I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 96



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I got the omnipotent tongue episode 96

Michelin Guide (2)

The Michelin Guide is published today.

The Michelin Guide does not post the list on its website on the day of publication. I thought it might be because it affects book sales. I had no choice but to have one of the trainees volunteer to go to the bookstore and buy the guide. Jerome enthusiastically volunteered to go and ran out. It seemed like he was curious too.

Even though they didn’t say anything, they were all nervous, preparing vegetables and making sauce with their hands, but their attention was completely focused on Jerome, who would be back soon.

“Why are you fidgeting so much?”

Sam is glaring at the salmon as if he’s having a snowball fight.

“Aren’t you nervous, Chef?”

Sam takes a deep breath and says, “Wow.”

This is a restaurant that has been open since its opening. During the Luce de Sole days, he may not have contributed much to earning stars, but here, Sam also played a big role. He can be proud of the results.

“The Michelin Guide doesn’t really cover restaurants that have been open for less than a year. You know that.”

Don’t expect too much. You won’t be able to handle the loss that will follow.

“Just in case. If we get on board, it’ll probably be a record-breaker for the fastest time to get up in New York, so I can’t wait to find out.”

Sam and other chefs are also having trouble concentrating on their work. Among the numerous restaurants in New York, only a handful are worthy of being included in the Michelin Guide.

* * *

“Segreto has enough quality to receive a two-star award. You must know that since you have been there.”

Christine is giving a passionate speech in the conference room.

The day has come to make the final decision on which restaurants will be included in the Michelin Guide.

All other restaurants have seen a consensus among the judges, but the judges and editors are still having a final meeting to decide on the Segreto, and today is the day to decide everything.

“The food at Segreto was certainly amazing and innovative, but is it really right to put a restaurant that has been open less than half a year on the guide? What about fairness?

We have held off on judging many great restaurants even in their first year. It wasn’t because we expected them to fail in one year. It was because we all knew that only time would tell whether the quality of food and service would be maintained over time. Why has that changed for Segreto?”

The deputy editor is looking at Christine and explaining in a low voice. He is a man who is uncomfortable with the dining industry that is changing too quickly. He is not particularly fond of molecular gastronomy.

“Chef Shin Je-hee is a capable chef. I agree with that. Segreto also has enough quality to receive a Michelin star. But I don’t think it has to be this year.

How many great restaurants have we seen fall apart within a year? There is no guarantee that Segreto will not follow in the footsteps of countless other restaurants that failed to stand the test of time.”

Susan, the editor, also supports the deputy editor’s statement. She was a so-called cautious person. Only thoroughly vetted restaurants should be included in the guide. How many citizens and tourists would look at the guide she wrote and decide where to eat that day? Probably countless. She felt a heavy sense of responsibility for that.

“We need to be a little more flexible. The Michelin Guide is being criticized as being too conservative these days. They say it is slow to reflect trends and does not lead the flow. In the past, we were the trend setters of gastronomy. But what about now? Are we just followers?

“A new star always appears. It literally appears like a comet. And comets have long tails. A lot of restaurants follow it. In a year, we might be making a list of soups that are already cold and no one has tasted.”

The team of evaluators looked at the editor and expressed their opinions. The team, which was relatively young, had no prejudices about food and restaurants. In his opinion, if the taste, atmosphere, and service were good, there was no reason to consider other things.

“I agree with that. Segreto is a new wave in the stagnant New York fine dining scene. It is full of originality, such as a seafood banquet that used to be somewhat lacking in fine dining, active use of molecular gastronomy techniques, and a signature that maximizes the sense of sight and smell.

“It’s a blessing that a restaurant like this is open in New York. You can’t get the same thing anywhere else. We have to treat this place right. Not necessarily for ourselves, but for New York and the people who live here.”

Christine made her final point to the editor and deputy editor-in-chief, insisting that her report was in no way an exaggeration, and that the Michelin Guide had a duty to respond.

“So how do you want us to treat it?”

The deputy editor adjusts his glasses and asks her.

“It’s not like there’s no precedent for giving two stars all at once, right?”

“Absolutely not. It would be degrading our own authority. Even if we were to give Segreto a star, it would be enough to start with one star next year. All the other restaurants have done the same.”

The deputy editor is being stubborn.

“We’re not the only ones. If ‘The Restaurant’ covers Segreto first, the attention will shift to them. We’re like followers.”

Feeling the mood change, the team also gives Christine more strength.

“There is a lot of interest in Segreto right now. There are many people who have not visited but are watching with interest. We must definitely play a role in answering their curiosity.”

“Okay. Everyone, be quiet. Since opinions seem to be divided, I, as the editor-in-chief, will make the decision.”

Only then does everyone stop discussing and look at the editor, Evans.

“Segreto is..”

* * *

“Chef! I bought it.”

Jerome comes rushing into the restaurant, out of breath, holding a red booklet in his hand.

[Michelin Guide New York City 2011]

“Give it to me!”

Jenny, who was biting her nails, snatches the book from Jerome’s hand. She starts looking for our restaurant while flipping through the book. The staff around her also look at her with nervous expressions.

