Chapter 37

Chapter 37

What Is This Smell?!

“Okay, part 1 recording up to here! Everyone rest one hour and go!”

With the PD’s shout filming stopped for a moment.

Tired chefs also drank water and caught their breath, and people who had been lining up long found shade and scattered and the heat subsided for a moment.

Under the waiting tent prepared on one side.

MC Choi Ji-hoon and the two members of girl group Luminous were also solving a late lunch with the jajangmyeon the staff brought.

“Eum, certainly famous chefs so the taste is good.”

A-young nodded slurping the noodles.

But Ji-su who was scribbling chopsticks opposite slightly tilted her head.

“Delicious but··· something doesn’t seem that special. Just exactly the expected expensive jajangmyeon feeling?”

Then Ji-su tapped her own smartphone screen and continued speaking.

“Actually a text came from a sister I know earlier. Saying there’s one extremely famous Chinese restaurant right nearby here and sent one shorts video··· wow, seeing the video it’s really no joke. Honestly more curious about there than this jajangmyeon to the point of dying.”

At Ji-su’s words Choi Ji-hoon let out a hollow laugh and lightly pointed across the street with chopsticks.

“Chinese restaurant? Ah, you mean that closed restaurant across the street there? Hey hey, you’re really naive too. Don’t blindly believe the ones making a fuss delicious on the internet or YouTube. You’ve been to such places once or twice while broadcasting too? When you actually go and eat there are plenty of ordinary neighborhood restaurants.”

Choi Ji-hoon furrowed his brow and shook his head.

“Honestly speaking openly, the probability that such neighborhood old restaurant jajangmyeon is more delicious than this hotel head chefs’ jajangmyeon we’re eating now? Zero, zero. Don’t have useless illusions and eat quickly.”

At Choi Ji-hoon’s pinzan Ji-su pouted her lips.

“Aei, still there will be really different? It’s a place where that Myeondosa personally came and highly praised and left.”

“What? Myeondosa?”

Choi Ji-hoon who was chewing jajangmyeon paused.

Myeondosa.

It was a name he also knew very well.

A person famous for no compromise as far as noodle cooking, and pouring harsh criticism mercilessly even during broadcast if no taste.

Choi Ji-hoon himself also had a picky taste usually, and had secretly gone a few times to famous noodle houses or cold noodle houses that Myeondosa recommended in videos.

And every time he couldn’t help admiring.

Not just popularity sparkling on broadcast or SNS, but places where the taste itself was the best to the extent of sticking out the tongue.

Other things aside, if a place Myeondosa guarantees it’s worth trusting and eating unconditionally was Choi Ji-hoon’s thought.

Conversely the end of places he gave harsh criticism was miserable.

Even famous restaurants that became famous appearing on broadcast once, after Myeondosa visited and left harsh criticism, the customers’ steps cut instantly and fell to ordinary restaurants was famous.

Even the restaurant owner held a grudge over that and proceeded with a lawsuit for business obstruction, but Myeondosa didn’t even blink one eye.

To that extent he was a vicious person regarding taste.

“Really a place that Myeondosa acknowledged······?”

Choi Ji-hoon’s eyes shook subtly.

If to the extent Myeondosa acknowledges it wouldn’t be a level that ends with common online bluff.

Somehow a strange feeling that the ordinary sign across the street suddenly approached unusually.

Just then.

Two foreigners walked in through the quieted alley where people had left.

Antoine and his secretary Sophie.

Throughout heading to Jin Myeong Gak, Antoine’s face was full of an unconcealable smile.

Sophie walking beside looked at such Antoine’s appearance with a strange gaze.

Of course Sophie also agreed a hundred times that Jin Myeong Gak’s jajangmyeon was amazingly excellent.

But the appearance of a master standing at the peak of the world gourmet world being this happy going to a small neighborhood restaurant in Korea was only amazing every time she saw it.

“Chef, please calm down a bit.”

