God of Cooking

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Crossroads (4)

8 points. Cho Min Joon stared blankly at that score. He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t think he could reach it yet. It wasn’t even like he made a dish that was his specialty. He wasn’t familiar with it, and he didn’t even like risotto, but that risotto received 8 points.

It would have been weird to say that he was simply happy about it. He was definitely excited about his very first 8-point dish, but he was also confused. How did he get 8 points? Was focus all that he needed?

“Hands off, everyone.”

Joseph called before he could wrap up his thoughts. There wasn’t a single person who wasn’t finished within that hour. After all, risotto and Paella could easily be made in that time.

He looked around before fixing his eyes on Kaya’s dish. He couldn’t help it. He knew Kaya was just as timid about making risotto as he was. That was why he was confused. 8 points. He was able to accept that much, but…

‘Shallot, onions, Parmigiano, clam broth, dry white wine… She pretty much copied Allan’s dish.’

She had copied exactly what Allan presented before the mission. Did Kaya usually make things like this? He didn’t remember.

Seeing how she got 8 points, she did a good job copying Allan’s dish, but would she avoid criticism for lacking novelty?

‘That’s not for me to worry about.’

Cho Min Joon looked away. He made an 8-point dish for the first time in his life. It might’ve been a little selfish, but he wanted to bask in the miracle rather than worrying about someone else.

The judges evaluated Carlos and Marco first. Neither one was able to make a spectacular dish. Both Carlos and Marco got 6 points. Cho Min Joon quickly scanned the other contestants’ dishes. There was only one 5-point dish. Kony’s. She was the oldest contestant of 40 years old, and she was also the quietest. She made a Paella with corn and onions. It didn’t look good on the outside either.

His guess was that Kony would be the one to get disqualified on the Paella team, but as for the risotto team, it was iffy. Anderson and Hugo had 7 points, Kaya had 8 points, and the rest of them had 6 points. It was hard to tell which one would get disqualified. Allan tasted Carlos’ risotto and asked, “Carlos, what’s the theme of this risotto?”

“I used basil and pine nut to…”

“That part’s obvious, but why do I taste more pine nut than rice? I like the seasoning, but the recipe is typical, and the oil from the pine nut is concealing all of the flavors. Have you tasted it yourself?”

“No, I didn’t have time…”

“You made risotto without even tasting it? Are you good at making risotto?”

Carlos put his head down. Joseph and Emily’s evaluations weren’t so different either. The basics were all right, but the pine nut was excessive. As a result, Carlos was up for disqualification.

Marco didn’t get a good evaluation either. Marco presented a hard baguette and a Paella made of shrimp, saffron, and lemon juice, but there was a burnt flavor to the fish broth, putting him in the disqualification group as well.

After that was Kony and Kaya. As soon as the judges saw Kony’s Paella, they unwillingly tasted it. They grimaced. Emily sighed as she asked, “You know this is overcooked, right?”

“… Yes.”

“This isn’t cooked properly enough to be called a Paella. It looks like the rice is too slimy, and as a result, the other ingredients lost their flavors as well. Kony, you are up for disqualification.”

And next was Kaya. Allan tasted her risotto and spoke in an uninterested voice, “Didn’t I ask you earlier if you were just going to copy my dish? I was half kidding, but you really did copy me.”

“… Your risotto was the only one I’ve ever tried before.”

“Well, I didn’t say that you can’t do that, but this is still not right. Didn’t you consider making your own while using mine as a reference?”

“How do you expect me to run before I can run?”

That was the most indirect way Kaya could refute. Joseph chewed on the risotto without a word and spoke with a soft voice, “Just like Allan said, it lacks novelty. After all, you copied someone else’s, but I think it can be seen in a different way. Maybe you thought the best risotto you could make was one that copied Allan’s. Is that true?”

“I told you. It was best for me to walk first.”

“Well, there you go, Allan. That’s what I think. It’s not right to test your unverified originality on customers.”

Emily nodded and continued, “If you think about it, how many of these contestants completely used their own recipe? This is not that kind of program. We’re all here to make delicious food, not something that’s new. I agree she made the best dish she could. Of course, she lacked knowledge regarding risotto, but she did her best given her circumstances.”

