I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 80



Only Noblemtl

Segreto

“This project was a special one for our office. It’s rare to be able to do what we want without worrying about budget.”

Logan’s skin was darker than I’d seen it before. He must have had a hard time working from winter to summer.

“Thanks to you, I was able to finish it with satisfactory quality.”

Logan drives the car and explains constantly.

I had been in LA for a long time, so I didn’t have time to check on the remodeling of my restaurant in Greenwich Village. I was finally able to return to New York after the Master Chef wrap-up party. After a day of rest, I went straight to Logan’s architectural office.

“I have high expectations. I liked the buildings you worked on before.”

The building, which is now used as a cafe, still catches my eye every time I pass by.

“I had a hard time working there too. It was a client with a lot of demands. But I completed it with perseverance.

“I put my all into the building you commissioned this time, so you can look forward to it. You will be surprised when you see it. Not only when you see the building, but also when you see the numbers on the bill.”

He strokes his chin as if embarrassed.

The car stopped in front of the restaurant, and I couldn’t help but be amazed at the completely different appearance of the building.

“What the heck..”

I was speechless at the sight of the magnificent building.

“Obviously, the chef’s request is to make it as similar as possible to a medieval Italian stone house. There is no budget limit. Is that correct?”

Logan says, adjusting his glasses.

“I clearly requested that.”

“I did as you said.”

Before your eyes stands a magnificent building that looks like a medieval stone building that has been moved there as is.

The exterior walls are tightly filled with a mixture of gravel and rocks. The ivy planted on one side climbs up one side of the building’s exterior wall, adding to its charm. The windows are quite large, and the fact that the window frames are all made of wood is noticeable. In addition, the entrance to the restaurant is a heavy, arched wooden door reminiscent of a medieval castle gate.

“This is amazing. I’m speechless.”

“Near Florence, Italy, there is a medieval village called Montefioralle, which still retains its 17th-century appearance.

Looking at the reference material you provided, there were many buildings there. I was curious, so I visited the place in person.

“Inspiration hit me like crazy. I started sketching this design. It’s a modern take on medieval Florentine architecture.”

“I never thought things would get this big. You’re amazing. In just half a year.”

I wonder if this much can be accomplished in just half a year in Korea, where things are done quickly and hurriedly. I feel like I met an unexpected benefactor in the US, where things are done slowly.

“Remodeling doesn’t take long if you have the money. This door frame is made of English oak. The Royal Navy, which ruled the world in the 18th century, had ships made of this oak. This door is made of ebony from Ceylon. It has the strongest hardness among all woods. If you throw it in water, it will sink.”

He caresses the ebony door with his affectionate hands.

“Somehow I thought it was black even though it was wood. The glossy black color is luxurious.”

“Look inside.”

Logan follows him as he pushes open the ebony door, revealing the interior.

“The floor is made of wood, as you said. American walnut is famous for being of the highest quality in the world.”

I couldn’t hear what he said. As soon as I opened the door, I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

Every detail was beautiful, from the lattice-like wooden floor, the hallway leading to the second floor, the black wooden staircase, the large windows, and the door leading to the kitchen.

“Isn’t it amazing? We poured all our artistic soul into this. For people like us, this kind of project is an opportunity that comes once or twice in a lifetime.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. I’m really surprised.”

“The first floor mostly consists of the kitchen, the maturing room, the staff lounge, and the lobby, but if you go to the second floor, you will be truly satisfied.”

As I walk up the ebony stairs with him and arrive at the second floor, the light coming in through the large windows illuminates the interior. I can read his intention to make the most of natural light. The interior feels bright and comfortable. At the same time, the scent of the wood that penetrates my nose feels pleasant.

The wall facing the window is finished with gravel like the exterior wall. The other three sides are all made of different wood, so they feel different even though they are the same wood. The table also has the sophisticated and heavy texture of walnut. The seats are placed at appropriate intervals, so it seems that there is no inconvenience in having a private conversation.

“The biggest difference between medieval and modern architecture is efficiency. This place was completed by capturing the characteristic points of medieval buildings, but without losing efficiency. The interior was designed with consideration of table arrangements, movement lines, and the line of sight that guests see when they enter.”

