I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 202



Only Krnovel

202 Spring Feast (Cena di Primavera)

“I always think about this when I come to a restaurant like this. The ham, butter, and bread that come with the meal alone probably cost tens of dollars.”

Melissa sticks out her tongue at the sight of the sumptuous appetizers.

“This Ficelle (a French bread similar to a baguette but smaller in size) is made by a top-notch pastry chef with probably the best ingredients available. It’s not something you see often outside.

The ham looks good quality too. America has made a lot of progress, but it can’t keep up with Europe when it comes to salted ham.

“It’s not a technology problem. It’s because America is too obsessed with mass production and maximum profits.”

Richard nonchalantly puts ham on a piece of bread and spreads butter on it.

“It’s an excellent culatello (a ham made by curing pork by stuffing the leg meat into the bladder).”

“I definitely feel excited. This is my second time, and the first time was very early on, so it was very different from now.”

“It’s hard to use premium ingredients right from the start. If we do that, we’ll go out of business before we even make a name for ourselves.

Segreto made a name for himself relatively early on. But the risks must have been considerable.”

“It’s an amuse-bouche.”

While we’re talking, the server quietly approaches and places the plates on the table.

On the plate was a sea urchin cut in half, its spines exposed. The purple contents visible inside were intriguing.

“An appetizer with radicchio (a cultivar of chicory, a vegetable shaped like red cabbage), sea urchin, and foie gras. Maine produces the best sea urchins in the United States. I used the product that arrived early this morning.

“Foie gras is sliced, baked, and then ground in a mortar with nutmeg, sage, and truffle powder. Since sea urchin and foie gras are high in fat, we balanced it with radicchio. Enjoy.”

The server steps back after giving a lengthy explanation.

“Is this preemptive strike?”

Melissa picks up her spoon, drooling.

“It’s a very interesting combination. It’s the first time I’ve seen sea urchin and foie gras matched. Both ingredients have very strong personalities.”

Melissa was already putting food in her mouth before Richard finished speaking.

“Oh my god!”

Melissa looks happy.

It was a dish with a huge impact. The moment you take your first bite, waves of complex and rich flavors wash over you.

The velvety, silky texture of the sea urchin and the elegant, subtle scent of the sea mix with the rich, thick foie gras. And the bitter taste of radicchio suddenly pops out to assert its presence.

It beautifully concluded this complex journey of flavors, like a curtain quietly falling after a magnificent opera.

“Hahaha. The balance between the two ingredients was really exquisite with the radicchio.

Neither ingredient has much texture, but the radicchio marinated in white wine is crunchy and fun to chew.

By the way, this is an appetizer so rich that I can’t even describe it. They did a great job of capturing the best of both sea urchin and foie gras.”

Richard closes his eyes in admiration and tastes it again.

“Why is this so good? It’s so freaking delicious.”

Click.

Melissa looks shocked and blankly stares, then quickly takes out her iPhone, takes a picture, and records the taste in her notebook.

“I think I know why.”

“What is it?”

“It’s the satisfaction that money brings. You could call it the taste of pleasure, the taste of luxury.”

Richard says with a smirk.

“Ah… I think I know. Foie gras, truffle powder, and sea urchin. How much did I just eat for an appetizer?”

Melissa’s pupils waver.

“Fine dining is basically a place to come and indulge.

No matter how nicely they try to package it, it is essentially aristocratic cuisine, and customers who dine at such places want the satisfaction of exercising their social status and privilege.

This dish is a starter that will 100% satisfy such guests. It is made with the highest quality ingredients and is cooked with great skill and sensibility.”

“So you don’t like it?”

“No way. I’m a materialistic person too.

If I were a poor office worker, I wouldn’t have even dreamed of a place like this. I was just taken aback by Chef Shin Je-hee’s blatant way of bringing out our hidden desires and feeding them to us.”

Richard chuckles in disbelief.

Before I knew it, the sea urchin was empty. The server cleared away the empty plates that had been scraped clean.

After rinsing my mouth with wine, the next dish came out.

“An appetizer made with eggs, potatoes, and onions. It’s a dish that represents winter before spring comes.”

The server politely leaves the food behind without any explanation.

Richard stared blankly at the plate.

