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Chapter Four: Avant Garde
Ryoko ambled down the serene streets of the Sumire Shopping District, with a brown bag in hand, while idly perusing what the many vendors and food shops had to offer. However, there wasn't much, since it was early in the morning right in the cusp of dawn where most owner's were busily opening up shop. Before heading to her own destination, that being the shopping district's legendary restaurant Yukihira, she had decided that a nice cup of the Sumire local tea shop's energizing ginseng tea and a sweet matcha roll would suffice as her morning breakfast. Already had she stopped by Yukimono to pay her best friend a visit and she had also met with a visiting produce vendor who came all the way from France to sell her some black truffles that she now nestled closely in her arm.
Finally making it towards her destination, Ryoko went around the back to open the door. Unsurprisingly, the owner and chef of the restaurant himself was already up and prepping the kitchen for the breakfast and later the notorious lunch rush.
"Good morning chef!" Ryoko greeted cheerfully while she set the paper bag on top of the kitchen chopping station. "Guess what?"
"Morning Ryoko-chan," he replied with a smile as he looked up from de-boning a mackerel cutlet to store until lunch. "And what?"
"I got a surprise for you!" She said eagerly as she strode towards him with the bag in her hand. "Look inside!"
He paused for a moment before nodding his head. "Alright," he grumbled before setting his knife down and washing his hands.
"Actually, no! Wait, don't, no peaking yet! Just close your eyes and smell what's in the bag!"
He gave her skeptical look and furrowed his brows," This better not be a prank like last time or so help me Ryoko, I will increase your hours for next week!"
"Pssh... Like I need a set amount of hours, Yukihira-kun, I'm always staying up til' the mornings helping you with the restaurant -" she tossed her long red hair over her shoulder "- and besides, I promise you'll like it!
"Fine," the man acquiesced with a slight frown, still a bit traumatized from the last "prank" that both she and Yuki had pulled on him involving a mysterious paper bag,he shuddered at the thought before closing his eyes and sniffing lightly at the bag.
Whatever that bag had, it sure smelled complex. He got a whiff of something nutty, along with something reminiscent of wet earth after it would rain and seep into the ground, almost musky, with the saccharine tartness of strawberries, and was that a hint of pepper and cocoa? His eyes immediately flew open at the pleasant aroma and he eagerly rolled down the paper to reveal its contents, could it be?
"No way!" He beamed. "No freaking way!"
"Yep."
He looked at her with elation that could easily be compared to a child thrust into a candy store and then back to the bag, then back to her, and again, back to the bag. "How the hell did you manage to get truffles? In Japan?"
"A friend of mine who also used to serve as the produce vendor for the previous bistro I worked at in France decided to travel down here to Japan. He called me up and told me he was selling truffles that he just cultivated from Dordogne, you know, since it's Autumn and all."
"...Wait... How much did you spend?"
"Well, they may or may not have sold for 120,000 yen per kilo... Maybe," Ryoko said nervously.
"Aww, c'mon Ryoko-chan! I told you, you don't have to buy ingredients from out of your pocket, especially expensive ones like that!" He said rubbing at his temples in admonishment.
"But I want to, and I know you'll put them to good use...some way or another," she reasoned. "Now wrap those in a towel and pop em' in the storage!"
"Fine, fine," he said with a dismissive wave before promptly following orders.
When he came back, Ryoko was already prepped with her hair tied up, an apron around her waist, and her hands washed. "So, chef, what's the special for today?"
"Well, I -" he said putting his finger up as if having an idea. Then suddenly, his face fell. "No, no. I'm tired of this." He was shaking his head now.
"W-Wait, tired? Tired of me? I'm -I'm sorry, did I do anything to -"
"No, Ryoko-chan, it's not you. It's definitely not you. It's just..."
"Just what?"
Soma made a grim expression as he wiped his hands on a clean towel causing her to worry. He didn't answer her for awhile, only gazed out the kitchen window and beyond towards the dining area. She gingerly placed her hand on his shoulder, in attempts to coax him into speaking. "Is everything alright, Soma-kun?"
