Cho Min Joons hand reached for the system window, but he didnt touch it. The recipe was fusion. He would take the skin of mackerel, apply soy sauce, and caramelize it to be crispy. After applying wasabi on the inside, he would place it on top of apple peel and rice.

It was very different from an average sushi, but Cho Min Joon didnt hate the recipe. He thought about it for a long time about which nationality his cooking would be in, but it was too late. Compared to people who spent their entire lives learning one food, his understanding of any food was too low.

Cho Min Joons strength relied on the purees and sauces he made, and the method that he preferred was making the original flavors come alive from both the sauce and fish. And by using the method he just thought of, he could create harmony between fruit and fish.

Of course, it would be difficult to make the thickness of the parts perfect. The system would probably tell him the details, but it wasnt easy transferring that with his own hands.

Are you okay?

It was rare for staff to speak up, but they were worried. He mumbled while staring into space and then a smile replaced his grimace.

Perfect palate. They knew he had a legendary talent, but this was the first time he seemed too distant and unfamiliar. Cho Min Joon slowly turned his head. In response, the staff who asked the question flinched and sensed delight in his dark brown eyes.

Yes!

Cho Min Joon answered in a shaking voice and entered the restaurant. Rachel must have finished her conversation because she was getting up from her seat. Cho Min Joon opened his mouth in sadness.

Oh, are we leaving?

Yes. We need to try other foods.

Then one moment. Theres something I want to say to Yamamoto.

To me?

Yes. Is there something I can write with.

Yamamoto handed Cho Min Joon a piece of paper and pen with a puzzled face. Cho Min Joon wrote down the recipe that he just came up with. Rachel watched. Did he come up with a recipe in that short period of time? Rachel was in awe.

His palate is impressive, too But his mind sure works quickly.

No matter what field, a good mind was advantageous, even in cooking. A smart mind. The ability to calculate the staffs behavior, handling a great deal of orders, and coming up with new dishes All of it worked much better in a smart persons mind.

While Martin zoomed in on the recipe on the paper, Yamamoto slowly read the recipe and then stared at Cho Min Joon with widened eyes.

Isnt this a recipe?

I was inspired by your sushi. Rather than keeping it in my head, Id like you to try it out one day.

Apple, huh? I wont know until I make it, but I look forward to it.

I feel like its the best recipe Ive ever come up with.

The work you make today is bound to be better than what you made yesterday. Thank you for giving this to me.

Yamamoto smiled and slipped the recipe into his pocket. Rachel looked back at Cho Min Joon and asked,

Did you come up with a recipe in that short period of time?

Well I couldnt help it. Yamamotos sushi inspired me. That wouldve been hard to come up with on my own.

No need to sound so modest. Making such inspiration into yours wherever you go might be more valuable than what you can learn from a mentor.

Yes, Maam.

Cho Min Joon smiled. Just as they were about to leave, Yamamoto opened his mouth.

Have you decided where to go next?

No. Were thinking of walking around until we find out. Thats how we came here.

Theres a place Id like to recommend

Where?

Its a place thats hard to describe with words. You could say its a Japanese restaurant, but its too vast to just call it that Youll be able to experience many dishes there. Its a place that I like to keep to myself But the people there would love to meet you.

Yamamotos suggestion didnt sound all sweet to Cho Min Joons ears. The reason was simple. Many dishes. He was just excited over Yamamotos sushi. He was curious about the dishes of masters such as udon or ramen. If it was a place that made lots of different dishes he doubted their depth and experience. Cho Min Joon accepted Yamamotos road map and smiled.

Well go there if we can. Thank you for the recommendation. Also, thank you for the sushi. That was the most delicious food of my life.

Im still lacking. If you come back, Ill serve you better sushi.

After hearing Yamamotos modest answer, Cho Min Joon smiled and turned around. As soon as Martin left the restaurant with Cho Min Joon and Rachel, the youngest producerRobertasked, Did you get anything good?

Of course. Think about it. Who do you think is the hottest member of our program?

Im not sure. Min Joon is pretty popular, but isnt Rachel more famous?

See? Both members that you think are popular are here and think a little harder. It hasnt even been half a year since Min Joons been on TV, so the fact that hes being compared to Rachel means a lot.

Martin watched Cho Min Joon share a laugh with Rachel. Since he saw him all the time, he didnt think much of it, but considering his real worth he got shivers up his spine. Martin continued, Isnt it amazing? If hes like this in his first steps, imagine how much hell mean to the food industry later on.

Hell be a legend. Theres always that one legend.

Legends are only remembered, but I dont think itll end there for him.

Then where will it go?

Everyone will try to catch up to Min Joon. Theyll try to adopt his philosophy. Yeah! Hes

Martins lips trembled. It wasnt even about him, but just the thought of it made his heart flutter.

Hes like his own system.

