God-Given Business Genius - Chapter 206

The half-melted cheese glistened like a jewel.

The distinct grill marks on the plump patty looked appetizing. The bun was toasted to a golden hue, and the smoky aroma from the patty was so enticing that it made my mouth water involuntarily.

The craftsmanship was so excellent that I wondered if it might be a model. It was almost inhumanly perfect.

I examined the handmade burger meticulously with eyes full of admiration.

The composition itself was simple.

'Bun, patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, sauce, and bacon.'

There were no unnecessary embellishments. Yet, this single dish looked remarkably impressive.

While I was examining the handmade burger, Choi Min-hyuk and Choi Jun-hyuk seemed to have headed to the control room. Thanks to this, I could express my admiration without restraint.

"Wow. How this patty is grilled is really the key."

I muttered as I picked up the fork and knife.

Holding one side of the handmade burger and cutting it in half revealed a clean cross-section.

Juices flowed out. It was evidence that it had been cooked at the right temperature, maintaining moisture inside.

Sniff, sniff.

The unique savory aroma of meat and oil tickled my nostrils. My mouth watered involuntarily.

The moment I took a bite.

"...!"

Various textures danced in my mouth. The crispy exterior and soft interior of the patty, the juices that oozed out with each chew, the savory cheese enhancing the flavor, and just when it might become too rich, the tomato and lettuce perfectly balanced it out.

Before I knew it, one bite of the handmade burger had disappeared, even though it felt like I had barely chewed. I found myself feeling regretful without realizing it.

"Wow."

After uttering a short exclamation, I immediately moved my hand again. It was to take another bite of the handmade burger.

Munch, munch.

Only after taking another bite of the handmade burger did I seem to come to my senses.

"This... is incredibly delicious."

It wasn't just delicious. The excitement didn't subside because it was a 'real deal' I had tasted in a while.

I blurted out in a slightly faster tone than usual.

"The degree of doneness of the patty is just right. Not too dry, not too juicy. This is an extremely delicate technique. If this taste is consistently the same, it's so good that I would willingly come back and pay to eat it again even if you told me to."

As I gave this rare high praise, the cameraman looked surprised.

"Temperature is crucial for the patty. If you cook it too long, the internal moisture evaporates and the meat becomes dry. But this one is moist inside, and look, you can see the juices here."

As I showed the juices flowing in the cross-section of the handmade burger, the camera quickly zoomed in on that spot.

"That's why I could enjoy it so deliciously. Chef, where did you learn to make handmade burgers?"

In response to my question, there was a brief static noise, and then an answer came through the radio.

-I learned while working in America.

"You opened a store in Korea after learning there, right?"

-Yes, that's correct.

I thought it didn't seem like the work of a complete novice.

"Are you using the exact recipe you learned at the handmade burger place back then?"

-No, not exactly. I modified it a bit more to my own style.

This part also pleased me.

'The more someone continuously strives and researches, the less likely they are to settle on a single recipe. The fact that he modified it to his own style is also praiseworthy.'

Of course, if someone ruins a recipe due to their own stubbornness without knowing anything, that would be worth reproaching. But isn't this result quite excellent?

"I enjoyed the meal, Chef. Sincerely. It was extremely delicious."

-Thank you.

"I'm hesitant to eat anything else because I'm reluctant to let this aftertaste fade away."

I said while gently patting my mouth with a napkin. As much as I'd like to, I couldn't just finish my meal with this handmade burger.

There were many other stores left to visit, so that wasn't possible.

Choi Min-hyuk had reason to be confident.

After tasting it, I felt his confidence was justified.

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-I enjoyed the meal, Chef. Sincerely. It was extremely delicious.

Wow!

Exclamations of admiration involuntarily escaped from among the staff. Im Hye-eun immediately clapped her hands and congratulated.

"Congratulations, Chef!"

"It's rare for CEO Song to speak like this. You're amazing."

As Do-kyung added a word, Choi Jun-hyuk sat with a dazed expression before his eyes reddened.

"Th-thank you. Thank you, thank you..."

As he continued, his voice became mixed with tears. At first, he tried to act nonchalant, but in the end, he broke down and tears fell.

As Do-kyung quickly handed over tissues, Choi Jun-hyuk wiped his tears and stuttered out his feelings.

