The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 90

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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 90. Performance
“Let’s begin!”
With Jang Han-su’s resounding cry, the studio erupted into frenzy in an instant.
The sound of knives slicing and sparks flying filled the studio from all directions.
I couldn’t afford to sit idle either.
‘I’ve already decided what to make.’
From the moment they first mentioned cooking for a hundred people.
I already knew exactly what I needed to do.
Haran, standing beside me, was of the same mind.
“Haran, start by mincing the meat for me. Very finely. You know how to do it, right?”
“Yes, Chef!”
Haran piled the meat high onto the cutting board.
Then she gripped two kitchen knives, one in each hand.
Tap-tap-tap-tap! Tap-tap!
At a speed barely visible to the eye, she diced the meat before us into countless pieces.
It was that otherworldly knife technique from my past life—the one I wielded when I handled a sword.
Her knife work, worthy of being called “sword cutting,” was captured on the live broadcast camera.
There was no way the audience wouldn’t react.
-Wow, is that knife speed real? Is she a machine?
-What the…?
-Insane. That’s divine knife work.
Right on cue, PD Ga sensibly displayed a caption on the screen.
[Kitchen Assistant]
Just four words.
The intent behind those words was unmistakable.
-A kitchen assistant at a restaurant?
-Her hand movements are crushing Michelin chefs?
-Why is a kitchen assistant’s footage this high quality?
-One brush of that knife and the meat turns to powder lol
The live chat exploded in astonishment at Haran’s overwhelming performance.
She had captured everyone’s attention in an instant.
I had to ride this momentum.
“Perfect, Haran. That’s more than enough. Pass it over here.”
On to the next step.
I took the finely minced meat and began mixing it with the special seasoning I had prepared.
‘This is a blind taste test. Visual spectacle means nothing. I have to win with texture and flavor alone.’
In moments, the mixture transformed into perfectly formed meatballs.
I shaped the meat mixture into round balls and dropped them into the simmering broth.
[Skill 【Ingredient Enhancement】 is activated.]
[Skill 【Aroma Enhancement】 is applied.]
The broth was a special loofah stock that had been simmered down during that time.
Inside the milky broth, meat meatballs danced as they cooked.
-Wow, what is that?
-The smell seems to be coming right through the screen.
-But the way it’s going now, I can already tell what’s being finished.
The sharp-eyed viewers immediately recognized what I was making.
-Isn’t that meatball soup? It looks kind of rough though.
-Will something like that work in a competition?
How are we supposed to compete with that?
Everyone was anxious.
-Look at that. Chef Ern Kim uses caviar.
-It was the same during the jamon rice soup. There was nothing flashy on the surface.
-But isn’t this a hundred-person competition?
-Back then, since they were professionals, maybe they deliberately didn’t worry about appearance?
-There’s gotta be some kind of kick to it.
The chat window oscillated between anticipation and concern.
“Hmm….”
Through the floating screen, Haran, who caught a glimpse of the chat window, also looked visibly anxious.
But I paid no attention.
I quietly watched the meatballs cook and prepared for the next step.
‘Rough? Not a chance. Right now is the most crucial moment—getting it into their mouths.’
Among the countless viewers, there was one person who guessed correctly.
It was the kick that would go into the dish!
I added one final piece to the simmering broth.
It was finely chopped scallions and basil.
* * *
While I was preparing my dish.
The judges, including Jang Han-su, moved swiftly as well.
“Now, our hundred distinguished citizen judges won’t be able to do anything until the dish is completed, and we can’t just have you waiting around, right?”
“That’s right!”
“In the meantime, we four judges will bring you live coverage from the cooking floor! Of course, the other judges besides these four won’t be able to hear the broadcast, so everyone else doesn’t need to worry!”
With Jang Han-su’s resounding cry, the studio erupted in flames.
Jang Han-su, Lee Sae-rom, Im Ha-yun, and Sonny descended onto the stage.
The first place they headed was Ern Kim’s cooking station.
‘Ern Kim always generates good buzz no matter what.’
He had underperformed in the last competition.
But the ability he possessed was genuine.
Sizzle—
Even now, a rich truffle aroma vibrated through the air.
“Wow, the smell is incredible the moment we get close! Chef! What are all these amazing ingredients?”
“Foie gras ravioli floating in truffle consommé. Even blind, fine dining’s elegance reveals itself through aroma and the touch of the tongue.”
Ern Kim’s hand movements were graceful.
Inside a massive pot, clear meat broth was coming to a boil.
He ceaselessly skimmed away impurities with a strainer, completing a transparent golden consommé without a single speck of dust.
Over it, ravioli filled with finely minced premium French foie gras dropped in with soft plops.
Scrape. Scrape.
He mercilessly grated black truffle into the dish.