“It’s beautiful. When I sit here and eat, I can’t help but wonder what era I’m in.”

“Haha. That’s right. Such large windows were only used in general buildings after the 1900s. The basic frame is based on the 18th century, but the details are all modern. That’s why it’s beautiful.”

“Thank you. You did a much better job than I expected.”

“If you have a portfolio like this, it’s beneficial for us too, so there’s no need to do that. Finally, let’s look at the basement.”

I followed Logan down the stairs.

“This is a big basement. New York has rocky ground. It’s hard to dig. I think the chef got lucky.

Originally, it was used almost exclusively as a warehouse because the humidity was not controlled, but we installed a ventilation system and a humidity control device. And we finished the walls with stone just like the outside. We also paid attention to the lighting, so you will be satisfied.”

I went downstairs while listening to his explanation.

“This place is also great.”

The empty basement was packed with huge wine cellars to store wine.

“We designed the route so that guests can tour the wine cellar. It will be a spectacular sight when the wine is fully stocked. As soon as you come down from the entrance, you will see tens of thousands of bottles of wine lined up.”

Then I checked Logan, the kitchen, and my office. After confirming that everything was done as requested, I shook his hand.

“I was lucky. Thank you very much.”

“I was more fortunate. I welcome requests like this any time.”

After Logan left, I stood in the middle of the kitchen, where I planned to spend most of my time, and looked around.

The kitchen here is based on Luce de Sole, with some modifications made to address the areas I found lacking.

What is the most painful kitchen for chefs to work in? It is a small kitchen. I plan to cook with 10 chefs in a kitchen that can accommodate 20 people. Of course, it won’t be possible from the beginning.

I went out the back door after a thorough inspection of the kitchen, dry-aging storage, and pantry. The garden at the back of the restaurant was also well landscaped as requested.

If you can set up a table here and enjoy dinner on a breezy summer night, you can give your guests a wonderful memory that money can’t buy.

I called a contractor to move the wine from the warehouse to the restaurant. Moving 50,000 bottles of wine was not easy. Dozens of workers were mobilized for several days to pack and move the wine. The work of getting a list from the warehouse manager and organizing the wine by place of origin and year also took a whole week, even with many people mobilized.

I went up to the office on the third floor. I saw a large walnut desk by the window. There was an antique bookshelf on the wall. I also liked the tea table and chairs for welcoming guests.

Now it’s finally starting.

Oh! I forgot the sign. The name of the restaurant was decided back in the CIA days.

[Secret]

A sign hangs above an arched ebony door. The designer simply painted the letters on a wooden board with oil paints. In Italian, it means ‘secret.’

Is it because I have a secret that I can’t tell others? I wanted to use this name. It also contains the hope that the restaurant will be treasured enough for customers to want to keep it a secret from others.

“Brother.”

When I look back, Joohee is in the restaurant.

Joohee has been staying at our house since last week for vacation.

It was the first time in over two months that I had not seen Joo-hee since she came to the United States. Only after I came to New York and met Joo-hee did I feel a sense of relief spreading from the depths of my heart.

It feels as if her presence is holding me to this world. Without her, what would I see and live for?

“The building is really cool. Even if people don’t come to eat, I think they’ll walk by and take pictures with the restaurant in the background.”

Joohee seems to like this place. She takes out her smartphone and takes pictures here and there.

“That’s also one of the selling points. It’s becoming a landmark in this area. In the future, marketing through social media will become increasingly important. It’s important to become a place where people want to take pictures.”

I was eagerly waiting for Instagram to come out. I think I might have been in the first thousand subscribers.

“You don’t even have a Facebook ID, but you work hard on Instagram?”

“This is a restaurant with my name on it, so I have to do whatever it takes to make it a success. I can’t promote it too hard.”

“In that sense, I have prepared something.”

Joohee makes a playful expression.

“What is it?”

She points behind her with her hand. When she turns around, she sees people unloading cargo from a container truck.

“What did you bring?”

