Man-gil continued, “For the past several decades I’ve been trying to put a little more delicious dishes on the table without worrying about flavor combination. That’s not going to change overnight.”
Min-joon could understand what he said. But at the same time, he didn’t want to understand it. It was just sad to realize that as someone who could create such a beautiful and perfect dish, he could not properly develop the basics such as food matching. He could make food more delicious than anyone else, but he didn’t know how to feed them deliciously.
“I’m afraid I can’t help you achieve your dream of completing Korean food.”
“Why do you think so?”
“If I have to look for a reason, there are so many. As I told you, I’m busy, and I’m not as talented in cooking as you think. And above all, you can’t complete Korean food.”
Man-gil had no choice but to harden his face at Min-joon’s statement that he could not complete Korean food. He could not ignore it lightly because the rest of his life and his aspirations depended on it. No matter who he was, including Min-joon, they were not supposed to mention before Man-gil that it was impossible for him to realize his dream.
Man-gil asked in a heavy voice, “Why do you think I can’t complete Korean food?”
“Because food is relative.”
“I know that. But, relative or not, there should be the most fundamental orthodox way of cooking Korean food. And I want to complete Korean food in that orthodox way.”
“Of course I understood exactly what you mean. I don’t want to say that your method is worthless. I don’t want to say that you are not competent. You’re by far the best Korean chef I’ve ever seen in my life. You make great dishes.”
Min-joon talked long, but Man-gil did not try to cut him off in the middle recklessly. If he turned away from him because Min-joon criticized him, he would be stuck in the same place forever. But that didn’t mean that Man-gil was not anxious and restless.
He asked in a frustrated voice, “Then why do you think so? Can you tell me?”
“Because there is no end to cooking. Cooking is like a popular song. If you keep hearing it because it’s popular, you will soon be sick and tired of it. So, there can be no perfect dish.
Of course, you don’t have to take my words as the truth. This is what a 24-year-old young and audacious chef is babbling about.”
“What I want to do is not to end the change in Korean food, but to present an exemplary reply…”
Man-gil remained silent while blurring. Then he was lost in thought. Then he was about to open his mouth again when he hesitated. He then continued his silence. He wasn’t so stupid that he couldn’t even notice that there wasn’t a big difference in the model answer and the perfection of Korean food. While agonizing, he covered his eyes with his hands then opened his mouth.
“Ah, yes. I think I heard that a lot somewhere. Now that you mention it again, I think what it means more clearly.”
What Min-joon had just said was probably not wrong. Actually, what he said right now was what Jung-soo Lee emphasized several times when he told Min-joon about his Master Man-gil.
But maybe Jung-soo could not have said the same thing to Man-gil.
Man-gil continued, “One thing suddenly comes to my mind. In fact, I may have already known this reality for a long time. Oh, I don’t have to talk about the past. Even though I realized it right now, I still can’t let go of my greed. I can’t shake off my wishes that I want to be the central pillar of the Korean food circles here. I want to be their roots!”
His voice was becoming harsher, and it showed how tormented he was at the end of his remarks. But Min-joon just looked at him without saying anything. Although he didn’t see Man-gil long, he discovered that his greed and ambition were very unusual.
But Min-joon could sympathize with his wild ambition. It was the kind of ambition that any man must have. An ambition that he didn’t want to remain one of the common chefs in the world. An ambition that he wanted to leave his name in history and walk so far that no one on the same path could follow. Anybody would have such a dream and ambition like Man-gil.
“Am I wrong?” Man-gil asked.
But Min-joon couldn’t easily reply. Man-gil understood his silence and waited. When Man-gil was looking at him again seriously, Min-joon opened his mouth finally.
“When I look at you, I think of my teacher—Chef Rachel Rose.”
“Oh, I see.”
“My teacher is as greedy as you are. Even though they say she is the best chef in America, she is still not satisfied with such praise.”
“If she isn’t satisfied with being regarded as the best chef in America, does she want to be regarded as the world’s best chef?”
“In fact, she wants more than that. She just wants to be the best in human affairs.”
Man-gil seemed dumbfounded at his remarks. Man-gil knew his aspirations were big, but Rachel’s dreams were so different in scale that he felt his dreams were so small.
