpaccio (Italian raw meat dish). Enjoy.”

She winks at them both and leaves.

“It’s different from French tartare.”

“I think so too. Let’s taste it.”

Gianna picks up her fork and takes a taste first, her mouth watering.

From tenderloin, sirloin, and beef thigh, the three types of meat dance in your mouth with their own unique charms. The crispiness of the shallots and celery, and the refreshing taste of the pear harmonize with the meat to create a delightful ecstasy. The sauce based on fresh egg yolk and rich balsamic also went well with the dish.

“This is absolutely wonderful. It tastes better than any tartare I’ve had in Paris.”

“It was a dish that had a strong Italian feel.”

Even though it is the same raw meat dish, balsamic vinegar is usually used in carpaccio, unlike tartare. This chef was inspired by this and created a tartare with a completely different taste. It was also a taste that I experienced for the first time using pear.

“Neapolitan-style mussel marinara linguine.”

While I was immersed in the afterglow for a moment, the server brought me a Primo Piato.

“Wow! I never thought I’d see pasta like this in America.”

Marinara is a sauce commonly made and eaten in Italy. It is also often used in steamed mussels, and this chef applied it to pasta. It was a dish that people in the southern region would like.

“This chef has a deep understanding of Italian cuisine.”

Giuseppe lowered his head and sniffed the pasta. The strong scent of the sea from the mussels and the smell of fresh olive oil. The scent of tomatoes that were clearly Italian reminded him of home.

This is real pasta. After seeing the cheap American pasta with meat and cheese thrown in and baked in the oven, I felt my eyes being purified when I came across authentic Italian. As I put the mussels and noodles in my mouth, the green tomato fields and the Mediterranean Sea spread out before my eyes.

“È buonissimo (really delicious). The mussels and Mariana sauce go together perfectly.”

“I heard the chef is Korean, but how does he make such Italian-style food? The linguine is soft but has a nice springiness to it, which is really great.”

The two enjoyed wine and food, laughing heartily for once.

“This is a red mullet with carrots as the main dish. Enjoy.”

The server deftly places the food on the table and walks away.

“Oh my! It’s beautiful. The chef here has a great sense of plating.”

The plate was decorated with moist red mullet and a garnish with a gorgeous floral pattern. The bright yellow sauce looked like a yellow butterfly fluttering around the flower.

“Let’s taste it.”

They were already somewhat full after eating all the pasta, but they were still very curious about what this dish would taste like.

Gianna holds the knife with a dignified manner, cuts the fish flesh, and puts it in her mouth. Then she closes her eyes. The fish flesh is so soft that it melts away as soon as it enters her mouth, leaving behind a rich savory taste. The harmony of the rich taste of the sauce and the fish flesh left a long aftertaste for Gianna.

‘What on earth is this source?’

I grew up in an aristocratic family and traveled the world with my husband, experiencing all kinds of delicacies, but this was a taste I had never experienced before.

A rich, savory flavor and a soft, warm taste coexist. It creates explosive synergy when combined with softly cooked red mullet.

The garnish was also excellent. The concentrated sweetness of the carrots and the acidity of the white wine cleanly balanced the taste that lingered in my mouth.

“honey?”

Giuseppe calls Gianna, who is still unable to recover from the afterglow.

“I’m sorry. I was surprised. How was the food?”

“It was a satisfying meal for once. This fish dish made me think about many things.”

“What kind?”

“I started to think that maybe I was too narrow-minded. I really didn’t know that I would come across such a dish in a foreign country, far away from my hometown. And the chef was a foreigner, right?”

After finishing the meal with dessert, coffee was served.

It was a course that was satisfying from start to finish. Giuseppe became curious about what kind of person the chef was.

Not long after, a handsome Asian man walked up to their table to say hello.