I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 39



Only Noblemtl

Joseph Laurent

“Today, we learned about Alderfer’s ERG theory. Next time, I hope you will learn about Maslow’s five-level hierarchy of needs.

“I know it’s going to be tough with exams coming up soon, but eat on time and don’t drink too much caffeine, it’s bad for your health. See you next week.”

Professor Clayton leaves after class.

Joohee leaves the classroom with a haggard-looking face, having finished writing her notes. She hasn’t slept five hours in the past three days. Exams start next week, but there are still so many things she doesn’t know.

There are too many subjects to study, such as marketing management, financial management, management information systems, management strategy, and organizational management theory.

There are top-tier MBA programs around the world, commonly referred to as the M7 (Chicago, Harvard, Stanford, Pennsylvania, Columbia, Northwestern, MIT).

Harvard is one of the top schools in the country, so the level of students entering the school is beyond imagination. No matter how hard you study, when you actually get the results, you feel grateful that you didn’t fall behind.

Joohee buys five cans of Red Bull at the store, stuffs them into her bag, and walks to the cafe. She has an appointment today.

“Long time no see. Is class over now?”

Minhyuk waves his hand happily. But Joohee waves her hand as if she is annoyed and plops down on her chair.

“Where’s my coffee?”

The world looks so annoying.

“Wow! Is that the first thing you say to your brother when you meet him after almost two years?”

Minhyuk makes a regretful expression and shrugs his hands exaggeratedly.

“Oppa. I haven’t slept properly for days now. My skin is a mess and I’m half-dead.”

Minhyuk looks at Joohee with pitiful eyes, then hears the call and brings her coffee. It’s Americano, Joohee’s favorite drink.

“I drink espresso these days. Double. The caffeine in Americano doesn’t satisfy my body’s needs.”

Now I know why Jehee drinks only espresso whenever he gets the chance.

“If you study abroad twice, you’ll become a complete loser. Now, Jehee has to see you like this.”

Minhyuk smiles mischievously.

“Oppa. That can’t happen. Whenever I meet Jehee oppa, I always go prepared. If I have any skin trouble, I take care of it a few days in advance and only then do I meet him after my skin has become clear.”

Joohee puts sugar cubes into the espresso.

“Hey. I can’t really tell if I should be jealous of Jaehee or not. So if Jaehee were you, would you still be drooling?”

Min-hyuk was grateful to Je-hee for supporting Joo-hee, whether it was years ago or now. He no longer doubts that his presence was what fueled his younger sister’s passion for learning and motivated her to study at a good school.

“It’s all supported by my invisible efforts. Do you know that maintaining this body and beauty is usually difficult?”

Joohee takes out a mirror and looks at her face. She looks a little sallow and tired, but fortunately she has no skin problems. Since cutting down on carbohydrates, skin care has become much easier.

“You should know that this is your personality. I feel like I’m sinning against my brother-in-law because I couldn’t tell him.”

“Don’t say anything weird. I’m the one who has to confess all of my dark past to Soo-hyun.”

“You used to be small, but you’ve grown a lot. Are you okay other than studying being difficult?”

Minhyuk changes the subject as if he feels stung.

“Isn’t there anything else besides getting asked out on dates periodically?”

Joohee says it like it’s nothing.

“who?”

“It depends. Last week it was one of the Saudi princes.”

“There are thousands of princes in Saudi Arabia? But what kind of prince is in graduate school?”

“There are Belgian royalty. There are so many second and third generation members of the world’s top 500 companies that I can’t even count them. I’m just an ordinary student here.”

“Harvard’s treatment of the rich hasn’t changed from the past?”

“I think it’s more about securing diversity than preferential treatment for the wealthy. There are people from diverse backgrounds, including those who worked in government agencies, Wall Street analysts, and special forces officers.”

“I was thinking about going to New York together and meeting Jehee, but it would be difficult, right?”

“I know I’m in the middle of an exam period. Let’s talk again after the exams are over.”

“But I asked you to cook for my wedding, so I guess I should bring a nice gift. Do you have any recommendations?”