***

Just like how nothing lasted forever, the inspiration that he received from Yamamotos sushi didnt last long. That was because a shocking dish was placed in front of Cho Min Joon that was good enough to make him forget about Yamamotos sushi. What was unfortunate was that it was shocking in a bad way.

Should I finish this?

Cho Min Joon glared at the plate in front of him. Cho Min Joon and Rachel were sitting down at a stall on the streets of Shibuya. There were no customers, but since the seating was limited, it didnt look weird. He also couldnt see any cooking scores, but Rachel suggested going there out of the romantic vibes of the stall And Cho Min Joon couldnt refuse. That was how they ended up in this situation.

Is it all right?

You know what I want to say. Im sorry. I shouldnt have suggested this.

Unlike Yamamoto, the owner of the stall couldnt speak English. So what was relieving was that they could at least express their disappointment. Cho Min Joon stared at the ramen without a word. The cooking score was 4. It wasnt so bad that it wasnt edible. The noodles werent so bad. It tasted like an industrial product, but it wasnt disgusting.

But as soon as he put the meat in his mouth, Cho Min Joon was no longer able to keep his poker face. It was smelly. The freshness was only 57% and since the quality was low, he didnt expect much But it was not worthy of his mouth after eating such delicious dishes.

What do we do now? I feel uncomfortable that they serve this to customers. The problem is

Cho Min Joon glanced over at the owner. She was an older lady who looked to be older than Rachel, and Cho Min Joon was weak in front of elders. Rachel spoke in a bitter voice, Whats the point in arguing when we cant even communicate? Also maybe some people actually long for this taste.

I thought all older people were good at cooking But that mustve been a stereotype.

Age only matters if they invested the time into improving.

The ramen at the food stall was more like something they made to make money than what they mastered through experience. Just as Cho Min Joon slurped some more noodles without the meat, the grandmother smiled at Cho Min Joon.

Is it good?

She spoke in Japanese, but Cho Min Joon could understand that much. Cho Min Joon answered in his short Japanese.

Yes, it is.

It wasnt good at all, but he answered naturally with a smile. And as a result of his smile, the grandmother gave him another ladle full of noodles.

It was hard to reject such kindness. As Cho Min Joon left the stall while holding his full belly, Rachel patted his back with a worried face.

You shouldnt have eaten so much. Why did you finish?

I couldnt help it. She was looking at me as if I was her grandson.

Youre too friendly.

Rachel smiled. Martin looked at Cho Min Joon and asked,

Youre not so full that you cant eat anymore, are you?

To be honest, Im really full. But Im sure Ill digest while I walk.

Hm How about we go to the place that was recommended earlier?

The place that Yamamoto recommended?

Yes. Im interested as a PD and just a regular man. Isnt it impressive that a place that makes a variety of food is good enough to be acknowledged by Yamamoto?

Come to think of it, its fascinating that Yamamoto recommended it. Places like that are usually just so-so.

When Yamamoto recommended it, he only focused on the part about them serving various dishes, but if Yamamoto recommended it, it was probably impressive. After all, his tasting level was 8.

Is it that special?

Cho Min Joon looked at Rachel. Rachel mustve read his mind because she nodded and said, Lets go. Its not like we have anywhere else to go. Besides, its close.

Its got to be better than the ramen.

Rachel laughed bitterly. She realized that he mustve been in more pain since he had a more sensitive palate.

Even while walking, Cho Min Joon kept an eye out to see if there were any good places. Since he could see scores only through the windows, he couldnt check all of them But even among the places he could see, he didnt see any worthy of going into.

Its hard to find a good restaurant.

Many places took pride in the fact that they had a long tradition, but compared to that, their scores were pathetic. Traditional food also tended to be food that didnt evolve over time.

It was meaningful to keep tradition in flavors, but that was only good in terms of culture. After all, modern food was bound to be more delicious than outdated food. Food and taste always evolved, so if tradition didnt follow along, it would be left behind.

On their way to the restaurant, they began to see more residential buildings than restaurants. He wondered if they were going the right way.

I think were here.

Cho Min Joon and Rachel stopped in front of what looked like a residential building. There were lanterns out front, and underneath was words written in Chinese characters. Rachel looked at Cho Min Joon and asked, Can you read that?

Oh, yes. Its the basics of food.

Basics of food?

The fundamentals of food? Thats what it says. Would you like to go inside?

Sure.

The two of them cautiously went inside. The restaurant wasnt big. It was a similar structure of Yamamotos sushi restaurant. There were a few tables, and there was a bar closer to the kitchen. As soon as he glanced into the kitchen, Cho Min Joon stopped in his tracks in shock. Rachel looked back at Cho Min Joon.

Whats wrong?

N-nothing.

Cho Min Joon was so shocked that his face turned pale. He was staring at the system window that popped up.

[Higashino Haruki]

Cooking Level: 9

Baking Level: 3

Tasting Level: 9

Decoration Level: 8