NOVEL NEXT 73
Tantalizing dishes were spread out on both sides.
On the left was Chef An’s mapo tofu.
Its distinctive feature was the use of soft tofu, harmoniously blended with red chili oil and finely minced pork.
As the spoon lifted, one could see the thick, viscous mapo tofu sauce gently enveloping the tofu.
On the right was Chef Song’s Junghwa-jeyuk-myeon.
The thick knife-cut noodles were draped in a red blanket of sauce. A stimulating and spicy aroma tickled the nose. The familiar scent of jeyuk-bokkeum, with a hint of wok hei, whetted the appetite.
Gulp.
Hwang Wei felt saliva pooling in his mouth involuntarily.
“Well… I’ll start with this one. The noodles might get soggy otherwise.”
With an excuse directed at no one in particular, Hwang Wei extended his chopsticks towards the Junghwa-jeyuk-myeon.
As he mixed the sauce with the noodles, exclamations of awe could be heard from all around. The appetizing visual was nothing short of mesmerizing.
“Please, eat comfortably. Oh, for those who don’t have knife-cut noodles at home, you can use ramen noodles instead. Try it out later.”
Song Woo-yeon seemed to be saying something to the camera from the side, but Hwang Wei could barely hear her.
It felt as if he and the Junghwa-jeyuk-myeon were the only two left in the studio. He lifted the noodles high, gauging their length, and then…
Slurp!
The thick noodles smoothly slid into his mouth.
‘Delicious!’
His hand moved ceaselessly, almost as if in a trance.
As he stuffed his mouth full and chewed, a wave of happiness washed over him from the exquisite taste.
“Ah, there it is. The furrowed brow of truth!”
“He’s eating it with such relish~!”
“I can’t quite imagine what it tastes like with those unfamiliar ingredients. What exactly does it taste like?”
At Jang Seong-jun’s question, Hwang Wei gulped down what was in his mouth before speaking.
“Wow, this is really delicious.”
“It looks that way!”
“What specifically does it taste like?”
“Well, even though it’s just meat, it somehow has a seafood flavor too. It tastes like something you’d get at a restaurant. It’s truly top-notch.”
Hwang Wei gave an enthusiastic thumbs up.
“It tastes like jeyuk-bokkeum, and there’s also a flavor of chili oil, and…”
“And?”
“I’ll have to try some more.”
Slurp!
“Ah, are you using taste evaluation as an excuse to eat more?!”
“It’s so delicious.”
As Hwang Wei spoke with sauce smeared around his mouth, the MCs exaggeratedly played along.
“It seems the taste is good enough to make him forget his manners. Yes, we understand. Chef An’s complexion doesn’t look too good~”
“Of course, his pride is on the line! This is Chinese cuisine, after all!”
“Well, fusion Chinese cuisine, to be precise.”
“He even struggled with the heat issue earlier. I wonder how Chef An’s mapo tofu will taste?!”
“Hwang Wei-ssi. That’s enough of that dish, it’s time to try the mapo tofu!”
Hwang Wei finally stopped using his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
“I lost myself for a moment there.”
Hwang Wei laughed sheepishly and then picked up a spoon to try the mapo tofu.
“I actually love mapo tofu. I’ve made it for my friends a few times, but they all found it too spicy to eat.”
“Ah, even though they’re Korean, they found it too spicy?”
“That’s surprising, considering Koreans are known for handling spicy food well.”
“It was Sichuan-style mapo tofu.”
“Ah~ That explains the spiciness.”
Hwang Wei scrutinized the mapo tofu on his spoon. Since this was a dish he was more familiar with, he could examine it in greater detail.
“I’m glad it doesn’t look too spicy. At this level, I think my Korean friends would enjoy it too. It seems to have a Korean-style spiciness rather than the numbing heat.”
“That’s what he’s saying. Is that what you intended, Chef An?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
An Derek nodded.
“It’s a flavor that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and genders.”
“I see~! This is quite exciting too.”
“Hwang Wei is finally tasting it!”
Hwang Wei put a spoonful of mapo tofu in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
“!”
“Is it delicious?!”
Hwang Wei looked surprised and hastily took another spoonful of mapo tofu.
“Ah, it must be tasty!”
“Hwang Wei-ssi. You’re not here for a meal. You need to tell us how it tastes before eating more!”
“I’m sorry. It’s just so delicious that I…”
Hwang Wei wiped his mouth with a napkin again, laughing embarrassedly.
“Hmm. The mapo tofu is incredibly delicious. It has a stronger Chinese flavor profile. As expected from a Chinese chef, it seems he’s managed to preserve the authentic taste while adapting it to suit Korean palates.”
“Wow. That’s high praise indeed.”
“Both dishes have captivated Hwang Wei’s taste buds!”
“Ah, this is unbearable. I’m so curious about both of them!”
“I bet the chef squad feels the same way?!”
In response to Jeong Seong-jun’s question, Bong Kang-min readily answered.
“Yes, absolutely!”
Others began to chime in one by one.
“I’m curious about what the Junghwa-jeyuk-myeon tastes like.”
“For me, it’s the mapo tofu. I wonder how he modified the strong taste of doubanjiang to make it appealing to everyone. That’s not easy to do.”
