Once Seong-ho Kim finished speaking, Byeong-ju Jeong approached the chef too, showing no sign of regret.
“Chef Kim. Let’s meet again some other time.”
The chef lifted his head and looked at Byeong-ju Jeong with a startled expression.
“You’re just going to let me walk out like this?”
“We each want different things, so there’s nothing to be done about it. Please, up you get.”
Unable to believe the meeting was really ending like this, the chef hastily reached his hand out toward Seong-ho Kim.
“Director. Then 40%. No — 30%. Just give me 30%.”
Seong-ho Kim, who’d turned away, turned back to look at the chef and said with a smile,
“I think you’ve gotten something seriously wrong.”
“Wrong?”
The chef looked at Seong-ho Kim, not understanding what he meant.
Seong-ho Kim spoke to him clearly, word by word.
“Equity isn’t among the things we’re able to offer.”
Having stated this firmly, Seong-ho Kim told the speechless chef what Ilhyeon Hotel could actually offer.
“What we can give you is a salary and reputation. Nothing else.”
“That’s… isn’t that a bit much?”
The chef spoke with a wronged expression, as if something were being taken from him.
“I’m closing my own restaurant to come here. And you’re telling me just a salary, no equity?”
“You still don’t understand, it seems.”
Seong-ho Kim, who’d turned away, straightened up.
Rising toward the chef, who was half-standing, he leaned forward and said,
“The most valuable thing I can give you isn’t money. It’s reputation. The title of Executive Chef of Ilhyeon Hotel. That’s what I’m offering.”
Pulling his body back and settling into his chair again, Seong-ho Kim said to the stiffened chef,
“I’m well aware how important reputation is in the culinary world. And you keep talking as though closing your restaurant to come here is a huge sacrifice — do you think we don’t know the financial state of your establishment?”
“Y-you knew that…?”
At the chef’s tense expression, Seong-ho Kim gave a short laugh.
“I know perfectly well that French restaurants don’t make money. The more upscale they are, the greater the losses — surely you’re not unaware of that either?”
“Ngh.”
The chef could say nothing, only groaning.
On the surface, it looked like a glamorous establishment where you needed a reservation just to taste fine cuisine, but the reality behind the scenes was quite different.
Avoiding losses was difficult, and taking home even a million won a month was no easy feat for the owner of a restaurant like this.
Seong-ho Kim held out a hand to Byeong-jin Jo, who handed him the prepared contract.
Setting the contract down in front of the chef, Seong-ho Kim tapped it with a finger and said,
“This is a contract appointing you, Chef Kim, as executive chef of Ilhyeon Hotel’s new Western-style restaurant. You’ll be treated as the nation’s top chef, and we’ll make sure every media outlet knows that you’re the executive chef of Ilhyeon Hotel’s restaurant.”
As Seong-ho Kim’s explanation continued, the chef’s eyes drifted to the contract.
Seong-ho Kim kept explaining to him.
“We’ve set the initial contract term at 3 years. If, after 3 years, neither side has major complaints, it automatically extends for 2 more.”
“And once the contract ends… what happens?”
His earlier arrogance completely gone, the chef sat in his chair, listening closely to Seong-ho Kim.
“Once the contract ends, if neither of us wants to continue, we simply part ways cleanly. And you’ll be able to add to your résumé that you were the executive chef of Ilhyeon Hotel’s Western restaurant.”
“Is that allowed?”
Seong-ho Kim smiled and nodded.
“That’s exactly why I said I’d give you reputation. Executive Chef of Ilhyeon Hotel’s Western restaurant — that will become a major asset for you as you continue your career as a chef.”
“Hmm…”
Tempted by Seong-ho Kim’s words, the chef wore a thoughtful expression.
Just as Seong-ho Kim had said, if Ilhyeon Hotel did well, it felt like the title of executive chef there would become a significant asset for his culinary life going forward.
But even with all this to consider, he couldn’t easily make up his mind.
Setting money aside, the reality of stepping down from owner-chef to salaried chef made the decision difficult.
