God of Cooking Chapter 39:

There was a little change after word that Jo Minjoon had an absolute taste spread . And that was that the other participants brought the dishes they made to Jo Minjoon .

At first, it was quite good because he could eat various dishes, but as time passed by, it became more tiresome . The participants didn’t simply want him to taste it . He didn’t know where they had heard from, but they also knew that Jo Minjoon could score a dish . And the result was what was happening right now .

“What is the score… . . ?”

Chloe looked carefully at Jo Minjoon . The noodle was blended along a peanut, pork, green onions, etc . sauce .  Dandan noodles(탄탄면) .  It was a simple dish from China, just like it was for bibim guksu(비빔국수) in Korea . And because it was simple, and even the cooking method was simple, the score could only be low . 6 points . Jo Minjoon wondered how he had to reply to her and brought the noodles to his mouth .

The peanut oil that was fried along with chili, was covering the noodles like a sauce, and as soon as he ate a bite, his tongue got slightly numb . But the numbness felt good . After the spicy flavor, came the delicious flavor, and the thick noodles that were betweenudon(우동) and chinese noodles, lessened the oily flavor .

The salty flavor of the pork was also good . But the end result was 6 points . Jo Minjoon put the friendliest voice he could and opened his mouth .

“It’s delicious . I’m not even chinese so it’s rather awkward to say this, but I think that you expressed all of the flavor the dandan noodles could have . ”
“Really?”
“But the score is only 6 . ”

At Jo Minjoon’s words, Chloe became instantly depressed . It seemed like she was trying not to get that depressed, but it was also a score that was hard to get happy with . Jo Minjoon tapped her shoulder and said .

“I told you . That high scored dishes aren’t the only good ones . The score only shows the technique that was used in the dish . Although it could be an important standard on missions, usually, there’s no need to be bothered too badly about it . ”
“Hmm… . . Then that means that if this dish is presented in a mission, it would be difficult to pass, right?”
“…… . Probably, you won’t receive favorable comments . ”

Excluding the things he had observed until now, there were cases where 6 points dishes would be approved and passed by the judges . Probably, it would be a dish that contained something other than cooking technique, but not only because it was a 6 points dish meant that you were going to get eliminated . However this dandan noodles was different . The score was a score, but it didn’t seem to have the strength to pass on a mission .

He couldn’t console her through lies . Jo Minjoon remembered that Chloe didn’t survive for long, and he thought that it was because she focused more on flavor than in the cooking process . Perhaps, it would be something possible because of her pure love for cooking, but even so, she had to be more greedy to survive in these missions . Didn’t he almost get disqualified for his sloppily made korean meal? Jo Minjoon said in a serious tone .

“Chloe . I understand the philosophy you have for cooking . You care more about the flavor than the technique, right? I also understand that . However, that shouldn’t be the case for the missions . You saw the results I got in the previous vegetarian mission . Of course, aside from the technique, it wasn’t such a good dish… . . ”
“To make bibimbap that wasn’t even fried rice along with seaweed soup on the mission, it was indeed terrible . ”

Kaya, that was across them, said while laughing . Jo Minjoon glared at her, but she pouted at him as implying what did he want . Marco opened his mouth .

“Even so… . . I think that it was a nice try . ”
“What? That meal?”
“No . Challenging the mission with a relatively familiar meal . Of course, the results weren’t good… . . But chefs often want to make that warm meal . ”
“If you want to make something warm you can just fry it on the frying pan . ”

Kaya replied like that and grumbled . Jo Minjoon let out a sigh .

“Whatever, what I want to say is this . That it’s good to make a good dish for a mission, but basically, you have to show your skills and experience with your dish . Because in the end, the judges evaluate that . I don’t want to look at you disqualifying because you weren’t greedy enough .

He thought that those weren’t some special words, but at that moment, silence flowed in the table . Jo Minjoon looked dumbfoundedly at everyone . Chloe was putting on a deeply moved face, and Kaya was putting on a disgusted face . Although Marco had a normal expression, in the first place, his fat covered his face, so it was difficult to discern his expressions . Jo Minjoon said with his voice trembling .

“Why with that expression?”
“…… . Putting aside that you are saying that to a competitor . Aren’t those some romantic words?  This isn’t even a love program, but a cooking program . ”

Kaya frowned as if something wasn’t to her liking . Jo Minjoon replied hurriedly .

“Don’t turn it to a weird direction . It’s nothing like that . ”
“Enough . I’m leaving first . I’m getting the creeps . Who’s in charge of washing the dishes today?”
“You are . Don’t escape and just sit down . ”

At Jo Minjoon’s words, Kaya clicked her tongue and sat again on the chair . Jo Minjoon opened his mouth .

“Last time, when I was conversing with mister A…… . ”
“Who’s mister A?”
“You know . Anderson . I was in the middle of conversing with Anderson… . . ”
“You conversed with him? Weren’t you in bad terms?”
“No, but even if we were, we aren’t permitted from conversing . If I have to explain it, I was hungry that night, and wasn’t sleepy, so that night I went to the kitchen . ”
“Went?”
“… … …”

Jo Minjoon stopped talking . His knitted brows were expressing his emotions clearly . Kaya leaned her body towards the chair after laughing as if she understood . After feeling that he had overcome something difficult, Jo Minjoon continued talking .

“Anyways, I had the chance to converse with Anderson . And at that time, there was something we talked about . That good food is different to well made food . And that what we have to show to the judges is a well made dish . ”
“But even so, you made that korean meal?”

At Kaya’s words, he didn’t have particularly anything to refute her . When Jo Minjoon closed his mouth, Chloe tapped Jo Minjoon’s back and said in a severe tone .

