Chapter 271 - Geek (2)

Then she continued sharply, “What’s the point of speaking self-mockingly even if he is better than us? Is that the reason you asked me to go to the gallery with you?”

“Let me point out two things. First, I didn’t say what I said to shame ourselves. I just wanted to accept reality. As you know, it’s Min-joon who always passes Rachel’s test, right? He is just way beyond our comparison. Second, you asked me to go to the gallery.”

“As for the gallery, don’t you remember you needed someone to go there with you after you heard that Min-joon got inspiration there? You made the suggestion to me, right? You said you would accept reality? Man, you should overcome reality, not accept it. I lived up to that principle.”

“If you want to pick a fight with me, go to Havier. I don’t want to argue with you. I have to develop a recipe.”

“Me, too!”

Janet and Anderson sharply retorted at each other in a ferocious tone and turned.

At that moment, somebody was coming out of Rachel’s office. Both Janet and Anderson glanced toward it and fixed their eyes on Havier, who was all smiles on his face. An empty plate was in his hand. Making eye contact with them, he lifted the empty plate. Janet and Anderson slowly turned to each other.

Anderson opened his mouth.

“I don’t think it’s time for us to be quarreling like this.”

“Shall we have a strategy session?”

That night the two spent a long time looking for ways to persuade Rachel.

But their strategy didn’t work out. In fact, they couldn’t.

The next evening the Michelin Guide Inspectors made a surprise visit to Rose Island.

There were several types of tables preferred by regulars in the dining hall of Rose Island.

The most coveted table was at the window side where they could see the beach.

The large windows were quite wide even for a Greek building, and beyond them were the sparkling beach and grains of sand as well as people looking like small Legos in the distance.

The table right next to the kitchen was their second-best choice. The sound of the pan and stove clashing loudly in the kitchen, the sound of the cooks endlessly cutting, and the sound of ignition sparks rising, the scene of the chefs constantly cooking with beads of sweat on their foreheads made the customers feel like they were watching a magnificent musical.

Finally, the table by the fountain on the side of the hall was not missed by the customers as their third-best choice. A statue erected among a few small pine trees was there, and the water streams were flowing gently. Lifting the fork while hearing the sound of the water droplets being crushed endlessly, any customer could feel like he was walking in the woods on a rainy day.

But the table where two Michelin inspectors were seated didn’t belong to any of those favorite tables. The table was in the center of the hall, where there was a luxurious marble partition.

It wasn’t bad, but comparing the other three favored tables, it looked shabby.

A young woman complained to the old man sitting on the other side. Both were Michelin reviewers.

“If he made a reservation for us, I wonder why he didn’t choose a better table. Do you like it, Paul?”

“Jane, don’t complain at the get go. Our head office must have spent some money making a reservation here in Rose Island.”

“I heard it’s really difficult to find the inspectors for this restaurant.”

“Well, that’s because he won’t be able to come to Rose Island for the next three years.”

“What’s wrong with that? Anyway, it’s their job to go to a restaurant. I don’t think I’m going to come here to eat even if I take a vacation.”

“You might think so realistically. Let me tell you a funny story. A lot of gourmets in our headquarters often come to this restaurant on their vacation.”

“I don’t understand. They go to all kinds of restaurants almost daily, but why do they come to this place even during their vacation?”

Paul was trying to respond to her when a waitress came to them. With gorgeous blonde hair and a neat black suit, she spoke with an elegant voice just like a secretary, “Welcome, dear guests, welcome to Rose Island. I’m Annie for your table. Please call me if you need anything.”

Annie then put down a menu board in front of them. When she explained the concept and ingredients of the menu in a calm voice, Paul said in a curious voice, “I don’t see Cho Reggiano on the menu.”

“Oh, that’s not included in the basic course. If you want it, you have to place an extra order. Do you want it?”

Paul nodded without hesitation at her question.

“Yes, please. It’s a dish I really wanted to try.”

“Okay. We provide mineral water made with sparkling water and lemon and lime. Which one would you like?”

“Carbonated demand.”

“I want mineral water.”

After she left, Jane asked, looking at Paul, “Wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t order Cho Reggiano? If it wasn’t included in the formal course, it means the course is more complete without it.”

“Maybe. But remember, you won’t be able to come here for the next three years. You know what? Cho Reggiano has earned more fame than the dish Rachel Rose made. And today is your last chance to taste the original Cho Reggiano. You won’t taste it at least for the next three years.”