"Y'know," he said slowly and she could tell from the contorted expression on his countenance that he was carefully trying to pick his words. "I... Had a dream last night..."
"A dream? Must be a peculiar one to get you all riled up like that."
"Yup, a dream."
"About what?"
"I... dreamt that Yukihira wasn't just some special-of-the-day diner, y'know? It was, it was bigger than that," he said with a lamentable pride. "I dreamt that it was world-renowned, with people from all walks of life coming into Yukihira just to get a taste of my food. And we had this whole spread, a tasting menu each week based on different cuisine and culture and sometimes even fusion... It was great, really... But..." He stopped short with his head bowing slightly.
"But?"
"That's not what dad meant for Yukihira to be... He wanted it to be simple, much like the way it is now. I feel inclined to honor his wishes and stick to tradition..."
Ryoko clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth before saying,"Who says we have to stick to tradition? Soma, do you hear yourself? This is what you're about, this is what we're about - innovation! You found a way to assimilate different cultures and tastes into your cuisine and, you know, I'm just here to help you out on different methods in gastronomy theory to put to practice. We're a team, remember?" Ryoko fumed in disbelief. Soma was brilliant, utterly brilliant, but where was his mind right now?
"I know, but maybe this district's not ready for what I have to offer. Maybe that's why dad chose to make it a diner, I mean isn't that what the people want?"
"Soma-kun, you and I both know how important intimacy between the chef and customers is. And I know, I know, you want to please the customers, I really do, but -"
"But, isn't that the point?"
"No, no, let me finish," she sighed as she held a finger to his lips. "But as a chef, we are artistic beings, we have to find a way to compartmentalize the idea of pleasing the customer and pleasing ourselves. We put our heart and soul into our dishes, they are merely a manifestation of all the ideas that are constantly buzzing in our heads. Our food is the way we express ourselves and dammit, your cooking is sure as hell a testament to how brilliantly you can express yourself."
"Thanks, I appreciate the sentiment, but -"
"Did you forget our goal? We wanted to change the face of the culinary arts, moreover, the culinary world! Don't let tradition keep you stagnant, if you dreamt Yukihira in that way, then it should be that way. You don't have to adhere to your father's rules, though I will admit the genius he may be. Let's break some conventional norms, let's innovate, discover new methods, new tastes, but most of all, let's cook the way you intended your food to be made. Honestly, you don't need me to tell you this, because you really are a maverick in the kitchen, you are, and I'm only here to help nourish all that creativity stuck in your brain. Get your mind out of this rut, make that dream come true. Be avant garde!"
Soma smiled at her and banged his fist on the counter with a newfound determination. "You know what? Fuck it. What the hell, let's do it!"
"Yeah?"
"Mhm, and you know what? Why don't we show this district something different for a change," he replied.
"Okay, so...? Should we experiment with a tasting menu todayor...?" She questioned excitedly trying to gather her bearings, she loved it when Soma agreed with her!
"Yeah -" Soma untied his apron and quickly strode towards the front door of the restaurant and switched the open sign to closed "- Yukihira's closed for today! Instead, today's all about experimenting!"
"Alright!" Ryoko said with zeal. "Let's do this!"
"But first..." He put his hand up to halt her.
"What?"
"A trip to the farmer's market. I think it's time we go out to buy some new ingredients to work with."
"Yes, chef!" She nodded.
He went off to his office connected to the kitchen to grab his keys, but before doing this, he turned to Ryoko. "Nice pep talk by the way, two-in-one yo, I didn't think I'd get a sous-chef and motivational speaker when I roped you in this business!"
"You're welcome," she smiled.
Two hours and a full storage of ingredients later, the chef and his sous chef were now hovering over the restaurant kitchen counters with Soma busily preparing a plethora of vegetables and Ryoko hastily scribbling down ideas on a notepad.
"So, have any ideas for a theme, chef?" The sous chef questioned while chewing on the tip of her pen in a contemplative manner.
"I'm thinking a fusion. Let's start off from there," he replied before pulling out a vegetable peeler from one of the drawers.
