Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: Unfamiliar (4)

Shark fin soup could be divided into 2 categories. The kind with a darker broth and the kind with the clearer broth. Chloe chose to go with the darker broth. Her shark fin showed off a brown color that made it look sweet.

What food critics looked at first when evaluating Chinese restaurants was how they made their shark fin. Among countless Chinese dishes, shark fin was known as one of the most difficult dishes. There wasn’t a particular way of cooking it. If the quality of the shark fin was good, it was halfway to success. If one weren’t a food critic, most could enjoy shark fin. After all, it didn’t have much of a flavor or scent to hate.

But food critics were different. The texture of the shark fin, as well as the broth, used to live up to a higher expectation. It was inevitable. They had to make the flavors of shark fin come alive while not losing out on the flavors that the other ingredients gave. People might have liked it better if shark fin was cheap, but it was very expensive. So as a result, the dishes were expensive, and if it didn’t live up to the cost… Food critics would become angry.

And judges were no different. They were probably more sensitive to the flavor as they tried to sense the texture of the shark fin, and all of their evaluations were the same.

Joseph spoke first, “Chloe, how would you describe a well-made shark fin soup?’

“… Cook it so that the shark fin doesn’t fall apart, and control the flavor so that it’s not excessive.”

“And do you think yours met that expectation?”

“I hope so. I’m not sure if I can say I did my best. After all, I didn’t even plate it, but I think I kept the flavors alive. DIdn’t I?”

Chloe seemed to have confidence at first, but she lost it in the end. She had no choice. She had only worked with shark fin when she helped her mother as a child.

So she was extra cautious of the flavoring, and she continuously checked the heat as she controlled the situation and focused on the ingredients. She really did her best. But… that didn’t mean the dish turned out well. Allan spoke in a stern voice, “Are you aware that shark fin contains a lot of mercury?”

“Yes.”

“Then by eating one bite, we probably consumed a week’s worth, but do you think the dish did that justice?”

Chloe couldn’t respond to Allan. Emily sighed as she said, “Chloe, we all had the same opinion about your dish. A week?”

At that moment, Emily’s face turned into a smile. The sudden change made Chloe tremble in surprise.

“I’d say it was worth 3 weeks of mercury intake, let alone a week!”

“… Sorry?”

“I’m saying your shark fin soup was perfect, Chloe. So relax. Why are you trembling after making such a good dish?”

Following Emily’s smile, Joseph smiled as well.

“Emily says that was worth meals over the course of 3 months, but as an older man, I can’t agree. You can eat so many meals in 3 months, but if I had to eat something before I die, I’d think about your shark fin soup.”

Chloe couldn’t’ answer. Her eyes trembled in fear and then welled up with tears. She covered her face with her hands, but she couldn’t conceal her voice. Emily hugged Chloe with a sorry face.

“We made you nervous, didn’t we? I’m sorry.”

“T-that’s okay. It’s not that…”

Chloe wiped her tears. Her longer eyelashes made her eyes look even clearer. She opened her mouth to say something, but she simply sighed.

Cho Min Joon quietly watched Chloe. She suffered a deduction for being late, but that wasn’t a worry. It wasn’t because he didn’t care about Chloe. There was just no need to worry. Her score was…

“I’m sorry. I was just really nervous. I-I’m relieved… now.”

She was so nervous that she stuttered. Allan smirked and watched before glancing over at Cho Min Joon.

“Min Joon.”

“Yes. Coming.”

Cho Min Joon stepped up. Allan smiled out of surprise.

“I didn’t say you should come up.”

“I thought you’d want me to try the shark fin as well. Was I wrong?”

“Please give us the score.”

Cho Min Joon tasted Chloe’s shark fin with much anticipation. As soon as the sauce touched his tongue, he realized the shark fin tasted different than he expected. He thought it would be like jelly, but it tasted like a fresh vegetable. It was fresh and nice. He thought a firmer bellflower could taste much like this.

The sauce was nice. She must have added spices to her soy sauce because a soft flavor was hidden beneath the strong scent, and the onion that was cooked with it made the flavor come alive. Cho Min Joon smiled. The ethnicity of the dish was completely different, but it reminded him of his meal at Rose Island.

Food could make anyone happy, and nothing made a person happier than good food. Cho Min Joon continued to smile. He smiled larger than ever.

“It’s the best.”

“… What do you mean?”

“It’s what it sounds like. It’s a praise. The flavor is the best and so is the technique. It’s the best dish Chloe has ever made…”

Cho Min Joon trailed off. He sensed the judges staring at him. That made him feel good. Cho Min Joon smiled as he said, “This is the best dish made at Grand Chef so far.”