“Just thinking of Jin Myeong Gak’s cooking laughter comes out on its own, what can be done.”

“If Paris journalists saw chef’s such face they would probably faint?”

“I don’t mind that kind of thing.”

“······.”

Sophie shook her head.

But the two people’s steps who were walking pleasantly gradually slowed as they entered the alley entrance where Jin Myeong Gak was.

Something was strange.

The front of Jin Myeong Gak that should have been crowded with customers waiting for their turn if usual was emptily empty like a lie.

“Eh? Chef, strange. There’s not a single person lining up in front of Jin Myeong Gak.”

“...?”

It was as Sophie said.

Numerous crowds were flocking in the entire alley, but their gazes were toward across the street not Jin Myeong Gak.

The two people’s gazes also naturally headed toward the opposite empty lot where people were surrounding in layers.

A huge banner called ‘Emperor Palace’.

Numerous broadcasting station cameras and lights.

And even hotel chefs in neat clothes.

The moment they confirmed that scene, Antoine’s brow distorted fiercely.

“...”

In the eyes of the old master who experienced all kinds of hardships, there was no way not to see how this situation was rolling.

“···Vulgar.”

Deep displeasure and irritation brushed Antoine’s blue pupils.

The expectation that had swollen greatly cooled coldly instantly.

The two people’s steps who approached the empty front of Jin Myeong Gak with heavy steps stopped in front of the firmly closed glass door.

[Due to internal circumstances closed for three days from today.]

Sophie who confirmed the notice made a regrettable expression.

“······Closed from today. Didn’t expect this.”

“······Tsk.”

Antoine alternately looked at Jin Myeong Gak and the noisy set across the street and clicked his tongue short.

Just when he was about to turn his body with a face of unavoidable.

“Oh! Antoine chef!”

Seo Tae-jin who discovered Antoine approached with exaggerated gestures.

“Just seems before lunch meal, welcome! We’ll show the cooking of our Emperor Palace! Hey! Chef! Make one highest-grade jajangmyeon to give to Antoine chef here!”

When Seo Tae-jin shouted toward the set side, the head chef who was resting was startled and grabbed the pan again.

An opportunity to show his own cooking to the world’s best master.

The chef poured all his strength and fried one bowl of jajangmyeon with the most perfect skill and prepared it to the table.

“Okay, please try. It’s a work the head chef made.”

Seo Tae-jin acted high-handed and held out his hand.

The gazes of the PD and staff around, and onlookers all fixed on Antoine’s lips.

Antoine looked down at the jajangmyeon placed on the table without any expression change.

Noodles with gloss flowing and abundant ingredients.

Outwardly excellent.

Seuk.

Antoine lifted wooden chopsticks and stirred the jajangmyeon and put one chopsticks into his mouth.

Everyone held their breath and waited for his next reaction.

Umul, umul.

Antoine’s brow who slowly chewed and swallowed the noodles twitched very finely.

He silently lifted one more chopsticks and put it into his mouth.

Then after chewing about two more times...

Tak.

Antoine put down the chopsticks on the table without lingering.

“······?”

Seo Tae-jin, the chef, and the main PD looked at him with flustered eyes.

“Che, chef···? Doesn’t suit the taste?”

When the head chef carefully asked in a tense voice, Antoine turned his gaze toward Seo Tae-jin standing beside.

“Director Seo, did you taste this cooking?”

“Yes? Ah, that······.”

At Antoine’s slow question Seo Tae-jin paused.

Honestly speaking he hadn’t eaten this jajangmyeon yet.

There was also the reason he already finished the meal, but to begin with appetite didn’t move much.

“Will you taste?”

Antoine pointed at the empty chopsticks with his chin.

Seo Tae-jin pressed by his strangely overwhelming momentum picked up new chopsticks in a daze.

Then hesitantly picked one chopsticks of jajangmyeon and put it into his mouth.

Umul umul.

Chewing the noodles Seo Tae-jin was relieved inwardly.

‘What, isn’t this level sufficiently delicious?’

