God of Cooking

Chapter 267

A Surprise (6)>

 

If you are reading from a pirate or aggregator site, please read from the translator’s site: yado-inn (dot) com I have to put the link like this or else the bots will remove it, sorry 

“My comment had such an effect?”

Jo Minjoon asked with a dubious voice. He was very doubtful since he couldn’t interpret how a few lines of good words could fix a situation that a good dish couldn’t. What sort of sad irony would they be living in if the reality of the modern restaurant industry is to be influenced by people’s words rather than cooking. However, Jo Ara didn’t notice her brother’s looks and said in an excited voice.

“Oppa, you are more of a celebrity than you think. How come you are not aware of your fame?”

“I wasn’t that famous in the United States…”

“You might be more famous in Korea than in the United States. You know how the Koreans idolize other Koreans who become famous outside of the country.”

It wasn’t that Jo Minjoon didn’t understand his sister’s words, but he stopped cooking and took out his phone to check out the comment that he made. It was a simple comment about a traditional Pyeongyang noodle restaurant with 45 years of traditional taste. It also said that it was a coincidence that he was able to meet his alumni from middle school who allowed him to understand what traditional noodle taste was.

However, that was enough to get people interested. Some were pointing out the fact that Jo Minjoon might be advertising for his alumni from middle school, but those comments were not well received by the community because they understood and had faith in Jo Minjoon, how he was very passionate and sincere about cooking.

It was understandable since Jo Minjoon even released the Joe Regiano recipe that he spent time on for free. The general perception that Korean had of Jo Minjoon was, he was a genius who devotes everything to the dishes he loves regardless of the material things. Jo Ara asked a question.

“Was that restaurant that good?”

“If it wasn’t, would I have made that comment? Do you think I am that sort of a person?”

“Why, you might have the thought of helping out a friend from middle school who was in a tight spot.”

“You are right. I did want to help out. But I didn’t know it would go viral like this. If the food tasted bad, I wouldn’t have felt bad even if they closed down. It is natural to think that if a restaurant can’t make a good dish, they deserve to close.”

“Scary. How can you say something like that so callously?”

“I’m just trying to say that the restaurant was good. If you have time and want to have a noodle, I recommend you go there with your friends.”

“Well, I don’t know. I never craved Pyeonyang noodle.”

Jo Min Joon sighed at his sister’s sorrowful reply. It was heartbreaking that many people had the same idea as his sister who made a light reply about the noodle. Kaya said in a calm voice.

“Delicious food deserves respect. And the chef who makes the dish deserves even more respect.”

“Of course, that’s how I feel.”

“I just wish the best for them.”

Listening to Kaya’s calm voice, Jo Min Joon stared at her sister as he wanted her to look to Kaya as a role model. While Jo Ara turned her gaze away with a soft expression, Kaya said in a calm voice.

“That should be the end of the conversation. Hurry up and help me in the kitchen.”

“Um, Should I help as well?”

“No. Amateurs like yourself create more problems.”

At Kaya’s firm rejection, Jo Ara lowered her head in a gloomy expression, but once she saw the couple cook together, she was mesmerized. She knew that her brother and Kaya were professional chefs with a lot of skill and recognition, but she finally understood why skilled chefs are often said to be artisans or masters.

She couldn’t believe that their overwhelming presence would fill the whole kitchen. She always believed that Jo Minjoon was her brother and Kaya was his girlfriend. Rather than being an idol, she always thought that they were famous people who were close to her.

Because of that reason, she felt awkward whenever others brought stories about her brother. She always wondered what was so amazing about her brother and his girlfriend that they made people so enthusiastic about them.

But now, she understood the reason for their fame.

“…Amazing.”

Jo Ara muttered as she looked blankly at them. Their overwhelming presence made the large kitchen very tight. Usually, on TV, the moment that best captures the chef’s skills is when they are cutting. However, looking at skilled chefs from the side like this, she understood that chef’s skill could be expressed not only through cutting but through other means.

Everything was perfect. Not to mention the knife skills, the wrist snap of flipping the pan was perfect. Whenever the pan was flipped not a single strand of Japchae noodle stuck together or left the pan. The same could be said when the fish was grilled.

It wasn’t limited to the pan. Just as someone said that washing the dishes was the basic of cooking. Whenever there was time, the dishes were washed, the top of the cutting board was cleaned, and the counter was arranged. This made the kitchen seem neat for doing a lot of cooking. Jo Ara looked at her mother. And Lee Hae Sun avoided her daughter’s gaze in an embarrassing manner.

“Mom. Don’t you think you need to change something?”

“What?”

“Look at them. Even though they are cooking so vigilantly, they are still washing the dishes. But you always make us clean the dishes, complaining that you are tired. Does that make sense? If you are a full-time housewife, shouldn’t you be a professional by now?”

“It seems like I am giving my daughter too much allowance money. Do you want to find a part-time job?”

“That’s why! What I was saying was… I’m going to start cooking. You must be tired, right mom?”

“My daughter is so thoughtful, and knows how tired I am.”

Listening to their conversation, Jo Minjoon smiled. Kaya glanced back to Jo Minjoon and asked.

“What? Did you remember something funny?”

“No, it’s nothing. How is the cauliflower and onion puree?”

“It’s perfect. Don’t worry.”

