The kitchen was an intense environment normally, but the entire restaurant seemed to be silently on edge. The bussers made sure each wine glass was polished to perfection, each cloth napkin folded with elegance- While the head chef patrolled the back of house much like a drill sergeant inspecting his platoon of recruits. Sauces were tasted and re-seasoned, edible flower garnishes prepared with the utmost care.
For Ushio, it was business as usual, but the added stress of everything needing to be 'perfect' was beginning to wear on his concentration. His knife rocked back and forth above his cutting board, deftly creating a fine chiffonade of herbs that would be delicately tweezered onto the main entree for their mysterious VIP guest. The name was never spoken, only shared between hushed whispers where fact became convoluted by idle gossip. A celebrity, someone incredibly influential and wealthy that his peers desperately wanted to please and be acknowledged by.
He would be lying if he said he didn't also want to be recognized for his hard work and skill, but in his current position on the kitchen brigade, he wasn't exactly in a position to display his hand in any of the dishes. Ushio was a mere cog in the working machinery of the fine dining establishment, integral to the restaurants day-to-day success, but easily replaceable due to his low rank.
Sumiko was the sous chef functioning as the second in command, a snow leopardess with heavy eyeshadow and a sharp tongue. Nothing pleased nor impressed her, so Ushio tried not to take her strict demeanor and harsh critiques on a personal level... It proved increasingly difficult when she was currently staring him down from across the pass as he worked on his duties. Thoroughly distracted and sweating from the abject pressure of Sumiko's scrutiny, he quickly threw his finished bouquet garni into the waiting stock pot of vegetable demi-glace.
Once the liquid had reduced, it was slowly added in increments to the eggplant risotto. The unctuous rice dish was carefully ladled onto a shallow bowl and allowed to 'rest' (spread out) for a few moments, before shaved petals of chanterelle mushrooms were lightly sprinkled onto the otherwise simple and unadorned plating. Sumiko added delicate fronds of vibrant green fennel to the dish and expertly wiped any misplaced stains of sauce from the ceramic dishware, sending the finished side out with the main entree of the tasting menu.
The wine sommelier came rushing in not moments later, frantically asking Sumiko about the ingredients to the risotto- Apparently fennel was not listed on the menu in the description of the side dish.
"How could you make such a careless mistake?! What is he's ALLERGIC-" the sommelier hissed, worrying his silk tie in agitation.
Suddenly, Sumiko's narrowed pupils landed upon Ushio, sending a chill down his spine.
"Ushio's the one who prepared the garnishes, so the responsibility is his."
The yak stared in abject, dumbfounded silence.
"But... Chef Sumiko added the fennel-" he tried to defend himself, before the hulking form of the monstrously imposing shadow of their head chef fell over him.
The chef de cuisine was a lion, part of the 'old guard' who'd been leading the direction of the restaurant for over thirty years. Anything he said, they merely answered with a resounding 'Yes, Chef!' and scuttled away to make his demands a reality.
There was no way he was going to get out of taking the blame for the mishap.
His palms were sweaty as he clasped them before his waist, hurrying out to the secluded and private dining area in the most scenic and luxuriously decorated room of the building, complete with a small pond of koi and miniature bonsai maple trees.
"I must humbly and sincerely apologize, sir- The inclusion of a new ingredient in the eggplant risotto was my mistake..." he began to stammer, hiding behind his thick curtain of bangs as he began to bow profusely.
Maybe if he crawled on his hands and knees and pressed his forehead into the floor, he'd only get fired tonight and his entire reputation within the culinary industry wouldn't be in complete tatters.
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