I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 93



Only Noblemtl

Gifts for staff

A day at a restaurant goes on as usual. Sometimes accidents happen.

“Chef, we’re in big trouble. We got the wrong vegetables today. They’re different from what we ordered.”

When I checked the order form and the actual delivered vegetables, the quantity and items were different. It seems that there was a mix-up with another place.

I threw the keys to my pickup truck to Sam.

“I don’t have time to call and complain. Go quickly and get it right.”

“Yes, Chef.”

Sam takes two trainees and goes out with boxes of vegetables. An hour and a half later, sweating profusely, he returns with all the vegetables we ordered.

Sometimes I meet real customers.

“No! Why are you doing that? I just want to be friends and ask for your phone number. Is that so hard?”

A customer grabs Jenny and begs her for her phone number. You wouldn’t think this would happen in a fine dining establishment, but it happens every once in a while when you forget.

“Customer. Could you please come over here for a moment?”

Jenny winks at the guest and takes him out of the crowd. She then uses nice words to persuade him to go back. Of course, she won’t accept any future reservations.

“Jenny. Put that customer on the blacklist.”

“I already uploaded it.”

She shrugs as if she is used to it.

Now the real lunch time has begun. I went inside and looked around to see if the kitchen was functioning properly.

The flow of the kitchen is smooth. It seems that everyone has now adapted to the menu. In a rigid kitchen, rigid food comes out. The work is hard, but I don’t want the employees to be stressed out by other problems. The faces of the employees working look bright. The assistant is washing the vegetables and putting them in the dehydrator. I went there and helped organize the vegetables.

“Chef. Is there something wrong?”

He seemed flustered when I suddenly came to his station to help him with his work.

“No, Jerome. You’re doing great. You seem to have a lot of work to do, so I’m just helping you.”

“Yes. Then I’ll have parsley too.”

As if he thought this was the moment, he took out a bunch of parsley and started washing it again.

When washing vegetables, first fill the sink with water, pour in the vegetables, and stir them with your hands to remove all impurities. After that, wash them in small amounts in running water, removing any wilted parts or impurities that are not washed off with water. After that, collect them in a draining sieve and run them through a dehydrator to remove all the moisture. This will keep them from wilting for a long time.

At the pasta station, Dominic and his apprentice are pulling out noodles.

Pasta station is an extreme job. You have to come early in the morning and make all the dough that you will use that day. After that, you wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the maturing room. Whenever you need it, you have to bring the dough ball, roll it on the roller, and make it into the pasta you need one by one, so you don’t have time to rest all day long.

Ella is working in the butchery. Our restaurant handles a variety of meats, so learning how to butcher is not easy. I remember Ella having a hard time for the first few weeks.

“Ella. When handling meat, be a little more aggressive with your knife.”

I took Ella’s knife and quickly cut the leg of lamb. You have to dig deep and find your way through it in one go. If you cut the meat in a jerky manner so as not to damage it, you will damage the fibers more.

“Thank you, Chef.”

Every part of the restaurant is doing its own job. It may seem a little lacking and the work is hard, but soon, when new employees join, things will get easier.

Soyoung tasted the sauce once, tilted her head, and started making it again. It seemed like she didn’t like something. I dipped my chopsticks in the sauce Soyoung had made and tasted it.

“It’s not sour enough. It’s too salty.”

“Yes, Chef.”

Soyoung starts making sauce again with a brave heart. Even if you measure it accurately, the sauce doesn’t always taste the same. It’s hard to perfectly unify all the processes for making sauce. That’s why you have to check the results and make small adjustments as you go. The important thing is to have a clear image of the taste you’re aiming for.

Benjamin is doing well in the pastry section. At first, he seemed to have a hard time, but now he seems to have found his own solution and there is no shadow on his face. What I want is a modified Italian bread. It will probably take a long time to get a satisfactory result.

I feel proud and thankful when I see the kitchen staff. I want to prepare a gift for them. The only gift I can give them is a dish. It’s almost time for lunch service. Today’s lunch duty is Dominic.

“Dominic. I’d like to prepare lunch today. Is that okay with you?”

Dominic’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Are you a chef? You’re welcome. I used to get so jealous whenever Sam would tell me about the lunch menus you made.”

I started making pasta to show my gratitude to the staff. I wanted to make fun pasta that would surprise them.

I rolled the dough Dominic had made on the roller. After rolling it several times, it became two meters long. After confirming that the dough was thin enough, I started making colorful pasta noodles. I made black noodles with seaweed and squid ink, and green noodles with parsley and spinach. After making red noodles with carrots and paprika, I was almost done preparing the ingredients.

I started drawing with colorful pasta noodles on a long piece of dough. Black, green, and red patterns started to be drawn on the dough. I arranged the colors according to my mood for the day and had fun drawing, then rolled it over on the roller several times. It was like painting oil on canvas. Then I started cutting it into rectangles like I was making ravioli.

What I want to make is ravioli. However, it is not an ordinary shape. Inside, I put a spoonful of Bolognese sauce, chopped clams and squid, and cream sauce that is used in restaurants, and then rolled it up. When I turned both ends and sealed it, it looked like colorful candies were lined up. I hope you accept it as if you are eating a gift without knowing what will come out.

