Chapter 19: The Taste of Home

Kang Jin enjoyed his meal of warm rice with cucumber kimchi and ground ivy side dishes along with two fried eggs.

Crunch! Crunch!

He smiled as he chewed on freshly made cucumber kimchi.

“It’s delicious.”

The crunchy, slightly spicy yet refreshing taste complemented the rice perfectly. As Kang Jin savored his meal, the door opened.

Creak!

“We’re here.”

“It looks like a traditional Korean restaurant.”

Four women entered through the open door, one of them being the manager’s wife from yesterday.

“Hello,” greeted Kang Jin.

In response to his greeting, the manager’s wife placed a jar containing homemade kimchi on the table.

“Oh dear, we might have come at a bad time while you’re having dinner.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m done eating.”

Despite his words, there was still half of Kang Jin’s meal left on the table.

“We really enjoyed yesterday’s seaweed soup. Here’s your bowl.” The manager’s wife pointed to the kimchi container.

Kang Jin picked up the heavy jar and looked at her quizzically.

“I felt bad returning just an empty jar, so I brought some homemade kimchi from our house. I hope you like it.”

“Oh! Thank you very much.”

“My pleasure. And thank you for the delicious seaweed soup yesterday.”

The manager’s wife meant every word. She had taken the seaweed soup with her when she visited her mother the previous day. Just as Haein craved her grandmother’s cooking, her mother also longed for that familiar taste.

Just as Haein had craved seaweed soup, her mother likely yearned for it too. After having some last night, Kang Jin’s mother tearfully reminisced about her late mother-in-law. The manager’s wife couldn’t help but join her in tears, turning their dinner table into a sea of sorrowful weeping.

The kimchi was packed because her mother requested for Kang Jin to take some as well.

Kang Jin expressed his gratitude and started gathering the dishes from the table, intending to finish eating later due to the unexpected visitor.

Seeing this, Manager An’s wife hastily said, “Please continue your meal.”

“We’re done already.” As he spoke, Kang Jin quickly finished off the remaining rice and side dish, chewed, and swallowed. “See? All gone.”

Kang Jin smiled at her words, and she sat down without further protest. Kang Jin quickly cleared his dishes and approached them again.

“You came early today.”

It was only eleven o’clock, too early for lunch.

“I heard you would cook whatever we want if there aren’t any other customers, so I brought my friends along.”

Kang Jin chuckled at Manager An’s wife’s words.

I could’ve cooked if they arrived by half past twelve.

After all, few guests visited aside from ghosts.

“You’ve brought some guests with you. Then I’ll put extra effort into making it delicious today.”

“We thoroughly enjoyed yesterday’s meal as well.”

“What shall I make for you today?” Manager An’s wife looked to the women accompanying her.

“What would you like to eat?” asked Manager An’s wife.

One of the women looked at Kang Jin.

“We can order anything we want?”

“As long as I have the ingredients and know how to make it, yes,” replied Kang Jin.

The women scanned the store interior before spotting the menu board on one side. The menu still listed only Dweji Bulgogi Don from when he hastily wrote it up on his first day. He hadn’t gotten around to updating it yet, nor had there been any customers for him to bother with revisions.

“There’s only ‘Dweji Bulgogi Don’ on your menu?”

“I simplified it down to one dish because my hands were full when many guests came at once. But if there aren’t many patrons, I can prepare whatever is possible.”

“I’ll let you know what we want.”

“All right.”

As Kang Jin returned to the kitchen, the women discussed their menu choices.

“But is this place really good?”

“Yes, I’m telling you it is.”

“Then why does the menu look like that?”

“They say it’s good here. Anyway, what do you want to eat?”

“I feel uneasy…”

“Who cares? If you like it, pay for it; if not, just leave.”

The manager’s wife frowned at her friend’s remark.

“Hey, if you’re going to be like that, then don’t eat. This is my favorite restaurant, so why talk about it negatively?”

“Oh, I was just saying. And you’re funny too! You’ve been here only once yesterday, yet you act like a regular.”

“It truly is amazing.”

“Okay, okay. Sorry.” The woman apologized with a smile, realizing she didn’t mean any harm by her comment.

“You should just let the owner decide what to serve you.”

“Let him decide?”

“In Japan, there’s this concept called omakase, where the head chef recommends dishes based on the freshest ingredients of the day. Let’s do that here.”

Omakase is a Japanese dining style wherein chefs create meals using their choice of fresh ingredients available for the day rather than following a set menu.

“Sounds good.”

With everyone agreeing, Manager An’s wife called Kang Jin over.

“Sir.”

Kang Jin had been listening in on their conversation and promptly approached them.

“Would you like me to choose your meal?”

“Are there any foods you dislike?”

“We’re not picky eaters.” Hearing her response, Kang Jin pondered briefly before suggesting…

“How about some home-style dishes?”

“Home-style dishes?”

“It’s market day today, so I’ve prepared several side dishes. And…Kim…”

Kang Jin stopped himself from suggesting kimchi stew.

It’s been a while since they’ve come to Gangnam, and offering them something as common as kimchi stew might not be appreciated.

Kimchi stew is a dish commonly found in most households. While it tastes good, it may not be suitable for these ladies who had dressed up for a special outing after quite some time.

“How about chap steak with sides?”

For dining out, a steak should feel more appropriate, right?

“Chap steak?”

“We received some excellent meat today.”

“But…steak is quite expensive…”

As a homemaker, she felt uncomfortable ordering steak for lunch with her friends at a restaurant.

Kang Jin laughed gently.

