Between Stability and Transformation (part 1)
Actually, Jo Minjoon and Kaya were not really expecting any Michelin stars. Even though they did wish for it, at the same time they were a bit reluctant about receiving any. For no matter how they actually felt about it, it was a self-evident truth that the moment they receive a Michelin star, the reservations at their restaurant would explode through the roof.
An increase in sales, of course, would be welcome. If you consider the cost of rent for the location, they were really in need of sales rising if there was any possible way for them to rise.
They were not worried about losing regular customers. In fact, the people who really could be considered regulars already had Kaya and Jo Minjoon’s personal contact information. It was not an issue for them to set aside tables for their regular customers in advance.
They were simply worried. If an excess number of people began showing up, not only would the burden placed on them increase that much more, but it would also become more difficult to judge whether their cooking was actually doing well or not because they would not be able to judge based on the number of customers who come.
They could not place much value in believing only what those around them say. No matter how discerning a gourmand someone is, their opinion is ultimately a personal one. And so collecting the advice from multiple gourmands instead of just one or two would give them more conviction of the objectivity of the collective opinions and thus provide them more comfort.
Though Jo Minjoon and Kaya were not, the people around them were becoming nervous for their own reasons. Would their restaurant be granted a Michelin star or not? Would those picky Michelin judges really acknowledge their skills at Lotus Bridge without being condescending?
When the Michelin Guide was finally published, everyone groaned for their own reasons.
They were given two stars.
“Those two. Always crushing expectations,” Chloe said, chuckling.
She was visiting Anderson’s home as she always does and was holding Catherine in her lap and rubbing her cheeks. Chloe looked into Catherine’s clear and shining eyes and giggled.
“Catherine, when you see Minjoon and Kaya later, you know what you have to say?”
“Mansta!”
“That’s right! Monster! They’re monsters, so you should never play with them, understand?”
“Yesh.”
“Just what are you teaching my child, Chloe?” Anderson, who had been watching them, let out a sigh and shook his head.
These days, Chloe had been leaping at any chance to drop by their place. They were not necessarily put off by it. Chloe was not being a nuisance and mostly was there just to have breakfast or lunch with them. And then there were times when they would be busy, so Chloe would look after Catherine for them.
And that is probably why she has grown so attached to Catherine. It felt almost as if Chloe was coming to see Catherine and not Anderson and Janet when dropping by.
Janet muttered in a low voice, “What she’s teaching isn’t completely wrong, anyway. Considering the ages of those two, how old is Minjoon, again? 25? And Kaya is still only 21.”
“They are among the top few in the world.”
It is not like there had never been an instance where someone that young had become a head chef and gained a Michelin star. However, the labels people have been placing on them were not simply “best in the nation,” but rather, “best in the world.”
Anderson did not believe that Jo Minjoon and Kaya were being overrated. Both deserve the ratings they received. Although they had been rated two stars and not one was beyond his expectations. But even that is understandable.
“Kaya, that punk must be feeling pretty smug.”
That was the one thing he did not like. Anderson briefly tried to imagine Kaya’s face, but his face soon distorted as if his insides were churning. Janet chuckled at her husband.
Chloe did not notice any of it and said, “Kaya probably wouldn’t care about any of that. Except for malicious comments, she doesn’t really pay attention to what anyone else thinks.”
“But getting hung up on malicious comments basically means she cares about what other people think.”
“Hey, now. There aren’t exactly all that many people in the world who don’t care about malicious comments.”
“…Aren’t you going home?”
“Ah, Catherine! Your dad keeps telling auntie to leave. Should I go?”
“No!”
Catherine shook her head and stayed in Chloe’s arms. Chloe shot Anderson a self-satisfied look as if saying, “are you really still going to chase me away when I’m holding Chloe like this?”
Anderson shot a fierce look quickly back at Chloe and then looked at Catherine to say, “Catherine, come to daddy.”
Catherine looked back at Anderson in response, but she did not hold her arms out to him. She just giggled and buried her face next to Chloe’s. Anderson looked even more shocked than when he had heard Lotus Bridge had gained two stars.
That night, while lying in bed, Anderson suddenly felt he could not fall asleep. His heart was pounding.
‘Ah.’
He came to the realization that even though he is pretending he is not, he is actually really preoccupied with the current situation.
He could not help but be preoccupied with it given that it involved his closest friend out of anyone out there. Jo Minjoon had always been a demi chef and of all things to achieve, he had gone and received Michelin stars.
Even until Jo Minjoon had opened Lotus Bridge, Anderson harbored no thoughts that he could be falling behind. Honestly, anyone could become the head chef of a newly established restaurant. Even he could do it right now. However, Michelin stars are a different matter. Receiving global recognition was still very far off for him.
‘…If it had been me, how many stars could I have received?’
Even if he could not compare himself to them, he could at least harbor those thoughts. Anderson let himself imagine. He thought about the courses he always had in mind and how he would treat the gourmands.
He was unsure of the answer. That was inevitable because there were too many things that were difficult to predict based on imagination alone.
Anderson looked to his side. Maybe it was because she had been working hard all day but Janet was sleeping soundly. It looks like this incident had not left as deep an impression on her as it had on Anderson. He understood why. Janet and Jo Minjoon were not as close friends as he was, after all.
He thought of Catherine’s face, and then on top of that, he thought of Jo Minjoon’s face. Happiness could not quench this thirst he was feeling right now.
