Tteok (떡) to my Heart (MoonSun AU)

Chapter 28: Pitteok in a Pinch!

Another minute has passed and this time, Sook reminded them of the time limit, "It's now 11.50, both contestants should be adding garnish and plating by now." The judges finally returned their focus back to the stage. Unfortunately, due to their arguments earlier, they've missed most of the cooking processes, especially Byulyi's. They've no choice but to wait for the end result when they are served later.

With the countdown from TEN, Goong-Min rotated his dish as he wiped any freckle or remnants of food other than the food positioned in the middle. FIVE... Byulyi was rustling pieces of papers, wrapping up her dish and ONE... They're hands were off the table and 6 waiters and waitresses walked to their kitchen top to collect their dish and placed it right in front of the judges, Goong-Min dish on their left and Byulyi's dish on their right.

At first glance, Goong-Min's dish couldn't be seen at all because it's covered by a layer of bubble that's filled with smoke. The judges decided to try his dish first since the bubble doesn't seem that it can sustain any longer. They picked up the spoon and lightly tap on it which made it bursts and a thick layer of smoke descended like a waterfall, revealing oval shaped Tteokbokki with spheres that they've seen earlier.

When they scoop up a spoonful of tteok and the spheres of sauce, Goong-Min stopped them, "Before you proceed, please pour out the broth that's inside the cylinder into this dish." They did as instruct by taking the cylinder that's placed next to the dish and pour over it. The warm broth melted part of the sphere and a whiff of aroma attacked their sense of smell, causing them to swallow their drool. They waste no time to dig in.

Moments of chewing and humming a satisfied tune passed before Chef Lee gave a comment, "Hm... I hate to say this. I didn't think it'll go well with all the fancy set-up, but it works. The broth that meets the melted sauce along with the smoke re-created a taste that hits close to Rose Tteokbokki. Creamy, mellow, not too spicy and easy to swallow."

"I expect nothing less, this process takes patience and precision." said Chef Allen.

"Aigoo... Not only you are handsome, but a good cook as well. To be honest, I don't know what to expect when I see you playing with food, but I'm surprised on how pretty and delicious it turned out." said Madame Shim with a blush on her face. Clearly, she's infatuated with his appearance.

Goong-Min thanked the judges with a bow and Byulyi stepped forward to present the dish. After eating a dish served by a 3 Michelin Star chef, it made Byulyi's dish lost its radiance. The burger shaped dish wrapped up in a paper bag looks sad compared to the previous dish with a wow factor.

But the judges were proved wrong as they were caught by surprise at the revelation when they unwrapped it like a present. Not only they were greeted with an umami bomb of sweet and spicy, but their hands also feel very warm from holding it, an ideal street food for the current winter season.

Before they dig into it, the cross-section of the food strikes curiosity in their culinary mind. The whole thing looked like Pita Pocket Burger, but instead of Pita bread, it's evident that it's made of Tteok. Inside the pocket, it was filled with carrots, cabbage, spring onions, sunny side up egg and in the heart of all those ingredients, lies a bright red coloured patty. To top it all off, a branding iron is pressed against the tteok bun with a drawing of a bunny, symbolising the brand of Tteok Tokki.

While they were busy trying to figure out the patty, Byulyi discouraged them from doing so, "Please eat it while it's hot." Looking at one another, they agreed to take a bite to solve the mystery. One bite was all it took, before they created a rhythm of a bite, followed by a joyful humming and repeat, until all that's left in their hands is a clean empty wrapper.