God-Given Business Genius - Chapter 173

Choi Mi-seon and Park Jun-beom stood side by side, holding notebooks and writing utensils. I stood in the kitchen, demonstrating the recipe I had prepared.

"The method of making army base stew itself isn't very different. You remember what I taught you last time, right?"

"Yes."

I swiftly chopped the ingredients. Ham, green onions, onions, mushrooms, kimchi, and so on were neatly arranged in the pot after being sliced. Placing the baked beans on top at the very end completes it.

I ladled the pre-made bone broth into the pot.

"You just need to boil this for a long time. Start with high heat, and when it starts bubbling, lower the heat. While this is boiling, we'll prepare another dish."

I took out ingredients from the refrigerator.

Onions, carrots, zucchini.

"If you want to add a sweeter taste, you can add sweet potatoes. But you need to slice them thinly and add just a little. Otherwise, it becomes too sweet, you see?"

Scribble, scribble.

Every time I finished speaking, the sound of pens rolling could be heard.

"Slice all these vegetables very~ thinly."

Chop, chop, chop, chop.

As I skillfully wielded the knife, the vegetables were instantly transformed into thin slices.

"It's delicious when it's thin. You need to slice them as thinly as possible."

"Yes."

"Then, mix flour and starch to make a batter. Use cold water and pour it in slowly. The key is to make it light, not too thick."

After making the batter, I placed the batter bowl on top of a bowl filled with ice.

Keeping the batter cold ensures crispier frying.

"Add a pinch of salt here for seasoning. And prepare the oil."

I generously poured oil into a deep pan.

"The best temperature is between 170 to 180 degrees Celsius. When you drop a bit of batter and it floats up, that's the perfect temperature."

I lightly picked up some batter with my fingertips and dropped it into the pan. It bubbled up and floated to the surface. The preparations were complete.

"And then we fry it like this."

I coated the sliced vegetables with batter and immediately fried them.

"Fry for just 1-2 minutes."

After a moment, I took them out, and they looked crispy. I made several more, placing them on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

"...It's vegetable tempura, isn't it?"

Park Jun-beom murmured softly.

That's correct. This is exactly the vegetable tempura you can taste at snack shops.

"That's right. We'll use this."

"But are vegetable tempuras usually this big?"

It's understandable to be puzzled. Usually, the vegetable tempura sold in snack shops is at most palm-sized, but this is as big as two palms.

It's truly a giant vegetable tempura.

But there's a reason for everything.

After stirring the army base stew simmering on low heat, I said to the two:

"Go sit in the dining area. I'll bring it to you shortly. You need to taste it, don't you?"

"Ah. Yes!"

The two hurried out.

The army base stew would taste better if boiled for longer, but unfortunately, we'll have to be satisfied with this for now.

I lifted the army base stew and headed outside. I placed it on the gas burner at the table where Choi Mi-seon and Park Jun-beom were sitting facing each other, and brought out the vegetable tempura separately.

"It's better to serve this tempura separately. Some people prefer crispy tempura."

"Ah, I see!"

"Instead, when you serve it, either explain verbally or put up a notice on the wall. Tell them that while they can eat the crispy tempura separately if they prefer, there's a recommended way to eat it."

This is where it gets important.

"As soon as it's served at the customer's table, place this tempura on top like this."

I placed the vegetable tempura on top of the army base stew, making sure it wasn't completely submerged. Half submerged in the broth, half above.

The key is to add the vegetable tempura just before eating. If you put it in too early, it will dissolve.

"Wow."

An involuntary "wow" escaped as I placed the tempura on top. It's understandable. This is why I made the tempura so large.

"The visual is unique and interesting, isn't it?"

"It is. With the vegetable tempura on top like a lid, it looks like a completely new dish."

"Not just the taste, but catching the eye at first glance is important too. In that sense, this vegetable tempura kills two birds with one stone."

A dish that makes you want to take a picture is a more important factor than you might think.

In our busy modern society, the food service industry has become increasingly competitive. To exert a unique influence among countless establishments, you need to create curiosity at first glance, making people think, "Oh?"

Otherwise, they'll just pass by without noticing.

"You usually boil the army base stew a bit more at the table, right? That's when the savory flavor from this tempura seeps out."

The savory taste of this tempura pairs fantastically well with the army base stew. It adds umami without compromising the original flavor.

"Meanwhile, the part submerged in the broth becomes slightly soggy and soft, while the top remains crispy."

I split the vegetable tempura in half and placed it on each of their side plates.

"Try it."

