God of Cooking – Chapter 87: The pig and the fire (3)

[Jo Minjoon]
Cooking level: 7
Baking level: 5
Tasting level: 8
Decorations level: 5

Level 7 . Had this number ever feel this lovely? It was a number that made him more happy than the 8 points that appeared next to the pork galbi . Now, he was on the same side as Anderson, Kaya, and Chloe . But of course, even if he was on the same level, there would still be some differences…… . But even so, he thought that he had finally been able to catch up to their backs to some point .

Jo Minjoon looked at the number that was floating in the air with affection . If there was a problem, it would be Kaya that was behind the floating window he was looking at . She, who sensed his fierce sight, slightly turned . After she saw Jo Minjoon’s eyes, she frowned and turned back again .

‘What is it? Why was he looking at me like that?’

She did feel burdened, but she was too busy to mind that . It was the same for Jo Minjoon . The level had raised, but he still had to finish the plating .

He didn’t place a big amount on purpose, but he wasn’t planning on imitating french dishes, showing the white plate . Only, if he placed abundant food, there was a high possibility that they would feel burdened . 3 pork dishes by each participant . They were going to at least eat 21 pork dishes . Even if they made it deliciously, if the amount was much, there would be a high possibility that they would get sick of it from the start .

Tasting started by imagining the flavor before putting the food in your mouth . And if that was the case, there was a need to bring up the flavor they would imagine to the utmost . For the first time, he had made all of the dishes to be 8 points, and those were the last dishes he had made with cooking level 6 . It was a meaningful moment, so he wanted to show that perfectly .

When he was placing the bite-size meat at the middle of each plate, there wasn’t even a minute left . Jo Minjoon licked his dry lips and looked at the judges . Alan, who was glancing at the clock, yelled with a hard voice .

“Time’s up! Take your hands off!”

The evaluation started . Jo Minjoon slowly looked at the other participants . There were only two person that got 8 points in all of their dishes: Kaya and Anderson . In the case of Chloe, she had two 8-point dishes, but the remaining one was 7 points .

The first one to get evaluated was Ivanna . Her dishes were all 7 points . It was a fine score . Since the participants of this season were all high leveled, she couldn’t show her outstanding skills . But if Ivanna had participated in the previous season, she would have been a participant that gave much more impression than right now . Aside of her cute face, she had the qualifications and skills, because it wasn’t easy for an amateur to make a 7-point dish .

The judges also reviewed her dishes taking that into account . Of course, they couldn’t tell if it was 7 or 8 points, but they could perfectly feel the level of that dish . Alan thought inwardly .

‘To feel regret in this kind of dish…… . . This season will certainly remain in history . ’

Probably, from now on, there wouldn’t be as many skilled participants as in the third season . In the first place, the story ended on the point that a participant had an absolute sense of taste .

It wasn’t that they reviewed Ivanna’s dishes in any special way, but even so the critic ended with quite good comments . Those were dishes that had stability . If you weren’t a special epicurean, most of the people that tried Ivanna’s dishes would be happy after trying it .

Sasha and Hugo weren’t that different . They had dishes that were 6 and 7 points . Although it wasn’t bad, those were dishes that lacked a bit to pass the evaluation . The judges had to crunch their heads thinking . It would be more comfortable if someone made a big mistake, since it would be difficult to eliminate one of them . In the end, they could only evaluate it subjectively .

“Minjoon, bring your dishes . ”

But first, evaluating the remaining people came first . Alan looked at Jo Minjoon’s dishes with expectant eyes . Since when could it be? He started to enjoy it more rather than evaluating it . The growth of this young participant could be seen with his eyes, and his growth was felt more clearly on his tongue .

“Is there an order to eat it?”
“I recommend you eating the meatball first because it’s the less stimulative flavor among the three . ”
“Less stimulative……”

Joseph said and brought a meatball in his mouth . The soft smoked paprika and the meatball that was covered in wine sauce was chewed in his mouth . In the paprika, an unexpected crunchiness remained, and along with that flavor, the rough but soft meatball stimulated his tongue and the ceiling of his mouth .

The flavor of the wine sauce that was mixed with balsamic vinegar and boiled down was quite normal . However, it didn’t mean that the flavor lost color because you couldn’t criticize a barbecue sauce for having the same flavor as barbecue sauce .