“No way…”

Allan spoke in surprise. Cho Min Joon nodded.

“Yes. 9 points.”

That was why he wasn’t worried about Chloe’s mistake. It was 9 points, and he believed that that would prevent her from being disqualified.

Chloe shook her head in disbelief. She spoke in a confused voice.

“There’s no way. I’ve never made shark fin before…”

“That’s how I felt when I made an 8-point risotto. I had never made one before either.”

“I got 9 points? Really?”

Cho Min Joon flashed her a smile.

“You’re a great chef. I’m not that surprised that you made a 9-point dish.”

“But…”

Chloe trailed off. She was a chef who wasn’t sure about her path yet. She was just someone who was good at cooking, but she couldn’t say that in front of the contestants. Joseph spoke in a low and soft voice, “Min Joon is right. 9 points. I don’t know his exact standards, but I think this is well-worth 9 points. The soup has perfect flavor as well as the technical basics.”

“It was good that you didn’t add too many different vegetables. That would have made the flavor too confusing. I’m certain that you understand the fundamentals of flavor. Please continue to make dishes like this, Chloe.”

Allan continued with a smile. Chloe looked at Emily next. She spoke with a smile as well, “I would have enjoyed your shark fin soup even if it was served at a high-end Chinese restaurant. Thank you for a delicious dish.”

Chloe shed tears in response. Cho Min Joon handed her a handkerchief while saying, “You can blow your nose in it.”

“… Thanks. But I don’t have any snot.”

But Chloe blew her nose anyway. Chloe turned her head with a flushed face. Allan, who saw this sight, glanced over at Kaya. She looked fierce as usual, but her eyes looked even sharper than usual. Allan smirked as he said, “Please go back, Min Joon. We’ll call you back up if we need you. For the calf brain or the sea anemone, for example.”

“… Sure.”

The happiness was put to a halt. Cho Min Joon returned with a sigh. Joseph watched Chloe before he spoke in a comforting voice, “Don’t’ cry, Chloe. And don’t underestimate yourself. You’re capable of making amazing dishes. You’re always really anxious for someone so talented. Why is that? Do you think you’re not very good?”

“… I’ll be honest. I’m not sure where I’m supposed to go. I love cooking the most, and I want to go that path, but I’m not sure if that’s a good enough reason to go for it. If there ever come a day that I don’t enjoy cooking anymore, I’d probably quit.”

Chloe confessed what she had been bottling up inside. Joseph stared at Chloe in response. Chloe looked away. His gaze was too clear to handle. Joseph continued, “Cooking isn’t always fun, but if you start properly, you will never get tired of it. Chloe, what would you do if you didn’t become a chef?”

“… I’d probably become a coroner.”

The unexpected answer made everyone burst into laughter, but not Joseph. Joseph nodded seriously and continued, “You’re a great chef, and you’re a great person. You’d probably make a great coroner as well, but my wish is for you to become a chef. I think you would shine brighter that way.”

“… Why is that?”

“I’m curious to see what you’ll cook next. But of course… I”ll probably go up to Heaven before I can taste all of it.”

Joseph smiled. Chloe smiled in response.

The evaluations continued. Cho Min Joon ended up tasting all of the dishes in the end. He tried to ask Martin for help, but he didn’t show any mercy. Since Cho Min Joon’s evaluation wasn’t going to affect the final decision, he thought it added some needed entertainment.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy some of the dishes. Just like Chloe, some of the other contestants made good dishes as well, and the best was Anderson’s.

Anderson managed to receive 8 points with sea anemone. He fried the anemone and served it with some paprika puree, but he managed to make the flavors come alive. Sea anemone often tasted bland, but he made it taste deep.

But not all contestants could succeed like Anderson. Joanne grilled her deer liver well and paired it with a mango yogurt sauce that complimented it, but she couldn’t get rid of the fishy smell of the deer liver. She received 5 points.

Ivanna’s situation was all right. She served tripe filled with butter and vegetables inside along with blueberry puree, and she was praised for it. It was understandable. The combination of the buttery tripe and blueberry purree was perfection. 6 points. It wasn’t bad.

Hugo cooked his brain in a brown sauce. He received 6 points as well, but it was not bad. He thought the brain would fall apart like tofu, but it was surprisingly elastic.

Lastly, Sasha rubbed her octopus with basil and garlic before roasting it in the oven. It was a safe method, and she received 6 points. At this point, Cho Min Joon knew who was going to be disqualified. He looked at Joanne with pitying eyes.

“Let me announce who’ll be disqualified.”

And he was right.