I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 48



Only Noblemtl

Bistecca Alla Fiorentina

A blind date was arranged for Suho and Ellis. Suho, who was feeling embarrassed, was brought in by Soohyun and Minhyuk, and Joohee also arrived at the restaurant with Ellis, who was all dolled up.

“Why is everyone so awkward?”

Su-hyeon opens the door first and enters the restaurant.

All five of them, including Joohee, sat around the table. Suho and Ellis exchanged brief glances.

“Today is a blind date in name only, but I know that neither of you are the type to force yourself to meet someone. Let’s just have a meal together today, and if you want to meet more, you two can do it on your own.”

Suho and Ellis let out a snicker as Joohee declares that her work ends here.

“Okay. I’m not a high school student.”

“I also feel more comfortable when you say it like that. Nice to meet you. I am Kim Soo-ho.”

Suho extends his hand.

“This is Alice Jeong. I’ve heard a lot about her.”

Joo-hee thought that the atmosphere between the two of them was not bad. They were looking at each other and smiling the whole time.

“I’m finally here. I’ve always wanted to come here, but I just couldn’t seem to find the time.”

Su-hyeon looks at the wine list on the table.

“The wine list here is practically an encyclopedia. There aren’t many places in New York that have a list this thorough.”

Suho, who loves wine, looks at the list.

“Don’t you like wine too, Joohee? Choose a good one for me today.”

Ellis tries to break the ice.

“Suho knows better than I do. I’ll leave it to Suho today.”

Joohee sets the tone for Suho to stand out during their first meeting with Ellis today.

“Okay, let’s start with Bollinger, RD Extra Brut Champagne 2005. It’s a very special champagne. It’s famous for being requested by the British royal family.”

Bernard, the manager and sommelier, comes out and serves us champagne.

“You have good taste in choosing this champagne.”

Bernard compliments the guest’s taste. This compliment should never be given to someone who does not know wine. It may even be considered insulting. This compliment, given only to guests who choose special wines, increases the satisfaction of the dining experience.

“Please enjoy the bread, cheese, and ham first.”

Four types of bread, including focaccia and grissini, various Italian cheeses, prosciutto, and culatello were served.

“Culatello is out?”

Su-hyeon makes an interesting expression.

“What is culatello?”

Ellis asks with a curious look.

“Cullatello is a traditional ham made in a town called Zibello in Italy.

Usually, prosciutto or ham are salted and aged in the whole leg. However, culatello is made by taking out only the thigh meat, putting it in a pig bladder, and sewing it shut. Then, it is tied tightly with string and aged in the basement for a long time. Try it.”

Suho, who enjoys dining, explains on their behalf.

“Oh my! The taste is really unique. It smells a bit like soybean paste.”

“Both soybean paste and ham use mold to grow and mature, so they have something in common.”

Next came the amuse-bouche.

“This is an olive fake. The outside is a solidified shell of ground olive particles, and the inside is filled with crab meat and cream. Enjoy in one bite.”

Bernard leaves behind a single olive sitting on a plate.

“It’s very unique. Let’s try it first.”

Minhyuk picks up an olive with a fork and eats it.

“The taste is really unique. At first, it has an olive flavor, but as you eat, the crab meat, cream, and cheese flavors mix together and dig into you.”

“I heard that Luce de Sole often serves dishes with unique combinations, and this is the first time I’ve tried it. It’s delicious.”

Ellis also had high expectations for this restaurant, which she had only heard about through rumors.

“This is a dish based on the Sicilian dessert, Cannoli. It contains custard cream, vanilla, cinnamon, cherries, and strawberries. It is topped with white truffle sauce.”

Bernard finishes serving and explains the dish.

“Isn’t that what you mean by cannoli? Godfather!”

Ellis makes a frustrated expression as if she doesn’t remember well.

“Leave the gun, take the canoli.”

Ellis’s expression brightens as Suho speaks his lines on her behalf.

“I heard about it because my father is a fan of the Godfather, but Suho knows about it too?”

“That line is so famous. Every man has probably seen it at least once.”

Director Coppola of The Godfather expressed the character of Clemenza, the leader of the action team, with this one line of dialogue. His innocence and ruthlessness are well expressed in this short line, which he blurts out dryly as he takes a cannoli with an indifferent expression after committing a murder.

“It tastes amazing. It’s the most flavorful truffle I’ve ever had. This is my first time getting 3 Michelin stars, so maybe that’s why. They only use the best ingredients.”

Ellis looks at Suho and asks.

“It’s a mushroom that costs millions of won per kilo. It has a really good flavor. It goes well with custard or fruit puree in cannoli.”

Next came scallop carpaccio and fig-covered chestnuts and foie gras.

“It doesn’t disappoint. It’s a really great course. I never thought I’d be able to eat better Italian food in the US than in Italy.”

Ellis, who has visited several restaurants in Italy, is impressed by the high quality of the cuisine here.

“Because the chef is that Romeo. He is probably one of the top three chefs in Italy these days.”

Suho was also interested in this place.

“The soup and main dish that will be served today are menus that Jehee oppa came up with.”

As soon as Joohee finished speaking, the server brought the food.

