Chapter 140: What a kitchen is (5)

After the demi chef was decided, Alan did not only teach Jo Minjoon the recipe, but also of the turns and cooking methods. He heard several things, but what Alan put more importance on was memorizing the order you cooked the pasta.

It didn’t matter when you were making one or two dishes, but if it was a place with many customers, it was important to memorize the order of the cooking pasta. Because if you mistook one for another one that was cooked for longer, you would serve an uncooked pasta in one hand and an overly-cooked one in another.

It was fortunate that they were only in charge of the linguine. It wasn’t that they cooked the linguine and the other chefs cooked other kind of pasta. On the menu Olive Island gave you, there was only the linguine they ate in it. As they asked just why they did that, Alan replied like this.

“We change the menu every day of the week. And the menu of that day also changes each season.”

The first thing Jo Minjoon thought up when listening that was if there was another dish that could get this score. The difficulty of this pasta would probably be higher, it wouldn’t be low at all…….. But he was even curious on those recipes. Actually, this recipe was difficult to make without Alfredo’s linguine. He wanted to learn a recipe with 10 points that he could make with normal ingredients.

‘………Even when I think about it, I am just like thief.’

Jo Minjoon smacked his lips with an uncomfortable face. There were countless people that did chores on a famous restaurant for months and years just to learn that recipe. Just with having Alan’s recipe exposed in a day was bitter enough for him.

After practicing a few times, there weren’t anymore things he had to prepare. What remained was waiting for the customers.

As they had to have a moment to relax, the chefs that were around started to gather and speak to them. The most popular among the three was Anderson. Anderson’s parents, Amelia and Fabio, were Italian-American just like you could guess from their names. Because of that, Anderson was also able to speak in Italian. For them that weren’t fluent in English, they could only speak with Anderson…….or talk to the other two through interpreters.

While Anderson was being held back by the other chefs, there was one person that approached Kaya and Jo Minjoon. It was the youngest chef that didn’t hold her joy when she first met them, Berta. She loosened her yellow scarf in her neck and then extended a pen with an excited face.

“Can I……..get the autograph of you two?”

“Ah, of course.”

Jo Minjoon smiled brightly and then signed on the scarf. It was when Kaya received the pen. Berta opened her mouth carefully.

“If it’s okay, can you overlap your signature with Minjoon’s?”

“…….Yes? Why?”

“Although there may be people that received signatures from both of you, there will be no one with something like this. I like being the first. Even if I’m not able to be the last…… The first has it’s romantic feeling of its own.”

“The first……”

Kaya repeated those words and then extended her hand and wrote over the scarf. It was a horrible hand writing. Kaya flushed with an embarrassed face.

“I can’t write that well.”

“No. The point that it’s your signature, uh……has value. Yes. Thank you.”

They didn’t dislike her trying to express her feelings with English however she could. Kaya looked at her name that was over Jo Minjoon’s. Her slender fingers and long nails slowly touched those words. Soon, berta received that scarf and tied it on her neck.

“I will treasure it all my life.”

You couldn’t know if those were mannered words or if it was really sincere. And even after that, pretty and soft words came and went between them for a long time. But just like everything, the sweet time had come to an end. 4:50. Soon, the chefs were on standby to prepare for the customers that were soon to come.

Alan looked at them while standing between the hall and the kitchen. Some customers that just entered were getting their orders received by the waiters and waitresses. Alan said in a calm voice.

“The reason I gave you a spot on my kitchen isn’t for the fun of the broadcast. That reason is simple. I trust in your capabilities, mentality, and heart. I’m certain that even under pressure, you won’t present a mess of a dish or aren’t as incompetent as to make the customers wait.

Alan met the eyes of Jo Minjoon, Kaya, and Anderson, and then continued speaking in a low voice.

“It would be good if my senses weren’t wrong. I just hope for a joyful laughter from the customers. Only then will you and me be able to end the day while laughing.”

When he was about to finish speaking, a bill came out from the machine. Alan pulled that out and yelled in a solid voice.

“13 table. Day course for 4 people. Start!”

The appetizer section cookers started to move their hands quickly. It wasn’t time for Jo Minjoon and the two yet. It took about 20 minutes to enjoy all of the appetizer. And they didn’t even take 8 minutes to make the linguine.

Jo Minjoon calmly turned to look at Kaya.

“Kaya. Check the temperature of the water.”

“It’s just right.”

“Anderson. You already made the basil olive oil, right?”

“I will be able to make more than 100 dishes.”

Jo Minjoon nodded. He calmly looked at the ingredients. Just that was enough. Where it derived from, quality, freshness. He could check all of that in an instant. And Alan was certainly Alan. There wasn’t a single ingredient on the countertop that was in bad conditions.

He calmly checked the time. They had to start the pasta when the amuse-bouche returned. The time required to eat the following appetizers, the ceviche and mozzarella, took about 7 minutes, and it was just right to make the linguine.

“Kaya. Linguine.”

“Yeah. First, it was for 4 people, right?”

“After two minutes we have to cook for 3 more people.”

“I understand.”

Cooking the suitable amount based on the people on a table. That was what made you focus quite a lot. But Jo Minjoon didn’t feel this to be that hard. He was basically someone with a good head. When he went to school, memorizing subjects were his strong point, and memorizing the order wasn’t even a bit hard.

Anderson sliced the squid and bok choy, and gave it to Jo Minjoon. Jo Minjoon covered the oil with a sweet aroma with the bok choy, just like the recipe, and on top of that put the squid and bok choy and fried it. He flambéed it with white wine and then Kaya put on the pasta on the right time. Then, it was completed.

