Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: Street Stall Inside a Bag (2)

Thailand was a country that was more popular with Westerners just like Japan. Chinese food was popular as well, but due to there being any overseas Chinese people, their food was very much localized. But in contrast, Japanese and Thai food still kept their original colors.

So in America and Europe, many considered Thai food as a refined cuisine.

Pattaya. That was the region they landed at. It was also the most popular tourist destination next to Bangkok. His heart filled with excitement. Just the thought of the emerald green ocean and the street stalls along the streets made him smile.

But by the time they were ready to leave the airport, their hearts grew cold. Martin spoke to them with a questionable face, “I have a mission for you.”

“… A mission?”

“Oh, no need to be scared. All you have to do is taste food as usual. Since we came to Thailand, we should fill our bellies. We will also provide you with unlimited funding.”

This made them feel even more anxious. Emily glared her eyes and asked, “And?”

“Yes. There’s a reason why I’m being so considerate. You have to complete the mission.”

“… What’s the mission?”

“You don’t have to take it so seriously. The mission isn’t all that difficult either. Every time you order a dish, you’ll collect points. And with every point, you’ll get a hint.”

“What hint?”

“The location where the next cast is.”

That was when Cho Min Joon exclaimed in understanding. That was what Martin said last time as well. That Anderson and Rachel weren’t the final cast members. Martin continued in a calm voice, “The two cast members are waiting for you, and you’ll be split up into teams.”

“Do we have to find one person each?”

“Yes. If you’re quick to catch on, you might get an important hint after just one dish and complete the mission, and there’s one more thing you need to know.”

Martin paused for a moment. By the time their eyes became impatient, he opened his mouth.

“The first team to bring back a cast member will spend the night in the most expensive penthouse in Pattaya, and the losing team will just stay at an average hotel.”

Emily’s eyes flashed. She was from a wealthy family, but that was how she knew the true worth of Martin’s prize. She quickly asked, “How do we decide the teams?”

“I wish I could leave it up to you… But unfortunately, each of the cast members knows two of you. Emily, and Rachel, you can’t be on the same team.”

“… Are you saying they know both of us?”

“No. One person is your friend and one person is Emily’s friend, so you have to find your own friends.”

Rachel didn’t answer. She didn’t like that this person was a friend. After her husband died, she didn’t meet up with anybody for 10 years, so she wasn’t keen on meeting anybody. That was when she remembered the conversation she shared with Douglas.

‘Are you thinking of replacing Douglas with him?’

What did she answer in response? As she had such thoughts, Rachel turned her head to the eyes that were on her. Anderson tried not to show it, but he kept glancing at her. Rachel smiled bitterly. She simply made him a few dishes when he was little, but Anderson seemed to have been very touched by it.

Of course, she didn’t hate Anderson’s attitude. Who could hate someone who looked up to them and liked them? She even felt sorry. Compared to how much Anderson cared about her, she cared too much about Cho Min Joon.

“I’ll work with Anderson.”

In response, Anderson looked blank from the surprise but then flashed a smile. Martin smirked at Anderson’s response and then asked Emily, “Are you okay with that?”

“… I don’t think he’ll come even if I ask. I’m fine with being with Min Joon, but is Min Joon okay with that?”

Emily looked back at Cho min Joon. Cho Min Joon grabbed his bag and opened his mouth.

“What should we eat first?”

***

There were four things that stuck out the most on the streets of Pattaya, Thailand. The first was the face of the king. He was all over TV posters, bills, and even taxis. It was so common that one could memorize his face after just one day in Thailand.

The producers gave them a piece of advice in a careful manner. They told them not to point at the king with their fingers. Since the Thai people thought of him as a living Buddha, they could get taken away if they committed any rude behavior.

After that was things related to Hallyu. He had only heard of Hallyu before and never experienced it… He felt weird hearing K-pop at bus stations and shops. He felt proud and embarrassed at the same time. He felt like he was a kid on stage at school, but no one looked at him.

The remaining two were bags and street stalls. Since there was no kitchen in many houses, those Thai people took care of their meals at the street stalls. As a result, the culture of convenient take-away developed, and seeing the clear bags felt fascinating. Dinner. Streets lit up by the sunset, and different dishes contained in clear bags.

Of course, not all dishes were wrapped in bags, and the same went for the stall that Cho Min Joon and Emily were at. On top of a yellow batter cooked on top of a plate of iron was banana, strawberry, and evaporated milk.

A banana rotti was placed in front of them and Emily and Cho Min Joon shared it. They had to eat it as quickly as possible so that they could get their hint. But at the same time, they wanted to enjoy the food as well.

The cooking score was 5. But considering the ingredients, it was hard to taste bad. Inside the chewy batter was the scent of coconut. When the banana and strawberry jam came together, it made Cho Min Joon laugh. Emily opened her eyes wide and stared at him.

“What is it?”

“Haha… It’s so sweet and delicious that I feel I committed a crime.”

