Chapter 241: Forthcoming real test (3)

After measuring the first angle by placing the blade on the surface of the soft tofu, Min-joon did not hesitate to cut it. While hitting the cutting board with the blade fast, he gradually began to cut the tofu. After cutting the tofu as thin as 1 mm, he had to cut the tofu again, which was put on the cutting board.

Havier exclaimed admiration, watching him cutting the tofu masterly.

“Wow, your cutting has improved a lot. How could you? You know Justin is doing all the cutting, isn’t he?”

“Right, but I have to cut the jelly while cooking molecular food. It’s a sensitive work. So, I have no choice but to sharpen my cutting sense.”

Having said that, he picked up a piece of tofu with his finger. The tofu, which had been cut thin like a thread, was so thin that he could hardly see it without concentration.

After that, the rest of the cooking was simple. He put the tofu in the boiling broth and added kingfish sashimi, osetra caviar, and a small piece of cilantro. That was it. It might look simple, but it was a dish that no chef could easily make.

In fact, cutting the tofu like a thread was almost impossible for the ordinary man, and getting sashimi was not as easy as they thought. It was not about the sashimi with a perfect savory texture that only a sushi chef could make. Simply cutting it evenly was difficult for the average man.

Sometimes, even those chefs who were not familiar with fish cuisine found it difficult because fish doesn’t stay still when it was alive. The moment the chef touched a live fish with a knife, it would start to wiggle before crumbling. So, it was extremely difficult for the chef to cut the live fish as evenly as possible.

Of course, Min-joon still had a long way to go when he had to catch the subtle taste of noodles, bread, rice cakes, or even proper sushi, but at least, he didn’t feel any problem with doing the basics.

‘Skill window.’

At that moment, Min-joon murmured to himself. Among the countless windows that appeared in front of his eyes, he only took what he wanted.

[Understanding of cutting] – 75% proficiency

With a well-sharpened blade, he had no problem with cutting any ingredients.

He already had an expert proficiency in delicacy, precision, and speed.

For example, even if he touched an ingredient with a knife, its freshness didn’t go bad for a while.

Besides, he had a very low probability of being cut by a knife.

‘What percentage was it in the past?’

He seemed to remember something like less than 60%. Did he improve in the meantime?

Min-joon approached Havier, holding the finished dish in hand.

“Now, try it.”

“Ah, you’re done already.”

Havier opened his mouth to try it. The moment he put it in his mouth, he trembled immediately as if he was suddenly thrown into a cold bath.

He raised his arm in admiration and said, “Can you see this?”

“Wow, did you get goosebumps? Did it taste that good?”

“Absolutely. I can feel it very intuitively. The rich sea taste of caviar, the light taste from the broth, and the softness of the tofu tastes so wonderful. And the King mackerel sashimi even feels like a human tongue… Wow, it tastes very erotic.”

“Well, what you have just said is the most impressive review that I’ve ever heard.”

Saying so, Min-joon also put tofu, broth, and sashimi on a spoon and put it in his mouth.

And he could immediately understand what Havier was saying. With all of the ingredients matching so well, tofu really subtly stimulated his mouth. It tasted completely different from what he did a little while ago.

Smiling at him, still relishing in the stimulating taste, Havier said with a sigh, “I lost. I don’t think I can do it better with suji.”

“Don’t give up. You don’t know it until you try. Until you see the results, don’t try to judge.”

“Do you think I can do it better than you?”

“I always have told you, man,” Min-joon said, looking him in the eye, “I trust you.”

Havier had no choice but to smile at his voice with no air of lie or pretense.

Havier looked at the pressure cooker. Suji was boiling in it now.

Havier murmured earnestly, “Please save my face, Suji.”

<hr />

“Hmm. I’m surprised that there are so many materials in the appetizer. That’s a pretty radical idea. Whose idea is it?”

“Together,” Havier answered without hesitation. Rachel glanced at him then looked at the plate again. The plate was white and concave, but it protruded slightly in the center. The main ingredients were on the convex bottom, and threads made of thin soft tofu span around the soup like noodles.

Rachel focused on the main ingredients. King mackerel loin was warmed up, and on top of it was osetra caviar and coriander, and suji was cut into small pieces right next to the caviar.

‘To serve suji in this way…’ Rachel wondered.

But she decided to think about it after trying it. She moved the spoon.

When she stopped chewing the fish for some time, there was no change in her expression. Instead of evaluating the food, she asked, looking at Havier, “You insisted on making it by yourself. How did you work with Min-joon again?”

