Chapter 226 - Friend at Times, Enemy at Others 2
Anything in the world loses its value if it becomes too common. If there were diamonds just rolling around in the streets everywhere, who would consider it to be a precious commodity at all? Who knows? I don’t think anyone would.
In that sense, I want to praise Rose Island for what it is. It really is something rather special, even after it having tens of branch restaurants.
The reason for this would probably be because Rachel Rose put quite a bit of work in raising her students. Every head chef of each branch was personally raised by her, after all. She is not only a great cook, but also a great teacher. No one would be able to deny this.
“…I mean, it seems fine?”
“Keep reading. You’ll see.”
Javier shrugged, and Minjoon continued. He reached the problem section a few moments later.
The reason why I noted that ‘not all dishes are made by Rachel’ in the title is actually quite simple. Yesterday, during Christmas Eve, I visited Rose Island for dinner. The server there told me three of the dishes were created by the demi chefs.
To be quite honest, those dishes were perfect. If no one told me, I would’ve thought ‘As expected of Rachel Rose’ in my head.
I’m thankful the server stopped me from thinking such a foolish thing, but at the same time, I’m a bit regretful. My memories of that day would have been perfect if I didn’t know. I had to enjoy the demi chef’s food with doubt in my mind, and that wasn’t at all enjoyable to me. Some might tell me that’s because I’m just far too expectant on what the restaurant should be, but… Am I in the wrong for thinking that the food here would be made by the head chef herself?
Of course, I’m not at all thinking of turning this into a big matter. If I did, things would very quickly get out of hand. I just want to ask chef Rachel a question. If you really thought of the customers, couldn’t you have made all the dishes yourself? After all, what we want aren’t dishes by your disciples, it’s dishes by you.
“Hah, I don’t know what to say.”
Minjoon frowned. He wouldn’t have felt this annoyed if he was the one that was insulted. The blogger was attacking not him, but Rachel. Looking at him say that Rachel was almost irresponsible for doing this made him unbelievably mad.
Pixie Goulding: I’m surprised this Jasper dude even has credibility on the net at all. How can a person with cooking experience of all things even say something like this? Does he think all restaurants are run with the head chef making literally all of the dishes?
└ Abraham Dunkin: It’s not like it isn’t understandable, no? I don’t know about other restaurants, but if a person was coming to Rose Island in Venice… They’d be looking to taste Rachel Rose’s dish.
└ Pixie Goulding: @Abraham Dunkin, just because the customers want it, you get to completely ignore how restaurants are normally done? I think that’s b.s.
└ Abraham Dunkin: @Pixie Goulding It’s not like they’re trying to serve customers so that they’d be the one getting satisfaction. They’re serving customers for the customer’s satisfaction.
└ Daniel Hornes: @Abraham Dunkin A restaurant is a country. The head chef is king. The head chef’s job isn’t to go out into the battlefield, it’s to select good generals and help them get better. They’re not supposed to create all the strategies themselves.
Joseph Moodie: I think he’s just pissing on Rose Island for attention. This is going to get big for sure.
└ Oberyn Martell: I think so too. After all, not even the old Rose Island was like what he’s talking about. This is a little too much.
“The comments section is out there, too.”
“Thankfully, everyone seems to think it’s pretty ridiculous.”
“Of course it is. Rachel only puts out dishes that she thinks are perfect. Her helping us with our dishes is already… Ah, damn this gets me mad. Can I comment?”
“In your name?”
Minjoon didn’t respond, but his eyes made it pretty clear what he wanted to do. Minjoon wasn’t the type to hide behind a nickname. Javier sighed.
“Don’t. You’re just going to make things worse. You should just let it pass.”
“…Who knows, in my experience, stuff like this just keeps getting worse.”
“At least get permission from Rachel. You’re an employee, not the employer.”
Minjoon couldn’t say anything to that. Minjoon gave Javier back his phone before dropping down on his seat. As Javier sighed again to himself, someone else entered the room.
“The hell is up with that kid? That chair looks like it’s about to break with him sitting on it like that.”
“Ah, Janet. You’re… here?”
Javier made a face as he turned to say hello. Minjoon put on a frown as well when he glanced at Janet.
“Did you drink?”
“At dawn, a little.”
“I can smell you all the way over here.”
