I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 175



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175 World Class Aura

“Mr. Gilyoung, you said you were a chef? What kind of dishes do you cook?”

I was lucky.

When my friend told me he would introduce me to a girl, I had no expectations at all.

Moreover, Gil-young works at the busiest restaurant in Korea. After finishing his day’s work, he returns home and passes out on his bed like a corpse, so he doesn’t have the energy to go on blind dates.

But one photo a friend showed me changed everything.

The saying that the mind transcends the body was not a lie. The body that had been screaming recovered in an instant when it saw her face. He thought that he had to go on this blind date even if he died the next day. And when he actually met her, her appearance met his expectations 120%.

“Yes. I work at Segreto. I’m currently working at the cold station.”

Is this what it feels like to work at a big company?

Without going into detail, everyone knows what their job is. At least, anyone who is interested in this field can’t help but know.

“So, do you work with Chef Shin Je-hee and stuff?”

The owner mainly stays and works at the head office in New York and occasionally comes to Korea.

Even though I’m in Korea, I mostly communicate with the head chef, Rachel, and rarely work with her.

However, it was also true that he had clearly been trained by the owner and had worked together in the kitchen.

“Not often, though.”

So what I’m saying now isn’t a lie.

“Wow! That’s amazing. I’ve been to Segreto twice before and it was really delicious. Is Chef Shin really nice in real life? He seemed really gentle on TV….”

Her eyes sparkle brightly and her reaction makes me feel proud. Chefs are so popular these days. Thanks to that, I guess I got this opportunity.

“You can think of it as exactly what you see on the screen. They are more detailed than you think and take good care of their employees.”

The conversation about the owner continued for a long time.

I tried to change the subject, but her attention was entirely focused on Chef Shin Je-hee.

Only then did Gil-young understand why such a beautiful woman had asked his friend to introduce her to him.

We ended the conversation on a gloomy note and parted ways, promising to meet again next time. But there probably won’t be a next time.

When I got home, the accumulated fatigue came rushing back twice. I didn’t want to think about anything. I just lay there like I was dead, regained my strength, and headed to work the next day.

* * *

Segreto’s start time is 8:00 AM.

There’s a lot to do in the morning, as lunch service starts at 11am.

Since Chef Shin Je-hee’s great success, the popularity of CIA among culinary students has increased significantly.

After graduating from the CIA, you start out as an intern at a famous restaurant and work your way up. After you have built up enough experience, it would be best to open a restaurant with local investment, but you can also get your experience recognized if you return to Korea.

There is an increasing number of chefs who want to follow the path that Chef Shin Je-hee took.

Gil Young-do was one of them. He majored in cooking at one of the top three culinary schools in Korea and also studied English steadily without stopping. Then, a turning point came to him. Segreto Seoul opened.

‘Do I really need to go to the CIA and take on a debt of over 100 million won? If I can work at Segreto, wouldn’t I be able to skip that process?’

I wonder if I was the only one who thought that way, the competition to get hired was extremely fierce.

If it hadn’t been for the English proficiency requirement in the application qualifications, I would never have been accepted here. My experience of living abroad for two years as a child was a great help.

Upon arriving at the locker room, a clean, laundered chef’s uniform is placed in front of his locker. Gil-young quickly unfolds the ironing board and begins to iron his clothes.

While attending college, Gil-young interned at various restaurants during each vacation.

The places I worked were mostly five-star hotel restaurants, and none of them provided laundry service.

In Korea, it is standard to give uniforms and let them manage it themselves. So when I first came here, I remember being amazed and saying, ‘Wow. This is definitely a restaurant in a developed country!’

But now I know.

Segreto does not rely on the autonomy of its employees. It systematically does not tolerate lazy employees wearing dirty chef’s uniforms.

When I go to work in the morning and iron my clothes, my mind, which had become loose during the holiday, begins to tighten up again.

“Good morning Gilyoung.”

“Hi Chris.”

Another thing that sets Segreto apart from other Korean restaurants is that they all have the same opening hours.

When I was interning at a hotel, I would come in early in order of rank and start organizing materials. Then, after the basic cleaning and organizing was done, the manager or assistant manager would come in and explain what had to be done that day.

But here, everyone comes to work on time and starts work at the same time.

Cleanliness is the top priority in a restaurant. We clean once when we arrive at work and again after business is over.

Once you’re done cleaning, the materials start to pile up.

Imported food ingredients come directly from the logistics center, and the remaining ingredients are also delivered directly here from the local area.

After organizing the materials that came in, he had time to look at the shift for that day. Gil-young quickly scanned the shifts posted on the board and the things he had to do.

“Tomato sauce, basil pesto, scallops, abalone….”

I quickly read through the sources I need to make and the ingredients I need to prepare and then get to work.

At Segreto, the common language in the kitchen is English, but with more than half of the 20 or so people being Korean, languages ​​inevitably mix.

When Rachel gets angry, she swears in French.

At first, I was overwhelmed and out of my mind just trying to adapt to this atmosphere. But I had to do it. My experience working at Segreto is a career that is recognized even overseas.

You can learn how to cook, gain experience, and even learn English while earning money. Plus, the wages are twice what you would pay at other Korean restaurants.