He thought to himself, ‘She is too greedy,’ then he suddenly smiled. Come to think of it, his dreams were also too grand in the eyes of others.
“I like you in that respect. I think it’s really cool that you have such an unusual dream, and you try to achieve something that others don’t even think about. But…”
Min-joon blurred a bit then continued, “I know it’s very hard for you sometimes. Sometimes, you look like a great mountain, but sometimes, I feel you might collapse anytime soon. I think it’s because you’re too greedy.”
“I know. Greed sometimes lifts the spirit of people, but sometimes, it shakes them.”
“I don’t think my immature and inexperienced observation can affect your path.”
“Do you really think so?”
Man-gil burst into laughter. Hearing it, he realized that Min-joon was twenty-four years old.
Of course, just because he was older than Min-joon didn’t mean he was more mature than Min-joon, but Man-gil thought that what Min-joon said was very mature and wise for a young man at that age. The reason Man-gil listened to him was not because he was a famous or smart genius chef, but it was because what he said was correct.
“I’m very envious of Chef Rachel who has you as her student.”
“You also have good students here..”
Man-gil stopped at that moment. Then he said with a gentle smile, “Yes, I do.”
“Anyway, this is my opinion, sir. You are too ambitious, and I’m not that qualified to advise you.”
“I see.”
“But, as for the dishes on the table, I think I can give you my own opinion from a customer’s standpoint.”
Man-gil looked at him while Min-joon smiled at him.
Min-joon said, “I have to go back to America soon, but if you come up with any good ideas about food matching, please feel free to tell me. I’ll give you feedback in one way or another. I can promise you that.”
“Really?”
“I have never made any promise that I don’t intend to keep.”
“Then, let me…”
“Oh, not now…”
Min-joon picked up his smartphone. It was already 10 pm.
“Because it’s time to go home.”
<hr />
“Well, after all is said and done, we have come to have good networking in Korea.”
When they got home, Kaya sat on the couch and opened her mouth in a calm voice.
Min-joon smiled and nodded.
“I hope we can continue to maintain our good relationship.”
“Unless the other party is a whacko, anybody who gets connected to you will benefit from you a lot.”
“Hope so,” he said then typed something on the laptop.
She glanced up and opened her mouth.
“Are you posting another recipe?”
“Nope. I’m just checking their comments.”
“What comments?”
“You know they broadcast the episode about our post-Grand Chef activities. I’m checking out the viewers’ feedback here and there.”
“Oh, come to think of it, I couldn’t even take care of that because I came here.”
As if she remembered it, she pushed his head into his chest then began to read all the comments. Normally, there was supposed to be some bad comments no matter how good the program was, but there was almost nothing this time.
Kaya muttered as if she felt strange about it.
“Since I announced that I was dating you, I think the number of bad comments decreased.”
“You know they have a good impression of me, so I think they also have a good perception of you.”
“If anyone hears that, they might think I had a very bad perception.”
He did not answer. But she was looking at him sharply as if she didn’t like his reply.
At that moment, he changed his expression for some reason.
She complained, looking at him, “Why are you making a straight face? What’s wrong?”
“Oh, I noticed a very strange comment.”
“What’s that?”
“Look at this.”
She raised her head when he pointed at the comment. Then she slowly began to read it.
<Hey. I was just in Venice a moment ago, but Rose Island head office was on fire. Now fire engines are racing toward that restaurant like crazy.>
“What the heck is this? Is it real fire?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t received any text messages about it. Maybe it’s bullshit.”
“How come fire broke out at Rose Island all of a sudden? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Well, I was worried a bit because there were lots of kids who were on drugs at night near our restaurant… But I don’t think fire broke out there.”
Min-joon laughed awkwardly as if he tried to shake off the anxiety. Kaya couldn’t say anything, so she just patted him on the shoulder. He looked at the smartphone with an anxious expression.
Since it was very early in the morning in Los Angeles, he would wake up his staff and Rachel Rose if he called them. However, be it fortunate or unfortunate, he didn’t have to call them.
A video was uploaded. He clearly saw a building on fire at dawn when the smoke and fog settled down. It was Rose Island.
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