Seong-ho Kim, seeing the chef’s hesitation, recognized exactly what was troubling him.
So he added one more thing.
“Once the Michelin Guide comes to Korea, we’ll be the first to make a push to get listed, and we plan to support you without reservation in earning a star.”
“You’re planning to go after Michelin?”
“Isn’t that obvious? If the Michelin Guide doesn’t come to Korea, that’s one thing, but if it does, of course we’ll take on the challenge and aim to earn three stars.”
“Three stars…”
In the face of the Michelin Guide’s three stars — a chef’s dream — pride meant nothing at all.
Seong-ho Kim leaned forward and told the chef his plan.
“I intend to earn three Michelin stars total. Your Western restaurant, Chef Kim, plus a Chinese restaurant and a Japanese restaurant — having all three hold three stars is Ilhyeon Hotel’s ultimate goal.”
“Ah…”
The chef had never once imagined a single hotel holding three separate three-star ratings.
And the thought of what an enormous sensation it would cause if that actually happened flashed through his mind.
“As you know, the Michelin Guide isn’t just about exceptional taste. They evaluate the restaurant’s atmosphere and the staff’s service ability as well. And you’d know better than I would how important the relationship with the visiting critics, as well as with the Michelin company itself, really is.”
At Seong-ho Kim’s words, the chef nodded quietly.
“Of course, I know that even with the most thorough preparation, we can’t earn three stars in one stroke. I intend to climb step by step. But our ultimate goal is three stars… so, what do you say? Wouldn’t three stars be reason enough to close your current place and join us?”
At Seong-ho Kim’s words, the chef promptly reached for the contract Seong-ho Kim had set down.
Pulling it toward himself, he signed it immediately and said,
“You have to keep your word on this. Absolutely.”
“Don’t worry. I want that Michelin three-star even more than you do.”
Organizing the contracts, Byeong-jin Jo clicked his tongue in wonder.
“What’s this Michelin thing, that everyone’s making such a fuss over it?”
Following the Western chef, the top chefs in Korea’s Japanese and Chinese cuisine scenes too, one after another, closed their own establishments to join Ilhyeon Hotel.
Watching this, Byeong-jin Jo asked Seong-ho Kim, curious.
Seong-ho Kim gave Byeong-jin Jo a simple explanation of what the Michelin Guide was.
Having heard the explanation, Byeong-jin Jo spoke with rising excitement.
“So if we hold all three of the highest three-star ratings, everyone would come running to our hotel?”
“That’s exactly what we need to make happen.”
Byeong-jin Jo thought that if that happened, it would be possible to rebuild Ilhyeon Hotel’s collapsed standing.
But right behind this hopeful thought came a worry.
“But that hasn’t even come to Korea yet, has it?”
“Right. And there’s no telling when it will…”
“Isn’t that a big problem, then?”
For the chefs, it might not matter much even if it arrived a few years late — if anything, it gave them more time to prepare.
But for Ilhyeon Hotel and Seong-ho Kim, it was different.
Needing to show results within a single year, the fact that the Michelin Guide hadn’t yet arrived in Korea was a serious problem.
Seong-ho Kim smiled at Byeong-jin Jo, whose face had darkened, unlike a moment ago, and said,
“Which is why there’s something I need you to do starting now.”
“Something for me to do?”
“Yes.”
As if this situation too had been part of the plan all along, Seong-ho Kim spoke to Byeong-jin Jo calmly about what needed to happen going forward.
The hiring process for both experienced and new applicants at Ilhyeon Hotel this time proceeded quickly.
Experienced hires went through one or two orientation sessions before being placed directly on the floor, while new hires were given time to get accustomed to the work alongside existing staff.
Once hiring wrapped up, the once-faltering Ilhyeon Hotel quickly began running smoothly again.
And guests who came out of curiosity about the hotel’s newly normalized operations were startled by the changed atmosphere.
“Welcome, President Park.”
The doorman opened the door and greeted the arriving guest.
