Kim Hyosan felt a sense of urgency.
“Songi, has it arrived?”
“Yes, the ingredients team contacted us. They said 10kg came in today.”
“10kg… It’s not much, but at least there’s that.”
Although it wasn’t an ideal amount, Kim Hyosan was relieved that President Jeon Seongryeol had kept his promise.
“You know President Makimiya has a reservation today, right? Make sure everything is perfectly prepared.”
“Yes, Head Chef.”
The kitchen was already buzzing like a battlefield.
Hearing that President Makimiya had arrived, Kim Hyosan hurried out to greet him.
“How is President Makimiya today?”
“He seems in especially good spirits.”
“That’s a relief. I thought he’d be down since I heard his chronic illness had flared up again.”
“He’s a big businessman, after all. He doesn’t linger on bad feelings for long. Let’s get the dishes ready quickly.”
That day, President Makimiya praised the matsutake mushroom dishes more than usual.
It wasn’t just President Makimiya.
The VIPs visiting the restaurant were completely enamored with the premium wild matsutake mushroom dishes.
“Chef Kim, I’ve always liked matsutake mushrooms, but the ones here at the hotel are different.”
“The texture and aroma are unique, and there’s an indescribable subtle superiority. I’ve had premium matsutake mushrooms before, but the ones here are beyond premium; they’re unique. There’s something special about them.”
“I can’t eat matsutake mushroom dishes anywhere else now.”
“Where on earth do these matsutake mushrooms come from? It’s not even the season for them, right? And frozen ones couldn’t possibly taste this good…”
“Thank you.”
Kim Hyosan was in high spirits from the guests’ compliments.
Before long, the out-of-season premium matsutake mushroom dish became the signature dish of the West Seat Hotel’s Korean restaurant.
Even the French restaurant requested to share the matsutake mushrooms.
Of course, Kim Hyosan flatly refused the French restaurant’s request.
“We don’t even have enough for ourselves; what are they thinking?”
Kim Hyosan also gave a stern warning to the head of the purchasing department.
“I personally persuaded President Jeon Seongryeol to secure this supply, so it can’t be diverted elsewhere. I’m not just talking about our hotel’s French restaurant. It can’t go to any other dining establishments, including those you personally know outside of West Seat Hotel.”
He added a subtle warning at the end.
“I don’t want to change the entire supply line for ingredients. Let’s keep things comfortable, okay?”
He knew he had been getting a lot from the existing suppliers.
If he messed with the matsutake mushroom supply, he would expose everything and change the supplier line.
The head of the purchasing department clearly understood the message.
As the matsutake mushroom dish gained fame among the upper-class clientele, reservations flooded in like a tidal wave, bringing a surge of excitement to the West Seat Hotel’s Korean restaurant.
However, it didn’t take long for the joyful cries to turn into cries of distress.
“Head Chef! We’re running low on matsutake mushrooms! We can’t take all these reservations at this rate!”
“Where did all the supply from last time go?”
“The hall was fully booked all week. Of course, we used it all.”
“Head Chef, the supply from Seongryeol Distribution is gradually decreasing. It wasn’t great to begin with, but it’s getting worse.”
“This won’t do. I need to make a call.”
He knew it was not the season for matsutake mushrooms.
He didn’t know how Seongryeol Distribution managed to get them, but there must have been some inexplicable difficulties.
But that didn’t mean he could just sit back and do nothing.
He needed to call and plead his case.
– “Ah, we’re having difficulties too. You know it’s not the season for matsutake mushrooms. We are really struggling to secure them.”
“I know, I know. But we’re in a very tight spot here. Important guests have heard the rumors and are making a lot of reservations. Is there any way to secure even a little more supply?”
– “Sigh, I’ll try my best.”
He said he would contact him as soon as they secured more supply.
“Thank you. Please, I’m counting on you.”
President Jeon Seongryeol accepted the complaints without a hint of irritation, and Kim Hyosan saw hope in that.
However, shocking news awaited him.
“Head Chef, did you hear?”
“What? What is it this time?”
Seeing Jeong Seokwu, his hoobae, hesitate a bit, Kim Hyosan was filled with a sense of foreboding.
“I just heard from a friend at Baekdu Hotel…”
“What is it? Hurry up and tell me before I pass out.”
“They said 100kg of premium wild matsutake mushrooms arrived all at once, and they served matsutake mushroom dishes to all the guests at the restaurant.”
“What?”
Kim Hyosan’s vision went dark.
100kg of premium wild matsutake mushrooms went to a rival hotel?
If it were the season, he wouldn’t have thought much of it.
But now, during the off-season, you couldn’t get matsutake—unless they were frozen—no matter how much money you had.
Naturally, Kim Hyosan thought of Seongryeol Distribution.
“Do you know where they got those matsutake mushrooms from?”
“I didn’t hear that much. I’ll try to subtly ask my friend later.”
“Can’t you ask right now?”
“My friend just mentioned in the group chat that 100kg of matsutake mushrooms arrived and then went silent. They must be busy. They’re still a junior in the hall.”
“Let me know as soon as you hear anything.”
“Yes, understood, sunbae.”
Kim Hyosan was so anxious that he couldn’t focus on his work.
He suppressed the urge to call Jeon Seongryeol immediately to ask.
What’s the point of asking now?
Baekdu Hotel’s Korean restaurant is a rival among rivals.
Since his restaurant earned a Michelin 3-star last year and their restaurant got 2-stars, the competitive spirit has intensified.
The pride of being the best Korean restaurant in a domestic hotel was something that couldn’t be exchanged for anything.
But now, when his restaurant couldn’t even get matsutake mushrooms, 100kg suddenly went to them?
Please, let it not be true. It must be frozen. It has to be. How could they get wild matsutake mushrooms at this time of year?
The wait for Jeong Seokwu to get in touch with his friend felt excruciatingly long.
And finally, the answer came.
“Sunbae, it seems like we’ve been had.”
“What do you mean?”
“They said it was supplied by Seongryeol Distribution. The company president’s name was Jeon Seongryeol.”
Kim Hyosan’s vision went dark again.
He remembered Jeon Seongryeol’s bright, cheerful smile.
“Can you cover for me for a bit? I need to make a call about the ingredients.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
Rushing out of the kitchen, Kim Hyosan called Jeon Seongryeol.
He worried about what he would do if he didn’t answer, but fortunately, the call connected after a few rings.
– “Yes, Head Chef. This is Jeon Seongryeol.”
“Hello, President. This is Kim Hyosan.”
– “Yes, what brings you to call?”
Jeon Seongryeol’s voice was still bright and cheerful.
Just from the tone, it made Kim Hyosan wonder if he had misunderstood the situation, but he decided to confront it head-on.
“It’s just that… I was wondering when we might receive the matsutake mushrooms for our hotel.”
– “Ah, I’m sorry. We don’t have enough supply right now. We’ll deliver as soon as we have more.”
“I heard that 100kg of matsutake mushrooms were delivered to Baekdu Hotel today. Do you know anything about that?”
What kind of reaction would he show?
Would he hesitate, be flustered, or feign ignorance?
Jeon Seongryeol’s reaction was none of those.
– “Ah, that was supplied by our company. There’s no other company that can supply wild matsutake mushrooms at this time of year besides us.”
“What? How is that…?”
Kim Hyosan was at a loss for words at the casual, bright acknowledgment.
He hadn’t expected such a response.
– “We’ve signed an exclusive supply contract with Baekdu Hotel. Starting this month, we’ll be supplying all their ingredients, not just matsutake mushrooms. Haha.”
