Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: Friendly Judge (5)

Cho Min Joon looked at the applicants. The wrinkles on their foreheads proved how quickly their minds were working.

He then glanced over at the hall. There were demi chef applicants who already completed the test as well as the cooks and apprentices who passed through. As soon as Ella at the front table met eyes with Cho Min Joon, she smiled and waved. Cho Min Joon smiled back and looked beside her.

‘Havier, he could be 1st place.’

He figured that if the remaining 7 weren’t as good, he would become the next demi chef.

What he showed off wasn’t a main, but an appetizer. It was a wise choice. In such a short time, it was better to make an appetizer than a main.

Havier’s appetizer was unique. After surrounding the clams with squid, he put carp eggs on top and topped it off with sage and thyme. He then added an egg and cooked it in the fridge.

It seemed like an easy dish. The cooking score was 7, but the flavor was good enough to be level 8 or 9. The way the scent of the herb mixed with the seafood… was so refreshing to Cho Min Joon.

‘We could put this out as a dish.’

That was Rachel’s evaluation. Cho Min Joon agreed. And at the same time, he felt stimulated. If he was told to make a 7-point dish, he could do it. But if he had to make something like that that scored 7 points, he wasn’t so confident.

That was the side effect of focusing on the scores. An empty shell that relied on the splendor. The characteristics that the evil characters of movies and dramas had could be seen in Cho Min Joon as well.

‘I need to fix it.’

But he didn’t feel restless. He was still young, and he had plenty of time to fix it. He actually felt relieved, because he found the reason why he felt so frustrated.

Cho Min Joon’s eyes turned serious. This was different from when they tested the cooks. Unlike the cooks, Cho Min Joon couldn’t criticize the demi chefs’ recipes. The mission was a signature dish. That meant they had freedom, and they were trying out to be on the same level as Cho Min Joon. So criticizing them too harshly could backfire.

For that reason, as soon as they began cooking, Cho Min Joon was unable to take his eyes off of their hands. The way they prepared the ingredients, the way they held the knife, and the philosophy they held about their recipes.

Since he saw them as people he could learn from, he saw their movements differently. Cho Min Joon also realized that he could learn from their bad habits.

‘They say cooking can be learned from the shoulder beside you…’

He realized what that really meant. Cho Min Joon showed particular interest in Janet, and it wasn’t only because her level was high. Her choice was very original.

‘Risotto made of lemon, butter, pear, and mint. On top of that, she’s going to place grilled salmon…’

Risotto was a difficult dish to make. One had to focus for a long time, and in order to make the perfect risotto, the proportions of the ingredients had to be just right. Once the broth was all boiled down, it was impossible to correct the proportions.

So it was hard to add various ingredients to a risotto. Because while maintaining a balance, one also had to make sure the ingredients wouldn’t collide. Cho Min Joon watched Janet with much interest.

And it didn’t take long before his interest turned into admiration. On top of the plate was shiny green risotto, and once the salmon, which was fried with olive oil and butter, was placed on top… the dish was worth 9 points.

‘… I’ve never seen anyone make a 9-point dish so easily.’

Anderson and Kaya were also level 8 in cooking, but not even they could make such a dish so effortlessly.

She was skilled, and it had been a long time since he saw anyone like that. She was so skilled that it was hard to believe she was just a demi chef.

“… Anderson, where are the applications again?”

“Hang on. Oh, here.”

Cho Min Joon read Janet’s application from the bunch. He then quietly let out an exclamation. That was because he had heard of the restaurant she used to work at before. Pierro Garnish, it was a restaurant that maintained their three stars for almost 20 years.

“Why? Are you interested in her?”

“Of course. She’s the best chef we’ve seen so far.”

“… That green risotto? I don’t know. It just looks like a typical vegan dish.”

“If it was vegan, there wouldn’t be fish in it.”

“Then is it pesco?”

“Even if it is, that shouldn’t cut down her score. Food is all about flavor.”

“The problem is that it’s typical.”

“You didn’t really see her cook, did you?”

Cho Min Joon looked at Anderson as if he saw it coming. Anderson replied with a temperamental voice, “Wait, how am I supposed to see the process of all of those chefs at once?”

“I did.”

“You two, stop it and come here. It’s time for evaluations.”

“… I apologize.”

In response, Anderson put on a sad face and walked forward. Some of the applicants even laughed at the scene. Rachel approached the first applicant and asked, “I noticed that you boiled down chicken breast in sauce and cooked it with meringue afterward.”

“Yes. I added orange juice and a pinch of soy sauce to the sauce.”

Cho Min Joon put a piece of the chicken breast in his mouth. It was an interesting taste. The meringue got rid of the dryness of the chicken breast, so it didn’t taste all that dry. It wasn’t only because it was boiled down.

Many people believed that meat would become moister if it was boiled down. And it wasn’t completely wrong. However, that only applied to meat that was already salted and was quite saline. After keeping the meat salted, brushing it off, and putting in the sauce, the broth or sauce would absorb deeply into the meat.

‘Cooking is science.’

It was possible that in good time, molecular cooking would become a regular thing. Cho Min Joon opened his mouth.

“This shows off what a dish with good basics looks like. The chicken breast has great texture, and the meringue goes perfectly with it.”

“Thank you.”

