I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 59



Only Noblemtl

Ideal Employee

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ramsay.”

“Call me Gordon. It’s an honor to meet you. I enjoyed watching you on that shitty TV show.”

“Haha. It’s embarrassing. I just caused a useless controversy.”

“No. With a tongue like yours, of course you should go. I pride myself on having a pretty good sense of taste, but I was surprised when I saw that broadcast. I heard that you’re going to be a judge with me this time, and I cheered when I heard the news.”

“thank you.”

Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to have left a negative impression.

“Am I invisible?”

A sharp-faced Italian man with a clean-shaven head greets me with a commanding presence.

“Excuse me, Joe.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Shin Je-hee.”

I shook his hand politely.

“Huh. Do you know me?”

“Of course I know. Don’t you have several restaurants in New York?”

Joe Bastianic.

He is a manager who runs over 20 restaurants in New York and LA and has collected many Michelin stars. Joe, who also owns a vineyard and is a wine producer, is known for his picky palate.

“Then the story will be quick.”

“What brings you here?”

“The MasterChef production team wanted the judges to do something for publicity. So I spoke to Gordon and he said he wanted to talk to you, so I came.”

“Do you have any thoughts?”

Then Joe looks at Gordon.

“I think we’ll have to film a promotional video. The judges’ concept is clear.”

Gordon says with a confident smile.

“Chef.”

He points to himself.

“Restaurant owner and wine producer.”

This time it refers to Joe.

“And absolute taste.”

Finally, it points to me.

“I’m a chef too?”

“That’s the concept. I think we should try making a promotional video with this concept. What do you think?”

“I can’t claim my chef career in front of Gordon, okay?”

“Okay! I’ll wait and get in touch. We both have restaurants in New York, so I think we’ll stay here for a while.”

“Can I visit the restaurant sometime?”

“Wow. It’s scary that the absolute sense of taste is visiting? I’ll have to harass the staff a bit. They’re always welcome. And don’t forget to give them feedback.”

Gordon laughs coquettishly.

“I’m also welcome. The restaurant in New York just got a Michelin star.”

Joe accepted my offer without hesitation. I wonder what the food tastes like in the restaurant run by these great people.

* * *

The handover is going smoothly. As Ferrerico becomes more familiar with the work, I can use my time on weekdays. Today, I stopped by JP Morgan Investment Securities for the first time in a long time.

“How have you been? Will?”

“Jaehee. Welcome. I was going to contact you anyway. There’s something fishy about Jaehee’s account.”

“You say it’s not normal?”

“Apple, which I bought at a price of $2.97, has surpassed $7. Amazon, which I bought at $2.13, is just over $6. MS is the same. Jehee is now a billionaire.”

Will spreads out the chart and explains it with a very excited expression.

“Money has to be taken out and spent to be meaningful. I plan to just keep it, so my life won’t change.”

“I really envy you for having that much wealth at that age.”

Will looks at me as if he’s genuinely jealous.

“What is the current stock valuation?”

“It’s a little over $260 million.

That’s about 300 billion won, so that’s enough money to last a lifetime. However, it would be rude to just pass up the opportunity to make money right in front of you.

“Why don’t you invest in Willdo Big Tech?”

“It went up so fast. It went up so fast, right after recovering from the subprime crisis. It’s faster than I thought.”

It’s a shame you don’t want it to go up more than 20 times in the next 12 years.

“Is there any talk of Tesla going public?”

“Tesla is currently coordinating a date with the underwriter. It will IPO around the middle of this year. You don’t think you want to invest here, do you? Tesla has never made a profit since its founding.”

Tesla is currently struggling with a lack of funding. It has finally decided to go for an IPO and only after receiving funding can it establish a proper production system.

“I feel like I want to make a bet. I will participate in the IPO. When it goes public, please sell 25% of my shares and invest in Tesla.”

“This is crazy. Even I, Jehee, would like to oppose it.”

Will firmly disagrees. It’s understandable, since he’ll get more commissions if the stock price goes up. But I shake my head.

“Do as I say. So that I don’t have to change brokerage firms.”

“All right.”

* * *

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Logan.”

“Please call me James. Is your request for remodeling?”

While I was looking for an architectural firm, I came across a European-style building on the street that I liked. And it turns out that Logan Firm was the one who designed that building.

“Yes. It’s a small three-story building in Greenwich Village. I’d like to remodel it into a modern European style building.”

“There are quite a few buildings like that. It’s not difficult. Do you have a portfolio?”

“Of course.”

I sent James photos of the type of building I wanted, which I had collected over the years. It was a type of building that was commonly seen in 19th century France and Italy. However, the interior was refined and simple, with a wooden finish that emphasized luxury.

In this space where the past and present coexist, I want to create my own dish that reinterprets traditional European cuisine in a modern way.

“Um… I guess you want to use stone for the exterior walls. The interior should be completely demolished and finished with wooden interior materials. That’s going to cost a lot of money, right?”

He frowns. It might cost more than tearing it down and building anew.

“You don’t have to worry about the budget. Just like in the picture here, I want the walls, ceiling, and floor all finished with wood. I also want the windows to be large so that there’s plenty of sunlight. I’m thinking of making a wine cellar as large as possible in the basement.”

“It seems possible if we clean up the basement. Is there anything else you would like?”