“Kaya . Stop bullying him . ”
“……But I didn’t . ”

Kaya pouted out her lips and mumbled . Marco that was eating the crepe he made, only  opened his mouth then .

“Minjoon . It’s my turn . ”

Marco served the crepe in Jo Minjoon’s plate . And said with expectant eyes .

“Tell me the score of my dish!”

–

The days on Grand Chef’s house passed by quite quickly . When you spend everyday with people that enjoy cooking, those days were felt as camping .

And soon, the third episode had also ended . They were all related to the qualifying phase . From the next broadcast, the main phase should start broadcast . The participants waited everyday for the episode to be broadcasted . Those were leisure and comfortable times .

But Jo Minjoon couldn’t spend his time leisurely . And the reason he was making the call right now was because of that .

“Yes . I think I will go after a while . Travelling fees? I have plenty . Yes . Don’t worry . Yes . I will call you next time . ”

The day where the mission was going to be announced, at the kitchen . When the judges were waiting in the broadcasting place, a call from Lee Hyeseon came suddenly . It seems that she was worried for her son that was far away from her . The call ended, and Jo Minjoon let out a long sigh . It was about time he told her about Grand Chef, but his mouth didn’t easily open . Marco that was next to him, looked with amazed eyes .

“You talk korean really well . ”
“……In the first place, I am korean . ”
“Oh, right . I tend to forget because your english is really natural . ”
“Thank you . ”

Jo Minjoon replied while laughing . Chloe, that was next to him, asked as if she was worried .

“You still didn’t tell your parents?”
“It’s about time I should . But I think that they will be troubled if I did that . I think that they will be less troubled if I tell them after getting a good result……It’s complicated . ”
“Fine . What about this? You are going to tell them if you pass this mission . ”
“What if I don’t’?”
“Then, I will tell them! That Jo Minjoon loves cooking the most in this world, and he is the sexiest when he does so . That this road is Jo Minjoon’s road . That if you allow him to, he will surely become a good chef . How about it?”
“…… . I only heard the part of me being **** . ”
“Ugh, enough . ”

Chloe replied like that, and turned her head . It was at that moment when Jo Minjoon was laughing at her . The door opened and the judges came in . The participants and Jo Minjoon started to applaud . It wasn’t because they wanted to, but because it was an indication from the director .

After the judges passed by them, they looked at them with an expression you couldn’t know as usual . And among the judges, Joseph was holding a big box . Even at first glance, it seemed like a box used to draw lots . Was it related to the announcement of the mission? Everyone were tilting their heads when Emily opened her mouth .

“It’s been a while . Before announcing the mission, I want to congratulate you all . You have done well . You are the most outstanding 18 people from those thousand participants from all around the world . ”

At the end of those words, cheers were heard . Of course, half of those were because of the indications they had received, but Jo Minjoon, while cheering, could feel his chest getting hotter . The most outstanding 18 . It would be a lie if those words didn’t make him happy .

Alan took a step and opened his mouth .

“Saying that you are able to make these kinds of dishes means that you are that much of an outstanding chef . However, a chef isn’t completed just because he handles the knife and the pan well . The life of a chef is teamwork . There is a limit to what a chef can make . I believe that you felt that in the last team mission . ”

At that moment, every participant knew by intuition . No, it couldn’t be called as intuition . Right now, Alan was blatantly giving away the answer . That the mission that was soon going to start would be a ‘team mission’ . And their guesses weren’t wrong .

“This mission will be a team mission . You have to separate in two teams consisting of nine people . And just like a normal restaurant, you will need a head chef . ”

At that moment, everyone gulped . You could guess  just by looking at their faces . ‘Please, don’t let it be me’ . The head chef seat had more disadvantages than advantages . Because you had to be responsible of everything . It could only be a bothersome seat for amateurs like them .

Joseph smiled brightly and walked forward with the box in his hands .

“There are a total of eighteen **** in this box . There is red and blue balls, and the rest are all white . The people that picks a coloured ball will be the head chef . ”

‘ I just have to pick a white ball . ’

Jo Minjoon thought like that  and nodded . Alan elevated his tone .

“Come and pick your ball . You will feel more comfortable the earlier you pick your ball . ”

Maybe he was stimulated by those words, but a red haired youth ran towards the box . It was Jacob . He put his hands in the box with a nervous face . And pulled it out . Alan laughed .

“A head chef appears from the start . ”
“Ah…… . ”

Jacob looked dumbfoundedly at his hand . And on his hand was a red ball the size of his head . The other participants couldn’t help it but feel more relieved . Because, the probability of them becoming the head chef lessened by half . Jo Minjoon asked Kaya, that was next to him .

“What about you?”
“What?”
“Head chef . Do you want to become one?”
“…… . . You know my temperament . ”
“That you are fierce?”

Jo Minjoon asked jokingly . Kaya frowned and shut her mouth . Looking that she wasn’t replying meant that she also knew what her character was . Kaya looked at Jo Minjoon and asked .

“And you?”
“I wonder . Half and half? Honestly, when would you become head chef if not in this situation?”
“That’s……right . But I still don’t want to do it . I will certainly be bad mouthed . ”

He felt sorry looking at her being uneasy about being bad mouthed . It seems that the shock she got recently from the broadcast was big .

The line kept shortening . Were there at least 5 people that still didn’t pick? But even so, the blue ball didn’t appear . Kaya looked at Jo Minjoon anxiously .

“You go first . ”
“But I can go and pick a white ball . ”
“But……ah, I don’t know . I will go . ”

In the end, Kaya went up first . And after a while, there was a blue ball in Kaya’s hands . Kaya looked at Jo Minjoon resentfully .

“I told you to go first . ”

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