“Painting. Oppa, the walls of your restaurant are bare because there are no paintings yet. Trust me.”

As Joohee gave instructions, the workers began to hang pictures on the walls. A huge oil painting of a landscape was hung at the entrance. It was a peaceful scene with trees and a lake. After hanging other paintings in various places inside, the interior seemed to be complete.

“Doesn’t this look like a cheap painting?”

Even at first glance, this is a painting of value. An artist who can draw a painting of this quality would be quite well known.

“There are many private galleries in New York. There’s an artist that my mother used to support, and I bought his paintings because I thought they would go well here. Don’t worry, they won’t cause much damage if stolen.”

Joohee waves her hand as if it’s nothing.

“I’ve been receiving too much lately?”

From tea to paintings, I wonder if I will end up hearing the words “pillar sir” at this point.

“You can pay me back with a nice meal. I’m really looking forward to it. There’s only one semester left until graduation. I’ll be coming to New York soon.”

“okay.”

I hugged Joohee. I could smell citrus. It was Joohee’s smell. I guess I was more tired than I thought in LA. Now the fatigue is melting away like snow.

“What’s left now?”

“I need to choose plates and utensils.”

“I guess I can help with that.”

We went to the department store together to look for plates to use in the restaurant. As expected, I don’t like fancy patterns. We bought a lot of white and black plates and silverware that would make the food stand out.

“Let’s take a break. I feel like I’ve been working too hard. Do you know about the new park in New York?”

Joohee sits on a bench, takes off her shoes, and touches her heels, as if she is tired.

“You mean the High Line?”

The High Line is a rest area that was renovated from a railroad that ran through New York’s Chelsea district into a park. Come to think of it, it must have opened around this time.

“Yeah. Let’s go there.”

I went to the High Line Park with Joohee.

This park took a very long time from conception to construction, and is a space with many stories.

In the early 19th century, there was a railroad that carried freight from 11th Street to the port on the Hudson River in New York. But since carriages and trains ran together, accidents were frequent and many people died in the accidents. And most of them were children.

This is also the reason why 10th Avenue came to be called Death Avenue.

As protests from citizens continued, the city of New York eventually gave in to public opinion and decided to raise the tracks and separate them from the road in 1929. The reopened tracks were abandoned after their last operation in 1980.

For decades, there have been proposals to repurpose the abandoned railroad tracks, but the citizens ultimately won. And only last year, after 30 years of abandonment, the tracks were repurposed into a park and opened to the public.

“It’s narrower than I thought?”

When two or three people walk side by side, the sidewalk is full. On both sides, a variety of vegetation is created along the road.

“They said the plants here weren’t planted on purpose.”

Joohee speaks as if a sudden thought occurred to her.

“How did you know that?”

“It was in the newspaper. After being left unattended for decades, seeds flew in and naturally formed vegetation.”

“You seem more like a New Yorker than me now?”

“I think I’ve been drinking American water for too long. Sometimes when I talk to Yeonjeong on the phone, she tells me that my accent is awkward.”

Joohee giggles.

“It’s a strange road. It’s in the middle of New York, but when you come up here, you don’t see a single car. There’s grass growing next to it and the wind blows, so it’s nice.”

Joohee spreads her arms and enjoys the blowing wind.

The traces of the railroad are still clear next to it. It is unclear where the territory of plants ends and where the path of humans begins. However, humans do not feel like intruders, but rather like natural co-existing partners.

“I see. The sun is starting to set soon.”

Between the buildings, you can see the sunset over the Hudson River. The sun is radiating a bright orange glow, painting the world in its own colors.

We stood still and watched the sunset in silence.

“I will get a Michelin star within a year. Then let’s get married.”

I got drunk on the atmosphere without realizing it and ended up proposing to her.

“Here, all of a sudden? Without even a ring?”

Joohee’s face turns red, as if she is embarrassed.

“So you don’t like it?”

“No. I love it too much. But I like the Michelin star anyway. To me, my brother is the best chef. People will know about it soon.”

Joohee smiles and takes my hand.

“thank you.”

I’m so glad she’s by my side.