“You made this wine sauce to have a flavor that people just like it . It’s not simply sweet, but it had the acidity and sweetness that just suit with the meatball . On top of that, the special flavor of the dry wine…… .  Where did you learn this? This information would be difficult to find in the interne…… . . Ah, right . You could read the recipe . ”

Alan asked with a face full of questions, and nodded after he had understood . He knew the recipe of the things he ate . It was a really unrealistic thing to be conscious of that all the time .

He wouldn’t even need a teacher . Because just by going to a famous restaurant and eating their food, he would be able to obtain all of the information of that chef . Everytime he mastered a recipe that chefs would normally try to hide, he would master an ability that’s way beyond his age .

His fork reached to the next dish . It was the dongpo pork this time . The meat of the pork that couldn’t even be compared to normal dongpo pork was chewed, and the juice that was mixed with the sauce slowly wettened his tongue . On top of the flavor of the vegetables fried on chinese oil,  the dense aroma of the kaoliang wine remained inside that sauce . He really felt like he was eating a luxurious dongpo pork in a good Chinese restaurant . It was a dish that you wouldn’t believe that it was made in just two hours and has this much effort and dedication .

Emily opened her mouth with an admiring face just like a pure girl .

“It’s remarkable to get this flavor in just two hours . I thought that time was for dongpo pork…… . . ”
“Thank you . ”
“I am the one that should be thankful after eating this dish . Will you be able to eat this kind of thing for free?”

Emily talked like that and smiled . At times, she felt like a fox, but at least when she evaluated a dish, she showed a pure attitude of a kid . And that was also the reason Jo Minjoon couldn’t hate her .

‘It would be good if you stopped telling me to become an epicurean . ’

Jo Minjoon thought like that and smiled bitterly . It was now the turn of the last dish . Pork galbi . The judges put on a more serious face . Joseph opened his mouth .

“You should know this, but among the dishes you have cooked today, this pork galbi is the most important one . Because it will directly show the ability you have . And……”

Joseph looked at the shape of the pork galbi and slowly opened his eyes .

“Looking at the exterior, it doesn’t look like it has any flaws . The sauce is well sipped in it, and it isn’t burnt . The meat is seared with a really good colour . To not burn it, it’s the simplest but the most difficult thing . It’s accompanied with the sauce, and if it’s grilled, then all the more so . ”

Joseph talked like that and put a pork galbi in his mouth . A sauce made by mixing barbecue sauce and soy sauce . If you made a mistake, it could end up to be excessively salty, but the wine, vinegar, and lemon juice was making that weight to be light . And it wasn’t just pouring the sauce on top of it, but after resting the meat, he cooked it with the sauce that was on the meat .

It could be felt with that bite that Jo Minjoon had grown . A small difference he was missing, it was a dish that was difficult to make if you didn’t feel the moment the fire touched the meat . It wasn’t that the flavor was more outstanding than the meatball or the dongpo pork . They couldn’t feel that much of a difference in the flavor or in the completion . However, if you were someone that cooked, you could only feel that difference . The effort and skills the pork galbi contained wasn’t normal . Alan opened his mouth .

“………I will honestly speak . I’m sorry, Minjoon . Previously, I didn’t see your probabilities of winning to be that high . However, after eating your dishes today, I am starting to think differently . Perhaps, you may do so . Yes, you will be able to win . ”

It was a serious voice . Jo Minjoon smiled faintly . He thought that it may become awkward with whatever he said . But fortunately, Emily lent him her rescuing hand .

“Today, all of you had presented dishes that had nothing to call out on . And especially, it seems that from what Minjoon had shown us until now, it is the best . No, actually, every time he does a mission I get a feeling that he’s growing . I will also be expecting that for the next mission . ”

It meant that he had passed . Jo Minjoon smiled and slightly bent .

The evaluations of Chloe, Anderson, and Kaya’s obviously didn’t fall that much compared to Jo Minjoon’s . They made dishes such as hamburger, shredded five-spice marinated pork, ravioli, etc . and it couldn’t be seen that it fell for even a little . Obviously, the eliminated person could only appear from the remaining ones: Ivanna, Sasha, and Hugo .

‘They wouldn’t eliminate all of them . ’

Aside of doing the reviving phase or not, it became time to get some control on how many got eliminated . At least for the broadcasting material, they just had to do so .