Stir-fry the garlic while boiling the noodles. Since this is a dish that resembles candy, a heavy meat-based sauce won’t do. Butter and basil pesto would be good.

Add butter and basil pesto to bring out the flavor. Add a little honey and persimmon puree to give it a clean sweetness.

The noodles are cooked. Add the noodles and cook for a while so that they absorb the sauce. After serving on a plate, finish with young basil leaves and parsley. A wonderful dish is complete.

“Everyone, eat lunch.”

The staff begins to gather at my words.

“Wow! Chef. What is this? It’s so pretty.”

Soyoung takes out her phone and starts taking pictures. Seeing this, the other staff members also find their own smartphones and start taking pictures.

Green, red, and black create a geometric pattern. The candy wrapped in colorful packaging and the sauce made with basil pesto and butter create a visual feast. Basil leaves and parsley add a pop of color.

“Try it.”

Chefs pick up forks and eat pasta.

“Oh my! There’s cream sauce inside.”

“I have chopped seafood in it.”

“I am Bolognese.”

The staff eat pasta while smiling brightly.

“delicious?”

I also picked up a fork and tasted the pasta.

When you put it in your mouth, the flavors of basil, olives, and garlic spread throughout your mouth. And the pasta bursts in your mouth. It’s Bolognese.

The rich flavors of meat and tomatoes go well with the basil pesto. The bechamel mixed with cream cheese was also a good combination. Surprisingly, the pasta with chopped seafood suited my taste the best. The clams and squid give a unique texture, and the seafood broth spreads in my mouth. And the flavors of basil and garlic that follow go well with the seafood, leaving a strong aftertaste.

“Wow. This is no joke. The visuals are so pretty, and since you don’t know what’s inside, it makes you excited. And it goes so well with the sauce. When did you come up with this dish?”

Soyoung asks while eating pasta.

“I just saw you guys and thought of something. I wanted to give you a delicious gift.”

“So…you’re saying you did it spontaneously?”

Sam looks fed up.

“This is cheating. I’ve seen a lot of people who are good at cooking, but I’ve never seen anyone who can improvise like a chef and make a dish this perfect.”

Sometimes inspiration comes without warning, like the pasta I made today. I just wanted to thank them, but a dish that would be worthy of being on the menu was born. It was a good thing, because I wanted to expand my pasta lineup a little more. And since you can change the filling, I think it could be used in the G20 too.

“Ah! Now that I think about it, I didn’t say anything.”

While I was working, I forgot to tell the staff.

“I will be participating as a chef in the G20 being held in Korea this time.”

“Really? The chef is amazing. Last time at the G20, Jamie Oliver cooked. Is the chef the Korean Jamie Oliver?”

The staff is making a fuss. Jamie Oliver’s cooking at the G20 held in England last year was quite a hot topic in the industry. His remark to President Obama that ‘America eats too much sugar, so we should impose a higher tax on sugar’ also caused a huge controversy.

“So, does that mean we have to run the restaurant without a head chef? That’s a bit unsettling.”

Soyoung and the staff look at me with worried expressions.

“What are you talking about? You guys are with us. Of course we have to work as a team. How could I possibly hold such a big event without you guys?”

The chefs’ eyes turn red as if they’re crying. Everyone looks away and does something else, embarrassed.

“Right? The chef needs us, right?”

When Soyoung speaks, everyone laughs together.

“Of course. If I had to go alone, I wouldn’t have accepted. A big international event like the G20 is definitely helpful for your career. Since everyone’s departure is coming up soon, those who don’t have passports should get them quickly and learn some basic Korean.”

“Hmm? Isn’t Korea a country that speaks English well?”

Sam tilts his head.

“What does that mean?”

“No, all the Koreans I know speak English well. I just thought it was a country like the Nordic countries where people speak English well. I didn’t even know the chef was Korean, and Soyoung had no problem communicating with him, and the chef’s girlfriend seemed to speak English better than I, an American.”

Sam seems to be suffering from sampling bias. He doesn’t know any Koreans who can’t speak English.

“That’s a huge misconception. There are many people who are good at English, but not all of them. It would be a great help if you learned Korean, so it would be good for everyone to learn at least basic conversation.”

“Yes! Chef. This is my first time going abroad. What should I do?”

Ella is fidgeting.

“This is my first time too.”

Dominic seems to be the same way.

“Country bumpkins. Your first time? I’ve been out before.”

“Where?”

“I’ve been to Canada.”

“It’s just like America there.”

Sam steps back awkwardly after receiving glares from the staff.

“Jenny, you’ll come too. Wine is part of the meal. And I need someone who can communicate with the local staff about service manners.”

If you’re going to serve Korean food, there’s no need to do this. But if you’re going to serve Western food, it might be helpful to have Jenny come with you.

“Me…me too?”

Jenny’s eyes widen.

“Yeah. Let’s put up a notice that the restaurant will be closed for a while. We’ll also finish the expansion work in the meantime.”

“Sure, then there will be no problem. Got it!”

Jenny mutters, “Korean, Korean,” and walks away from me.

Everyone is excited about the unexpected business trip abroad, but for some reason, Soyoung’s expression is gloomy.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy about going to Korea?”

“Of course it is. Excuse me for a moment.”

Soyoung’s expression changed in an instant and she hurriedly passed by me.