THIS LOVE DOESN'T HAVE LONG BEANS(ENG)

Chapter 22

"Are you ready?"

Kluea asked on Friday, the day scheduled for the first round of Chef Aob's successor competition tests. Tests are held from 15.30 to 16.30, which usually overlaps with break time. On that day, restaurant staff will have less rest time due to the exam.

"Even if we're not ready, we have to be ready, right?"

Plawan said while trying to cheer himself up. Even though the chef only let him borrow the restaurant kitchen for one day, he still spent his free time in the morning practicing in JJ's kitchen. Recently, his best friend told him that his cooking had improved a lot and it was starting to taste like that of a restaurant.

He and Kluea went to the back kitchen and prepared themselves.

When they entered, they saw that everyone else in the kitchen was already waiting. If we talk about the number of stoves in the kitchen, there are around five. This means everyone can't cook at the same time and may have to take turns. They were waiting for Chef Aob, the person who started it all, to explain.

And at 15.30, the examiner arrived exactly on time.

Chef Aob walked in with a calm expression, as if he had just stepped out of a famous cooking show. Of course, he definitely brought out his cruel commentator persona. Did he mean to throw up that contestant's food if it wasn't delicious in front of everyone? Suddenly, he felt a strange pressure, like his breathing had become shallow.

"Everyone has 20 minutes to do everything."

The entire room fell silent, listening intently. He stood with Kluea, who looked relaxed making him annoyed. And he just realized that the person standing across was James, another coworker.

I will divide you into groups like before. There are 5 work stations in the kitchen, one team for each stove," said Chef Aob while surveying the room. "Agree with your partner whether you will be in the first or second round. First round 15:40 - 16:00, second round 16:10 - 16:30. In between, the cook has to clean his own equipment and station.

The young man turned towards his companion in consultation, as if asking who would go first or second. The other person shrugged his shoulders casually, as if to say he didn't mind. Plawan scanned the room, starting to think about what he would do in the 20 minutes he had.

"The task is to stir-fry basil with round fried eggs," repeated the chef.

"Make it as delicious as you like. I don't mind. Whoever finishes first can immediately give it to me to taste. I will eat it hot and immediately give everyone a score. No need to serve the food, just bring the food according to the request. After that, come back and tidy up the kitchen.

Plawan scanned the room again, but this time he felt Chef Aob's eyes on him. A sly smile appeared on his face.

"I'll give each of you 3 eggs. Use just one. The remaining 2 are just in case you make a mistake. But if you make more than 3 mistakes, I won't give you a chance to make up for it," Chef Aob said while averting his gaze. "Agree on who will go first or second. After you agree, the contestants for the second round return to your dormitory rooms and come down on time. Meanwhile, for those taking the first test, wait in the kitchen. I will bring you eggs. The other ingredients are in the refrigerator."

"You go first. "

"Uh huh."

Plawan said after turning to look at Kluea brfore nodding. It was better for him to go first so he wouldn't be pressured for too long. Kluea patted him on the back encouragingly before walking back to the room. He turned to look at his assigned station, divided by room number. The station next to it was James, who was also in the first round.

"Let's start!"

Chef Aob gave the signal after everyone was ready together at exactly 3:40 p.m. The five contestants rushed to the refrigerator and each took out the meat according to their preferences. He chose pork, but he noticed there were several people who chose chicken. He remembered the chef did not specify the type of meat.

There were also many types of chilies and garlic to choose from.

Kluea had taught him everything about this. He chose Thai garlic over Chinese garlic because the aroma and taste were stronger. He used a combination of green and red chillies and chose the basil with the most strongest scent.

"Good luck!"

The young man said to James with a smile after they chose basil together, who answered with good luck too. Plawan returned to his station and took the egg that the chef had placed on the plate. They are not refrigerated, so they should be fresh and beautifully cooked.

'You have to fry the eggs first.'

Kluea's voice echoed in his head. He looked towards Chef Aob, who was sitting quietly, watching him expressionlessly. He placed the pan on the stove and turned down the heat. He waited until the pan was hot before adding oil. It looked like some people had already started by frying the holy basil, but he was in no rush.

'The pan must be hot, but the fire must be low. Remember that.'

Kluea's words were still ringing in his head. He had tried frying eggs like this dozens of times. It turns out it's not as difficult as he thought, but the key is to use low heat and not too much oil. If the fire is too high or the oil is too hot, the fried eggs will immediately puff up, which is not the American breakfast fried eggs that Chef Aob wants.

He dropped the egg into the oil.

Everything went according to plan. The round egg floated in the pan as expected. The young man checked the fire again to make sure it was low, then took the spoon.

'You should use a spoon to gently push the egg yolk into the center of the egg white and hold it there until the egg is cooked. Do it gently, otherwise... the egg yolk will be scratched. Remember that.'

The young man gently used the prepared spoon to push the egg yolk into the center of the egg white, as gently as possible. He held the spoon so that the egg yolk was at the perfect angle, and when the egg was cooked, he took out the spoon, turned off the heat, and used a spatula to remove the fried egg. He had made the egg exactly as he wanted it.

"Hah?"

He looked up and saw Chef Aob appear out of nowhere, leaning over to look at his fried egg, which he certainly did well. But the man in front of him only mumbled something in his throat, not saying anything else to express his opinion.

"Do you have any suggestions, Chef?"

He said, not that he really wanted any advice, but it would be strange to have another man standing there watching him without saying anything. But saying hello also felt strange.

"NO."

The voice answered curtly. He didn't care about anything, he just needed to focus on his job. Plawan reached out and dragged the mortar and pestle from the other side to prepare the chilies and garlic for frying.

"Who taught you that?"

The person who should have been silent spoke up while he was skillfully peeling the garlic. Plawan was confused by the question, so Chef Aob pointed to the fried egg.

"I watched it on YouTube."

What should he say? Plawan decided to give a neutral answer because he didn't know what the person was thinking. Would points be deducted if he said that a friend was helping him?

"Did YouTube also teach you how to choose a frying pan?"

He looked back, forgetting that Kluea had once emphasized that using a flat pan was better when frying eggs like this. He'll then  be required to change the pan when frying the basil.

"Oh, Kluea taught me that, Chef."

Chef Aob looked at him silently, not acknowledging his words or showing any particular reaction. He was silent for a while until Plawan began to wonder if he had made a mistake. Finally, the person in front of him said one last sentence before walking away.

"You two seem pretty close, don't you?"