"Alright fusion..." She reiterated, jotting more words down. "How about... Hmm, no, not sure if that would harmonize right. Or maybe...no, scratch that..."
"So, what was your position in the kitchen you worked in before back in France, Ryoko-chan?" He asked in idle conversation still rinsing off a few vegetables.
"Well, I was the saucier and poissonier since, you know, I've always had a knack for fermentation and all of the technicalities that went with it..."
"Oh, that's right, you were the 'Queen of Fermenting' back in Tōtsuki, weren't you?"
"Hey, let's not bring back those silly names please!"
"Alright, fine with me," he put his hands up in defense.
"So, anyways, why the sudden interest in my old position?" She queried.
"Well, let's start off there, right after the fusion theme. You're adept at concocting sauces and working with all things seafood - try finding a way to incorporate that into the foundation of the meal, I suppose."
"Alright then -" she scrunched her face before her eyes lit up in revelation "- Why not a French and Korean fusion? I'm thinking something on the line of familiarity and outlandish, the familiar aspect would be Korean cuisine since it has become sort of a staple here in Japan and the unfamiliar would be French... And also because most, if not everything, I know revolves around French cuisine and a little Korean because they use a lot of fermentation in their cooking too. Unfortunately, I haven't broadened my scope, so I don't know much else."
"Good. I like where this is going... I'm thinking something with a little seafood and a little pork, something like a surf and turf perhaps?"
"Ooh! And we can have an Amuse Bouche to start things off!"
"A what?" Soma looked at her perplexedly and then she remembered that Soma never really had a good grasp on the technicalities of haute cuisine, a trait she remembered he always possessed even back in their academy days. He was more of a man of action, not fundamentals, bookwork was never his forte - cooking, however, and actually applying methods was where he excelled in.
"Well, an amuse bouche is basically a bite-sized hors d'oeuvre, or teaser if you will since it's roughly translated in French as a 'mouth amuser.' It's not necessarily an appetizer, it just shows a small glimpse of what the chef's menu has to offer." She eyed him curiously. "Wait, shouldn't you know a little bit about French cuisine since you worked at The French Laundry back in the U.S.?"
"Well, French-American contemporary is way different from actual, traditional haute cuisine, so no. And also, you know, I've always just went with the flow and kind of ignored all the fancy terms. I just love to cook, my instinct is what solely got me by these past years," he shrugged.
"Ahh, I see."
"So, anyways, what do you have in mind for this amuse bouche?"
"Well, I was thinking we could start off with utilizing the black truffles. Why not an à la croquet au sel - it's a slice of sourdough lightly toasted with truffle butter and thinly sliced truffles."
"Okay, but that sounds purely French, nothing hybrid about it. So instead of truffle butter, why not mix a little sesame oil and julienned truffles instead? Sesame oil is light with a twinge of nuttiness that could pair well with the rich, sort of earthy, taste of the truffle. We could mix the butter and the sesame oil together since its taste is not distinct enough to overpower the natural earthiness of the truffle or richness of the butter. We'll add some green onions for color, after all, it will only enhance the flavor of the truffle."
"Yep and that's why you're the genius! I never would've thought of that," She laughed.
"You bet your ass I am!" He smiled before his face took a more stoic appearance. "Anyways, for an appetizer I was thinking a shredded green onion, watercress, and baby lettuce salad - it'll be a twist on pajeori - the Korean barbeque staple salad. Also, what sauces do you have in mind?
"Well, let's see, I want to incorporate a little French to it, so... How about we use a vinegar and oil based dressing?"
"You mean a vinaigrette?"
"Well, not just any traditional vinaigrette, that might -"
"Offset the balance of flavors, leaving it bland. I got ya!'" He finished her sentence.
"Yeah... So, then let's add some of that famous Korean spiciness to the dressing! Herbs and spices are more soluble in oil, therefore we can add some Gochugaru, you know, those Korean chile flakes to the sesame oil before whisking in the vinegar. The chili will infuse into the nuttiness of the oil giving it a more spicy depth, perfect to dress the freshness of the greens without being overtly cloying."
