I Became a Hotelier at the Goryeo National Hotel - Chapter 22
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 22
“Th, that’s…”
As Seo Rin was about to speak, Dok Su shouted angrily.
“Don’t interfere any further! Not if you don’t want to be kicked out of Hyeeumwon!”
“Assistant Head Cook. The one who decides the fate of Hyeeumwon members is the General Manager, not you.”
When Lee Jeong Ah looked at him and spoke coldly, Dok Su hesitated.
No matter how connected Dok Su was to the influential Lee Ja Seong, he couldn’t act carelessly toward Lee Jeong Ah, who was the Deputy General Manager.
Quick-witted Seo Rin grasped from the atmosphere that Dok Su was positioned one level below Lee Jeong Ah and quickly continued speaking.
“Deputy General Manager, we absolutely must not serve pork to the guests from Dashi Kingdom.”
“Are you referring to the pork dish?”
Seo Rin nodded urgently.
“Why is that?”
“Because of the religion they believe in. Those who follow that religion are forbidden from consuming pork.”
“Wh, what kind of nonsense—”
Lee Jeong Ah raised her hand to stop the Assistant Head Cook’s words.
“There’s the lamb meat that the Head Cook was preparing until just now. That would be fine. Since it’s already been trimmed and prepared, we can save time too!”
Only then did Lee Jeong Ah sense that the situation was taking a strange turn.
“Assistant Head Cook, what is the reason for not using the lamb meat that the Head Cook had already prepared?”
“Th, that’s… because it’s different from the co, cooking I had in mind.”
It was complete nonsense. With time running short, it wasn’t a decent excuse to offer.
Lee Jeong Ah spoke in a subdued voice.
“…I won’t question the reasons right now. Continue cooking with the lamb meat.”
‘Damn it!’
Dok Su glared at Seo Rin with murderous eyes.
‘That girl! She’s been getting on my nerves since the exam!’
Dok Su had planned to have his niece Shin Yi enter as the top candidate, then gain the trust of Hyeeumwon members so she could carry out That Person’s instructions from within Hyeeumwon.
‘But because of that girl, the plan got twisted from the very first step.’
Dok Su couldn’t think that his niece had failed to take the top spot due to her own lack of skill.
‘If I mess up this task, I’ll fall out of That Person’s favor!’
When Dok Su didn’t respond, Lee Jeong Ah emphasized again.
“Didn’t you hear me say not to use the pork dish?”
“I, I’m the one in charge of the kitchen right now!”
“With the General Manager away, I am acting as General Manager.”
“Do as you please! You think the words of a mere institute member are more correct than mine, the Assistant Head Cook!”
Dok Su roughly pulled off his head covering and apron and threw them on the floor.
“Assistant Head Cook! What do you think you’re doing!”
“Let’s see how well you do without me!”
Despite Lee Jeong Ah’s calls, Dok Su left the kitchen without looking back.
‘With the Head Cook collapsed and me gone too, let’s see what they can do in the kitchen!’
Anyway, since she had created such a justification, she had faithfully carried out her mission to sabotage Hyeeumwon’s work!
Moreover, even if she acted so recklessly, she had strong backing, so she wouldn’t be kicked out of Hyeeumwon over something like this. No, even if she were kicked out, he was someone who could resolve her situation in an instant.
Meanwhile, silence descended upon the kitchen after Dok Su left.
Lee Jeong Ah’s expression became terrifying, as she hadn’t expected the Assistant Head Cook to irresponsibly abandon the kitchen and leave like this.
At that moment, Shin Yi didn’t miss the opportunity and could be heard whispering to the trainees.
“What does that girl even know to speak so recklessly?”
“Exactly! Is she crazy? How dare a mere trainee speak to the Assistant Head Cook like that—”
“Wasn’t causing a scene throughout the entire test enough for her?”
Seo Rin could also hear the trainees whispering.
However, this was the first hotel she had (though in a dream) finally passed and entered. She couldn’t just stand by and watch Hyeeumwon’s image get destroyed from the very beginning.
Meanwhile, Lee Jeong Ah felt overwhelmed.
“Hah! So he was such an irresponsible person! What am I supposed to do with these new trainees who haven’t received any training!”
