God of Cooking

Chapter 272

Things That Have Changed (1)>

 

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 

Someone said that everyone’s hearts work differently, but at the core of it, they are all the same.
The sincerity that Jo Minjoon felt in his heart was felt by many who tried his recipe. A dining table without any shortcomings. It was as if a skilled grandmother was preparing a feast for Thanksgiving or Lunar New Year.

Taste. Besides the artistic or extravagant look, these dishes were created by focusing on the Korean taste. Also, the explanation of the recipes was easy to follow. To be precise, it was very detailed. Jo Minjoon was a very detailed oriented person to the point where he might be paranoid about it. The recipe was so detailed that the seasonings were measured in mL, and it even said that the taste may change depending on the intensity of the flame. Some readers might even say he had OCD.

But the results were clear. At least for the Koreans and those who liked Korean cuisine. Everyone who used this recipe and didn’t make a mistake agreed that they were great recipes.

The reaction was different than normal, there were more people who experimented with his recipe. The Koreans experimented with it due to their familiarity, and the foreigners experimented due to the exotic nature of the recipe. Jo Minjoon’s recipe elicited a response that couldn’t be disliked by either side.

Even the steamed mackerel didn’t get any dislikes. To be accurate, it was this steamed mackerel that drew out the most response. The steamed mackerel recipe removed the fishy smell and brought out the full flavor of the fish such that even people who usually avoid fishes due to the fishy smell enjoyed the dish.

People could sense that these recipes were Jo Minjoon’s response to Lee Namhoon’s criticism. The former said Jo Minjoon did not know the true taste of Korea. However, this was Jo Minjoon’s answer. Using his cooking he overcame the criticism, he received even more support and admiration.

As a result of Jo Minjoon’s hard work. An old man with short white hair touched his wrinkled chin while reading the recipes. A younger man with a black suit looked at the older man and asked.

“How is it?”

“It is good. To make recipes like this, it means that he has a deep understanding of Korean cuisine. He either worked really hard, or he is naturally talented… to the point where I am envious.”

“Teacher, this was the first time seeing you say something like that”

The man replied in admiration. The fact Jo Minjoon was a great cook was known not only in Korea but in the rest of the world. The younger man never thought Jo Minjoon would receive such praise from a stubborn man like Hong Mangil. Hong Mangil was one of the most famous critiques in Korean cuisine and he was well known in Korean cuisine as someone who is hard to please.

“I could tell without making it. This recipe overcomes the shortcoming of Korean cuisine without changing the fundamentals. This could be seen as being timid, rather than being meticulous. Being a bit timid is not such a bad thing for a cook. It just means that they are careful. Kids like this are needed in Korean cuisine, but these days, all the young folks go into Western or Japanese cuisine…”

“Our Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also pay a lot of attention to the globalization of Korean food. Kimchi might not have brought the best response, but at least it interested people and made a lasting impression on the world.”

“Whether they like it, or they hate it, if people are informed of it, they will eat it. Even if they might not like the first dish they try, they might order something else and find something that suits their taste. And they will eventually get used to the taste of the cuisine.”

“Watching this event unfold surprised me. Marinated beef, glass noodles did not make any headline news since they have not been globalized… I can’t believe that the fish dish was able to garner everyone’s focus.”

Yu Nabum shook his head. Hong Mangil quietly read the recipe again and muttered in a low voice.

“This young man has something that I do not have.”

“What might that be?”

“He is someone who understands the situation that is happening outside this small country.”

Hong Mangil said in a tired voice and Yu Nabum nodded as if roughly understood.

“You must mean that he understands the tastes of people around the world. It is understandable since he lives in the melting pot of the world, the United States. And Los Angeles is one of the most diverse cities in the US.”

“To globalize Korean food, we need chefs who understand the taste of the world as much as the taste of Korea. But chefs who cook Korean food are mostly in Korea. Who wants to leave the comfort of their home and suffer…?”

“It would be good if he developed a bit more.”

“Develop?”

Hong Mangil gave Yu Nabum a cold gaze questioning his words. The former looked at the latter with a look of curiosity. Hong Magil laughed, shaking his head.

“You must have been blinded due to his age. Why do you think his recipe is lacking? Do you think it is just luck?”

“I do not think he is lacking but… don’t you think people responded because of his fame? I think people are overreacting to his skills.”

“People’s tongues do not lie. It is the only part of the human body that never lies. This young man is better than most people who have a dozen years of experience.”

“…How much experience would he have at that age, then it must be due to his natural talent? I thought cooking is a world where effort was a skill.”

“Haha… I thought better of you.”

Hong Mangil looked at Yu Nabum with a disappointed look. However, Yu Nabum didn’t understand the meaning behind the look. He was confused, he did not know what kind of mistake he made. Hong Mangil asked another question.

“Why is it that you believe in his talent so easily but have a hard time comprehending how much effort he put in to sharpen his raw talent?”

