Eat or Be Eaten (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 11🌻

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It had been three weeks since Gulf had started working at Individu.

The first week he devoted so much energy to getting used to the restaurant, to the work, and to the people that he didn't really remember what he'd done.

The second week he'd finally had time to take a look around and he'd known what needed to be done without having to be told. He had gotten the hang of polishing wine glasses and understood the roles and relationships of the staff a bit better.

Mew was the owner and head chef, the ruler at the top of the pyramid. The image of him as arrogant and stubborn that Gulf had formed at their first meeting had disappeared completely. Rather, he had a nuanced personality, exacting and methodicality. That made him rigid, which may have made him seem stubborn.

During work hours, he stayed in the kitchen with Tong and left the floor to James, throwing himself into his cooking.

A counter connected the kitchen to the restaurant, where they set food once it was ready to serve. The floor staff communicated with the kitchen staff across this counter and Gulf found the dedication he glimpsed across this barrier captivating.

Gulf had never noticed it as a regular customer, but by having a menu full of choices they had to select their ingredients carefully so that it didn't matter what customers decided to order each day. If they didn't use an ingredient because no one ordered it, there was a high probability that it would go to waste. But Mew had never once stopped using his a la carte menu in the two years since opening the restaurant.

Tong worked in the kitchen, helping Mew. His outgoing nature stood out, perhaps because he worked beside Mew. He seemed to be two or three years older than Mew---according to the staff, they were graduates of the same culinary academy. Knowing this, Gulf could understand why Mew treated him almost deferentially even though he was the owner of the restaurant.

Tong was no slouch compared to Mew and prepared certain main dishes for the menu exclusively. He was especially talented with seafood. Two of the dishes Gulf had liked best as a customer, the butter-roasted tilefish and alfonsino with a side of ratatouille, were made by Tong following Mew's recipe.

Tong made all the food for the staff, as well.

He made it from recipes, so it didn't shine like Mew's creations, but it was still a pleasure to eat, full of his warmth. Gulf thought the quality was more than enough for Tong to be able to open his own restaurant, but when he suggested it, Shibata had simply told him he wasn't ready yet. He was usually honest, but apparently the truth was that he had been approached many times about starting his own restaurant by people trying to hire him away for their own restaurant but he had refused them all.

Mew recognized that Tong far outshone him in baking bread.

When Gulf had taken the bread he'd received on the first day to the office everyone, not just his father had praised it wildly.

It was still moist the next day and was delicious by itself, but it also highlighted other foods. It was the bread best suited for Mew's cooking

On the floor, James ruled. Despite the occasional rebellion, even Net obeyed his orders. When Net was there, mixing cocktails was his responsibility. He had worked at a bar when he was in college, so he seemed to have memorized all the best-known recipes. The only problem was that the same drinks didn't always come out with the same taste.

But it was the combination of expertise that these four brought that made Individu what it was, not Mew alone.

"What are you smiling about, Gulf?"