Allan didn’t refute. He somewhat agreed with them as well. The judges exchanged glances. Allan nodded and said, “Kaya, we’d like to keep an eye on your future cooking. It’s unfortunate that you didn’t add any of your personal colors to your dish today, but it was a good one, and you expressed all of the flavors I wanted. You passed.”

“… Thank you.”

Kaya turned around with a straight face. Cho Min Joon was up next. To be more exact, Cho Min Joon and Chloe. Cho Min Joon looked at Chloe’s plate. The mussels and shrimp in her Paella made it look gourmet. Of course, having to peel the mussel was a pain.

7 points. Not a bad score. Chloe was going to survive as well. With that thought in mind, he thought about what kind of evaluation he would receive. It was his best work. He looked forward to what they had to say.

It was Cho Min Joon’s turn to be evaluated, Cho Min Joon couldn’t help but smile. Allan glanced at his plate and said, “You said you’re not used to risotto. Did it go well?”

“Yes, it did.”

His confident voice made Allan flinch. Allan looked u at Cho Min Joon. He heard a voice. Not Allan’s, but Emily’s.

“Min Joon, didn’t you say you give yourself scores? You called it a cooking score. What would you score this one? If you’re confident, would that be a 7?”

The fact that Cho Min Joon put scores to dishes and the fact that he said his limit was 7 points was well-known in the Grand Chef House, so there was nothing strange about Emily predicting his confidence to mean 7 points, but there was another reason why it was weird. Cho Min Joon smiled as he answered, “No, 8 points.”

“… 8 points? Didn’t you say it was difficult?”

“I’m not sure. I think this is a miracle.”

Cho Min Joon didn’t mean it was better than usual or that he did his very best. The judges, contestants, and the producers all felt that. Joseph immediately tasted the risotto. He tasted it with his eyes closed, and a smile soon spread across his face.

“I see what you’re saying.”

He felt happy because of those words. Allen and Emily also got a taste, and at that moment, they understood what Joseph meant.

There was nothing special about the pear risotto. People often used pear and Parma ham together, and it wasn’t uncommon to use sage either. After all, it was commonly used for risotto.

But the depth of the flavors was not normal. The flavors differed depending on who made the recipe and how much care and time they put into it. That was what cooking was about. Cooking never betrayed the time spent on it. There was a reason why gourmet dishes took so long to make, and that kind of sincerity and time could be tasted from Cho Min Joon’s risotto. The ingredients meshed perfectly together, and the rice, broth, and wine tasted perfect.

Allan spoke. He sounded satisfied and curious. “How did you make a risotto like this, Min Joon? This isn’t something that can come from someone who doesn’t know risottos. It might’ve been possible to get the flavoring right, but not the rice. It’s not easy to cook the rice in the broth so perfectly…”

“I don’t think it was all skill. I was lucky.”

That didn’t mean he transformed into a good chef. Even if it was a coincidence, he felt happy that he exceeded his potential. Joseph nodded and smiled.

“They say miracles only come to those who are ready. Luck is also a skill. Congratulations. I guess this is your first time reaching 8 points. Once you overcome one obstacle, it’ll get easier every time.”

“Thank you. I hope so, too.”

Cho Min Joon answered with a smirk. Allan looked at the other judges, but there was no need to ask for their opinions. Cho Min Joon said this dish was 8 points, and the judges agreed that his dish was the best. Allan said, “Min Joon, everyone is focused on your palate right now. The same goes for me, but being a good chef doesn’t make one a good food critic. You would have made great food even without that gift. After all, you were able to put so much focus on your risotto.”

“I agree with Allan, Min Joon. This dish deserves to be on a restaurant table. As long as that customer doesn’t have an allergy to pears. You just said this was a miracle, but I think you’ll be able to accomplish miracles every day. Thank you for your delicious dish.”

Emily continued after Allan. Her face was smiling thanks to the risotto she just ate. Allan coughed and said, “Go and treat your hand, Min Joon.”

“… Did I pass?”

“The answer is on your plate.”

Allan pointed at his dish. The dish that contained his risotto. It was now a perfectly clean plate.