He wanted to see his friend. He hesitated for a long time and eventually sent a text message instead of calling. A reply came not too long after. Anderson carefully got out of bed and put some clothes on. It was a dark night outside with no moon visible.
His friend did not disregard his loneliness.
“You’ve aged in the meantime,” Jo Minjoon told Anderson the moment he saw him.
Anderson let out a hollow laugh.
“Hasn’t it only been a few weeks since we saw each other last?”
“That’s why I say you’ve aged. Is it because you’re a father now?”
“And what about you two?”
“Well. So far, not yet. But even if we were to be expecting one, I don’t think we could afford to right now. Are you able to handle it well?”
“If I was able to handle it well, I wouldn’t feel so old,” Anderson sighed.
Jo Minjoon laughed out loud at those words. Seeing Anderson, whom he thought would always remain young1 like himself now feeling the pains of being a father, was hilarious to him.
“Congratulations on your two stars.”
“When you say it like that, it feels like I’ve become a general in the military.”
“I’m jealous.”
Anderson opened up with his honest feelings there in front of the plaza in front of the Los Angeles County Museum. The two young adults slowly losing their youth stood in front of the streetlight-lined road, looking at each other.
“I feel rushed all of a sudden. Since you’ve got this far, I feel like I need to hurry and do something too.”
Jo Minjoon did not say a word. This was a bit unexpected. He had thought Anderson had managed to overcome these feelings to some extent. However, if he thinks about it, if the situation had been reversed, he would have felt suffocated by not doing anything while Anderson went off by himself to receive a Michelin star.
However, Jo Minjoon was not capable of fully understanding Anderson’s position since he could not stand in Anderson’s shoes. There was a time when Jo Minjoon had suffered quite a bit being the most junior chef, but that time period did not last that long. There had been no one else he knew who had grown faster than himself. Of course, there was Kaya, but the relationship between Kaya and himself had been different from that of what he had with Anderson.
“Do you know what I’ve been thinking today? I thought I needed to quit Glutu. And maybe start my own restaurant.”
“That’s not a good idea.”
“…Why do you say that?”
“When the moment comes for you to open a restaurant, you should be feeling ready for it. No, rather, being ready isn’t the problem. You should only open a restaurant when you really want to open one. You shouldn’t open one just because you’re feeling anxious. If you start on this path because someone pushed you into it and not because you started so on your own, then… in the end, you won’t be able to keep your momentum and fail.2“
Jo Minjoon was infuriatingly right, and that is why Anderson was unable to respond. Anderson suddenly plodded over to his car and took out a bottle of water from his trunk. He gulped it down and stared at Jo Minjoon.
“At first, I didn’t think you would motivate me this much.”
“I didn’t think that obnoxious white bastard would become my friend, either.”
“…Obnoxious?”
“You’re not the type to be all that agreeable. As a human being.”
“Uh huh,” Anderson looked at Jo Minjoon, flabbergasted.
“I thought you had come out today to comfort me.”
“If I comfort you, do you think you’d feel better?”
“Hit me.”
Anderson turned his head with a sad look on his face. Jo Minjoon looked at him and laughed. It was amusing how the father of a child could act so childish like this.
“What would you do in my shoes?” Anderson asked.
It was a question he had asked Jo Minjoon in the past many a time. Jo Minjoon could see the wounds on Anderson’s heart hidden in that question. He could see the weak side of Anderson that always compares himself to Jo Minjoon, even though he pretends he is not. And he could see the wounds from Anderson’s inner thoughts that he could not keep up with Jo Minjoon.
“If I were you, I’d just do what I want to do. Aren’t we the types of people to do just that?”
They were not ordinary chefs. They were chefs who had received recognition and attention from the world. Honestly, he was convinced that no matter what path Anderson were to take from here, Anderson would become a world-famous chef.
Anderson was in need of self-awareness of his own worth. Since he was always comparing himself to Jo Minjoon, he was unconsciously always undervaluing himself.
“However, if you want to know my opinion as myself and not as you… I believe you could open a restaurant.”
“Me?”
“You’re an excellent chef. In fact, when it comes to experience, no matter how much effort I put in, I am lagging far behind you. How about trying to leverage it for once?”
Jo Minjoon smiled.
“You’ve been cooped up for too long. Isn’t it about time you got up and stretched?”
A two-star restaurant!
LA Foodies who were hungry for new restaurants did not miss out on this news. Those who were interested in Lotus Bridge but were worried about wasting their money in case they were being fooled by its fame were impatient to snag a table there. Those who were unsure even when they arrived at Lotus Bridge now more confidently embraced the restaurant.
There were many stories circulating around. Ella’s presence was just one of them. How Jo Minjoon and Kaya were unable to disregard a long-time colleague’s situation even though by doing so it would make them work that much harder every day and took Ella in was another reason for people to like them.
It would not be a stretch to call Lotus Bridge the new craze that has taken LA by storm. Their cooking had a completely different charm from conventional cuisine. And more than anything, going to their restaurant felt much more like going traveling. Visiting the restaurant that is the topic of the hottest rumors felt very much like stepping into a fairy tale.
And that fervor showed no signs of dying out 1 year later.
That is right. One year had passed.
CREDITS:
Original author: 양치기자리
Translator: Comic Seoul
Proofreader: Potato