Kaya wrapped the japchae with rice paper that was brushed with olive oil and tied it with Chives. She then fried it like a fried dumpling. Once the rice paper was hard enough she took it out and plated it on the dish that had the puree. Once she wiped off the beads of sweat from her forehead with a towel and looked at Jo Minjoon.

“When will everyone get here?”

“My father will be here soon… and your family said they will be here soon as well. They said that they were almost here.”

As if on cue the front door opened. When everyone turned their head to see Jo Soo Hyup return from work, there were others behind him. Grace, Bruce, and Jemma also entered the front door. Still with his apron on Jo Min Joon went to the door to greet the guests with a smile.

“Welcome home, dad. It’s been a while.”

“It has. Have you been well?”

“I feel ashamed to say that I have been well since I collapsed due to exhaustion. But overall, I have been well.”

“Come over here, let me hug you.”

Jo Soohyup dropped the suitcase to the side and opened his arm. With an awkward expression, Jo Min Joon embraced his father, and Jo Soohyup calmly patted his son’s back.

“You have done well.”

“…You too, father.”

“Let’s go in”

There was no need for a long conversation between father and son. Once Jo Soohyup looked at what was laid out in the living room he smiled.

“What is all this? There must be a feast. It looks like you didn’t cook today honey.”

“…Is that even a question you should be asking?”

“If you cooked, it wouldn’t look as gorgeous as this. So, this lady is …”

Jo Soohyup paused and looked at Kaya. This was the first meeting between the two since Jo Soohyup was unable to travel to the US because of his work. Although he saw her through facetime, meeting in-person was different than through facetime.

Was it because he was meeting a potential daughter-in-law, there were a lot of expressions on Jo Soo Hyup’s face. With a smile he held out his hand and spoke in English that was filled with a Korean accent but wasn’t too difficult to understand.

“Nice to meet you, Kaya. Let me introduce myself. I am Minjoon’s father. Jo Soohyup.”

“Nice to meet you, Soohyup. I’m Kaya Lotus.”

“It’s awkward introducing ourselves again even though we know each other.”

Kaya smiled at Jo Soo Hyup’s comment. On the other side of the room, since it was their first meeting with their in-laws, Lee Hae Sun and Jo Ara strangely looked at Bruce. Seeing them hesitate, Kaya opened her mouth and said in an English that even Lee Hae Sun would understand.

“This is the first time… He is my father.”

“Nice meeting you. I am Bruce Crawford.”

Bruce nervously introduced himself. As if remembering Korean custom, he gave a slight bow. Jo Min Joo smiled and looked at everyone.

“Let’s all take seats and enjoy ourselves. The food might get cold.”

“Yes, of course.”

That was how the two families started their modest meals. Jo Soohyup looked at the dishes with great admiration. There was bulgogi that was grilled directly on the grill, deep-fried rice paper japchae with various puree and sauce, well decorated braised beef, and steamed yellow croaker in broccoli puree.

The result of new cooking techniques and recipes made even the ordinary dinner look like a state of the art. This made it difficult for the family to readily stick out their chopstick and forks since they were afraid it would disturb the art that was presented to them. The first one to break contact was Jo Soohyup. He attacked the steamed yellow croaker with broccoli puree.

‘Did Minjoon really … make this?’

To be precise it was a collaboration between Kaya and Jo Minjoon. Jo Soohyup took a sigh of delight. He tasted his son’s dish last year, which was very crisp and delightful. He even thought that his son could open a high-quality restaurant back then.

But now it was completely different. He just stared at his son. There was no room for words, he could say everything with just his expression. That was the sort of dish that Jo Minjoon made.

‘He is said to be the world’s most popular chef.’

He often heard the news about his son. How Korea’s gastronomic environment cultivated a genius, but he didn’t really think too much about it because it was common for the Korean culture to overpraise someone who became successful. He just believed that his son was a rising star who was attracting more attention than he really deserved.

But now it was different. He understood now that the perception of Jo Minjoon wasn’t just a bubble. The dish that his son prepared for him made him think back about his life, to all the dishes that he had before. He never tasted a dish with such an intense and crisp wave of flavor that shook his soul.

It wasn’t a simple taste. When he ate the fried japchae that was wrapped in rice paper and coated with various puree, he couldn’t believe it. He didn’t know how his son could master all these cooking techniques. This was much different than what he tasted before, it made him doubt that he even really knew his son.

Jo Soohyup opened his mouth.

“I said that you should become a teacher, right?”

“Yes, father.”

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t know that you had such a gift.”

If Jo Minjoon hadn’t gone on an adventure to prove himself in Grand Chef, if he couldn’t prove his talents in Grand Chef, Jo Soohyup would have opposed his son’s decision to become a chef. If he opposed his son’s decision, he would have halted his son’s growth and wouldn’t have let him reach his full potential…

‘I could have been the worst parent.’

By the time the bitterness left his tongue, his wife put her hand on his thigh. Jo Soohyup smiled and grabbed his wife’s hand and said in a small voice to his wife.

“Our son is amazing. He surpassed all of my expectations, making me feel shabby.”

Lee Haesun smiled.

“But it’s a good sort of shabbiness.”

Surprised by his wife’s response, he just looked at the dishes in front of him. After a few moments, he nodded and replied.

“Yes. I am glad… that I feel shabby.”

If you are reading from a pirate or aggregator site, please read from the translator’s site: yado-inn (dot) com I have to put the link like this or else the bots will remove it, sorry 

<Surprise (6)> End.