It wasn’t a good dish. At least not according to Cho Min Joon’s standards, but the flavors were intense. That was the charm of street food.

“There are better foods than this. Come this way.”

Emily led Cho Min Joon elsewhere. The sun was setting over the ocean and the shop owners were turning on lamps to light up the streets.

In between the small street stalls were tourists and natives sitting in small chairs and chasing their hunger away. Why was it that inside the busy scenery, he felt something calm and warm?

“This place is nice.”

“It’s one of the most romantic places in Asia.”

In response, Cho Min Joon nodded. At that moment, they heard a loud voice coming from a shop. A Hispanic young man wearing shorts was grimacing in front of a half-eaten roasted chicken. He was cussing.

“Look here, old man. What’s wrong with this chicken? It’s too chewy. Do you use expired ingredients?”

“Uh… I… can’t speak English.”

“Well, you can’t cook either. It’s burnt on the outside. How can you sell this for money?”

The old owner stuttered without being able to answer. The people around them frowned, but no one intervened. Whether they were tourists or natives, they didn’t like to get involved in this sort of thing. And the man was quite threatening. No one wanted to mess with him.

Cho Min Joon quietly watched the man’s behavior. His eyes turned sharper than usual. While there were those who worked hard to build something, there were always those who tried to bring it down, and Cho Min Joon had never allowed such behavior.

“Min Joon. Hold it in.”

He didn’t answer. He was already holding it in. That was why he was sitting still, but there was a reason why Cho Min Joon was angrier than the others. That was because he wasn’t a chef. He saw the score on the chicken. Unlike what the young man said, he knew the dish was just fine.

[Thai Chicken Breast BBQ]

Freshness: 96%

Origin: (Too many ingredients for an accurate calculation)

Quality: High

Cooking Score: 6

The cooking score was decent for a cheap street dish, and the freshness and quality were great. The street stall didn’t mess around with food, so he couldn’t accept that he was receiving such criticism.

And by the time the man flipped his dish and the chicken landed on the ground, Cho Min Joon got up from his seat. Emily quickly reached out her hand, but Cho Min Joon was already too far before she could grab his arm.

Cho Min Joon charged in with anger and picked up the chicken from the ground. The man stared at Cho Min Joon. No, it wasn’t just the man. It was Emily, the owner, the staff, and the tourists who were watching. Someone was already filming it with their phone.

And in the midst of the gazes, Cho Min Joon took a bite of the dirty chicken. He had once eaten a Norimaki from an unreasonable customer when he did the food truck mission. But this time, the food had already landed on the ground as well, but Cho Min Joon didn’t hesitate. He could only refute if he ate the chicken.

People exclaimed either because it was dirty or because they were impressed. The dirt cracked in between his teeth. Cho Min Joon swallowed the meat and looked at the man. The man flinched and then stuck out his chest.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“It’s good. It’s perfectly chewy. It’s not overcooked, and the outer layer has been seared. It’s not burnt at all.”

“What…?”

“I’m saying you’re wrong. You have no right to criticize.”

Cho Min Joon spoke in a serious voice, but inside his eyes were rage. And the man noticed that. He laughed.

“So are you telling me to apologize?”

“If you made a mistake, you should apologize. That’s what parents taught us to do. DIdn’t yours?”

“… What makes you so confident? Do I have to humiliate you to teach you a lesson?”

The man then scanned the cameraman and staff who were nearby. He caught on that they were filming something. He didn’t know what show it was, but he noticed what was going on. If he swung his fist in front of the camera, he could get arrested.

But he couldn’t back down because of his pride, so the man grabbed Cho Min Joon by the throat. But Cho Min Joon didn’t back down either. He glared down at the man.

“Humiliate? I’d only be humiliated if I just shut my mouth here. If I don’t say anything now, who’ll stand up for me when I get a shitty customer like you?”

“Watch your mouth. You’re testing my patience.”

“Why are you holding it in now? You were mad just a second ago. You might be able to say whatever you want, but that man can’t. Why do you think that is? Because he’s not confident in his cooking? Because the meat is bad? No, the meat is just fine. It’s cooked well, but that man couldn’t say anything because you’re his customer. He can’t get mad at a customer, but are you even his customer?”

Cho Min Joon glared his eyes. The man was at a loss for words. Normally, people backed down to his size, but Cho Min Joon was pouncing without fear.

The man realized the situation was going to get worse. Just because he was big and strong didn’t mean he could lead the situation. It was actually this Asian man who had more power. The power was supported by the other onlookers’ support and the camera lens.

Isn’t that Cho Min Joon?

Oh, from Grand Chef?

Some people even recognized him. He didn’t know what program it was, but he realized he was famous. He was better off not messing with him.

In the end, the man let go of Cho Min Joon’s throat. Cho Min Joon straightened his collar and opened his mouth.

“I’ll give you a chance.”

“A chance?”

“A chance to apologize to this man. If you don’t want to…”

Cho Min Joon lifted his finger. His finger pointed at his clenched fist. A cold voice followed.

“You can hit me however you want.”