“A soup with a creamy sauce made with potatoes, cocoa, and coconut, topped with ground white truffle.”

A small bowl of creamy soup was brought out. Joohee scooped some up with a spoon and tasted it.

“It’s really delicious. Potatoes and truffles are a combination that never fails, and then there’s cocoa and coconut. I think the chewy part is coconut flesh.”

“The new chef is really creative. How did he think of putting cacao and coconut in the soup? And matching it with white truffle? It’s a new taste, but it doesn’t feel strange. And he brought out the white truffle so well. It feels like a dish made by someone who knows how to make truffle taste the best.”

Su-hyeon eats the soup and comments.

“It’s good that you came here today.”

“You came too late. I’m glad you came now.”

Minhyuk and Soohyun look at each other and smile.

Joohee thought that bringing the two together might have been the best thing she had done in recent years.

“This risotto is deeply flavored with foie gras, chorizo, and Gruyere cheese in a condensed cauliflower sauce. We used Carnaroli, a type of rice grown in northern Italy. Enjoy.”

Bernard steps aside after serving the risotto.

“Wow! This is a really luxurious risotto.”

Ellis’ eyes sparkle.

“Foie gras goes surprisingly well with risotto. I used it as a spread.”

Suho continues talking while savoring the risotto.

“The flavors of cauliflower, foie gras, and basil go well together. The flavors that could otherwise be light are well-balanced because the garnish adds weight.”

Suho thought it would be nice to be able to buy this kind of risotto in Korea too.

“It’s so delicious. But as I eat little by little, I feel like I’m going to get full. There’s still the main dish left.”

Ellis says with a look of resentment on her face.

“Today’s course costs $350 per person. Is there a demand for this kind of high-end restaurant in Korea?”

Min-hyuk suddenly becomes curious and asks Soo-hyun, who runs a restaurant in a hotel and a department store.

“The most important thing is the chef’s reputation. If a new chef does it himself, he has a good chance of success. He is widely known for his exquisite taste and has a great career. High-class people and celebrities will visit frequently.”

While we were talking, the main dish came out.

“I changed the main course to T-bone steak. I guess I feel like I haven’t eaten much if I don’t eat steak.”

Minhyuk smiles awkwardly.

“I also like meat as the main dish.”

“Bistecca Alla Fiorentina arranged by Chef Shin Je-hee.”

Bernard and two other servers place beautifully plated steaks on the table.

This is a T-bone steak with an overwhelming visual.

A thick steak, probably over 4 centimeters thick, was served neatly cut.

The crispy, yellow-brown exterior from high-temperature searing and the rose-colored gradation of the sirloin and tenderloin cut into left and right sides with the bone in the center create a beautiful contrast.

The meat juices flowed out from the cross-section and glistened. Joohee and her party reached for the steak as if they were in a trance, even though they were quite full.

Everyone in the group cut into the T-bone and ate it without exception.

“Oh my gosh! How can it be so delicious? It’s crispy on the outside, but it’s juicy when you chew on it. The tenderloin is almost like butter. When you put it in your mouth, the meat just disappears.”

Ellis is impressed.

“I thought the meat might be a bit tough because it was thick, but even the rib tips were tender. The meat flavor was strong, but it was soft and juicy. It was surprising how crispy the outside was and how tender the inside was.”

Minhyuk said while looking at Soohyun.

“T-bone is a very difficult cut to cook, but this was cooked to perfection.”

Minhyuk, who chose the menu at Soohyun’s suggestion, smiles and shrugs.

“Bistecca alla fiorentina is a charcoal-grilled T-bone, but this looks a little different. I’ve had it before in Florence, and it almost tasted like raw meat. This steak was perfectly cooked to medium-rare.”

Suho, who has a lot of gourmet experience, was quite surprised by the steak and his eyes widened.

As the course including dessert was over, everyone was unable to contain their fullness. The portion was much larger than expected.

* * *

As Joohee and her group were finishing their meal, I went out to say hello.

“How was the meal?”

“It was the best three-star restaurant I’ve ever been to. The steak in particular was incredible.”

Kim Soo-ho says with a smile.

“It was possible because we made a reservation in advance. We cooked the T-bone, which was dry-aged for 60 days, sous vide at 53 degrees for two hours.

Afterwards, it is finished by searing it over charcoal at over 300 degrees in the Florentine style. This steak can only be served if you make a reservation the day before.”

“It was really great. I was actually a little worried today. I was worried that it wouldn’t taste as good as I expected.”

“It’s more common than you might think to go to a famous restaurant and be disappointed. I’m glad you were satisfied.”

“Brother. Today’s course was really delicious. Everyone is having a hard time because they overate.”

Joohee holds my hand and says.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be on Christmas break, so I’ll be able to give you some tour guidance. Thank you for coming today.”

“I could not have been more satisfied with my meal today.”

Kim Soo-ho extends his hand.

I no longer find Kim Soo-ho as annoying as I used to. Is it because I no longer identify with him?

I remember that after the ice rink, I took his stuff as if it was mine. Thinking back, I think I thought of myself as another Kim Soo Ho. But not anymore.

I took the hand he extended and shook it firmly.

“Please come back again. And you two look great together.”

I hope he is happy.

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