Chapter 211 - Taking‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌s

As soon as the bacon foam was finished, Min-joon had to deal with the jelly again. Fortunately, tomorrow was Sunday. Normally, he had to boil the broth or ingredients of the jelly tomorrow and make it into gelatin at the same time. He was now free from that burden because Sunday was a day off to him.

He had so many other things to do. He had to burn cloves under a bucket of butter to get its aroma and check the condition of the sorbet. He also had to make fake caviar by adding the sauce made with fish broth, brown sugar, lime, and apple mint.

Customers’ orders were pouring in. While overseeing the kitchen, Rachel looked at Min-joon freshly. As for other demi-chefs, she had to instruct the demi-chefs to correct their mistakes on the plates, small or large, but she didn’t have to give any such instruction to him.

‘Well, I can understand he could stay calm when he was a trainee, but I’m just amazed he could stay calm even now.’

Rachel was impressed by his strong concentration. It was the first time he stood at the kitchen as a real demi chef today, but she could not find any mistake or clumsiness that suggested that he was a beginner when he stood before the cooking table.

‘I just love his determination like that.’

She smiled at him then looked around the hall for a moment. What the head chef had to do wasn’t just controlling the kitchen. At least that was her working principle. She had to check the atmosphere of the hall, and sometimes she had to satisfy the fantasy that the customers expected for the head chefs in the kitchen.

And she felt very positive about the atmosphere of the hall. When the soup topped with the bacon foam made by Min-joon was served, the atmosphere was really the best. Of course, that was not surprising to her because even the head chefs said they liked the soup the best on the course.

She carefully wiped the sauce off the plate and rang the bell. The servers approached and put the plate on the palms of their hands. Watching the servers disappearing quietly, she found that her hand that was holding the dishcloth was wet. Suddenly, she remembered what Isaac told her in the office.

‘There are no perfect people, only people trying to be perfect…’

“Well, nothing is more frustrating than efforts without results.”

She clenched her fist. The course was not over yet. Smiles were on customers’ faces, but she was not sure when that would change. Her heart was thumping. Her heart was pounding. Then her heart sank. She looked around the kitchen fiercely like a general. Suddenly, Min-joon’s interview came to her mind. What did he reply when Pavo asked him when his test would be over.

<That’s when we are no longer tense in our minds. The moment I feel my work is fun is the day my test is finally over.>

It was what a beginner chef, Min-joon, said. But since he was a rookie, he could hit the nail on the head more sharply than veteran chefs like her.

She slowly pondered over his reply to Pavo.

‘I think I have to finish my homework…’

***

While Rachel was girding up her loins, there was a man struggling with deep regret. He was none other than the chief producer, Pavo. He looked at the crowded customers in the hall and muttered to his staff blankly, “Look over there. Isn’t she Mary Stacey over there right now?”

“Next to her is Sergei Martel.”

“Over there, Rupert van Hussen and Chris Patrasche… Damn it! All the VIPs from the entertainment and business circles are all here.”

“Of course they are. Right next door is Beverly Hills in Hollywood. It’s more surprising to me that they made a reservation rather than wanting to come here. I heard there were quite a few people who came here and waited in vain for a very long time to make a reservation.”

“Well, those guys can send their deputies here to wait for them for the reservation, right?”

“Ah, you’re right.”

Ignoring his staff’s reaction, Pavo looked at their expressions then expressed deep regrets.

‘I wish we could videotape their reaction?’

Every time they ate a dish, even those who looked coy, made all sorts of expressions as if they were acting with their faces. But Pavo could understand them. While his staff was filming them, he had several chances to try Rachel’s as well as Rose Island’s cuisine. He knew well they could not help but be moved by the dishes served.

Everyone had a fantasy about their perfect types.

When it came to cuisine, Rose Island was their ideal restaurant, and their fantasy was here to stay. The moment they tasted the dish they only dreamed about in their lives, it was natural that they showed such a reaction.

The reason Pavo felt so sorry at the moment was simple. He couldn’t shoot the scene of their happy expressions. Of course, there was a camera hanging from the ceiling, but it was impossible to shoot the scene of individual interviews or their detailed expressions with it.

The reason why his cameraman couldn’t walk around the hall was simple.

Rachel didn’t allow it.

<Customers come here to enjoy meals, not for a shoot. You can’t take a shot of them for the reason of filming their dining moment. Please help them focus on enjoying their food.>

Pavo could not ignore her earnest request and keep filming them in a situation like this.