“The first floor will house the kitchen and the staff’s break room, and the second floor will be the hall. Pay special attention to the stairs connecting the first and second floors. I want customers to feel excited about the food as they climb the antique wooden stairs. The third floor will house the office and research lab.”

“Your kitchen is huge. You even wrote down the model names of the appliances in detail, so it will be easier to work. When should we start?”

“You can start right away. It’s empty now.”

“Okay, I’ll get back to you once I have the detailed design.”

“thank you.”

* * *

Chef Jeong Ki-woon opens a restaurant in New York.

Known for his skills since his days at the CIA, he started his career at a French restaurant. He later moved to a Spanish restaurant that received three Michelin stars, where he stood out. It seems that he caught the eye of investors and quickly took the path to becoming an owner chef.

“Chef Shin!”

Soyoung smiles at me and waves her hand.

“long time no see.”

“I didn’t know you would contact me, so thank goodness.”

I have chosen Soyoung as a key person when I open my restaurant. I send her text messages from time to time to make sure she doesn’t go anywhere else, and today we decided to go to the restaurant opened by Chef Jeong Gi-un together.

“I told you. That business card is a scouting offer. When did you say you were graduating?”

“I’m graduating this fall.”

“It would be good for you to start working for me right after you graduate. I plan to get a Michelin star quickly.”

“I’m grateful. No matter where you go, you have to start from the bottom, so I’m glad I caught the owner chef’s eye.”

“Yeah. Don’t forget that feeling. Are you doing well as an intern?”

“I don’t know. I just peel potatoes and onions every day.”

She started interning at another famous New York restaurant after I told her I was quitting Luce de Sole. Interns are not treated well wherever you go, so you will have a hard time.

“The first time is always difficult. Come on! I’m looking forward to seeing what delicious food Chef Jeong Gi-un will prepare today. Let’s go.”

I took Soyoung in the car and headed to Chef Jeong Gi-un’s restaurant, ‘Hansik’.

Chef Jeong Gi-un’s timeline is flowing exactly like his previous life. He opened a restaurant this year and received his first star three years later. He must be having a hard time right now, having just opened.

The Korean restaurant, which received a large investment, was located in the heart of Manhattan. After parking and going inside, the octagonal Korean traditional patterned wooden windows caught my eye. I could tell that a lot of effort had been put into the interior design.

I sit down and look at the menu. The dinner course is $150. This is not an expensive price in New York, but it is also a price that is hard to pay without trusting the chef.

“Let’s try the chef’s recommended course.”

“It’s expensive, is that okay?”

“Don’t worry. Your future employer has a lot of money.”

As soon as you place your order, a server will bring your food.

“Grilled octopus inspired by Korean octopus sashimi. Enjoy.”

“It looks delicious.”

After Soyoung tasted it, I also moved my chopsticks and picked up the octopus and ate it. Was it because I was so excited? My expression distorted without me knowing it. Soyoung asked me when she saw my expression.

“It’s delicious, what’s the problem?”

It’s not that it’s tasteless. The problem is the ignoble identity of this dish, which is neither here nor there. This dish has less appeal to Koreans than raw octopus, and has less appeal to Westerners than the Spanish octopus dish, pulpo.

“No. Let’s keep eating.”

As I was eating, I could tell that Chef Jeong-gi-un was having a hard time. So-young, who had been enjoying the food, also gradually lost her smile on her face.

“Should we call this fusion?”

“Well, you know best.”

After the meal, Chef Jeong Gi-un came out to say hello.

“Did you enjoy your meal?”

What should I do? He is a friend who did me a personal favor while on vacation. I want to help him.

“Should I tell you something nice to hear? Or should I tell you something painful?”

Chef Jeong Gi-woon closes his eyes slightly as if he feels stung by my words.

“Actually, when you said you were coming today, I wanted to stop you. I wasn’t confident. But everyone around me said it was good and delicious, so it was crazy. Look at the hall. It wasn’t even half full.”

“Can you guess why?”

“I’m not really sure. I’m trying my best, but is it because I’m not capable?”

“Of all the foods I ate today, there was one thing I liked.”

“What is it?”

“It’s sea urchin bibimbap. Foxtail millet is mixed into the rice. It’s fried too.”

“Did you find out?”

“The flavor of the sea urchin and the ingredients of the bibimbap blend well together, and the fried croaker adds an interesting flavor and texture. It may be an exotic dish that Westerners have never experienced, and it is a bibimbap with a texture that is new to us Koreans.”

“thank you.”

“But I got the impression that they were too careful with other dishes. They wanted to make fusion Korean food, but they didn’t want to be criticized by Koreans, so they tried to force in elements that Westerners would like.”

“You hit a sore spot. That’s right. When sales weren’t as good as I had hoped, I found myself making food that people wouldn’t mind eating. Not the most delicious food.”

“Chef Jeong is more than capable. If he doesn’t care about what others think and boldly cooks the dish he thinks is the best, everyone will like it.”

“Thank you for coming to see me and giving me advice, senior.”

He bows deeply to me.

After finishing the meal, we go out and walk, and Soyoung says.

“Chef, if I had heard that earlier, I would have cried. I would have been so sad.”

“If you don’t like hearing that, then don’t cook your own food. You have a dream, don’t you?”

Then she smiles bashfully and says playfully.

“Yes, but that’s not the owner chef. I know what I’m good at. So I’ll stick right next to you, chef.”

What an ideal employee! I was really impressed with her.

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