“There it is! It’s our One Star!”

When Jenny screams, the gathered staff members all scream and cheer.

“yes!”

“wow!”

“Oh my god!”

“Bam!

“Jehee! Can you believe it? We got a Michelin star. We haven’t even been open that long!”

Sam hugs me and pats my back, as if he’s excited. I calm him down and look around. Everyone is expressing their joy in some way. Dominic and Ella are high-fiving. Soyoung and Jenny are holding each other’s hands and jumping around. The trainees and new CDPs are shaking hands and hugging each other fiercely and screaming. The hall staff are all clapping and cheering each other on.

Although it has not been long since I came here, everyone feels a sense of belonging to Segreto. I am more impressed by the sense of unity that the staff members are enjoying now than by the star award. It is the result of our hard work and effort together.

“I’m alive today! After dinner, let’s all go to the pub.”

“Yes!”

Everyone expresses their joy in one voice. It seems like it would be good to just enjoy a day like this.

I took a guide and looked around in detail.

Three Star is no different from last year.

Six restaurants were awarded three stars: Le Bernardin, Per se, Jean Georges, Luce del Sole, Masa and Daniel.

and

Chef Table at Brooklyn Fare (Fusion Japanese)

Kajitsu (Japanese Kaiseki)

Marea (Italian)

Soto (Japanese food)

These four restaurants have been upgraded from One Star to join the new Two Star restaurants, bringing the total number of Two Star restaurants in New York to 10.

New York is currently experiencing a surge in Japanese food. Japanese food, which is widely known for sushi and rolls, is expanding its scope to include Japanese food in general and gaining popularity among New Yorkers.

But after about 10 years, Korean food and fusion Korean food restaurants have filled a significant portion of the Michelin Guide.

Finally, six restaurants, including Segreto and WD~50, have been newly added to the Michelin Guide. It is really fortunate that Segreto is included among the 43 one-star restaurants.

There are an estimated 25,000 restaurants in New York. Of those, less than 60 have been selected by the Michelin Guide panel to make it into the book. I don’t overestimate myself. Segreto could certainly not have made it.

I thought that if I was lucky, I might get two stars, but given the conservative nature of the Michelin Guide, I was also expecting that I might not get any stars at all. At the time, I was worried about how to comfort the staff, but fortunately, I didn’t have to worry about that.

And the next day, articles about the newly published Michelin Guide began to pour in from Korea.

[The Michelin Guide 2011 New York was released on the 6th. The Michelin Guide is called the bible of gourmets and has maintained its position as the most reliable standard for evaluating restaurants for the past several decades. Last year, Luce de Sole, where Shin Je-hee worked as a sous chef, became a hot topic in Korea when it was newly added as a three-star restaurant.

This year, there was news that drew even more attention from the public than last year. Chef Shin Je-hee’s newly opened restaurant Segreto became the first Korean to be awarded a Michelin star in New York just a few months after opening. This is a feat that was achieved in less than half a year since opening. Industry insiders unanimously say that this is a very unusual event.

Additionally, as Chef Shin Je-hee is known to be in charge of the banquet at the upcoming G20, the nation’s attention is focused on this place.

In the 2020s, this would have been an article that would have been on the lips of some of the public once or twice, but people tend to be excited about anything at first. And I was the most famous chef in Korea.

└This is it. I thought Shin Je-hee was just a Romeo Red, but she became a one-star as soon as she became independent. I wonder if she’ll rise to a three-star later?

└No rushing. Don’t complain later about not being able to do it.

└What do travel agencies do? They don’t quickly release related products. They make reservations for Segreto and sell them as a package with airline tickets and accommodations, and the money is multiplied.

└When the reservation page opens, it sells out immediately. Is that possible?

└It’s a bit reassuring to hear that Chef Shin Je-hee will be in charge of the food at G20.

└This is an international event held in Korea, so wouldn’t it be appropriate for a Korean chef to do it?

└They say they do both Korean and Western food. Of course, both are necessary.

└Then who is the head chef?

└I’ll figure it out. You’re not going to fight, are you?

└I saw in the article that Chef Shin Je-hee brought all the Segreto staff.

└I’m volunteering there. Can you give us food?

└How many people are there in the volunteer group? The number of people involved must be tens of thousands, right?

And at the same time, there were people who were just as happy as the staff at Segreto.

“I told you! I told you. You have to do it with Shin Je-hee!! Look at this. This is how you should do casting!”

Lee Byung-min, director of the Korean Food to the World Foundation, screamed while reading the article. And the Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff preparing for the G20 were also screaming with joy at the sudden jackpot.

They also wanted to find and hire a famous chef, but they couldn’t find anyone suitable. Then, Chef Shin Je-hee, who they had successfully hired, earned a star at the right time, so the situation couldn’t have been better.

“Okay! I got wind of it because you hired Jamie Oliver from England, but even if it’s not to that extent, Shin Je-hee would still look good at the banquet. Put out an article right now! Who did this?”

“The director strongly recommended it. Okay!”

It was the completion of a world where everyone was happy.