Just when Seo Tae-jin regained confidence at the flavor of chunjang spreading in the mouth and was about to open his mouth.

“How is it?”

Antoine asked again with a strange expression.

“Compared to Jin Myeong Gak’s cooking, what do you think?”

“······!”

Jin Myeong Gak.

At that moment, Seo Tae-jin’s expression stiffened hard.

In his mind ruminating the taste of jajang remaining on the tip of the tongue again, the memory of that taste eaten at Jin Myeong Gak a few days ago flashed like lightning.

Seo Tae-jin’s pupils shook.

‘That······.’

He couldn’t deceive his honest inner mind himself.

Certainly compared to that explosive taste of Jin Myeong Gak, this jajangmyeon in the mouth now was something far lacking.

No, even a feeling as if strangely empty.

Seo Tae-jin’s dejected expression that distorted without realizing.

Antoine who confirmed that expression clicked his tongue.

“Tsk.”

Antoine who stood up from his seat turned his body.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, chef.”

“Ah, no···! Antoine chef!!”

The flustered Seo Tae-jin called him flusteredly, but Antoine didn’t even reply and tried to move his steps.

Just then.

Riding the wind that blew from somewhere, a bizarre and explosive smell flew in.

“······!!”

Antoine’s steps stopped dead.

“Che, chef! This smell on earth······!”

Sophie opened both eyes round.

Antoine forgot even answering and flared his nose deeply inhaling.

His blue pupils shook greatly from shock.

Savory oil smell and salty burnt soy sauce smell, and strong fire aroma.

An overwhelming smell that strongly stimulates appetite.

“Oh my god...!”

A deep sigh burst from Antoine’s mouth without realizing.

Seo Tae-jin was also flustered by the smell the same.

“No, suddenly what smell is this···”

Seo Tae-jin muttered with a blank face, and swallowed saliva making a noisy sound regardless of his will.

Until just now he had no particular appetite.

But the moment he smelled he was flustered himself at the surging appetite.

And.

A-young who was looking at the phone under the tent opened her eyes round and stood up from her seat with a beolteok.

Ji-su also as if entranced sniffed toward the direction the smell flew.

“Jackpot! Senior, what is this smell?!”

“Wow··· crazy. Until just now ate jajangmyeon and was full but the stomach is growling!”

“Hey, the smell is really no joke. Covering all the jajangmyeon smell eaten just now in one shot?”

Even MC Choi Ji-hoon was surprised by the smell.

“Eh? What smell is that there?”

“What smell is this good?”

Other staff who were resting and onlookers also began murmuring pointing to one side as if entranced.

The source of the smell was the narrow empty lot corner of the huge set, hidden by broadcasting station trucks.

Antoine began walking with large strides toward the place the smell was coming from like a person entranced by something.

Sophie also followed behind with a surprised face.

Through the gap where people began gathering one by one Antoine’s gaze entered one old and small iron plate cooking cart.

And a huge build wearing a black hat and black mask guarding the front of the cart.

“Okay okay! First line up, line. It’ll be soon, please wait a bit! Aei, don’t cut in there!”

Even though the face was covered with hat and mask the huge physique and characteristic loud voice couldn’t be hidden.

“Chef, that person······.”

“Oh, that employee who guarded the hall of Jin Myeong Gak.”

“Then the person cooking that···!”

Antoine’s gaze headed toward the iron plate inside the cart.

Kaang! Chaeng!

With the cheerful metal sound of tapping the iron plate,

Chiiiiik!

Oil melted and rice grains bounced up over the extreme heat.

The smell of soy sauce pressing tightly and bursting on the heated iron plate.

Strong enough to paralyze reason.

“Wow, crazy! What on earth smell is this?!”

“I just ate jajangmyeon and was full, but want to eat again!”

“Let’s eat that!”

People who were circling around the flashy set watching began flocking around the cart.

A spectacular scene of everyone without exception lining up with soul-left faces unfolded.

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