I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 88



Only Noblemtl

Not bad

Tipping is a kind of sanctuary in American society.

Jimmy boldly criticized a sensitive issue that most Americans sympathized with but could not bring up easily. Public opinion for and against this issue was formed, and people argued fiercely both online and offline.

Those who supported it were business owners and employees in the service industry, and some politicians with vested interests in them also joined in.

Surprisingly, politicians who opposed tipping were not very vocal, and the reason was simple: if you want to criticize, you have to present an alternative. However, if you set the policy direction toward abolishing tip credit, you risk losing the votes of many business owners and service industry workers, so they did not step forward and took a bystander stance.

So at first glance, this fight appeared to be a fight between the general public and service industry workers.

Meanwhile, Segreto was constantly mentioned by people and became more well-known. And other no-tipping restaurants that had not been receiving much attention also began to actively use SNS to catch the trend, not wanting to miss this opportunity. However, since they had already raised their prices by 20% or more compared to the surrounding areas, the public response was minimal.

And as Segreto became recognized by the public as a leader in the no-tipping policy, the restaurant industry began to look at him with disdain, viewing him as a heretic or a disruptor of order.

No matter what the controversies are in American society, we have to do what we have to do. Today, we are having a busy day preparing for business.

“Are reservations fully booked today too?”

I talk to Jenny about restaurant management every day. Surprisingly, Jenny had many ideas about the restaurant’s profit model.

“There are no empty tables from lunch to dinner. There are almost no no-shows.”

Jenny sighs in relief. Even if it’s not a bad thing, it’s burdensome to be mentioned so often when it’s linked to social issues.

“It worked out well for us.”

“And customers have been ordering a lot of wine since last week. Maybe it’s because of the blog. I don’t know if it’s because they don’t want the restaurant to have trouble managing because of the tipping issue, but it feels like they’re ordering a bottle of wine with the money they would have spent on tipping. It’s also because we sell wine at a reasonable price.”

Jenny speaks while checking the wine sales status.

“Good. Are we starting to see any signs of turning a profit now?”

“The first week, I was worried, ‘Will I even get paid properly?’ But the margins have increased a lot. If we keep this up, we’ll be able to make some profit. Of course, we have to remember that this is because we’re not paying rent. If it were another restaurant in New York, even if it wasn’t a deficit, you wouldn’t be taking home much.”

Back in my CIA days, I didn’t know Jenny was such a smart girl.

“I’m satisfied with it for now. It’ll only get better.”

It’s not that I set the price and started no-tipping without thinking. I’m just looking far ahead, so the first step is delayed.

Lunch is relatively leisurely compared to dinner, as there are many menus that can be prepared in advance.

Salads and amuse-bouches are prepared in advance according to the number of guests who have made reservations, and dishes that can be prepared in large quantities, such as stews, are included on the menu. And pasta and steaks should be prepared with sauces and cooking methods that require relatively little effort to control fatigue in the kitchen. If you only make menus that require your attention all day, there will be few chefs who can last long.

After lunch, it’s finally break time. The chefs take turns making lunch for the kitchen staff. Today’s lunch is Soyoung’s turn.

Soyoung takes the braised lamb shank out of the oven dish and starts plating it.

“The meal is ready. Everyone, please eat.”

Everyone gathered at Soyoung’s words.

Mealtimes are important to staff members, as it is rare to get the chance to hear objective assessments from multiple chefs about where their skills lie.

So, even though it is a simple lunch, chefs who are thirsty for recognition cook it with all their might. Since it is not for sale, there is no set format and it is free. And it is also an opportunity to appeal to me. I have also had an experience where a dish I prepared for lunch ended up on the restaurant menu.

“This international cuisine looks delicious.”

Sam looks at Soyoung’s cooking and says something. On the plate is rice made with Annammi. And lamb shanks, just out of the oven and boned out, are cut into appropriate sizes and plated next to the rice. On the side are roasted mushrooms and asparagus.

“Are you sure? Try it.”

Soyoung’s expression is confident. When I pick up my chopsticks, everyone starts eating with their own convenient utensils, such as forks, knives, and spoons.

“Spicy!”

Sam, who has little immunity to spicy food, grimaced as soon as he took a bite. But then he picked up his fork again and started eating.

“But it’s delicious.”

It seems that Soyoung wanted to show the restaurant staff Korean food today. Mexican and Korean food have quite different tastes even though they are both spicy.

“Sam was right. It’s a perfect non-state dish. The form seems to be taken from beef bourguignon, but it’s marinated with chili powder and soy sauce. Thyme, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, and what’s this? They added ground pear.

“The marinated meat was seared strongly in a pan with carrots and onions, then boiled with wine. The wine selection was also good. It was a red wine with strong acidity and sweetness. And it was braised in the oven, so a lot of care was put into it.”

My tongue stings from the spicy taste I haven’t had in a long time. But it’s a pleasant spiciness. The taste of soy sauce and red pepper powder makes me miss Korean food.