Lee Jeong Ah held her head with one hand and let out a deep sigh.
“…Um.”
“?”
When she looked up, she saw Seo Rin timidly raising her hand.
“What is it?”
“…I’d like to give it a try.”
Lee Jeong Ah didn’t immediately understand what Seo Rin meant.
“…What did you say?”
“Will the Assistant Head Cook return to the kitchen?”
“…No. I don’t think so.”
Given how he had just stormed out, there was no way he would return to the kitchen.
“We’re short on time too, aren’t we?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I believe the dish the Head Cook was trying to make earlier was ‘shashlik.'”
“Sha… what?”
“It’s a seasoned skewer dish that people from Dashi Kingdom enjoy eating. It’s a dish where lamb meat is marinated for a long time until the seasoning penetrates completely, then grilled at low temperature. However, the Assistant Head Cook was trying to change the ingredients midway.”
“What do you mean?”
“We should use the lamb meat but change the type of dish. That way we can meet the time constraint.”
Lee Jeong Ah finally understood what Seo Rin was saying.
“Are you saying you’ll cook the food instead?”
“Yes. I know how to make Dashi Kingdom cuisine.”
Seo Rin had obtained qualification certificates in Western Cuisine, Chinese Cuisine, Korean Cuisine, and Japanese Cuisine, as well as a Pufferfish Preparation certificate, but still not satisfied, she had even worked part-time in the kitchen of a restaurant in Ansan that served Arab food.
The restaurant owner was a local person from Dubai, and Seo Rin was fortunate to have the opportunity to properly learn authentic local cuisine.
At Seo Rin’s words, Lee Jeong Ah quietly looked at her and soon shook her head.
“…That’s not possible. I can’t place such a big responsibility on you—”
“Then do you have any other solution right now?”
…There wasn’t one.
The Head Cook had collapsed and been carried away, and the Assistant Head Cook had abandoned the kitchen and left. On top of that, with the schedule moved up, there was no one in the kitchen capable of cooking.
Moreover, while Goryeo food might be one thing, Lee Jeong Ah had never even seen Dashi Kingdom food before.
‘Oh Seo Rin, was it? She achieved the highest score in this cooking exam. The taste was excellent too.’
The examiner who had eaten rice mixed with the Mushroom Vegetable Hot Pot that Seo Rin made was none other than Lee Jeong Ah.
‘Certainly, this person’s cooking skills are definitely not ordinary. But she can even make unfamiliar Dashi Kingdom food?’
Noticing Lee Jeong Ah’s concern, Seo Rin spoke up once more.
“Right now, there’s no other alternative, is there?”
The Assistant Head Cook looked at Seo Rin’s face.
Those eyes that showed unwavering confidence, not backing down even when told she couldn’t escape responsibility if things went wrong.
Moreover, she had correctly guessed the type of food the Head Cook was going to make just by looking at the ingredients. The name of a dish she had never heard of in her life.
In fact, right now there was no other option besides trusting Oh Seo Rin. Lee Jeong Ah made her decision.
“Alright. Then I’m… asking you.”
Seo Rin looked at Lee Jeong Ah and smiled reassuringly.
‘Good!’
As soon as the Assistant Head Cook gave permission, Seo Rin jumped up from her seat. Then she first asked Gap-i and Da Sim for help.
“You two need to help me out.”
“Hey, I’ll do it for now, but we won’t get in big trouble later, right?”
“There’s no other way right now. And we have to feed the guests who came from far away.”
Seo Rin asked Gap-i and Da Sim to bring back the lamb meat that the Head Cook had prepared earlier.
The two quickly retrieved the lamb meat that the Assistant Head Cook had put away earlier. Gap-i held up the metal skewer from before and asked.
“Should I skewer these? Five pieces each?”
“No. We don’t have time to make that now.”
Shashlik is a dish where meat is skewered, seasoned, and grilled over charcoal.
While grilling doesn’t take much time, the key to shashlik lies in letting the seasoning soak in well.
You need to make a marinade by mixing yogurt, lemon juice, paprika powder, salt, and pepper, apply it, and let it marinate sufficiently.
But there was no time for that now!
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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