“Talent?”

“Yes, like you said before. In cooking, you get what you put. Of course, the speed may be different, but having good skills means that you put in a lot of effort. You may think that I have a good impression of this young man because of his talent. Sorry. I am more impressed by the effort and the passion that he has at such an age.”

Comprehending Hong Mangil’s words, Yu Nabum couldn’t say anything. Jo Minjoo was a talent who would spread Korean cuisine, no, he was someone that would serve as a role model or a symbol of Korean cuisine. But…

‘Is he more complete than what I originally thought…?’

Hong Mangil calmly spoke.

“Have you met him? That young man?”

“No. I did contact him though, but he responded by saying that he was in the middle of a vacation.”

“You should go meet him personally. Don’t bother him too much, just enough so he recognizes you.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“It is.”

Yu Nabum had a confused expression. Hong Mangil quietly explained.

“In the future, even if you want to meet him you might not be able to.”

*****

There are some pains that do not ease over time. Sometimes pains become hazy and obscure in the cloud of memory, but there are some pains that become even sharper over time. And these are called traumas.

Right now, Jo Minjoo was facing the scar of his past. He was standing in front of the restaurant that he worked at in his past life.

“Why are you just standing there?”

Kaya looked at Jo Minjoon with a puzzled expression. Jo Minjoon paused. Rather than answering, he smiled and looked at her. He slowly replied.

“Let’s go in.”

Whether it was the past or the present, there were many customers. That was when the words of the head chef, Bae Donghyuk, flooded his memories. For over a year, he was treated as the youngest chef and received a lot of attention, but he also received many know-hows from the head chef.

The moment when Kaya and Jo Minjoon entered the restaurant, the cashier who was nervous due to a foreigner visiting the restaurant became even more restless because of Jo Minjoon. It was someone Jo Minjoon knew. Whenever he was feeling down this person gave him treats to lift him up. This wasn’t the only person he remembered; he remembered the faces of all the chefs in the restaurant since it had an open kitchen.

Jo Minjoon and Kaya were sitting at a bar-shaped table right in front of the open kitchen. He could see the chefs glancing at them. He saw Park Yoosuk, who was sous-chef when he worked. He may have been a demi-chef, maybe even a junior chef at this time. Kaya glanced through the kitchen and said to Jo Minjoon.

“It feels like Korea captures the atmosphere of the Western restaurant well.”

“In Korea, restaurants are really expensive. So only those who are wealthy come to eat at these places, so the service and the interior are really well done.”

“The most important thing is the taste. How does it taste?”

“Well. I am sure you will know soon enough.”

Thinking back to the few dishes that he tried when he worked here, they weren’t tasteless. They also didn’t play around with the ingredients. Knowing those facts, he didn’t come here alone but brought Kaya with him. At that moment, the head chef, Bae Donghyuk, approached them.

“You must be Chef Jo Minjoon.”

“Yes. How are you doing?”

“Nice to meet you. I was curious how you were doing in the United States, but to meet you like this. So, what brings you to my restaurant?”

“I saw it on the internet.”

“Haha. That’s the power of the information age. Bringing you, Chef Jo Minjoon to my restaurant.”

When Bae Donhyuk lightly laughed, Jo Minjoon could only make a small smirk. It wasn’t because he wanted to look cold, but he was just not used to this expression. He was used to the stoic and cold Bae Donghyuk.

‘…many things are different. Different than how they were’

His heart was excited. At first, he thought he was going to be happy with the change, but that happiness came with bitterness and sad memories. He knew that under all the calculation and consideration, there was no way the smile could have been pure.

Jo Minjoon was silent after completing his order. Looking at Jo Minjoon, Kaya said.

“Why do you look drained?”

“I don’t feel drained.”

“Your eyes are down, and your lips are pulled. Also, you were fiddling with your fork for a while.”

“Are you Sherlock Holmes now? Reading my expression?”

“Anyone can decipher that just by looking at you right now.”

Jo Minjoon didn’t reply. The bread was placed on the table. It was a lightly baked baguette.

‘Cooking point of 7…’

The bread didn’t look all that great since he was used to Lisa and Marco’s bread. But he knew that it would taste different since different people baked with different recipes…the bread was followed by onion, cheese, and curry soup. But it wasn’t enough to brighten up Jo Minjoon’s expression

‘6 points’

There were cases where the taste was different than the point, so he lifted the spoon and tasted the soup. But it was what he expected. Of course, it was difficult for a soup to leave such a strong impression, but the problem was Bae Donghyuk. In the future, he was someone who will be one of the most famous chefs in Korea due to the power of TV.

Of course, the cuisine may be polished over time, but even taking that into account, it was a dish that was relatively unimpressive considering how famous Bae Donghyuk will be. At that moment Bae Donhyuk asked in anticipation.

“How did it taste?”

Jo Min Joon replied.

“It’s good.”

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 

<Things That Have Changed (1)> End.