As soon as I finished speaking, they both carefully picked up their chopsticks.

"Wow...!"

Park Jun-beom exclaimed after taking a bite of the vegetable tempura.

"The two go surprisingly well together. I think I've only ever eaten vegetable tempura with tteokbokki before."

"Oh my, indeed. The crispy texture is still there, so it's fun to chew."

"And the natural sweetness from the fried vegetables is nice too."

"Isn't it?"

I was quite surprised when I first tasted it myself. I tried various types of tempura, but none matched as well as the vegetable tempura.

It's not too sweet, helping to create a balanced flavor, while also providing various textures.

It's truly killing two birds with one stone.

It surprises you once with its appetizing appearance, and then again with its taste. That's two surprises in one.

"It's delicious!"

"I thought I was sick of army base stew after selling it for so long. But this has a different flavor that keeps me reaching for more."

"It seems like a taste that people of all ages and genders would enjoy. Even if eaten separately as tempura, no one would dislike it if they think of it as a side dish."

Choi Mi-seon and Park Jun-beom kept expressing their admiration.

"How about it? Worth learning the recipe, isn't it?"

At my question, they both nodded enthusiastically.

"I taught you the recipe earlier, right? Now, try making it yourself."

"Pardon? Now?"

Choi Mi-seon looked startled, but I had no intention of letting her off. I smiled and said firmly:

"Yes. Now."

Learning a recipe and mastering it to implement it properly are completely different matters.

More people than you'd think interpret recipes in their own way. They often make mistakes in areas I never even considered.

So rather than just teaching the recipe and leaving, it's best to observe how they make it.

"Well then, shall we begin?"

I'm not sure how my grinning face looked, but Choi Mi-seon's complexion seemed to pale a bit.

"...Yes!"

And so began the Spartan-style training.

It was time to make them able to prepare this dish even in their sleep.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Crunch!

"Perfect."

I said as I split the tempura in half. Because it's such a large tempura, it's a more labor-intensive and troublesome cooking method than expected, but I was glad Choi Mi-seon was keeping up well.

"Finally... success..."

Choi Mi-seon's condition seemed a bit concerning, but that's not important, so let's move on.

"Now that you've learned the new menu item, I have a gift for you."

"A gift?"

"Yes."

I signaled to the staff, and one of them came out holding a frame.

Inside the frame was a 'Song Woo-yeon Certified Delicious Restaurant' mark along with my handwritten signature.

"Ah!"

Choi Mi-seon took off her gloves and received the frame.

"It's not much, but I thought having evidence of my visit might help with promotion."

"Oh my. Thank you."

"But since it means I've certified it as a delicious restaurant, if it's not tasty when I come back for inspection later, I'll take it back, okay?"

As I joked, Choi Mi-seon and Park Jun-beom chuckled softly. Did it sound like a joke? I was serious.

Having put my name on the line to help, I intended to manage it thoroughly. Maybe make undercover visits during franchise inspections?

"You've worked hard all this time. I pushed you hard and made things difficult for you, Owner, but thank you for keeping up so well."

"Oh no, not at all. We're the ones who should be thankful. I was worried we might really have to close the restaurant, thinking about it dozens of times a day..."

Tears welled up in Choi Mi-seon's eyes.

"But you know, after meeting you, CEO-nim, I've been sleeping soundly at night. Even though my body is tired and exhausted, my mind has been at ease~. Thank you, really."

"I didn't do much. You're the one who worked hard, Owner."

Although the results were a bit disastrous, it was clear that she had put a lot of thought into developing new menu items.

There must have been many obvious and easy ideas, but she chose the difficult path out of desperation.

"You even developed and passed on the recipe to us. Ah, this gratitude can't be expressed in words."

"Hahaha. There's just one way to repay this favor."

"Really?"

Choi Mi-seon's eyes widened. I smiled and answered:

"Yes. Of course."

"What is it?"

"It's simple. Owner... Don't change."

At my words, Choi Mi-seon tilted her head. She didn't understand what I meant.

Not improving, just staying the same—how hard could that be?

But this is much harder than you might think. That's how the human heart works.

"When you appear on TV, or even before that. When people start flocking in, you'll be physically exhausted. You'll be overwhelmed. The tempura is quite labor-intensive, so it might be hard for you to do alone, Owner."

"......"

"You might be tempted to use easier methods, or to use cheap labor to make things easier for yourself."

"......"

"When those temptations arise, please remember how you feel right now."

Sincerely,

I hoped that Choi Mi-seon wouldn't change.

"That's enough for me."