The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 20. Cooking Competition (5)
Clang.
When I came to my senses, the bowl was empty.
Not a single grain of rice remained!
‘Gone?’
I stared endlessly at the emptied bowl.
But the rice bowl wasn’t coming back.
‘Me, a light eater? Hardly.’
I was no ascetic when it came to food.
I’d only eaten sparingly because nothing tasted good enough—until now!
Yet merely thinking about it made my mouth water all over again.
I wanted more. More. More.
Gulp.
As I swallowed, hesitation seemed pointless.
The decision came swiftly and easily.
‘I’ll… have another bowl…!’
My resolve was set. One more bowl it would be.
But while my decision was quick, my body moved slowly.
“Gasp!!”
When had a line formed?
A long queue had already stretched out in front of the Rice Bowl Restaurant.
‘What do I do?’
Could I even eat if I went now?
Still, it was just a rice bowl—it should come out quickly.
First, I’d need to stand up to join the line…
“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
Before I could even rise, I was hurried along.
“Are you finished? Would you mind if we sat here? We’re in a rush to eat quickly.”
“In a rush? Oh, you’re getting the rice bowl?”
“Yeah. It’s really delicious.”
“You’ve already had it?”
“I ate it fast! Hehe.”
Ah. I’d just realized I had competition.
“C-congratulations.”
“Huh? Hehehehe. Yes. Right. This is something to celebrate. I heard they’re almost sold out… Wait…!?”
The moment those words reached my ears—
Cho Yong-tae’s body was already moving.
Toward the Rice Bowl Restaurant.
* * *
‘What a commotion.’
The Youth Mall was buzzing with energy. From all around, I heard people exclaiming how delicious everything was.
Where was the epicenter of all this?
Jang On-gyu wouldn’t miss it.
Though he appeared calm on the surface, his true nature was to scrutinize his surroundings more diligently than anyone else. He possessed what one might call exceptional observational skills.
‘Is it that place?’
He’d recognized it before too.
That was a place where they actually knew how to cook properly.
Their skill at balancing those subtle flavors couldn’t be hidden anywhere.
As expected. They’d made a real impact.
‘I knew they could pull off something like this.’
They’d truly struck gold.
How could I possibly overlook this?
I probably should head over there.
But if I ignore the order and go, won’t that damage my image?
As I pondered this deeply,
someone appeared who could scratch my itch.
“Chairman Jang, over there….”
“Chairman? I’ve told you, Owner suits me better.”
“Ah, yes yes. So over there….”
This PD. He’d been fidgeting about that Rice Bowl Restaurant since earlier.
He sidled up next to me and kept pointing at the Rice Bowl Restaurant.
As if urging me to go there right away.
It seemed he wanted to capture a shot.
‘This is why I like this PD.’
I thought he was busy filming. When did he even notice that place?
His instincts are truly remarkable.
“You’re suggesting we go straight over there, right?”
“Yes, yes! There is an order, but… you see? At this rate, they’ll all be eliminated.”
“We need to capture footage regardless, so we can’t have that.”
Since the PD had set the stage, I just needed to follow his lead.
“Yes! Exactly! Hurry…! Oh, am I rushing too much?”
“Not at all. No. In situations like this, we need to move quickly. You go first. I’ll follow.”
I had no choice but to abandon the order and move.
Since the PD—that creature of broadcasting—had called me, it wasn’t my fault either.
-Sigh… you should visit here too.
-Ah….
Regretful sighs could be heard from here and there.
Looking at it again, it did seem like I was moving out of necessity.
But at this point, one had to understand it was all for the sake of broadcasting.
“Thank you for your consideration, Jang Owner! Come on, everyone move! Let’s head over there!”
The PD took the lead.
Watching the PD, Jang On-gyu thought to himself.
‘…Why didn’t he call me Chairman?’
It felt like the PD had forgotten something.
Jang On-gyu’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
‘People are really two-faced after all.’
Only Jang Han-su, standing closest to him, noticed his expression.
* * *
“Huh? Seon-woo….”
“Hey, it’s Jang On-gyu. We’re filming.”
“Ah… I can’t help it.”
“Right. Let’s wait just a bit longer.”
Seon-woo pushed through the line, but no one said anything.
It was difficult to reproach him when he was serving as a judge for this competition.
Jang On-gyu smiled faintly and moved to the very front of the line.
‘Quite satisfying.’
This position had its perks.
People took care of everything without me having to lift a finger—couldn’t ask for more convenience.
“Welcome!”
“Welcome!”
As Jang On-gyu stepped forward, Kim Seon-woo and two other part-timers greeted him brightly.
Their voices rang out clearly.
Anyone running a business should have a voice like that.
A single greeting made you feel valued.
Jang On-gyu ordered immediately.
“One rice bowl, actually three bowls including the MCs. Please.”
“Three bowls?”
“Yes.”
The problem came next.
“I’m sorry, but would two bowls be possible instead?”
“Pardon?”
Three bowls weren’t possible, apparently.
‘The portions seem fine though?’
Even from a glance, the portions looked adequate.
Three bowls could be served with plenty left over.
So why.
Kim Seon-woo apologized while looking troubled.
“If I account for the people waiting in line, two bowls is really the limit. You’ve waited this long, and while I can’t give you everything, even this much….”
“…I see.”
“I’d appreciate it.”
This is the first time I’ve encountered a situation like this.
But it does make sense.
If the purpose of this competition is to serve even one more customer.
