I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 69



Only Noblemtl

Leon Lee [Free Last]

Ella accepted the Master Chef Apron from Gordon and went out the door. She was the second person to pass after Dominic. In an instant, the contestants in the hall turned their attention to Ella. They looked at her with surprised, hostile, and various emotions in their eyes. Ella, who had momentarily cringed, quickly packed her bags and went up to the second floor.

“I see you’re the second.”

Dominic glances at Ella and speaks.

“El..Ella. Please take care of me.”

Ella fumbles and reaches out her hand to Dominic.

“Dominic. Please take care of me. I have to do it alone anyway. Those who do well will survive.”

Ella hesitated for a moment about where to sit, then sat down next to Dominic, putting her bag down.

“Where did you learn to cook?”

Ella asks Dominic a question out of curiosity.

“I’ve been washing dishes since I was 15. I just learned how to cook from the side.”

Dominic hated chefs.

No one taught him how to cook as he worked in the kitchen. However, Dominic was smart and learned recipes by watching chefs cook, and was able to master the basics of cooking.

After a few years, Dominic realized that he was a better cook than they were, but no restaurant wanted to hire him as a chef since he only had kitchen assistant experience and no college education.

MasterChef is Dominic’s only way to achieve his dream.

“Awesome. That’s cool.”

Ella looks at Dominic with sparkling eyes. Dominic scratches his head, feeling embarrassed for no reason.

“We are competitors now. Only one will survive.”

“I want to win too, but I don’t want to cook competitively. Whoever makes the most delicious dish will win anyway.”

“Are you saying that it must be you?”

“It could be me. It could be you.”

“It’s not fun.”

The two talked and looked carefully to see if anyone else was coming up, but no one else had passed yet.

* * *

Leon looked up at the LED screen with an indifferent face.

It was his turn soon. As expected, the host called his name. Leon got up quickly and went to the pantry to get the ingredients he needed for his dish. Kimchi, okra, butter, olive oil, sausage, pork, and spices.

He had a unique background.

Born in Korea, he immigrated to the United States before he was three. He was a minority even in New Orleans, a city with a diverse mix of races and cultures.

His parents started a laundry business like other Koreans after immigrating to the United States. In the early days of their immigration, his parents worked 15 hours a day at the laundry, which left Leon with a lot of time to himself. After 10 years, Leon realized that he could not communicate well with his parents. His parents could only speak the bare minimum of English necessary for survival, and he had forgotten Korean.

But it was okay. He loved his parents and respected them for working hard. Leon studied hard and always got first place in school. In the first place, New Orleans is a place where you can be in the top ranks just by attending school every day.

One day, Leon’s world changed. In 2005, Katrina hit New Orleans. Leon was at school at the time and was evacuated to higher ground under the direction of his teacher. He wondered about his parents, but he could not contact them. After a few days of rain, the water began to recede. Leon frantically ran to the laundromat. But there he found his parents’ cold, dead bodies.

Since then, Leon has been moved from one foster home to another. He was not welcomed anywhere. He was an American born in Korea who could not speak Korean. That was Leon.

Even in the midst of hardship, he faithfully followed his parents’ advice to go to a good college. He entered Tulane University, one of the most prestigious universities in the American South. There were no financial problems. Scholarships were provided to the families of Katrina victims, and compensation was also provided by the government.

When he went to college, there were quite a few Koreans. When they found out that Leon was from Korea, they immediately approached him, but when they found out that he could not speak Korean, they quickly distanced themselves from him. He was an outsider among Koreans and Americans alike.

Although he lost his identity as a Korean, there was one thing he remembered: the dining table.

His mother always prepared side dishes for him to eat in the refrigerator and went out to the laundry. Leon would come home from school, take out the side dishes, and eat rice by himself. He ate kimchi, vegetables, and dishes like stir-fried tofu, stir-fried pork, and bulgogi every day until his mother passed away.

Even when he was alone, Leon still missed kimchi. Sometimes, the smell made him cringe, but now the food he ate back then was the only thing that connected him to Korea and his parents who had left. That may be why he became even more obsessed with cooking. He desperately wanted his cooking to be recognized.

Leon melted butter in a pan and poured flour to make a roux. Then he started to cook kimchi and pork belly in another pan. He took out another pan and fried sausage, okra, and onion. He added the fried ingredients to the roux, poured chicken stock, and started to boil. Finally, he added Cajun powder and garlic. Kimchi contains a lot of spices and flavoring ingredients. It doesn’t need a lot of seasoning.

“Leon Lee, come in.”

The host called his name. Leon placed the finished dish on a tray and walked towards the judges.

“Welcome. Please introduce yourself briefly.”

“My name is Leon Lee and I am from New Orleans. I am 21 years old and a student.”