Minhyuk’s heart was always uncomfortable because he was trying to invite Jehee, who was so expensive these days, to the wedding.

“Well… Actually, Jehee oppa is a person who lacks nothing. But sincerity is important. If you just buy him a suit, he’ll be happy.”

“Okay. Then I’ll make you look amazing from head to toe.”

“And this is something your father gave you. Now you’ve officially taken office as a director. When I was your age, I was working in the field. Aren’t you being too favoritism?”

Minhyuk smiles and hands over the documents.

[Stock donation agreement]

Shares in three of the affiliated companies were donated to Joohee.

“I made a place for you in advance. You can start whenever you want after you graduate.”

“Thank you. I don’t know yet when Jehee oppa will return to Korea, so I’ll stay at the US branch for the time being.”

“Okay. Let’s go get something to eat. Is there anywhere worth going?”

Minhyuk’s voice tone rose as if he was expecting something delicious.

“Do you like burgers?”

Joohee still frequently visits Mr. Bartley’s Burger, where she went with Jehee.

* * *

What are the advantages of living in New York?

California can be cited for its weather, France and Italy for its fashion and food, and Korea for its culture represented by nightlife and K-POP. However, it is difficult to pinpoint just one thing about New York.

Is it because there are no particular advantages? No, it’s the opposite.

New York is home to Broadway, one of the two greatest musical meccas in the world along with England’s West End, and is also home to one of the world’s four biggest fashion weeks along with Milan, Paris, and London.

New York is a global financial and trade center and home to many world-class museums and art galleries.

I am now at one of them, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. It is a huge museum that condenses the history of art from the last 150 years, including modern art, post-modernism, and contemporary art.

Being able to see paintings by masters like Van Gogh, Picasso, and Mondrian for free every day is a great blessing for New Yorkers, although the lines are often extremely long during free hours.

I visit art galleries regularly to get inspiration for cooking and plating. When I look at the works, sometimes I get an idea of ​​what color contrast I should give to the vegetables and main dish when plating them.

I left the museum and headed to the restaurant I had made a reservation for. The chef I had been waiting for had finally become independent and opened a fine dining restaurant. I still vividly remember the excitement I felt when I first tasted his food in my previous life.

The restaurant was on the second floor of a modern building in the heart of Manhattan. It was an area with high rents, but it seemed to have received significant investment.

When you go inside, the ceiling and floor are finished with warm wood materials. The left wall is made of gray bricks to give it an antique feel, while the right wall is made of geometric colors arranged harmoniously like a modern art piece.

The square tables and interior design are a good match for the image of New York. The server checks the reservation list and guides you to your seat.

“This is Nicolas Feuillatte. Enjoy it cold.”

The champagne is quite powerful. The refreshing and clean taste makes you look forward to the course that is about to begin.

“It’s an amuse-bouche.”

The squid was baked in a pan and topped with sauce and boiled radish.

It seems to have various herbs and sauces, so I wonder what it tastes like. When I took a bite, I could tell that it was arranged with Romesco sauce. In addition, I could taste mustard and whipped cream. The radish was cooked for a long time, so it was soft. It fell apart as soon as I put it in my mouth. The radish was boiled with beef bones and various herbs, so it had an excellent deep flavor.

The second was a beautifully plated ceviche. I could tell from the taste that it was inspired by Japanese sashimi. It was made with a base of yuzu ponzu, and the taste was adjusted to suit Western tastes. It was a very good raw fish dish that I had tasted in New York. I closed my eyes and savored the taste and aroma.

The third was Italian yukhoe, and the fourth was traditional French, topped with caviar and truffle on a small piece of bread.

When I tasted it, I found honey and sour cream inside. The contrast of flavors was clear. Truffle, caviar, and sour cream created a violent harmony in my mouth.

I rinsed my mouth with water and prepared to eat my entree.

Oyster dish was served.

Taillevent is a French court cuisine. It is a dish that is made by lightly poaching oysters, stir-frying them with onions, and then boiling them with ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and saffron.

However, this soup has been modified a lot. It seems that the broth is made by boiling the bones of sea bream. The contents are also a mixture of abalone and sea bream meat.