The sourness and sweetness that come up next, and the aroma of wine begin to mix with various herbs. The meat is tender, perhaps because of the addition of ground pears.

The garlic and cinnamon flavors add a final touch to the dish, and it finishes off the dish cleanly. If I were asked to make any corrections, there are things I would change, but Soyoung has made a pretty complete dish.

“No matter how much I look at it, I can’t get used to it. The ingredients are one thing, but how do you even know the cooking process?”

Soyoung looks at me and makes a face that says she’s tired of me.

“I guess it’s an application of galbijjim. In the West, people are reluctant to put sugar in food. However, Korea actively uses it. The idea of ​​adding sweetness with pears and wine was good. Seasoning it with soy sauce and salt and serving it with rice was also a good choice. As you eat, you think of vegetables, and the garnish was appropriate.”

Everyone is enjoying their meal. The dish that Soyoung brought out today is very difficult to make. If you want to use soy sauce and wine together, you need to think a lot about the ratio of the two ingredients, as well as the combination of spices to use together. Soyoung must have made many mistakes. And after much effort, she brought out a delicious menu that we can enjoy today.

“It’s really delicious. Jehee often made galbijjim when she was in the CIA. It’s similar, but completely different. It’s a great integration of East and West. And eating it with rice like this reminds me of Southeast Asian food. Did you do something to the rice? It smells good.”

Jenny joins us and eats with us. And she gives Soyoung feedback.

“We cooked rice with jasmine water. It helps to remove the greasiness.”

Soyoung smiles at Jenny, pleased with her feedback.

“That’s very thorough. If I were the owner, I would have put it on the menu. It was delicious.”

The other staff members have also emptied their plates. Dominic and Benjamin are ladling the remaining meat from the oven dish onto their own plates, as if there isn’t enough left.

“But it would be difficult in Segreto. It’s too oriental.”

It is inappropriate to serve food in the form of rice bowls in Western fine dining.

“It’s a bit difficult to put soy sauce on the menu because some people like it but others don’t. But it was delicious.”

“Really?”

Would it be so nice to be recognized by me? Soyoung’s expression changed in an instant.

“If you keep working hard like this, you’ll be able to create a dish that’s worthy of being on the menu in no time.”

Soyoung’s talent is amazing. She has a great sense that goes beyond simply reproducing dishes. Her cooking seems to instinctively find a way to make the ingredients taste good.

The trainees look at Soyoung with eyes full of admiration at my compliments. In their eyes, Soyoung must be a dazzling being.

It’s only natural that he graduated from the CIA with excellent grades at a young age and was scouted by me to successfully launch his career.

I want the staff to develop through friendly competition. It seems that Soyoung’s cooking has also ignited the hearts of Ella and Dominic. The two people’s gazes at Soyoung are unusual.

“Now, let’s start preparing dinner.”

“Yes, Chef!”

After lunch and a short rest, we immediately started preparing to welcome our dinner guests.

* * *

Jenny stood at the entrance, straightened her clothes, and looked at the reservation list.

Fine dining hospitality is all about the details. Jenny was able to meet Maitre Dean Bernard of Luce de Sole through Jehee’s introduction.

And he taught him the essential things he needed to know as a sommelier and a manager of a fine dining establishment. Was it his way of cheering on Jenny, who had been aspiring to be a chef but ended up on the path of a sommelier due to an unfortunate accident? Bernard was not a man who was stingy with teaching. Jenny was able to learn valuable lessons from him that money could not buy.

Jenny greets her guests with eye contact. Fine dining guests want to feel like they are being treated specially. That is why Bernard tells Jenny that a good memory is an essential virtue for a manager. If it is not their first visit, they must remember the guest.

“Thank you for coming back, Mr. Wilson.”

“It was so delicious that I came back again. Haha.”

The guest nodded with a satisfied expression and was guided to his seat. Jenny sighed in relief. For a moment, she couldn’t remember his name.

She looked around the hall. One guest’s water glass was empty. This was his second visit. He remembered that he had ordered hot water instead of cold water on his first visit. Jenny filled a pot with hot water and went to the table, then asked him politely.

“Would you like the water to be hot as usual?”

“please.”

The guest’s expression softens.

Orders start to pour in. Jenny quickly takes the orders and enters them into the POS. Unlike in the past, a fast POS system is essential even in fine dining. This is because the possibility of mistakes due to errors is reduced, the calculation is also faster, and since the time is entered, there is no risk of the order being out of order.

As the Force rings, Jehee calls out the order. Then, the chefs start moving in unison. Jenny stares blankly at the scene for a moment.

Sam lights the stove and starts boiling the sauce. He then puts two more pans on, pours olive oil, and sautés the garlic. Next to him, Dominic is chopping the ingredients for the pasta.

Samuel, the new main CDP, is checking the temperature of the oven and taking out steaks. Ella, next to him, is also searing four steaks at once using two pans.