“Oh. Which university do you go to?”

Joe shows interest.

“I am majoring in architecture at Tulane University.”

“Wow! You go to a prestigious university. Are you Korean? I heard Koreans are good at studying.”

Joe cracks a light joke.

“I’m from Korea. I don’t speak Korean. But I’m definitely good at cooking.”

Leon smiles bitterly. How many people has he told that he can’t speak Korean? Every time he says this, he feels an inexplicable sense of shame. Is it because of his blood? Is it shameful to not speak the language of a country he’s never been to?

“Can you explain the dish to me?”

Joe asks Leon for an explanation.

“This is kimchi gumbo. There are quite a lot of toppings, so I’ll put some on your appetizer plate.”

Leon transfers the gumbo into a small bowl. Gordon Ramsay comes down first to taste the dish.

“Hmm… This is a new taste. I’ve had many gumbos before, but this is the first time I’ve tasted something like this. It’s sour and sweet at the same time. I thought it would be much oilier because of the pork belly, but it’s surprisingly refreshing. I salute your challenging spirit and give it a pass.”

Gordon tasted it and gave it a passing grade. Leon clenched his fists slightly. His heart swelled with pride at the thought that his own cooking had been recognized.

“This gumbo is too salty to eat on its own. And it’s not aesthetically pleasing. It’s not food that can be sold. I fail.”

Joe shakes his head and returns to his seat. Then Jehee walks over, looks at the gumbo, sniffs it, and takes a spoonful to taste it.

“Hmm… this food makes me think about a lot of things.”

“What is it?”

Leon couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked a question.

“You said you can’t speak Korean? Didn’t you learn it from your parents?”

“My parents were rarely home because they worked. And they passed away during Katrina.”

The atmosphere becomes solemn.

“What image do you have of Korea?”

“I don’t really have any thoughts on this. It’s just my parents’ hometown? And it’s where I was born. I’m not sure if that’s even important.”

“I don’t mean to give you any advice, but there is a saying in English: We are what we eat.”

Jehee looks at Leon for a moment and then continues speaking.

“Did you make this dish thinking it was gumbo?”

“Yes, that’s right. I put kimchi in the gumbo I often ate to bring back memories from my childhood.”

“If you gave this to people in New Orleans and asked them what it was, they would probably say gumbo. But after taking one bite, I thought differently.”

“What are you thinking?”

“This is kimchi stew. Or maybe it’s budaejjigae. Whatever it is, there’s no denying that this is Korean food. At least to me.”

Leon’s hands stop for a moment. And he looks at Je-hee with empty eyes. The food he made was Korean food? What did he unconsciously make? Did he miss Korea? No. He just missed the taste of his childhood. He just wanted to see his parents.

Tears gradually well up in Leon’s eyes.

Leon thought, ‘When was the last time I cried?’ He couldn’t remember. Had he cried at his parents’ funeral? Their remains had been cremated along with the hundreds of people who had died in the disaster. He hadn’t even had time to mourn them separately.

“My mother made this dish. I guess I missed my parents so much.”

Tears flow from Leon’s eyes.

Jehee hugged him warmly. The staff around him were frantically turning their cameras.

“Be sad enough. And if you ever get curious about Korea, I hope you come visit. There’s a reason why it’s called soul food. It can be a comfort to you.”

“I am sorry.”

Leon stutters in one of the few Korean words he remembers.

“It’s a pass. Even without considering this story, the swordfish was delicious enough.”

* * *

“Jack, are you done taking pictures?”

“Of course. This is a highlight angle.”

“This first episode trailer ends with Ella crying. I wonder why she’s crying. Her expression is perfect. I can’t tell if she’s smiling or if she’s distorted in pain. And let’s end the first episode with Leon. Cooking and human stories always work.”

“Yes. Both masks are not bad.”

“By the way, Chef Shin Je-hee is beyond expectations. She knows the show. She has a good grasp of the key points that make viewers go crazy.”

“Did you calculate that and do it?”

“That’s why it’s even more amazing. Aren’t there just going to be a flood of highlights from now on? I was a bit worried when I was casting, but seeing what you did today, I don’t think I have to worry about the ratings.”

“The character is so unique. He is a handsome Asian elite chef with an absolute sense of taste, and he seems cold but is also warm. There are many points that women will be crazy about.”

“And you also need to build good relationships with the successful candidates. Let’s just gather them all and take pictures. Something will come out of it.”

“That’s why you put him on the second floor on purpose. Since he passed the preliminaries, it would have been okay to send him home, but the PD is really evil.”

“I prepared a place for you to get to know each other in advance.”

The two looked at each other and smiled brightly. They couldn’t help but smile because they thought the program would be a huge hit.

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