Chapter 213 - Taking the first step (4)

“Damn it! I’m afraid I can’t go to other restaurants after I eat this one here at Rose Island.”

“You bet. They can’t beat Rose Island.”

With a broad smile, Joseph put spaghetti with sea bream and sea bream broth puree in his mouth.

At that moment, he opened his eyes sharply. Although it was made with Rachel’s recipe and coaching, it tasted much milder than what Anderson made at the cooking contest.

“I thought the texture of the puree might be a little rough, but it’s not at all. Sea bream and spaghetti were mixed well so that they didn’t just cancel each other’s taste. Very professional. But I am not sure whether Anderson’s skills have improved or I have to praise Rachel’s coaching…”

“Is it so difficult to manage the kitchen staff?”

“To be honest, there are very few with the title of the head chef who really understands the flow of the kitchen work really well. That’s the situation. After all, the head chef is also a fragile human being. It’s never easy for the head chef to fully understand what each of the dozens of kitchen staff is doing.”

Joseph seemed calm when he said that, but obviously, there was some sort of envy of Rachel in his voice. Watching him, Sarah had no choice but to admire him. Joseph was a chef recognized as a giant in the gourmet circles. And he was a man of unrivaled popularity and recognition among his peers. Sarah was touched by the fact that even he had an admiration for Rachel.

Sarah concentrated once more and put spaghetti in her mouth as Joseph did. Did she feel what he just said was something like a garnish? She felt like it tasted clearer and richer.

The question of an ideal al dente pasta had been discussed by quite a few people, but the usual consensus was that everybody had a relative taste of it. Some said the only answer was that one had to fly to Italy to confirm it directly.

However, when Sarah ate the spaghetti, she could not say anymore that one’s taste was relative. It was absolutely perfect. It seemed that there was no more delicious pasta than this one. Sarah smiled. It wasn’t a business smile but a sincere smile from the bottom of her heart.

“When you come to Rose Island, you don’t have to go to Italy because you’re curious about pasta. Don’t you think so?”

“You bet. I guess even the noodle threads are the best quality here. Rose Island receives all of its ingredients from the best masters. To be exact, they are supplied by the best cooks who once worked at Rose Island when they were young.”

“It’s not just Rose Island that has grown over time, right?”

“Almost every restaurant is growing through this process. Of course, you have to figure out well whether your staff can pursue their career faithfully for the rest of their lives.”

“Come to think of it, Rachel was blessed with lots of talented cooks. How about you, Joseph? When you see them these days, do you recognize people around you?”

“Yes, most of them. Some of them suddenly quit working because they wanted to become a movie star or carpenter. I met some of them who were in business with Rose Island, but I was told Rose Island would not want to accept their dishes.”

Having said that, Joseph ate all the spaghetti left on the plate. Chewing a bit, he could taste the elasticity of the noodles and the fragrance of carbohydrates. It was a dish full of charm that made him empty the plate.

“I was wondering whether Anderson grew under Rachel or whether Chef Rachel’s coaching was great, but when I think about it, I didn’t have to be curious. With a great taste like this, I think Anderson had no choice but to improve his skills whether he made it by himself or not.”

“Well, there is a reason why the head chefs in Rose Island are so famous.”

“Well, the head chefs at my restaurant are just as good as them.”

“Nope, they’re no better than the head chefs here, right?”

“It looks like you like to touch a raw nerve in me, as always.”

When Joseph spoke bitterly, Jeremy laughed casually as if he didn’t care.

Sarah said in a wistful voice, “It’s a pity that I came here for the show. I really wanted to enjoy the taste of the dishes without saying anything here.”

“Tut, tut. How can you say that as a gourmet? You should have more fun and delight in expressing your views on the taste of the dishes than relishing in the taste.”

“That’s why I still have a long way to go.”

When Jeremy pointed it out, Sarah twisted her hair with an awkward look.

In the meantime, they were served a sherbet. As if it was made with a mixture of apple mint and lime, its fresh and bright scent stimulated their appetite. Actually, it was served for them to rinse their mouth with the lingering taste of the previous dishes before they ate the main.

Sarah turned to Joseph and asked, “I think this was made by Min-joon. How does it taste?”

“It’s amazing. In the cooking contest, Min-joon showed the most diffidence when it came to dessert-related dishes. This wasn’t served as a dessert, but it’s really delicious. This sherbet is so excellent that I can’t think of it just as something like a simple mouth-rinsing dessert.”

“It looks like Min-joon has really improved a lot. Of course, Anderson, too.”

“The reason why many chefs want to work at Rose Island, and its Venice branch at that, is not just because it looks great. It’s because they can learn a lot there.”