The Sous Chef beside him moved in perfect rhythm, assisting him.
Sonny and Lee Sae-rom gasped with wide-open mouths, cheering.
“My goodness! Foie gras and truffle too! For 100 servings in bulk, how much are the ingredient costs?”
“We really shouldn’t calculate the unit price, should we?”
“Ha ha. It’s a competition, after all.”
“The broth is truly golden! The visuals are too beautiful to eat blindfolded!”
Ern Kim smiled leisurely toward the camera.
* * *
It wasn’t just Ern Kim.
The other chefs who had answered Jang On-gyu’s call were equally busy.
“What is this?”
“I’ve captured the sun of Italy.”
Marco Han, chef of an upscale Italian restaurant in Apgujeong.
On his pan, risotto infused with lobster broth was being sautéed.
Risotto. An excellent choice for bulk cooking.
The problem was the ingredients.
Whoosh!
Marco poured in a premium spice that emanated golden brilliance.
“Wow, what is that?”
“Saffron.”
“That… saffron?”
“Yes!”
He poured in the saffron.
Most people think of detergent when they hear saffron.
But saffron as a culinary ingredient was among the finest ingredients available.
Only the stigmas of saffron flowers were used, and even gathering by hand, one thread at a time, took half a day to collect just 100 grams.
With that saffron, 100 servings of risotto were dyed in dazzling golden light.
That wasn’t the end.
“I add one more thing here.”
“One more thing?”
“This.”
Over it, black diamonds—caviar—were generously scattered.
“Wow… look at that color.”
“Beautiful.”
Beside him, Chef Jeong Si-woo from the prestigious high-end Japanese restaurant in Cheongdam-dong was equally impressive.
“Chawanmushi steamed at extreme temperatures.”
Chawanmushi—in other words, savory egg custard.
The surface of the custard was smooth as pudding.
Atop it, premium sea urchin roe carrying the essence of the ocean and ornate edible gold leaf were scattered like snowflakes.
Glimmering. Glimmering.
‘Flawless presentation.’
Both chefs were intoxicated by the visual splendor their dishes radiated.
With each new dish that emerged, the atmosphere grew more fervent.
* * *
Dong! Dong!
The massive bell suspended from the ceiling that PD Ga had prepared to signal time.
It rang out.
Jang Han-su realized the moment had come.
“Alright, time is up! All chefs, please step away from your stations!”
Jang Han-su’s resonant cry.
With it, the fierce flames and clashing knife sounds that had filled the studio ceased all at once.
“Now, the completed hundred servings of dishes will be presented before our esteemed citizen judges!”
As if they had been waiting for this moment, dozens of staff members began moving in perfect synchronization.
The atmosphere instantly became bustling.
-Wow. Look at those dishes.
-Nothing to envy about a fine dining course.
-When are they going to eat all of those?
-Hmm… which one will win?
-They said only three advance, right?
-So twelve get eliminated from there?
-This is going to be fierce.
The chat was equally busy.
Though they couldn’t taste anything themselves.
Everyone shared the same curiosity about which dishes would advance.
“Coming through!”
“Move aside, please!”
“One dish here!”
The dishes loaded onto large carts were diligently carried toward the judges’ table arranged in an amphitheater configuration.
Clink. Tap.
Bowls were placed in order on the tables before the hundred blindfolded judges.
Vision completely blocked.
The judges, relying solely on the diverse aromas brushing past their noses, swallowed hard like famished beasts, their chins raised in anticipation.
“Wow, the aroma alone is incredible.”
“That’s truffle aroma. Such an elegant scent wafting through the air.”
“What’s been placed in front of me has an incredibly rich, savory meat fragrance. I’m going crazy—I can’t wait to taste it.”
Everyone fumbled through the air while wearing blindfolds.
Bang Owner and the VIP Old Lady’s nostrils flared ceaselessly.
The tension and anticipation throughout the studio swelled to its peak.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the VIP observation section tucked away in a blind spot of the cameras.
A man stood with his arms crossed, watching the entire process with the keen gaze of a hawk.
Jang On-gyu—the architect who had orchestrated this massive live broadcast survival competition.
‘Blocking vision doesn’t diminish the caliber of fine dining.’
Jang On-gyu mentally tallied the numbers while casting a sidelong glance at Ern Kim’s cooking station.
A dish lavished with millions of won worth of foie gras and truffle.
No matter how blindfolded the judges were when eating.
The moment it touched their tongues, that overwhelming aroma would undoubtedly dominate the judges’ palates with sophistication.
‘There’s no way some neighborhood restaurant hack’s minced meat and broth made with a scouring pad could compete. It’s impossible, yet….’
Even as he convinced himself of this.
Jang On-gyu unconsciously loosened his necktie slightly and swallowed dryly.

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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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