You can feel the chef’s efforts to maximize the rich flavor and aroma of oysters while also providing a variety of textures and unexpected depth of flavor.

“It’s delicious. It’s so wonderful.”

The price of the dinner course today is $250. If you think about the cost while eating, it is a failed course. It is first-class when you can make the customer forget the price of the meal, admire the food, and leave the restaurant with a satisfied expression.

In fine dining, complimenting your server on the food and expressing gratitude for their service helps you enjoy your meal. They are professionals, but they are also people. They say compliments make even whales dance, right?

“Thank you. This soup has been well received by our customers. Please look forward to our next dish.”

The server winks and takes away the empty plate.

Chicken was served as the main dish. Chicken is considered a weak ingredient for a main dish in fine dining. However, the moment I saw the food served, that prejudice disappeared. All parts of the chicken were beautifully cooked on one plate.

“This is Bresse Chicken. All the delicious parts are on one plate. Enjoy.”

The Bresse chicken is a native French breed of chicken. Like the Iberian pig, its breeding conditions are regulated by law.

They only feed them milk, wheat, and corn and let them roam around freely, even catching bugs. They say the secret to Breath Chicken is time, happy chickens, and good soil, and the flavor is definitely rich.

In the middle is a steak cooked sous vide with chicken breast, and from the edges, the main dish is surrounded by chicken gizzards, lungs, thighs, and tenderloin.

The server puts in some grated truffle and pours on some sauce. It’s a mustard-based Mornay sauce. The strong aroma surges. I cut it with a knife and taste it slowly. The sauce mixes with the meat, creating an indescribable taste sensation. What a great sense.

For dessert, we had Comté and Chaource cheeses. The rich French flavor was smooth and creamy, washing down my palate.

The final dessert was vanilla chocolate cake with ice cream. The last course should always be something sweet that the guests want.

After the course, the chef came out to say hello.

“You’re Chef Shin Je-hee. How was the food?”

A handsome man looks at me, smiles brightly, and asks to shake my hand.

He’s taller than me. He has brown hair, blue eyes, and a beard that looks like it’s been unshaven for two days.

French-American chef Joseph Laurent,

He already won the Michelin Young Chef Award three years ago.

He started his career in Paris at a young age, and after moving to the United States, he rose to the position of sous chef at Per Se in just three years. He then moved to Spain to work for another three-star restaurant, Martin Berasategui, for two years.

And last year, the darling of the culinary world finally opened a restaurant to much anticipation and received one star in just one year.

He is 30 years old, just one year older than me.

“Nice to meet you, Joseph. It’s an honor to know you.”

He extended his hand, shook it, and sat down.

“Chef Shin Je-hee, you are so famous, of course I know you.

I’ve become quite well-known in the culinary world now. Sometimes, when I’m walking down the street, Americans ask me for my autograph.

The photo was only published once in Food & Wine, but America is still in an age where the influence of analog magazines is alive and well.

“Isn’t Joseph the dream of young chefs? I have no doubt that you will become the youngest chef to receive three Michelin stars.”

“Faster than you?”

Was it unexpected? He looks at me with a surprised expression and says. What kind of person did he think I was? I guess he imagined a confident chef full of ego.

I remember him getting three Michelin stars in his mid-30s. Can I beat Joseph, who broke the old record of youngest person ever to get one?

“I appreciate your high regard for me, but I am still just a sous chef. I cannot compare to Joseph, who already has his own dining establishment.”

He is a more pleasant person than you might think. He is a genius chef, but he is also very eager to learn and does not hesitate to explore new things.

“How humble. I was shocked when I saw your cooking in a magazine. It was creative and beautifully plated. Today’s ceviche was also inspired by Chef Shin’s sea bass dish.”

I’m glad I inspired such a great chef.

“I have learned a lot from Joseph’s cooking. The course I had today was more elegant, French, and delicious than any French course I have had in the United States.”

In the culinary world, there is no need for winners and losers. What I need is colleagues who can constantly stimulate each other and grow together.

Yes. For example, this kind of person.

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