"Alright, alright. I like where this is going. Now we'll have to have a main dish that's the perfect equilibrium between both French and Korean since the amuse bouche is more French, while the appetizer leans more on the Korean side," he replied while busily preparing the sample dishes together.
He brought a fork to her mouth and said," Taste this!"
She chewed the mix of greens slowly, savoring it, while trying to decipher the different flavors. "So I'm guessing you altered the salad by adding some toasted sesame seeds and sweet peppers... It tastes marvelous!"
"Yeah, it's one thing to put down recipes on paper, but another to actually make the dishes altogether. In theory, what we brainstormed was great, but in actual preparation, it was a bit lacking texture-wise and so on."
He went back to experimenting with the plethora of bowls of spices and vegetables, mixing different flavors together and tasting them, and even offering some to Ryoko to try. Soma continued to play with different elements for each of the courses while Ryoko was later given the duty to concoct different sauces to plate in his main dish, the surf and turf. Again, they worked in symbiosis, relying on one another for criticism and encouragement as they both strived to create the perfect tasting menu for Restaurant Yukihira's new angle.
"Soma-kun?" Ryoko queried as she set her wooden spoon down and let her sauce simmer. "What was your position back in The French Laundry?"
"Well, I was Chef Keller's sous chef," he said quietly and she could hear the twinge of nostalgia his voice bore.
"Why'd you leave?"
"Well, I think for one, it might've been complacency. That kitchen was tough, sure, tougher than Totsuki even, and I did learn so much from my tenure there. But, it wasn't like anything compared to working with my old man, cooking with dad is something else. I guess you could say that I was tired of working as the second-hand man, I wanted to be my own chef. So, y'know, I left the restaurant and traveled abroad in California - got a taste of the underground food scene in both Los Angeles and San Francisco, learned new cultures, and saw a glimpse of illegal restaurants and the like. You could say California was my foundation and then I later traveled the world and discovered so much more."
"Knowing you, I'm surprised you didn't garner a reputation around the world... Wait, no, come to think of it, a few colleagues of mine mentioned you once, said you were a budding new chef who took a sort of apprenticeship under The French Laundry and later built your reputation from the ground up. And even Sophie said that your name sounded familiar. I know I was never in the loop, but it's safe to say that even the institutions at France are familiar with the disciples of French-American contemporary cuisine. But still, how did you just...?"
"Drop off the face of the culinary world and end up back here in Yukihira?" He finished knowingly.
"Yeah, you already built a reputation within the U.S., I can't imagine how much greater it got when you traveled around Vietnam, China, and even Thailand."
"Well, y'know, shit happens," he shrugged.
"Uh huh..." Ryoko was unconvinced.
"I guess you could say I got a bit recognition, but other than that, nothing else came of it, not enough to keep me roped into those snooty institutions and the reputations of the people that came with them - even the ones around Asia. I think the idea of cooking in a smaller scale seemed more appealing for my taste."
"Is that why you came back?"
"Yeah and also due to the fact that opening Yukihira under new management was kinda the goal ever since I enrolled to Totsuki."
"Oh, yeah... Now I remember. You always did mention the restaurant every time you challenged other students to shokugekis! How could I have forgotten?"
"Yeah, and now that I've managed to pave Yukihira's name as a legend within Sumire town, I want to make it better! I want to keep innovating just like you said, Ryoko-chan!"
"Yeah, we'll definitely do it," she replied with a reassuring smile. Together.
Tomorrow was a big day, a day in which they would showcase a fresh, new take on Yukihira-style cuisine.
Author's Note: I seriously wrote this chapter on a whim(I tend to write haphazardly and there are just different periods of time when ideas simply pop into my mind), so very little editing went into it. Hope you guys aren't too bothered with the extra heap of culinary terms I've thrown in there - I tried to incorporate various explanations with the terms because I vaguely remember reading a review saying that some of my writing teaches them! That made me smile.
I'd LOVE to hear feedback, so please, feel free to drop a little review down below, it would be greatly appreciated. Until next time.