Chapter 448 - Slower Than A Rabbit, Faster Than A Turtle (5)
Chapter 448: Slower Than A Rabbit, Faster Than A Turtle (5)
Demi chef Downey was already aware that Min-joon was good at cooking, but he wondered how Min-joon could be so excellent in carrying out the duty of a sous chef. At first, Min-joon was rather clumsy in his job as a sous chef, of course, but even so, Downey thought he was doing excellent for a man who took over the sous chef job for the first time.
However, as time passed, Min-joon surprisingly adapted to his job well. He soon got on top of it. Actually, it was natural for him because he had several experiences of leading several people in the kitchen, not to mention the help of the system.
Of course, it was only a few times he had led the kitchen staff, but what’s important was the timing of his actual experiences. It had been about two years since he gained experience as a sous chef in Grand Chef. During those two years, he did not have many opportunities to lead the kitchen staff like a head chef or sous chef, but he could remember those days and imagine his leadership in action back then. He could constantly think of how well he could lead the kitchen staff.
Besides, he has seen how Rachel and Raphael led the kitchen staff right next to them. In other words, it was safe to say that at least theoretically he knew perfectly how to work as a sous chef.
“Well, I don’t think he has any problem even if you leave right away.”
Dobby looked around, startled at somebody’s sudden voice on his side. June was watching Min-joon with a blank look, with her arms folded.
As if he was upset, Dobby bit his lips, then opened his mouth.
“I still have to teach you a lot. Controlling the kitchen staff based on the manual is the most basic thing.”
“Dobby, I remember when you first took over this job. Back then you didn’t have the basic thing that you just mentioned,” said June.
“Which side are you on now?”
“Of course, I’m on his side. You are leaving, but he is going to be a part of my family here.”
When she answered casually, Dobby just sighed as if he had nothing to say. It sounded like a joke, but that’s probably what’s on her mind because she has always focused on someone under her wing, and more precisely, the most competent man at that.
Now that man right now was Min-joon. Honestly, he was a really attractive card. He had such a charm that made those around him inevitably covet and like him. He had such an ability.
And it was Osla and Downey who felt it more keenly than anyone else. They couldn’t be mean to him because of June, but it was just a little while ago that the two promised not to welcome him because of Eva.
However, they could not ignore him by all means. As fellow chefs, they knew well what it meant for Min-joon to have such fantastic skills for his experience and age. He might feel jealous about Min-joon, but he could not confidently say Min-joon was not qualified as a sous chef, so Eva should take it.
The moment Downey lost his confidence like that, his initial decision to ignore Min-joon on behalf of Eva was shaken. Besides, Min-joon wasn’t just excellent as a chef. If they made any mistake, Min-joon called their names and pointed out their problems in a soft voice.
Even Osla found herself thinking she would not care about Min-joon taking over the sous chef as her supervisor.
But Downey was a little different. The more he realized how competent Min-joon was, the more hostile he felt toward Min-joon. It wasn’t because he didn’t like Min-joon, but because he felt sorry for Eva. So much so that he felt Min-joon didn’t bother to come to this New York branch of Rose Island. He even thought Min-joon could be a head chef, given his abilities.
Min-joon didn’t make a lot of dishes. He just made them one by one, based on their recipes. So, Downey could not size up his abilities perfectly because a sous chef could prove his or her ability only when he could take care of the complex situation when they had dozens of different orders. Of course, it will definitely take the load off his mind if June’s order is good enough. “Done!”
After supervising the last dish, Min-joon mumbled in a quiet voice and looked at the chefs.
Although he could have done better in the actual situation, it was obviously meaningful to him that he did the role of a sous chef so well without the head chef’s direction on the first day of his arrival here. As a result, the demi chefs and cooks here began to take a different attitude toward him.
“It’s not over yet!”
It was Downey who raised his voice. Downey opened his mouth with an unpleasant expression.
“We have to check the dishes. I mean, we have to check if the dishes he made was barely passable, based on the recipe or done perfectly.”
“Hey, it was the first time he cooked by coordinating with us, based on our recipes. It’s good enough he got this, Downey. Don’t be so strict!” Osla blamed Downey. When Downey stared at her, she avoided his eyes. He could not understand why she changed her mind so soon. Didn’t she agree with him not to take side with Min-joon a little while ago?