It could be said to be a dream job for chefs. However, there were many who couldn’t stand it and quit.

Again, this is the busiest kitchen in Korea. And it’s also one of the most sophisticated.

It goes without saying that you can’t survive without passion and skills, and as a plus, smooth team communication and a high level of work ethic are required.

“Gilyoung. Start the amuse-bouche.”

Looking at his watch, it was already almost time for service. Gil-young hurriedly finished the sauce and started preparing lunch.

“Two calzones, amatriciana, carbonara, carpaccio, and Zuppa di Cozze (Italian steamed mussels).”

“Yes, Chef!”

As Rachel calls out the orders, the kitchen starts to get busy. It’s a time when everyone is on edge. Why would anyone quit a good job like this?

If you feel like your presence is a nuisance in the kitchen, there are only two options: either adapt quickly and become a force to be reckoned with, or give up and leave.

Trainees are scrap labor to begin with. However, if a chef who has been officially hired is treated as an outsider, the sense of shame is indescribably painful.

Place the ham on a rack and start slicing it thinly. Cut the cheese and butter into appropriate sizes.

Wash and dry the salad vegetables and carefully plate them on a plate, then sprinkle with sauce.

Put a generous amount of oil in the pan and start frying the scallops.

When one side is cooked, add water, close the lid, and cook the rest with steam. This is to provide two textures at the same time: crispy and soft.

Chris glances at the scallops, takes them, and starts arranging them on a plate. He spreads the hollandaise sauce, tops them with the scallops and grilled olives, sprinkles on some chopped fresh chives, spreads the scallops with truffle mayonnaise, and carefully places a spoonful of caviar on top.

Gil-young watched the scene carefully.

I heard there’s a freaking Korean Demi in the cold part of the New York flagship store.

He says that even the great Chris becomes a docile lamb in front of a woman much younger than him. What kind of place is the main branch?

As you work, you will definitely have the opportunity to go to the head office.

Gil-young’s ultimate goal is to move to the main branch and rise to the position of sous chef. He wants to make a name for himself in one of the best restaurants in New York, the center of world gastronomy.

Guests suddenly start streaming in. It’s earlier than the reservation time.

Rachel’s face, which had been conducting the pass, becomes grimaced. She rolls up her sleeves and enters the kitchen to start preparing the main course.

The amuse-bouche is starting to get messy. The pasta is almost done, but the appetizers that were supposed to go out before that haven’t been finished.

Christ also seems out of his mind.

‘What should I do?’

My eyes are twitching. My head is spinning and I feel like I’m going to panic. The chefs start yelling. The rhythm of the kitchen is falling apart.

Then he came into the kitchen.

“Rachel. Braised lamb first. Then sirloin three, quick.”

“Yes, Chef!”

“Substitute. Add two more pans. Amatriciana and carbonara come out at the same time. They start at the same time. I’ll pay for the amuse-bouche by then. Boil the noodles first.”

“Yes, Chef!”

“I will help Chris and Gilyoung.”

As soon as the owner came in, the kitchen calmed down. Everyone felt the impatience disappear from their hearts.

‘Your hands are too fast.’

In the blink of an eye, an amuse-bouche is served. Then, he moves to the pasta station and handles orders by tossing the pan.

Before we knew it, the stormy time had passed and the kitchen was at peace again.

The owner stands at the pass, inspects the food, and gives the OK sign to the hall as if nothing had happened.

I think I’m going to fall in love with it. It’s so crazy cool.

‘Can I be like that too?’

If you think about it, the age difference isn’t that big. How much time does it take to become a chef like that?

“older brother.”

After lunch service, it was finally break time.

Gil-young is taking a break at the back of the restaurant with Hye-hwan as usual.

“why.”

Hyeop’s energy level is lower than usual, as if he’s struggling with the unexpected rush of guests.

“You’ve worked in New York.”

Hyosan used to tell stories like a war story to Korean chefs who had never experienced New York.

“That’s right.”

“How are the chefs there?”

Hyeok-hwan looks at Gil-yeong with an expression that asks why he is asking such a thing. Then he snickers.

“Do you like soccer?”

“It’s amazing. I watched all the major EPL and La Liga games. But I can’t do that now.”

“When you watch soccer, sometimes there are teams that show crazy performances. From the build-up, 11 people move organically, occupying space without any unnecessary things and passing, passing, passing! And gooooool!”

“That’s what Barcelona is like these days.”

“When I was in New York, I thought that even though the fields were different, the aura that world-class teams gave off was similar.

They are the ones who, when necessary, show crazy performances according to the owner’s instructions.

“We also did G20 together, and the sous chef has been with us since Luce de Sole, so you can tell what he wants just by looking at his eyes. Dominic and Ella are also great chefs.”

“I’m a cold part, but I’m worried about other people.”

“Soyoung?”

“yes.”

“You’re another hidden monster. You have an innocent face, but you calmly destroy people’s dreams. Do you think people without talent would cook because they’re sad?”

“Is it that awesome?”

“Will we have a chance to meet later?”

Hyuk-hwan gets up and taps Gil-young on the shoulder.

Segreto was peaceful today too.