“It’s because I’m a lightweight. I just had a bit of beer. The smell’s gonna go in just an hour. Oh, Anderson, thanks for last night.”
Janet headed off to the dressing room after her greetings. Minjoon and Javier’s head snapped back to Anderson. Minjoon’s voice was trembling.
“Anderson, so that thing last night…”
“…Since when?”
“Shut it. It’s not like that.”
Anderson scowled. Minjoon still seemed surprise.
“So this is what you guys felt like when I denied my relationship with Kaya.”
“It isn’t. Her bartender just called me at night telling me she was drunk.
“Why you?”
“My name starts with an A, so I was the first one in her contacts.”
Fair enough. That didn’t make Minjoon any less suspicious though.
“Why didn’t you tell me who it was, though?”
“Because your reaction would be dead obvious? You guys done yet? We gotta prep.”
“Fine.”
Minjoon shrugged before heading back to his station. Thanks to the small talk, he was able to forget the blogger incident. Minjoon muttered to himself inside.
‘Food critics… I thought they were my friends.’
All the critics Minjoon had met so far were kind to him. There was no real reason for them to be against him, after all. Not this person, though. It wasn’t like the person was directing his fury at Minjoon in particular, but it was the first time Minjoon felt something like this.
‘…I can be a baggage to my teacher.’
€
“Chef Minjoon seems pretty mad.”
Antonio muttered to himself. Anderson looked back at Minjoon. The man resembled a soldier about to go to war. Anderson took out the bacon from the oven with an angry look.
“What the hell? This is overdone.”
“It is? I thought this was how you wanted it.”
“Who told you to make damn chips? Eating these with chips would just ruin everything. Make it again.”
“…What about these, then?”
“You eat it. I’m gonna kill you if you have any leftovers.”
Antonio put away the bacon with a sullen look. Anderson turned back with a sigh, then stepped back in surprise. Rachel was looking at him with a grin on her face.
“You’re a proper chef now, aren’t you?”
“…Are you trying to tell me to get a better temper?”
“No, no. You know I’m not like that. I’m being honest. Every good chef has a really bad temper.”
“I can’t relate. You have a surprisingly good temper, after all.”
“Haha, you’ve gotten better with compliments, I see. But by the way…”
Rachel glanced at Minjoon. She looked a little confused.
“Did something happen last night? He looks angry.”
“Something happened just now. Some critic dude insulted Rose Island is all. You know how bad he is with criticisms.”
Minjoon was the only chef even in Grand Chef who didn’t get that many bad comments about him. He did get attacked by a few racists, but those insults were always easy to ignore.
This one must’ve hurt, though. After all, no one made fun of his food before. An attack by the ones he thought of as friends must’ve hurt.
“That blog post… Can I see it?”
“…I think you’re better off not seeing it.”
“Haha, who do you think I am? I’ve been listening to complaints and criticisms for decades. I can take it.”
Anderson had no reason to hide it from her. He gave her the phone, and she started reading. After a few minutes of reading the post and the comments, Rachel let out a small laughter.
“What bullshit.”
“It really is.”
“He doesn’t understand the dynamics of a kitchen at all. No, is he ignoring it on purpose? I don’t know. I think he’s just trying to create trouble.”
“His motives aren’t that great for sure. Don’t mind him.”
“No worries. I’m not mad. I’m not weak enough to get hurt by things like this.”
Anderson sighed in relief inside. As expected of an experienced chef, she wasn’t fazed by this at all.
Right then, Anderson realized Rachel was typing something.
“Teacher…?”
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“What are you doing?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. I was just writing something. Here you go.”
Rachel gave him back his phone. Anderson’s jaw dropped.
“What did you… Just do?”
“I don’t get mad over stuff like this. I’ve met a lot of crazy lads over the years.”
“So why…”
Rachel smiled.
“I can’t bear watching my kid get hurt over this.”
Rachel’s eyes drifted over to Minjoon. Anderson didn’t have anything to say. Why did Rachel look so much like Kaya right now?
‘…Well, she did say she was like Kaya in the past.’
Anderson looked back at his phone. There was a new comment up on the site.
Rachel Rose: Looks like you think you’re good enough of a critic to judge how I run my kitchen. Why don’t you come here again, then? Try and see if you can tell my dishes from my disciples’.