“I now understand why he served sea urchin and foie gras as his first course. It was so out of character for him.”

“What are you talking about?

Melissa blinks as if she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

“In fact, Chef Shin Je-hee wanted to feed this dish to her guests.

But if you go to an expensive fine dining restaurant and they serve you a dish with eggs, potatoes, and onions, you can’t help but feel dissatisfied.”

Richard laughs heartily.

“First of all, by feeding them expensive and delicious food in the first place, you prevent any possible complaints in advance. It’s persuasive.”

The dish on the plate reminded me of a foamy soup.

Ivory foam filled the sunken plate, with an egg yolk resting discreetly in the center.

Melissa lifts her spoon and breaks the yolk. Then, as she digs in, caramelized onions appear. She scoops them up in one go and puts them in her mouth.

“It tastes so good that I feel like crying.”

It was a foam made from potatoes.

The foam had a light, airy texture, but its rich, creamy flavor blended beautifully with the sweet flavor of caramelized onions.

There was no truffle or foie gras, but the presence of egg yolk among the simple ingredients was not inferior to them. The rich and deep flavor gradually spread throughout the mouth.

“When I eat this dish and close my eyes, Millet’s Angelus comes to mind.

Doesn’t the image of a poor couple offering a prayer of thanksgiving while placing a basket of potatoes in a field humble us?

“The taste of simple ingredients has been brought out with extreme skill. It’s winter before spring comes… Is there any other dish that suits it as well?”

Richard’s eyes become moist.

“I don’t think regular customers would know. They’d just say, ‘This is a delicious potato dish!’ and quickly empty their plates.”

“The chef won’t mind. He’s talking to someone he can understand.”

Discerning diners who can catch the chef’s hidden messages will enjoy the experience.

The next course was a plate of intricately plated lush young leaves.

“These are carrots that have been dry-aged for two weeks. When carrots lose moisture, their flavor becomes more concentrated. I will roast them for you.”

As Jenny brings the charcoal and begins to grill carrots on the grill, a fragrant aroma wafts around the table.

“After two weeks of aging, the carrots will be reduced to 1/4 of their weight. All the moisture will be gone, but the chewy texture and intense flavor will remain. Enjoy with butter sage sauce.”

Jenny carefully places the roasted carrots between the baby leaves and pours the sauce over them.

Two people take a fork and knife and cut the carrots and taste them with the sauce.

“You have a lot of respect for the ingredients. This dish brings out the best flavor of the carrots. It goes really well with the sauce.”

Richard smiles with satisfaction.

“It’s not the carrot flavor I was expecting. It’s quite chewy and has a strong flavor. When I eat it with young leaves covered in sauce, it feels like winter is finally over.”

She had never thought of roasting carrots, but it turned out to be a much more delicious dish than she had imagined.

“Good job. Now the main event will begin.”

As Richard had said, a gorgeous ceviche was served right away.

Thinly sliced ​​fresh sea bream is spread out like flower petals in a white bowl.

Around it, lavender-colored onions, light green avocados, and bright red grapefruits were beautifully plated like a flower bed in a spring garden. Green coriander and red turnips added a bright seasonal feel.

As the server pours the lily-colored sauce, an elegant ribbon forms around the edge of the plate.

“It’s a feast for the eyes. Chef Shin Je-hee really has a great sense of plating.”

Every chef has his or her own preferred plating style. Chef Shin Je-hee’s seems to draw heavily on modern art, which fits her taste perfectly.

“The taste is also very good. The lychee sauce is very unique. I think it has coconut milk and lime leaves in it.”

Melissa quickly picks up her fork and eats the sea bream and vegetables with the sauce.

A rich, rich sauce made from boiled fish bones pairs well with coconut milk.

The sweet and sour flavors of citrus fruits like lemon and lime are gently neutralized by coconut milk. The refreshing scent of coriander that follows is refreshing.

The soft yet chewy texture unique to sea bream goes well with these, adding a savory flavor.

“It may look like an ordinary dish at first glance, but there is always a surprise hidden when you eat it.

Every time I eat this kind of food, I realize that Chef Shin Je-hee has an absolute sense of taste. She always finds the balance exquisitely, like walking on thin ice.”

“He is a chef who makes you feel excited before you even eat the food.