This season, the restaurant kitchen is hell. The kitchen is not equipped with air conditioning. Not only is the heat efficiency too low due to the numerous ovens and burners, but the air conditioning quickly cools down the hot food.

Jenny turned her head to look at the thermometer in the kitchen. It was a summer night, but the temperature was already over 32 degrees. The orders were starting to overwhelm.

“There is someone behind.”

In the kitchen, you often have to move around hot or breakable items.

That’s why you must make your presence known when passing someone behind. The same goes for when turning a corner or a blind spot. Trainees who don’t know these rules often get into trouble and get scolded at first, but they learn the tricks themselves.

Jenny suddenly remembered the time she cooked at the CIA.

-Jenny. It’s comfortable to be paired with you. How are you so fast?

Her quick hands were her pride. Jenny never burned her ingredients even when handling three or four pans at once.

How did she respond to Jehee’s words? She tried to recall her past memories for a moment.

Clang

The sound of plates breaking brings Jenny back to reality. Su-cheop is sweeping up the broken plates with a broom.

Bruno and Soyoung are making amuse-bouche. Next to them, the trainees are slicing ham and bread to prepare the appetizers. Then, the food starts to pile up on the pass. Jehee checks the food on the pass and nods at Jenny. Jenny looks at the attached order list. The food is coming out slowly.

Then Jehee enters the kitchen.

He tosses the pasta a few times before it gets too sticky from the garlic and taps Dominic on the shoulder before passing by. He quickly slices the steak, which is now half-cut, and plates it on a plate.

“Orders are piling up. Everyone, come to your senses!”

“Yes, Chef!”

At Jehee’s shout, the chefs respond in unison and begin to pick up the pace. The sound of cutting knives, the sound of tossing pans, the sound of ladles clanking, and other various sounds blend together under the direction of the head chef to create a strange harmony. Jenny felt as if she was an audience member at an opera. The loose flow of the kitchen becomes taut again.

‘I wanted to stand there too.’

An order has come in. It’s wine.

Jenny lightly squeezed her left elbow with her right arm, then quickly distributed the dishes on the plate to the servers and headed toward the guests with the wine, wine glasses, and openers.

A sommelier should never leave a guest behind. He should have everything he needs when he first arrives. This guest ordered an $800 bottle of wine for a $130 meal. He was clearly expecting the same level of service. Jenny never wanted to disappoint him.

He places the wine glass on the table with graceful movements and shows the wine label to the guest.

“This is the 2003 Chateau Latour you ordered.”

A series of actions must be elegant. If you appear rushed or clumsy, you will be looked down upon by the guests. Your professionalism will be questioned.

As the guest nods, Jenny skillfully removes the seal with a knife and uses an opener to take out the cork. Then she puts it to her nose to check the aroma. It is in perfect condition. In the first place, the wine cellar of this restaurant does not allow the wine to deteriorate even a little.

She pours a small amount of wine and offers it to the guest. This is the procedure for the guest to confirm that the wine has not spoiled. Guests who are not confident in tasting the wine may ask someone else to do it. Today’s guest is very experienced, so she closes her eyes and takes a sip of the wine, and then nods her head at Jenny after a while.

Jenny holds the tip of the wine with her right hand and begins to slowly pour it into the glass. You should never show any signs of anxiety when pouring wine. A stable and balanced posture is a basic quality for a sommelier.

The wine drips in a thin line. Then, I start filling the clear crystal glass from the bottom. When it is half full, I lift the bottle and turn it gently so that the wine does not drip on the table. Then, I hold the bottle’s neck with the cloth I am holding in my left hand and wipe it.

“This is a wonderful wine. It has a fascinating aroma and color.”

The guest admires the wine.

“I think wine will be happy to meet a good owner who recognizes it. Have a nice evening.”

Jenny nods slightly and returns to her seat.

I don’t hate the job of a sommelier. Customer service is also something I’m suited for. It’s just that I have an inexplicable attachment to it.

“jenny!”

Jenny turned around at the sound of a voice calling her name. It was Jaehee calling her.

“why?”

Jenny looks at Jaehee and blinks, asking.

“No. The way you served wine was so beautiful. It was like a painting. It was like you were born to be a sommelier.”

Does he know how others see him cooking? Can he, as a sommelier, be seen in that way by others?

“Do you really think so?”

His voice seemed to be shaking a little. Jehee made a serious expression.

“I really think so. If you hadn’t come, I would probably be having a much harder time right now. You’re a first-class chef, but as a sommelier and maid, you’re absolutely first-class. Thank you for coming.”

Jehee speaks to her as if he were a boy confessing his love.

“Always live with gratitude.”

Jenny lightened the heavy atmosphere with a joke, with a relieved expression on her face. Then she turned around and started walking away.

Her career as a chef is over, but life goes on. And there are those who tell her that her new self is the best. Jenny feels a sense of fulfillment welling up from deep within her.

There are people who need you and there is a place for you to be.

“Not bad. Not bad at all.”

Muttering to herself, she headed toward the wine cellar.