In response to Cho Min Joon, the contestant replied with a smile. Regardless of whether she passed or not, she was happy to be praised by Cho Min Joon. After all, he was famous for having a perfect palate. On top of that, he was next to the legendary Rachel. There was no test that was more luxurious.

He would’ve liked to praise all of them, but some of the dishes weren’t so deserving. It wasn’t important whether it was because they were nervous or lacked skill. All that he could evaluate was the food in front of him.

“Sweet potato mousse and cod mousse… I looked forward to what kind of taste that would give off, but there was no harmony whatsoever. Chris, why do you think that is? Is the recipe bad or were you just unable to follow the recipe properly?”

“To be honest, the steak was cooked right. But that’s it. The sauce made with vinegar and wine. I feel like this is too typical to call your signature. It’s not like the harmony of the sauces were all that special either.”

“Each ingredient comes alive. But as for the harmony, I can’t really say the same.”

He felt like the road to Janet’s Risotto took too long. Cho Min Joon looked at Janet with a tired face. Since she was an Asian as well, he felt more familiar with her, but Janet was looking at him coldly. Rachel opened her mouth.

“Pear and mint… Did you use chicken broth?”

“Yes. I believe chicken broth is best for fruit risotto.”

“The rice itself tastes refreshing apart from the mint or pear… It’s soft rather than sharp. Hm…. Did you make the lemon butter?”

“Yes. You got it all right.”

Janet’s face looked soft as she was in awe of her. It was completely different from how she looked at Cho Min Joon, but that sadness went away as soon as he put the risotto and salmon in his mouth. Cho Min Joon spoke with an excited voice. He looked happier than he did with any other contestant.

“This is delicious! I was wondering how you’d deal with the sourness of the mint, but the sweetness of the pear gets rid of it. The lemon butter is fresh and oily, which makes the rice go down more smoothly… And not to mention, the salmon. This is perfect. I’m impressed.”

“Thank you.”

Janet’s voice was chic compared to Cho Min Joon’s excited voice. She wasn’t very friendly with Anderson either, but it was obvious she was particularly cold to Cho Min Joon. After feeling the hatred, Cho Min Joon asked Anderson, “Do I give off a bad first impression?”

“Maybe.”

“… I thought I was okay.”

After tasting a few more, they had to discuss their opinions. Janet didn’t seem to like him, but Cho Min Joon liked her very much. He liked her cooking. Cho Min Joon spoke with power,

“Janet Pay, I think we need to bring her in. Her recipe was impressive, and her cooking skills were on par. There were many other good contestants, but I think Janet was the best one yet.”

He was very enthusiastic. Anderson thought he looked like a fan and said, “… You’re so friendly today. You’re supporting a woman who was cold to you.”

“What’s important is the cooking. As long as they’re good at cooking, I don’t care if they cuss me out.”

“Yeah, that’s why you were so friendly to Kaya.”

Cho Min Joon didn’t answer. He looked at Rachel and stressed.

“Let’s take her in.”

***

“We meet again. It must’ve been fate.”

Janet stared at Havier, who stuck out his hand with a smile. Havier shook his hand and said, “Now that it’s certain we’re meant to work together, shouldn’t we at least shake hands?”

“Congratulations on passing.”

“You passed too, Ms. Janet. You’re talking as if I’m the only one.”

“Call me Janet. It gives me the chills when you call me like that.”

“Okay, Janet. Oh, Mr. Min Joon and Mr. Anderson.”

Havier approached with a bright face. Cho Min Joon shrugged and said, “Just call me Min Joon.”

“Okay, Min Joon. Then just call me Havier.”

“The clam squid you made earlier… I don’t know what to call it. Anyway, it was delicious. I hope we work well together.”

Cho Min Joon said that and smiled. The 9 newly selected members of the kitchen were getting to know each other. It looked like a small party.

Anderson was unable to memorize all of their names and didn’t see the need to, but Cho Min Joon was different. Memorizing was one of his prime skills. Anderson looked at Cho Min Joon, greeting each and every one of them and said, “I can’t act that nice.”

“You didn’t seem like a bad person on TV either.”

“Who would do anything bad on TV? That’d be stupid.”

He answered in a grumble, but he sounded warm. Havier smirked and said, “Just call me Havier. May I call you Anderson?”

“No.”

That wasn’t Anderson’s voice. Havier lowered his head toward where he heard the high voice. Ella lifted her chin as if she was the host of the party. What was unfortunate was that she wasn’t wearing a dress, but a floral t-shirt and yellow shorts. Anderson asked in a puzzled voice, “Why not?”

“Uncle Min Joon said that we should call people by the name they like most.”

“… What’s the name I like most?”

Anderson felt anxious. Ella laughed and answered, “Uncle Ddeok Sam!”

“… I knew it. Min Joon, that bastard…”

“What is she talking about? Ddeok Sam?”

“It’s nothing. Just forget it. Also…”

Anderson considered correcting him that it was Deok Sam, but he just shut his mouth. That wouldn’t be favorable toward him. At that moment, Janet took a sip of her soda and opened her mouth.

“You seem to be on good terms. I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Because Rose Island is just starting out. That means nothing’s been decided. And among the undecided…” Janet spoke with a sharp voice.

“We have to decide which demi chef will be in charge of what. Just so you know, I’ve already claimed the appetizer.”

“… What if I want the appetizer?”

Anderson asked in a challenging manner. Janet answered in a calm voice, “Then we’d have to face off.”