I enjoy cooking while wondering what kind of device will be used this time. As you said, it might be a crime to let such talent go to waste.”

In her opinion, Richard’s column was a bit extreme, but as she ate the food, she began to understand why he wrote it.

“Ravioli made with three colors and ingredients. Enjoy with your eyes first, then taste them one by one.”

“wow!”

A small flower garden was created on the plate.

Transparent ravioli in red, green, and yellow are showing off their splendid appearance.

Beautiful, colorful ravioli in a subtle golden sauce, surrounded by purple lavender and pink cherry blossom petals, creating a feast of colors.

Click.

Without realizing it, I took out my phone and took a picture.

She was sure that every guest who came here would take a moment to appreciate this dish before eating it.

“Ah… This is really good. There’s lamb inside the red ravioli. The color must have come from beets.”

Richard closes his eyes and analyzes the dish.

It is a sauce made with chicken as a base.

The complex aroma of herbs and the luxurious flavor of saffron are intricately intertwined to create a synergistic effect. How does this chef always manage to match such unique ingredients so well?

The moment I think about it, something bites me.

“Yellow is beef. Ravioli is a menu item that you can find everywhere these days, but ravioli made by a real Italian chef is truly special. There is jelly in the sauce.”

Melissa can’t stop eating her spoon, her expression ecstatic.

“I made consommé and put it in as a jelly. I guess I thought chicken and saffron alone weren’t enough, so I made it so that the flavor would explode in your mouth over time.

“This dish is the best ravioli I have ever had.”

“What is green?”

“You’ll know once you try it.”

They both scooped up the ravioli with sauce and put them in their mouths at the same time.

Tangy shrimp and lobster meat are chewed, while the gelatinized fish broth spreads in the mouth, evoking a sense of exclamation.

“and!”

Melissa let out a gasp without realizing it.

“This is truly amazing. I can’t even come to my senses.”

Richard, who always tastes with a critical attitude, is disarmed.

He was enjoying today’s course as a pure gourmet who simply enjoys the taste.

“I guess this is what you call a genius? I also want to give a round of applause to the kitchen staff who made this so well.”

“No one with average skills can assist the head chef at Segreto. I also think that Sam, the sous chef, deserves much more praise.”

“I’m already 100% satisfied even before the main dish comes out. There’s more than I expected.”

“Italian cuisine places importance on satiety. There is a sentiment in that country that if you are not full after eating all the food, it is the chef’s fault. It is different from French cuisine.”

The sommelier changed the wine. And after a brief pause to catch our breath, today’s main dish appeared.

“This is a cod dish cooked at a low temperature.

“Scales are represented with thinly sliced ​​asparagus. Enjoy with a cracked egg yolk.”

The fish is served on a white plate, and its golden-brown scales on the surface show off an overwhelming presence.

The herb aroma wafted from the finely chopped green pesto, and the bright yellow yolk on one side made a beautiful contrast in color.

Richard picks up his fork and knife and cuts into the fish. As he plunges his knife into the crispy scales, the flesh cuts through without any resistance.

As the server said, I broke the egg yolk, mixed it with the pesto, and dipped the fish in it to taste.

As soon as it enters your mouth, the fish meat melts away. A festival of sensations opens on your tongue.

Cod, full of the flavor of asparagus, spreads with a rich savory taste, and the light and refreshing taste of pesto mixes with the heavy protein of the yolk to create an intense experience.

And yet, the crispy, chewy scales were incredibly satisfying.

“What should I do with these crazy details?

“The texture of the fish is alive and well, as you can see from how it was cooked. It is incredibly soft and has a concentrated savory flavor that goes well with pesto.”

Richard looks at Melissa, but her eyes are already half-open.

“I’m glad I joined the New York Times. I’ve never seen or heard of a fish dish this good. What kind of foul play did they use? It’s crispy and tender at the same time, rich and clean.”

It was Richard’s first time trying this dish. He tried to guess how it was made, but he couldn’t figure it out.

It was a perfect course that fit the theme of a spring banquet, including cheese and strawberry gelato for dessert.

Even after the course is over and I am drinking coffee, the aftertaste does not subside.

Richard calmed his pounding heart and waited for Chef Shin Je-hee to come out to say hello.