“Well, the chef and the cook have different roles. The cook can do what he is supposed to do by himself, but the chef has to be able to lead the cooks or other chefs. If I’m a real chef, I think I should know how to use my friend’s help instead of ignoring it.”

“Weren’t you upset while preparing this dish?”

“Of course, I was, because I have to go a long way. But I thought I had to hold my friends’ hands in order to overcome my shortcomings. Fortunately, Min-joon continued to reach out, so I just held his hands.”

“Havier tried on his part very much, master,” Min-joon said with a smile.

Rachel also grinned at his kind and considerate attitude.

“Min-joon, it looks like I have approved your recipe.”

“Well, I have felt you would give it a green light.”

“Why?”

“Well, since I have been rejected several times and passed until now, I think I can get a sense of what is good food.”

“You haven’t learned it only for six months, but you are speaking as if you have learned it all.”

“I have to learn more in the next ten years. Since I like you, I’m going to stay with you all the time,” Min-joon said to Rachel gently, smiling at her as if he was her grandson.

She burst into laughter as if she was embarrassed by his friendliness then placed a spoon and a fork on the plate. It was empty because she drank every broth.

“I thought there was one less perfect thing…” She said with a smile.

“I think that gourmet guy will be very embarrassed.”

“Yes! I finally passed!”

Havier cheered, clasping both fists. Then he hugged Min-joon.

Min-joon frowned and tickled his side. Havier hastily took his arms off, moaning.

Min-joon said in a stern voice, “You should hug me after Kaya’s permission.”

“Oh my God! You stupid donkey! You’re loving her so much, man.”

“What’s wrong with that? If you want to hug Kaya, you need my permission too. It’s give and take. Got it?”

“You don’t get her permission when you hug Ella.”

“Ella is an exception, because Kaya told me I could hug any child under 7.”

“Oh, her standard is very arbitrary.”

Havier grumbled a bit then hurriedly accepted the plate after checking Rachel’s eyes.

Min-joon was about to bow to her habitually, but he stopped and said with laughter, “Thank you, master.”

“You’re welcome. I just passed the delicious dish.”

“I am happy I got your approval with Havier this time.”

Havier turned his gaze awkwardly as if he was shy. It was a meaningful moment to him in many ways. It was the first time he was recognized by Rachel. Although he got some help from Min-joon, he was nonetheless touched by her approval.

When Havier and Min-joon came out of the office with the empty plate, smiling brightly, the demi-chefs, cooks, and bakers, who saw them, were all convinced that they passed. Anderson said in a blunt voice, “Congratulations!”

“How did you know?”

“How can’t we know when you are smiling like that?”

What Anderson said was not funny, but Havier burst into laughter as if he heard a funny joke.

Obviously, he was walking on air at the moment. He looked at Janet this time.

Janet asked, flinching, “Why are you looking at me?”

“Why aren’t you congratulating me?”

“You want my congratulations when your coworkers got her approval already?”

“I’ve got her approval only now, so I need your congratulations.”

“No, I don’t want to do it. It’s embarrassing.”

With a wary expression, she stepped back.

Min-joon smiled and looked back at them.

“Shall I make it in person?”

“What? Course?”

“Is there anything else?”

“Well, we don’t have any trimmed sea bream right now. Who is going to do it?”

“Since you mentioned it first, you do it, Min-joon.”

Anderson looked at Min-joon as if it was his job. But Min-joon nodded gladly.

“I like it. How can a cook hate preparing ingredients?”

“You’re weird, man. How can you like it?”

No matter how much they liked cooking, trimming fish would not be fun for anybody. Why?

Fishy smell and a sticky touch, and the anxiety that even a slight mistake might damage the fish. All these things would drive any chef nuts.

However, Min-joon did not hate it. Even during the days when he was trimming all kinds of ingredients for more than a year, he felt sorry about the reality that he could not cook, but he never hated trimming the ingredients.

So, when he touched red sea breams for trimming, he was full of affection and joy, not pain.

“Let me make you delicious.” He murmured to himself.

If the sea bream had heard it, it could not have been crueler to the fish.

But that was what he felt while trimming the sea breams. He wiped the mucus off the red sea bream’s body.

After wiping off the mucus with a dishcloth, he peeled off the scales.

At that moment, Justin approached and opened his mouth nervously.

“Chef! Why didn’t you tell me to trim it? I should have done it…”

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