Normally, he could exert some influence even in big restaurants, but it was Rachel that he had to deal with right now. Even if his boss could come here and tried to persuade her, he would fail. She was such a big shot in the cooking business.

With a sigh, Pavo looked at the staff and said, “Where are those guys now?”

“When I contacted them earlier, they departed from the airport, so it won’t take long for them to arrive here. I guess they would arrive in 5 minutes at the latest… Oh!”

The staffer stopped talking and looked toward the front door. Even at a glance, the three men and women were coming in with their eyes full of anticipation and joy.

Pavo stood up and approached them.

“Joseph, Jeremy, and Sarah, nice to meet you.”

“It’s been a while, Pavo.”

“It’s nice to see good people here in a good place. Sarah, you and I have never met before, right?”

“You’re right. I hear that if you are a gourmet, you should carry Pavo’s business card in your wallet, so they can’t call you a beginner. I think I have a chance not to be called a beginner anymore.”

“Well, I didn’t know that my business card was so valuable. Come on, guys. I’ve been sitting at a table alone for some time.”

Pavo led them to his table with a smile. Their table was in a room by the window.

When he returned to the room surrounded by cameras, he felt like he got a lot of load off his chest. One of his staff looked at Sarah and opened his mouth wide. Sarah’s figure in a tight black and red silk dress showed why she was so popular among female gourmets.

He whispered to Pavo with a smile, “Boss, to be honest, you invited Sarah here for your own satisfaction, right?”

“Do you really think so? You have been working with me for several years, right?”

“Well, that’s how I feel, watching you for several years.”

Pavo cleared his throat and scratched his head.

Then he said in an earnest voice, “What do you think the three have in common?”

“Well, I think they are acquaintances of Rachel, right? Come to think of it, I think anybody, not just Sarah, who is senior enough, has a close relationship with Chef Rachel.”

“That’s the answer to your question, man. Then, what do you think is Sarah’s strength, compared with other old gourmets and chefs?”

“Her strength? Well…”

As if he found it out, the staffer raised his head.

Looking at Pavo’s eyes, he opened his mouth hesitantly.

“You mean she is close to Min-joon and Anderson?”

“That’s right. By the way, you said it’s Sarah’s strength that she knew Rachel’s dishes, but not knowing it all could be her strength, too. If Rachel’s cuisine were much better than what she’s been eating her whole life, she would not only admire it but also be astonished. And if she could properly express her feelings on TV that even a gourmet like her can’t help but admire, what would happen? Dang it, Chef Rachel has to treat me to some nice course.”

What Pavo grumbled about was not so unfounded. Actually, Sarah’s eyes were twinkling like a star when she looked at the menu.

Jeremy said awkwardly, “Sarah, I’ve never seen you this excited about food. Seriously, I’ve never seen your expression throughout Hunger Trip.”

“I had no other choice. This is the best restaurant serving the most delicious dishes, but it closed for many years. Isn’t it only natural that I am so upset?”

“Well, it’s so unfair! Can you understand my feelings when I can’t find my favorite restaurant in my life for ten years? Oh, Joseph, that doesn’t mean your restaurant is not good. Oh, that doesn’t mean it’s equal to Rose Island. How can I express this?”

“You don’t have to flatter me. I know I’m far behind compared to Chef Rachel.”

It was quite humble for a middle-aged chef like Joseph, well recognized worldwide, to respond like that. Sarah opened her mouth. “Aren’t you jealous?”

“Well, if I was around her age, I might be jealous. But I’m pretty younger than Chef Rachel. She is not a rival I have to beat, but a role model I would like to follow.”

“I feel a bit strange when I think about it. Cooking is the object of a subjective judgment after all, but there’s always a strange competitive spirit among cooks.”

“After all, everyone has the desire to be the best in his or her field.”

When she was done talking, ciabatta was served as a pre-meal bread. While the server was pouring dry red wine in the wine glass, Sarah slightly tore a piece of ciabatta into her mouth and admired the taste.

“They made a really good dough. The patissier here is the best, isn’t he?”

“I hear she is Jack’s daughter. Oh, Jack was formerly the patissier at Rose Island. He was a terrific guy.”

“Oh, his daughter has inherited her father’s job then, along with his skills.”

When she tore the ciabatta in half and took it, the amuse-bouche was served. It was deep-fried meatballs that they served to the 36 head chefs the other day. Deep-fried shrimp and pork meatballs served with green powdered mustard sauce.

Joseph put the fries in his mouth and closed his eyes.