What really pissed Downey off was that he could understand Osla to some extent. In fact, it was hard for Downey to try to push him out while he recognized Min-joon’s abilities and liked this new sous chef.
Min-joon was a chef who any chef would invariably like. His polite and warm smile had such power that made them like him, belying their will to be hostile to him.
Nevertheless, it was purely for the sake of Eva that Downey was still trying to be mean and naughty to Min-joon. Actually, when he came to this restaurant, Eva took care of him well just like her real brother. He still didn’t forget her kindness and hospitality.
Of course, Eva doesn’t want him to be mean to Min-joon, but her attitude like that made him even more hostile to Min-joon.
“Doesn’t matter.”
Min-joon responded leisurely to Downey’s mean attitude. He didn’t show any displeasure, either. Rather, his face was overflowing with confidence. Watching him, Downey admired him deep down. If he were in Min-joon’s position, he would feel very nervous.
How can Min-joon be so calm? Is he really confident of his new job? Can he confidently say he has managed his kitchen staff to make the dishes perfectly when they have never spent time with him? Can he be confident that he has fully understood the recipes he first encountered and reproduced them without any mistake?
“Who is going to check this food? Oh, are you all going to try just one bite?”
“Let me taste it first.”
Downey cleared his throat and stepped forward. At that moment, I thought how he would respond if all of the dishes he cooked were the same they used to make.
He first put the steamed lobster made by Min-joon in his mouth. It was a dish with avocado, kale, and pineapple sauce. The taste was surprisingly perfect. Of course he might have felt so because it was a familiar dish he had been making as a rule, but he could not because he could not focus on the dish today.
‘Well, his dish must be or should be different…’
As he tried other dishes, Downey’s expression became stiffer. He didn’t say anything, nor did he move his lips. He just looked at Min-joon with a confused expression. But Min-joon was looking at him calmly.
Min-joon asked, “Does it taste different from your usual dish?”
When he asked, Downey hesitated to reply for some time, then clenched his fist. He wondered if he was dreaming now. He could not understand how Min-joon could make such a dish at that age with short experiences. No matter how talented he was, he could not understand logically. “What the heck are you doing, Downey. Why are you so hesitant? He asked you how different it’s from our usual dish here.”
“Well…”
“Okay, let me try it then.”
Pushing aside Downey, who was still hesitating to answer easily, Osla came to the plate and began to try the food, as if she was so frustrated about Downey. Other chefs and cooks also came and began to test it.
Whenever they tried different dishes on other plates, they began to make the same expressions as Downey did. Since they cooked this kind of food every day, they knew Min-joon’s dishes were as good as what they made in the real situation.
“Man, he is like a monster. How could he…” one of the cooks muttered right after tasting it.
Watching them quietly, Eva asked in a calm voice, “When I look at your facial expressions, I think I know the answer. It’s as good as the ones you make as a rule, right?”
“Do you think this is possible, Eva? I really can’t understand how he could…”
“Of course, it doesn’t make any sense. But the world is always full of nonsense, isn’t it?”
“No, you can’t simply ignore this…”
“Well, I can. If Min-joon’s abilities are so awesome, you can just admire him honestly. And be happy because it means that the sous chef who will lead you in the future is so competent,” Eva said in a serious voice.
Dobby smiled bitterly, watching Eva telling them. She clearly told him at the recent Paris cooking contest that she would never lose to Min-joon, but she clearly recognized Min-joon right away.
Was it because her rival was Dobby, not Min-joon?
Eva looked at Min-joon, who, in turn, looked into her eyes quietly. He didn’t know what Eva was thinking or why she was supporting him now. But if she created a good atmosphere for him, he had no choice but to make the best of it.
Min-joon opened his mouth with a calm voice.
“This is my first time working as a sous chef, as you know, but that doesn’t mean that I’m the worst sous chef you’ve ever been through. I’m the type of person who looks up. I’ll go up to the highest level I can see with my eyes. So, if you have anything you want to say about me, please express it with your cooking. Then, I will answer it with cooking like now.’
Without waiting for their response, Min-joon continued, “I hope I’m in your good hands in the future. Starting today, I’m your sous chef.”
He announced something like a declaration of war.
Instead of being pushed by dozens of chefs and cooks, he overwhelmed them right away.