‘He’s taking good care of the customers? He’s got good business sense.’
That owner is looking after customers right until the end.
It’s clearly more advantageous to cater to customers who might return several times after the competition ends rather than those who come just once.
‘Smooth operator. He’s got the right attitude.’
Recognizing that he knew how to do business, Jang On-gyu nodded in approval.
“Yes. Then I’ll take two bowls, please.”
“Thank you for your consideration!”
“Not at all. We merchants should help each other out.”
“Haha. Thank you.”
Clack. Clack.
And so two bowls emerged.
Picking up the quickly prepared bowls, Jang On-gyu and Jang Han-su found their seats.
“Hey. What about me?”
“Come on, I’ll share mine with you. Okay?”
“Ugh. That’s stingy. It looked delicious!”
“Then should I share Jang Owner’s instead?”
“Hey. What does that make me then?”
“So let’s just eat mine. Mine?”
“Fine. Just this once!”
Beside me, Lee Sae-rom pouted about why she couldn’t get her own.
Everyone knew this was acting for the broadcast.
Even this would make for good footage.
‘The atmosphere is good.’
And so we settled in.
I snapped the wooden chopsticks in half that had been prepared beforehand.
-Hey, look. Jang On-gyu’s eating.
-Again? Didn’t he just eat earlier?
-This time it’s from that rice bowl restaurant.
-Wow. That place?
-Right! So what’s Jang On-gyu going to say this time?
In that brief moment, everyone looked at me with anticipation.
It was my job to meet those expectations.
‘How should I approach this.’
It’s definitely delicious.
Though it’s delicious, having tasted all manner of delicacies, it would be hard for me to express great admiration.
Still, I had to leave some commentary.
That’s my assignment.
With that thought, the moment I took a bite.
‘I don’t even need to judge or deliberate on this.’
…I had no choice but to acknowledge it.
This is the best.
There was nothing else to say about it.
* * *
“Well, how did you find it?”
What remained was the evaluation. I had to do my job.
Now, I needed to express this in an impressive way.
‘There’s nothing I can’t do.’
Evaluating a dish like this wasn’t difficult.
“I’d call this a harmony of four colors.”
“Four colors?”
“Yes. Bulgogi and jeyuk. As the base, egg strips are laid down, and on top of that, cube steak as well. The harmony is excellent.”
I deliberately left a gap here.
Jang Han-su caught it immediately.
“Then isn’t that three colors?”
“There’s one more.”
“One more?”
“Yes. Rice.”
“Ah!”
Clap—
Jang On-gyu clapped his hands together. The timing was perfect.
This is why I keep him by my side.
“That’s right! Four colors! The rice had color too and didn’t get left out!”
“Yes. It wasn’t just plain steamed rice. It was rice infused with flavor. Just as sushi is half rice.”
“Wow, you’re even comparing it to sushi. That’s not something you hear every day!”
I raised the tempo and amplified the audience’s response.
And then came the twist.
“But… isn’t this competition-style cooking?”
I hit the mark right away.
Competition-style.
It was a term Jang On-gyu, a business genius, often mentioned.
For competition. Or for show.
Cooking that didn’t match the cost per unit and only considered taste.
The question was whether that fit right now.
This wasn’t an ignorant question.
Jang On-gyu’s answer was already predetermined.
“Not at all.”
“Is that so? You do prioritize unit cost, don’t you?”
Right. That’s exactly it. The PD nods with satisfaction.
Then I should play along.
“If you look closely, it’s all pork.”
“That’s right?”
“And when you look at it, it’s trimmed well and looks quite convincing… but look carefully at the cut.”
“The cut?”
A true professional, this one.
I can see it in his eyes that he knows, but he plays along as if he doesn’t, feeding me the perfect cue.
This is the kind of footage that makes for good television.
“It’s hind leg.”
“Hind leg!”
“Yes. You know, right? When you use hind leg, the unit cost drops significantly.”
“Ah… right. It’s common knowledge that hind leg is cheaper than front leg.”
“But look carefully.”
“What should I be looking at?”
“There’s cube steak here. What was cube steak originally?”
Now, I need to have Jang Han-su explain this too.
“Originally, it’s a cut that’s less expensive even in beef, sliced thinly to preserve texture and flavor, right?”
“It’s the same here. With marinated pork and bulgogi, when you want to give it good texture, you end up with a lot of waste, don’t you?”
“Ah, so then!”
“That’s what I used. The scraps that come from trimming. I just coated them and made them into cube steak.”
“Ohhh…!”
“That’s quite clever.”
“Wow. Clever! That’s a comment I haven’t heard in ages!”
Clever. It was the highest praise Jang On-gyu could give.
And when I add one more solid blow to that,
“That means it’s the best.”
“Wow. Clever and best! The legendary combination has appeared!”
“Haha.”
“Ugh. Only I didn’t get to eat! Only me!”
“Now, Saerom, please bear with us. Aren’t you curious about how this competition will turn out?”
“Hmph. It already feels like you’ve spoiled everything.”
“Hehe. But we should still watch until the end, shouldn’t we?”
“Jang Owner, who says we must watch, and Saerom with her sharp tongue! Excellent! Let’s see the results!!”
The finale of the show was completed in an instant.
-Cut!
At that moment, the PD called cut as if he’d been waiting for it.
Ding-ding- Ding-ding-
As if on cue, the bell rang.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the competition.
And the results came quickly.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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