“Can we try just a little bit?”
The MCs hastily tried to dissuade the chefs.
“Now, now. So all the chefs have been holding back too. Understandable. Everyone’s been smelling the food without being able to taste even a morsel!”
“But still. What if you try to eat what Hwang Wei-ssi has been eating?”
“Ahem.”
“Oh, I don’t mind. Can’t we just try one bite?”
As Bong Kang-min eagerly volunteered, the MCs recoiled and waved their hands.
“Hey now, Chef. You can’t do that!”
“Alright, everyone calm down. Actually, we anticipated this~ We set aside some portions separately!”
“We saved some when we were filming the inserts~”
With a flourish, tasting portions were distributed. The chefs one by one picked up chopsticks and spoons and began to sample the dishes.
“Oh~”
“So this is the taste.”
“This is interesting. The flavor is quite exquisite…”
“It’s fascinating how both use ground pork but have completely different textures.”
The chefs started tasting the food while chattering amongst themselves. Meanwhile, looks of surprise were directed at Song Woo-yeon, as the quality of the food was far higher than expected.
‘This is unexpected. I thought she just ran a local soup restaurant, and wondered what the production team was thinking.’
Bong Kang-min mused as he slurped up his portion of Junghwa-jeyuk-myeon.
‘The flavors are certainly intense. It’s not a subtle taste. But the mass appeal must be enormous.’
It seemed like a talent specifically honed for the food service industry. He had wondered what kind of skill it took to run a franchise business at such a young age.
Tasting the food made it perfectly understandable.
“Chef Jang, what do you think of the taste?”
Bong Kang-min casually asked Jang Ha-neul sitting next to him.
“I’m not an expert in Chinese cuisine, but…”
“Hmm….”
Jang Ha-neul sat with her usual gentle smile. She delicately dabbed at her mouth, then neatly folded her hands in her lap.
“It’s interesting.”
“Right? Young people certainly have creativity. Who would have thought to mix jeyuk-bokkeum to make a fusion dish…”
“No.”
Jang Ha-neul cut him off.
“It’s the opposite.”
“Pardon?”
“I meant it’s interesting because it’s not a taste a young person could produce.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
Jang Ha-neul lowered her gaze to look at the Junghwa-jeyuk-myeon.
“This is a dish created by a chef with a very high understanding of Chinese cuisine. Without that, it wouldn’t be possible to compose flavors so cleverly.”
Isn’t it intriguing?
How could someone so young produce a taste that seemed like the result of a decade of deep research into Chinese cuisine?
“Huh. Is that really what you think, Chef Jang? I mean, I can tell it’s delicious, but… she even added ramen seasoning in the middle of cooking.”
“That’s for convenience. In the end, what’s needed is a deep umami flavor, right? If you asked her to simmer bones and meat to make a rich broth for umami, I guarantee she could do it perfectly well.”
Jang Ha-neul gazed at Song Woo-yeon with a subtle smile.
“She chose the best option available in the short time frame.”
In her eyes, Song Woo-yeon was no longer just ‘young blood’ or a ‘rising star’.
If anything, she gave off the impression of a seasoned veteran.
“It’s quite interesting….”
Jang Ha-neul chuckled, covering her mouth.
“And it’s also something to be thankful for.”
“Pardon?”
“Because thanks to her, my arrogant disciple will get a much-needed wake-up call.”
Bong Kang-min swiftly turned his head to look at An Derek. They had also been provided with samples of each other’s dishes, and An Derek was staring intently at the bowl after tasting some of the Junghwa-jeyuk-myeon.
“She’ll be a good stimulus. He’s never had a worthy rival, and my only worry has always been his tendency to become complacent.”
“Well, Chef An’s exceptional skills are widely known.”
“But that’s not where one should remain.”
That’s why Jang Ha-neul was rather pleased with Song Woo-yeon’s appearance.
An Derek seemed lost in thought, silently staring into the bowl.
“Well, it looks like everyone has finished tasting~! It’s finally time for the decision.”
“Hwang Wei-ssi. If you had to choose one of these two, which would it be?!”
At that question, Hwang Wei groaned deeply, holding his forehead with one hand.
“That’s such a difficult question….”
“Difficult or not, we have no choice! There can only be one winner!”
“Ugh.”
Hwang Wei began to tug at his hair in frustration.
Junghwa-jeyuk-myeon and mapo tofu. Both were delicious dishes, nearly impossible to rank one above the other.
Hwang Wei looked back and forth between Song Woo-yeon and An Derek.
Song Woo-yeon smiled brightly and gave a little wave, while An Derek glared at Hwang Wei with intense eyes.
Though they wore the same chef’s uniform, their attitudes were quite contrasting. After a long deliberation, Hwang Wei finally reached a conclusion.
“I’ve decided.”
“Finally!”
“What will be the outcome of this first round?!”
Drum roll, drum roll!
The MCs started creating their own sound effects by rhythmically tapping on the table.
Drum roll, drum roll!
“I…”
Hwang Wei paused for a moment before suddenly opening his eyes wide.
“I’ll go with this one.”
And the winner he chose was…