Chapter 276
<Things That Have Changed (5)>
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 
‘He said to help him’
Jo Minjoon looked at Hong Mangil flabbergasted, processing what the former had just said. Help him. It was the phrase that came out of Hong Mangil’s mouth. Hong Mangil was comparable to Rachel Rose of Korea, but this person said to help him.
It wasn’t that Jo Minjoon didn’t understand him. It was rather sad. For someone who spent so many years perfecting his craft to ask someone with less than half of his experience for some advice. How desperate was he that he was willing to bend his pride to ask a junior?
Jo Minjoon couldn’t immediately answer. There were so many things that he wanted to say but he couldn’t. He really wanted to say something, but it would be difficult. He wasn’t prepared to delve deep into the same world as Hong Mangil. Realistically speaking, he didn’t have much time left in Korea.
However.
“…What can I do for you?”
The reason why he agreed was because he understood how Hong Mangil felt. Age and experience weren’t important. Once a chef reaches a wall, something insignificant as a no could be their last straw. He didn’t want to be cruel and say to a drowning man ‘I am not strong enough to help you.’
“First I want you to enjoy these dishes.”
Hong Mangil replied with an apologetic smile.
“I know. You already know what the problem is before even eating. However, I want you to taste every single dish.”
“I understand. It is not a difficult request.”
“Thank you.”
Hong Mangil had a short conversation with the others before quietly exiting. Kaya looked at Jo Minjoon and asked.
“What did he say?”
“He asked me to help him.”
“What?”
“He asked me to help him with cooking.”
“Someone of this caliber needs your help. No, wait. Now that I think about it, the reason why Rachel took you in was so that you could help her. So, I think he has his reasons.”
“I don’t know what I could do to help him.”
Jo Minjoon murmured as he raised his chopstick. There were still three 10-point dishes left. tofu made with grounded medicinal chicken, and grounded steamed yellow croaker. Steamed dumpling. And crabshell filled with ground beef and crab meat with crab soup made of tofu, miso, pepper, and crab leg.
The dish that left him the most impression was the crab soup with crab meat. Palace crab soup. It was because crab was one of the ingredients that had the richest umami taste. The soup that Hong Mangil made had such a dense umami taste that it was otherworldly. Even with just a sip of the soup, Jo Minjoon’s mouth watered.
“He must have cooked it before putting it into a soup….”
It wasn’t a unique cooking technique since such a technique existed in the Gyeongsang province of Korea. But it wasn’t a commonplace technique that was used in other provinces. Perfecting the technique was also a challenge.
But this crab soup was different. The fat that seeped out of the meat dough didn’t interfere with the taste of the soup but elevated the taste. Also, the soup base wasn’t just made out of pepper, miso, and crab leg. There was a deep taste that couldn’t be described.
The reason why the other 10-point dishes weren’t as impressive as the crab soup wasn’t because of the taste. As time went on, the flaw of this table became more apparent.
“… the tastes are getting all mixed.”
Kaya murmured silently. It wasn’t the problem with the dish. They have eaten plenty of high-quality dishes in this meal. However, food like ribs and crab soup left a strong aftertaste. Without caring for harmony or balance, they ate other dishes with some of that aftertaste in their mouth. Therefore, they couldn’t truly taste the other 10-point dishes.
This was only true for Jo Minjoon and Kaya since others were all enjoying their meal without any complaint. They didn’t mind the overpowering taste of some dishes mixing with the others. Seeing this, Jo Minjoon had a better understanding of Hong Mangil’s thoughts.
“Average people don’t truly understand the mixing and overpowering of taste. It’s not bad… to allow them to just be happy and enjoy themselves.”
“A table that can be delicious for everyone and not just for some people. Wouldn’t that be great?”
“Rather than allowing everyone to enjoy, I think he wants some to enjoy more than others. Cooking style and taste change depending on the region of the country that they are in.”
“Don’t be like that.”
Although she tried to hide it, she couldn’t really hide the regret that she felt for the dishes on the table. Feeling stuffy, Jo Minjoon left the room. If he was feeling stuffy by just enjoying these dishes, how much more difficult would it be to talk about changing these dishes as a chef.
“Where are you going?”
“Getting some fresh air. I feel stuffy.”
“Wait for me. I feel stuffy as well.”
Kaya also got up. When they got out of the hallway into the garden, Jo Minjoon saw a man with a traditional cooking cloth. But it was not Hong Mangil. The man was surprised to see Jo Minjoon.
“Oh, chef Jo Minjoon… and are you chef Kaya?”