"I, I really, I desperately wanted to hear those words... I thought it was delicious, but customers weren't increasing..."

"Hyung, I told you it was really delicious. See!"

Choi Min-hyuk consoled Choi Jun-hyuk, fidgeting beside him.

"I know best how hard you've worked. I thought there would surely be someone who would properly recognize it. Hyung, congratulations. I'm really glad."

Choi Min-hyuk's voice was also trembling slightly, seemingly overcome with emotion.

Choi Jun-hyuk nodded silently.

"CEO Song! Then, does this place not need a separate food solution?"

In response to Im Hye-eun's question, Song Woo-yeon immediately answered.

-No. There's no need to further modify the food. However, you should practice maintaining this level of quality even when many customers come.

"Yes! I will work hard!"

Choi Jun-hyuk immediately shouted.

-For the menu, I think it would be good to remove all the miscellaneous items and keep only the handmade burger... In fact, I think it would be sufficient to sell just the basic handmade burger?

Song Woo-yeon then explained that once the store's name becomes known, a vastly different number of customers will flock compared to now, and since the frying time is crucial for fried foods, having a diverse menu would make the work that much more challenging.

-But then it's a bit disappointing, isn't it?

"Pardon?"

-I mean, other stores receive recipes and such. But for this place, I have nothing more to add to the basic handmade burger. I thought you might feel let down if you're the only one not receiving anything.

"It's, it's okay!"

-Is that so? Hmm. If possible, it would be nice to have a unique signature menu. Let's think about this a bit.

"Yes. Thank you."

Choi Jun-hyuk's eyes sparkled brightly. Not only had his true value been recognized, but they were even offering to help develop a recipe in case he felt disappointed.

'I really hit the jackpot.'

Until he heard that his appearance on the broadcast was confirmed, it didn't feel real.

But listening to Song Woo-yeon's tasting review, his thoughts completely changed.

'She accurately read my intentions.'

She pointed out all the details I paid attention to, the parts of the recipe I intentionally modified, without missing a single thing.

Unless one is quite well-versed, it's not easy to read a chef's intentions from a completed dish.

Just as Song Woo-yeon recognized Choi Jun-hyuk's skills by tasting the food, Choi Jun-hyuk also recognized Song Woo-yeon's expertise from listening to her tasting review.

'To be honest, I thought that no matter how successful a franchise CEO might be, their cooking skills wouldn't match a chef's...'

Why hadn't he known?

Not every critic can make films as well as a director. Not every coach can perform better than the players.

In that context, regardless of Song Woo-yeon's cooking skills, it was entirely possible for her to read and suggest directions for cooking.

'I'm looking forward to it. What kind of taste will the recipe we create together produce?'

Feeling a flutter of excitement after a long time, Choi Jun-hyuk couldn't hide the smile spreading across his face.

Choi Jun-hyuk's gaze fell on Choi Min-hyuk right beside him.

He thought that if Choi Min-hyuk hadn't caught the PD's attention with the story of being "Song Woo-yeon's classmate," he might have missed this incredible opportunity.

'This guy usually doesn't use connections like being a classmate or anything. He did something out of character because of me.'

For someone who dislikes standing out to suggest and even apply for a broadcast appearance, he must have had a strong desire to see his brother's skills shine.

"Thanks, you fool."

Choi Jun-hyuk roughly smacked Choi Min-hyuk's back.

"?!"

Like a bolt from the blue, Choi Min-hyuk was dumbfounded.

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"Chef An."

Jung Ha-neul wore a face full of worry. An Derek stood before him with his usual expressionless face, without a hint of disturbance.

"Are you really okay with this?"

"Yes. I've already made my decision."

"Sigh. Well, if it's Chef An, you'll do well."

Jung Ha-neul let out a deep sigh, then continued as if he had just remembered something.

"Did you tell Chef Song by any chance?"

"......"

"Oh my. It seems you didn't."

"...No."

"Oh dear. I thought you two were getting along well."

Jung Ha-neul relaxed his expression, looking a bit troubled yet somewhat amused.

"Won't you regret it later?"

At that question, An Derek shook his head.

"It's fine."

And...

An Derek swallowed the rest of his words.

'It only has meaning if I accomplish it with my own hands.'