As Jo Minjoon placed to linguine on the dish prettily, Alan raised that and checked it everywhere. He cleaned off the places that had olive oil splashed, and then raised one noodle and tasted it. There were no problems. In just one day, no, precisely speaking in just some hours he had perfectly mastered the recipe………

‘As he has the skills, it’s certainly different.’

Alan nodded. Actually, simply looking at their cooking skills, the trio didn’t fall back that greatly compared to his sous chef. They were this talented. Even if Kaya or Anderson had grabbed the pan instead of Jo Minjoon, the result probably wouldn’t have changed that much.

Because cooking had to be perfect in its process for the results to also be perfect. Making 10-point dishes this stably was possible because of Anderson and Kaya doing their work.

But it was possible because customers still didn’t flock over. They, who were deep in the kitchen couldn’t see, but Alan could. That people were slowly starting to gather. And the time the bill machine printed out bills also became shorter.

Alan was in the middle of checking their dishes. Footsteps of four people directed to Alan. Alan turned his head and said.

“Did you enjoy your trip on Florencia?”

“Florencia is a city that’s always cool and delicious whenever you come. The streets and dishes are filled with romance.”

“I’m glad then.”

At Rachel’s words, Alan laughed softly. Jeremy touched his chin and said.

“Looking at the situation, the one who won is Minjoon?”

“Yes.”

“Certainly as his taste is sensitive, it really is different.”

“Um, the situation was different……well, similar.”

It was seen that Kaya was the one that realized the existence of the bell cabbage, but actually he still couldn’t know if Jo Minjoon actually knew and pretended not to know. Sera crossed her arms and looked at them cooking.

“I think that chefs are certainly sexiest when in front of the countertop. Right Emily?”

“Uh, yea. Right. ……What are those odd eyes?”

“Nothing. Only that you really understand well the sexiness of a chef.”

Sera talked like that and glanced at Alan. Emily coughed as if she had caught a cold and then pinched Sera for her to stop eyeing Alan.

“Auch! What are you doing?”

“Sh. Be quiet. Do you want to keep tying us like that?”

“You also tied up Kaya and Minjoon….”

“This and that are different things!”

“It doesn’t look like……ah, I understand. Don’t put on that teary face.”

“It’s not a teary face, but an unfair one.”

Sera looked at Emily with a face saying maybe. If you asked people what kind of face was that, what would they answer?

Emily took of her eyes on Sera on purpose and looked at the hall.There was no need to do so, but as they kept broadcasting together, did she feel that they were at the same team. She started to look at the expressions of the people eating the linguine just as if they were her customers.

What was fortunate was that no one among them frowned. There may be some differences, but they were all satisfied and some were drunk in the lingering feelings while closing their eyes. Emily put on a calm smile and smiled faintly.

“Rachel. How nice. I think that Minjoon will be a good disciple.”

“Yes. Of course.”

Rachel looked at Jo Minjoon, Kaya, and Anderson. The orders kept coming out endlessly but they didn’t panic. Some may think what was that great on that.

But it wasn’t that simple of a story. The number of pans and the place you could cook pasta was limited. So while facing orders that ask beyond those limitations, even if you were a veteran chef, you couldn’t help but get shaken.

And that shaking laid mistakes, and mistakes made dishes come late. The reason why dishes came out after a long while on famous restaurants was also because of these things.

But Jo Minjoon didn’t make a mistake, nor did Kaya and Anderson. Because it wasn’t their restaurant anyways, it wasn’t that their nervousness became less because they thought like that. If they did, their eyes wouldn’t be shining like that.

“Um…….”

Rachel, who had opened her mouth, closed her mouths for a moment. She wasn’t even aware of it, but her voice was wet. But it wasn’t on sadness or things like that. Stirring emotions. The burning youth and passion made her soul and heart shake. Rachel opened her mouth again. Her voice was still watery, but this time she didn’t try to hide it.

“Those kids are really beautiful.”

“Beautiful……..?”

Emily asked with a confused face. She could see that their concentrated looks on cooking was shining and cool, but she felt that the word beautiful was a bit excessive. However Rachel was serious. She continued saying.

“They aren’t mature yet and have their road to walk. But they aren’t anxious. On their path, and the orders piling up in front of them.”

“………Mm, if it’s that rather than beautiful shouldn’t it be composed?”

“Composed……That may be so. But can they do that just by being composed? An unfamiliar place and an unfamiliar kitchen. You have to make an unfamiliar recipe among unfamiliar chefs. There was also a similar situation on Grand Chef. But it’s different with that. The people back then ate the food of the participants, but on this place the customers are the ones to eat their food. They are there because they are pros. With young hands that don’t have wrinkles.”

It was difficult to understand exactly what Rachel was talking about, but she could clearly feel her feelings. Emily and even Sera, who was next to her, nodded unconsciously and Rachel spew out the burning fire in her chest through words.

“It’s because they love.”

At that moment Sera’s eyes went to Kaya and Jo Minjoon and returned. There was no way she would be talking about that. Rachel continued speaking.

“They love cooking. They love the moment they cook. That’s why they are able to beat the pressure and fear.”

Rachel could understand the feelings of those three the best. Because once she was also standing at the same place as them. Rachel smiled warmly.

“What kind of customer will be able to eat that food deliciously. They made it with that much love. Even if the country and territory changes, one thing won’t.”

“What’s that?”

“Food filled with love is delicious.”

Those were common words but was it because of the person that said that. In the end, it wasn’t felt that lightly. Rachel looked at the three of them with eyes filled with affection, as if she were looking at her grandchildren.

“It’s a law of the kitchen that won’t change for eternity.”

< What a kitchen is (5) > End

Translator’s note: Thanks for reading!

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Translator : Subak

Proofreader : Saihikawa