“Is the original recipe meaningful to you? Cho Reggianos served at other restaurants are not a simple imitation. They have all the right ingredients based on Min-joon’s recipe. So, I don’t think there is any big difference between them, regardless of who makes it. I don’t think it’s different even if we try it here.”

Paul smiled bitterly at that. It wasn’t romantic at all for a young woman to comment like that. Paul opened his mouth in a calm voice.

“Do you know what the chefs are talking about Michelin guides these days?”

“What do you mean?”

“Toilet guide. If they have a nice restroom like a painting, we allegedly give them a good star.”

“Damn it! It looks like they don’t think about their cooking level.”

“Well, do you think we can blame them? It’s no wonder that the chefs are so angry with us. We can’t clearly explain to them what is the difference between two stars and three stars.”

“It’s because whatever you say, your opinion is supposed to be subjective.”

“Yeah. That subjectivity. In the end, the review is only our individual subjectivity. Nonetheless, we are giving them stars as if our review is objective and absolute. I fully understand why they are so angry,” Paul muttered in a bitter voice.

Watching him blankly, Jane slowly opened her mouth.

“Is it because of that incident in the past? After you reduced the star of his restaurant, the restaurant owner committed suicide…”

“Stop it. You’re going too far. What I want to say is quite simple. If we are going to take issue with the restroom, we have to examine the dishes other than the formal course. By the way, Cho Reggiano has established itself as a more important factor than the main dish. You can never ignore it.”

“Come to think of it, this restaurant isn’t as old or gorgeous as I thought. I am even puzzled to know this restaurant has three stars. Given the interior as it is now, I would give one or two stars at most.”

“You’ll find it out when you look at the plate. You won’t find any shortcomings as long as it’s the same Rose Island ten years ago.”

“Whew! At least, I’m not going to hear their complaint that I’ve never been to Rose Island.”

Was it because she heard such complaints too much in the past?

Paul smiled quietly at her when she grumbled angrily.

At that moment, they were served Grissini. A hard bread that looked like a pencil or a pretty thick Pepero. Paul and Jane took Grissini and put it in their mouths little by little,

“You have a good baker. If you can make Grissini so chewy like this, everybody would believe it even if you argued it was made in Italy, not here in the United States.”

“You tend to ignore American cuisine.”

“Well, everyone who knows American cuisine is in a transitional period. There are so many dishes that came from everywhere. I think it will take the next few decades for us to enjoy a real good dinner.”

“But the one who always stands at the front is trying to show a completely different skill regardless of the location. When you finish eating here today, you’ll think differently.

Of course, on the condition that you shake off your prejudice of the dish served here.”

Although Paul spoke in a gentle tone, it was something like a stern reminder that she should be fair in reviewing the taste. The moment she lowered her head with a gloomy expression, the waitress put down an amuse-bouche on a spoon.

Annie gave them an explanation of the dish with a smile.

“Tomatoes aged 9 hours in truffle oil, fresh basil leaves and ricotta cheese wrapped in thinly sliced beets and then served with a jelly sauce made of Mojito. Please enjoy it.”

Slightly moved, Paul looked at the amuse-bouche. Jane didn’t think there was anything special in it. She really didn’t understand why Paul was so moved. Could he be so impressed with just the Rose Island dish?

Shaking off her prejudice, Jane looked at the spoon seriously. It was a professional review now. At least, she had an obligation to taste this dish more accurately and clearly than anyone else.

Usually, when they mention the most important thing in a restaurant’s cuisine, most people would say it was the main dish. In particular, a dish like steak had become the signature mascot of many restaurants at some point. Lots of people go to restaurants to eat steak, but there were few who go to eat soup. In that respect, they might think that the appetizer was just a bonus for the main.

But it was mainly appetizers that gourmets prized most. Just as the prologue was important in novels and the prelude was important in songs, it was always the appetizer that determined the impression of the restaurant.

One’s tongue became dull when it was stimulated. That meant that it was the appetizer that they could taste most clearly. At the same time, they enjoy it right at the beginning when they were not full at all, so an appetizer was the best dish they could enjoy without any burden.

‘Do I have to say this is difficult or easy?’ Jane thought to herself.

In terms of taste, it was delicious. Regardless of gourmets, the elderly, or small children, or anybody else, the taste was good. Obviously, the chef who made this appetizer wanted to satisfy all the customers.