President Park of Bukjin Trading looked at the doorman, who greeted him with a smile of recognition, and asked,
“You know me?”
“Aren’t you President Park of Bukjin Trading?”
“That’s right, but…”
President Park looked at the doorman, wondering how he’d been recognized.
The doorman bowed his head slightly to President Park and said,
“Since President Park of Bukjin Trading visits our Ilhyeon Hotel often, I naturally came to memorize the license plate you arrive with. That’s why I greeted you first. If it made you uncomfortable, I’ll be careful not to do so going forward.”
“Not at all. Who dislikes being greeted?”
President Park showed he wasn’t at all uncomfortable and looked at the doorman with fresh eyes.
Then, smiling at him, he said,
“Being greeted like this puts me in a good mood.”
“I don’t know what brings you to our hotel today, but I hope everything you intend to accomplish goes well.”
“Hahaha. Yes, I hope so too. Thank you.”
President Park of Bukjin Trading laughed heartily and walked through the door the doorman had opened, into Ilhyeon Hotel.
Meeting President Choi of Sangmin Trading, who’d arrived earlier, he immediately told him about what had just happened with the doorman.
“President Choi. You won’t believe it — the doorman out front recognized me as the president of Bukjin Trading and greeted me by name. For a moment I thought, is there really someone this uncanny in this world?”
“He did the same for me.”
“He did the same for you?”
“Not just me. I hear the doormen have practically memorized every VIP who comes to Ilhyeon Hotel. Apparently they’ve got all the license plates memorized, or something like that.”
“Is that really true?”
At President Park’s startled question, President Choi told him what he’d heard.
“That’s not all. They say the staff tailor their service precisely to the reason you usually visit the hotel.”
“Tailored service? What does that mean?”
“If you’re someone who often comes for meals, they let the restaurant know ahead of time to hold a table for you. If you’re someone who often holds business meetings, they set up a table beforehand that’s easy to talk at.”
“They go that far?”
“You think we’re sitting here right now because I asked the coffee shop for a table like this?”
Only then did President Park realize they were seated well inside the coffee shop, at a table suited for conversation at a somewhat louder volume.
And he clicked his tongue, realizing he’d been naturally led here the moment he’d walked through the hotel doors.
But the surprises didn’t end there.
Realizing President Park didn’t know about Ilhyeon Hotel’s transformation, President Choi kept talking.
“It’s not just the doorman who recognizes us. The staff all recognize us too.”
President Choi raised his hand, and a coffee shop employee came over to where they were.
“Yes, President Choi. Is there something you need?”
“Do you know who this is, sitting in front of me?”
President Choi asked the employee, pointing a finger at President Park.
The employee smiled, as if it were an obvious question, and answered,
“Of course. How could I not know President Park of Bukjin Trading? He’s one of our hotel’s VIPs.”
President Choi thanked the employee and ordered a drink.
Once the employee left, President Choi smiled at President Park and said,
“Well? Impressive, isn’t it?”
“Truly impressive.”
“So? Does it feel real to you now, that Ilhyeon Hotel has completely changed?”
“It’s certainly different.”
“Well then, let’s go.”
President Choi rose from his seat to leave, and just then, the employee arrived with the drink.
He told the employee they were heading out, so the employee could drink it themselves, then gestured to President Park.
“Go where?”
“The real transformed Ilhyeon Hotel is in the restaurant.”
“It’s in the restaurant?”
“I had a hard time getting this reservation just so you could taste it. So let’s hurry.”
President Choi muttered to himself that the reservation might be canceled if they were late, and left the coffee shop.
President Park, shaking his head, wondering what could possibly be so impressive about a restaurant that Choi was making such a fuss, followed after him.
But even Park, who’d felt that way, came to understand President Choi completely once they left the restaurant after eating.
The two of them left Ilhyeon Hotel with happy faces, saying it was the most delicious food they’d ever eaten.
And this same scene kept repeating with other guests as well.
As word of this spread, all of Korea’s most prominent figures began flocking to Ilhyeon Hotel.
(End of Chapter 46)