‘Then, it’s a matter of who they eliminate…… . ’

Jo Minjoon slowly looked at the three of them . First, it didn’t seem to be Ivanna because her dishes were all 7 points . However, in the case of Hugo and Sasha, they made two 7 points dishes and one 6 points . Bust guessing who will be eliminated based on the score was hard .

“Sasha, Ivanna, Hugo . Come to the front . ”

The three of them walked with nervous faces . They had also guessed that they weren’t the higher ranked ones, but the lower ranked . Joseph looked at them with a little exhausted face .

“I believe that you know the reason as to why we have called you . ”
“…… . Are we all going to be eliminated?”
“We won’t do that . Only one person . Actually, there wasn’t that much of a difference in cooking . They were all fairly good . But this place is one that you can’t survive with it just being fairly good . There are tens of participants, and if some of them made a horrible dish it wouldn’t matter . However, now isn’t it . Better than the others . It’s not enough with that much skill . Because there’s no one that’s sloppy among the ones that survived until now . ”

At Joseph’s words, the three couldn’t reply anything . Because they knew better than them that their dishes weren’t that outstanding . Joseph opened his mouth, but closed it as if it was hard to say it . But Emily seemed to want to help her, and instead, raised her voice .

“That’s why we evaluated you . Not only for thee dishes, but we will save the one who we are expecting their food from now on . Sasha!”

Emily paused for a moment . And then, asked with a low voice .

“Why do you think I called your name?”
“……Ah, please . My heart seems to shrink . ”
“I’m sorry . With the meaning of apologizing, I will tell you something good . You have survived . From what we have seen of you until now, we reached a conclusion that we want to give you more opportunities . Go back to your countertop . ”
“Thank you……… . ”

Sasha replied with a shaking voice, and after wiping off the tears that were in her eyes, she returned to her place . The remaining ones were two . Ivanna gulped and clenched her fists . She remembered Joanne .

‘I said that I was going to win instead of Joanne . ’

But reality was like this . At that moment, she didn’t know where her ambition had gone, and if it was even in her . Everytime time she made eye contact with the judges, her heart beat, and she even started to have hiccups . Alan looked at Ivanna for a moment and opened his mouth .

“Honestly speaking, the one that’s better up among the three is you, Ivanna . ”
“Thank you . ”
“…… . . But, that’s all . Fairly good . Until now, you have never showed us something that breaks that concept . It meant that you have never showed us something that’s only yours, something that will stay in our memories . In the other side, Hugo had his ossobuco, and he had also showed a leadership that could lead others well . Ivanna, will we be able to pour our expectations on you?”

Ivanna bit her lips . Her face that was more pale than usual, was shaking . However, she didn’t have anything to reply back . Just like Alan had said, she had never showed something good of her . She had merely survived until now . And it was lacking with just that . But .

“…… . . Yes . Be expecting . ”
“Looking what?”
“I,I…… . Only know how to cook well . And just like chef has said, I’m just fairly good . But, it isn’t that I gave up on growing . I want to show you that I can get better . Give me a chance . ”

Alan didn’t reply anything . Instead, he looked at Hugo . And asked with a low voice .

“Hugo, what do you think? Do you think that we should give that opportunity to Ivanna?”

At that moment, Hugo only smacked his lips . He didn’t know what he should reply . If he gave her that chance, he had to get eliminated . But also telling him not to give it to her felt bad . He asked .

“…… . . Is my opinion important?”
“I wonder . I don’t know . I’m just curious about what you think . ”
“I’m thankful that you are thinking good of me . But I’m still lacking . Perhaps, if Ivanna’s dish was better than mine, I think that it would be right to evaluate it just with her dish instead of the future and expectations . ”
“Then, you will be the one to get eliminated?”
“…… . . To get greedy beyond my abilities, that would only be mean . ”

At his words, Alan’s corner of his mouth raised . He looked at Hugo with warm eyes and asked .

“One thing is certain . That there’s Italian blood flowing in you just like me . It was a wonderful speech . And just as that speech, I hope that you would be able accept my next words . ”

Silence flowed from a moment, and what ended that was a blunt declaration .

“Hugo, you have been eliminated . Return your badge and leave the Grand Chef’s house . ”

< The pork and the fire (3) > End