They were about to be served the main dish after eating sherbet when they heard the sound of applause ringing from the hall. When they looked closely, Rachel came out alone and stood in front of the tables. She cleared her voice and opened her mouth. Given her small figure, her voice was loud but calm.

“Thank you for trusting me who was gone for ten years and being our first guests here. I hope you were satisfied with all the dishes we served today. We have tried very hard to revive the old taste of the dishes glorified in your memories as well as the taste of the dishes exaggerated in the rumors. We really had a hard time making all these dishes.”

Once again, they applauded at her enthusiastically. Some even whistled with their fingers.

In front of the oven, Lisa was looking at Rachel from behind, about to cry. Her father, who had been waiting for this moment for ten years, was here. Lisa was happy that she could be here in place of her father—Jack. But at the same time, she felt a bit sad.

A baker next to her asked, surprised, “Lisa, are you crying?”

“Nope, who is crying? I’m not.”

“But you are…”

The moment the baker was about to say something more, another baker grabbed his arm and shook his head. Lisa looked at Rachel serenely. Rachel was now saying hello to each guest briefly. She also said hi to Joseph and the other two guests in the room.

“It’s been a while, Rachel.”

“Oh, Sarah. This is the first time since we met on Hunger Trip. Do you like the food here?”

“Are you kidding me? Of course, I do! I can say 100% confidently that maybe in the next few decades or so, Rose Island will be the best restaurant in my life.”

“How kind of you to say so! Which dish did you like best?”

“Let me comment on the dessert that I have not yet tasted. If I have to single out the best dish that I’ve enjoyed so far…”

Sarah blurred at the end of her words and looked at the other two in the room.

And the three said almost simultaneously, “Potato soup!”

Not anyone of them mentioned another dish.

Rachel raised her eyebrows as if she was surprised.

“Oh, you guys like it best. Last time, my students also ranked it as the best. Our guests here have shown the same response.”

“It was a perfect match. In fact, the potato soup itself tastes good, but I didn’t think it was special. But the bacon foam changed everything. I never expected the sauce made from bacon foam would create such an intense flavor. I just couldn’t even imagine it.”

“The soup brought out what people wanted for their molecular cuisine, and the soft and light taste of traditional cuisine was also very rich in the soup. I thought this would be the true fusion cuisine.”

After Sarah and Joseph spoke respectively, Rachel turned to Jeremy.

Jeremy shrugged and opened his mouth.

“It was delicious. I agree with the two. If I had enjoyed only the bacon foam, I wouldn’t have enjoyed the taste so much. It might have tasted salty. I think you’re so shrewd in making a perfect soup all the time. Nobody can beat you on that.”

“So, are you now praising me or cursing me?”

“Of course, I’m praising you. I just feel a bit upset. I want to swear at you sometimes, but you make me defenseless, so I can’t,” Jeremy grunted.

Rachel turned up one corner of her mouth a bit with a smile.

Watching her, Sarah asked, “What did Min-joon say? He liked to score the dishes habitually.”

“Oh, that score!” Rachel grinned.

“He said 10 out of 10.”

10 out of 10. It’s a perfect score.

Even Joseph, who wasn’t usually surprised by gourmet ranking, was struck with admiration at her words. He opened his mouth in a slightly excited voice.

“Oh, I see. I remember that in the past, Dave’s Rose Island had only one 10. Here at Rose Island under Rachel, even that potato soup had 10. I wonder how many of your dishes would get 10.”

“Actually, I was curious, but Min-joon seemed to feel uneasy about mentioning the score. After all, I only heard that he mentioned that the potato soup had a score of 10.”

Sarah said as if she could not understand, “Why? Everyone would be anxious to know which score he would give or how he would evaluate the dishes. If I were in his shoes, I would be trying to speak my mind all the time.”

“Well, everyone has a different personality. I think Min-joon cares about the impact of his words, so he is careful. In fact, I would like to commend his prudent attitude. You know he can be arrogant because he has a perfect palate, but he is trying to be humble a lot.”

“What I’m saying may sound biased, but most Asians have such an attitude. If I put it nicely, they are humble, but if I put it badly, they are timid.”

“You are really biased, man,” said Jeremy.

Rachel shook her head at Jeremy’s words with a sigh.

She turned to the hall as if she was a bit busy and began to move.

“I’m sorry, but that’s all for our conversation for now. Let me check the kitchen and come back after a lunch break. You can come back to the kitchen after the guests leave. Oh, does anyone need to leave quickly?”

At her asking, the three looked at each other and showed their palms.

Rachel nodded and said, “Okay. Our guys at the kitchen might want to see you, too. See you later.”

Having said that, she hurried to the kitchen. Even on her way to the kitchen, some guests in the hall tried to clap again. She hurriedly waved her hands to stop them. When she entered the kitchen, she looked pretty tired.