He looked at Kaya and said in English. He looked around five years older than Jo Minjoon. Then Jo Minjoon asked.
“Hello. Are you the chef here?”
“I don’t know if I should consider myself a chef… I am just my master’s disciple. My name is Lee Jungsoo.”
It was obvious who the master was. He quickly got rid of the smoke and tried to smile as he faced the wind.
“I am sorry. Does it still smell?”
“Yes, a bit.”
“I usually don’t smoke, but recently I picked it up again to clear my head.”
Kaya asked Jo Minjoon.
“What did he say?”
“He is smoking to clear his head.”
“That’s what all drug addicts say.”
Kaya murmured back and looked at Lee Jungsoo. She was worried that he might understand what she said because he spoke some English before. And her instincts weren’t wrong. He said in English.
“I never tried weed before. But I know it could mess with your taste.”
“…How are you so good in English?”
“I worked at a French restaurant in Florida for about 5 years. I wasn’t very good at first, but as time went on it improved. French, English, cooking, even this.”
Lee Jungsoo smiled and lifted the smoke. He wanted to ask why someone who worked in Florida suddenly changed to Korean cuisine, but Kaya was quicker.
“Smoking is not better than weed. You can lose your taste bud all the same.”
“Thank you for worrying about me. I know. I should quit smoking. Who doesn’t know how bad smoking is? How was your meal?”
“It was good, but I was annoyed.”
“That is understandable.”
Lee Jungsoo nodded at Kaya’s complaints since he was also a chef. He understood what was wrong with Hong Mangil’s table. Then he looked at Jo Minjoon and said.
“I heard that you agreed to help the master. Thank you.”
“Rather than helping… All I can do is give him my advice. Since I am lacking in both the skill and time”
“I don’t know about time, but there are not many people in this country, no, this world who are qualified to say that you are lacking in skill.”
“But your master is someone who is qualified to say such a thing.”
Jo Minjoon looked at Lee Jungsoo as he spoke. Cooking level of 8. He wasn’t an ordinary person. Someone with a cooking level of 8 could start their own restaurant. But he must have his own reasons.
‘… it’s not my business to know.’
As they were about to leave, Lee Jungsoo spoke.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
“A favor?”
“It’s not a hard favor but a simple one.”
As Jo Minjoon raised his brows, Lee Jungsoo said in an angered tone.
“Please extinguish my master’s dream.”
*******
“I want to perfect the Korean cuisine.”
Hong Mangil said to Jo Minjoon in a private room after the meal was over. Jo Minjoon listened without replying. Sometimes just listening was the best. This allowed Hong Mangil to talk freely without restraint.
“There are many people who talk about globalization and modernizing Korean cuisine. But to globalize we need to understand what we are trying to do. Even I have a hard time truly grasping the meaning of Korean cuisine. That’s to be expected due to the Japanese colonization and the Korean War. Many of the records were lost.”
“It is truly difficult to put an age to Korean cuisine. Since many of the dishes that we think of were recorded after the Korean War.”
“It is my dream to reorganize all of that.”
“…May I ask one thing?”
“I think I know what you are going to ask me, I might even know why.”
“Your dishes were perfect individually. However, putting it together… It felt disappointing. I finally understand why you made them like that… but do you really have to walk that path?”
If Jo Minjoon was Hong Mangil, he wouldn’t be satisfied with himself. Although he might feel some gratification seeing the smiling faces of the customers. However, seeing the mountain of wasted food didn’t sit well with him. Hong Mangil said in an embarrassed tone.
“I was greedy.”
“Greedy?”
“Greedy to show one more of my dishes. I had a desire to make a table that no other chefs in Korea could reach. My desire was to receive compliments that my table was better than any other chef in Korea. Soon this desire became greed and I was chasing after my greed rather than cooking. And the table that you ate was the result of that greed.”
Hong Mangil was rather truthful in front of Jo Minjoon. He continued with a smile.
“I could have given you a normal table. But that would have been of no use. If I did that it would have been the same as me asking you to solve a problem without giving you the problem. Now it is your turn. Do you have anything to say?”
“Compared to you, I am still a newborn. I am shortsighted and lack depth. But I can say one thing with confidence.”
His words didn’t feel real since he was talking toe to toe with someone like Hong Mangil. It was something he couldn’t even think of in his past life. His every word weighed a ton.
But time was ticking, and he couldn’t remain silent. Jo Minjoon looked at Hong Mangil in the eye and the wrinkled old man with a deep dark eye stared back at him.
“You couldn’t let go of your greed.”
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 (5)> End.