“As I mentioned yesterday, our restaurant charges whatever customers want to pay. If you enjoy your meal, feel free to pay 5,000 won or even just 1,000 won. Don’t worry about the price; relax and enjoy your food. If it’s not to your liking, you can leave without paying.”

“Really?”

“Yes, of course. However…we charge market prices for alcohol, so please drink moderately.” Kang Jin smiled and headed back into the kitchen, quickly opening his cooking practice screen.

“Chap steak… Chap steak… Bulgogi stir-fry?”

Kang Jin searched for chopped steak but found beef stir-fried with vegetables instead.

Hmm… Even though it has a different name, this should be fine.

The only difference between beef stir-fried with vegetables and chopped steak was their names; both involved cutting meat and sautéing it similarly. As Kang Jin continued browsing the menu, he nodded upon spotting pumpkin beef stir-fry.

“Let’s go with these two dishes as our main courses. It would also be nice to have a soup. Something simple…”

He quickly scanned his notes and nodded.

“A bean sprout kimchi stew sounds good.”

Bean sprout kimchi stew is easy to prepare. By simply simmering it while working on other dishes, he could save time and streamline his movements.

Moreover, with spicy beef on the menu, a refreshing broth would complement it nicely… Kang Jin poured water into a pot and added kelp and anchovies. Then he retrieved beef and vegetables from the refrigerator to start preparing dinner.

Chop-chop-chop! Chop-chop!

Under Kang Jin’s skilled hands, ingredients were neatly prepped one by one.

The manager’s wife and her friends continued their conversation.

“So how did you find this place?”

“My husband told me it has great food.”

“And that young man is the owner?”

“Yes.”

“He must be quite well-off for his age.”

“Well-off?”

“For a restaurant like this in Ronhyun…the monthly rent could be around five million won.”

“The rent?”

“Not to mention, there’d likely be a security deposit as well…”

“Oh…this young man is quite impressive.”

While they were talking, one of the friends absent-mindedly stared towards the kitchen.

“What’s wrong?”

“That smells really good.”

“The smell?”

The manager’s wife sniffed the air and nodded in agreement. Indeed, delicious aromas wafted from the kitchen.

“Just smelling it makes me hungry.”

“I’m getting hungry too.”

As the women chatted, Kang Jin emerged with platters of food.

“Thank you for waiting.”

Kang Jin placed the dishes on the dining table, and the manager’s wife began serving them.

“These side dishes look delicious.”

“Enjoy your meal.”

Next, Kang Jin brought out the O’Saek Chapseok and Pumpkin Chapseok.

“Here are two more dishes.”

“It’s five-colored chaps-steak and pumpkin chaps-steak.”

Of course, Kang Jin had named these dishes “chaps-steak” himself. It sounded more sophisticated than calling them stir-fried beef or pumpkin.

“The five-colored chaps-steak looks so pretty!”

“The pumpkin chaps-steak seems incredibly tender.”

In response to their comments, Kang Jin pointed at the ground ivy dish.

“All the other dishes are great too, but please try this ground ivy as well.”

“What kind of vegetable is this?”

“It’s ground ivy, which is very nutritious.” After explaining its benefits with a smile, he shook his head gently. “Please enjoy your meal while it’s still warm.”

As soon as Kang Jin returned to the kitchen, the women picked up their phones instead of eating. They began taking pictures of the food.

“The five-colored chaps-steak is just gorgeous.”

“So this is why it’s called Five-Colored Chop Steak. The colors look so vibrant!”

Kang Jin chuckled inwardly as he watched them take pictures of their food.

Are they posting on social media?

In today’s age, word-of-mouth quickly spreads online. As per Director Park’s advice, good reviews were crucial for any successful restaurant business.

“The pumpkin chop steak is incredibly smooth.”

“It also has a sweet taste.”

“The five-colored chop steak tastes great too.”

“Try eating the steak with bell peppers. It adds a nice crunch and flavor.”

As Kang Jin observed the women enjoying their meal, he discreetly glanced at the dining hall.

Is our business starting to pick up?

Since yesterday’s guests brought new customers… these satisfied diners could potentially bring more patrons in the future.

As Kang Jin pondered this thought, the door opened again.

Creak!

“Welcome…huh?” The person who entered was one of the employees from Saturday’s company dinner party.

“We came back today because we were craving the food here—”

The Director stopped mid-sentence as he spotted Manager Jang’s wife already dining at a table.

“Mrs. Jang?”

At being addressed, Mrs. Jang, who had been enjoying her meal, looked up and sprang to her feet, startled.

“Director Yoon!”

“I see now why Manager Jang suggested having lunch here today. He wanted you to treat his wife, didn’t he?” Director Yoon teased.

Manager Jang shook his head frantically with a bewildered expression, denying any knowledge of such intentions. “No, sir, I wasn’t aware.”

“Hahaha! It’s alright. I haven’t seen Mrs. Na in quite some time.”

The Director then turned to Kang Jin.

“I’ll pay for this meal, so don’t charge these young ladies.”

Everyone chuckled at his use of “young ladies” to refer to them.

“You always know how to make us laugh, sir.”

“Well, thank you. Enjoy your meals.”

With that, the employees greeted Manager Na’s wife and took their seats around her. Meanwhile, Manager Na whispered something to his wife, likely asking about their transportation here.

Seeing this, Kang Jin approached the Director.

“What can I get for you?”

“Do we have to order just stir-fried pork with rice?”

“As long as it doesn’t delay other orders, you can choose anything.”

“Great! Then…I’ll have ramen.”

Kang Jin looked puzzled at Director Kim’s request.

“Ra…ramen?”

The director nodded affirmatively.

“I’m craving some delicious ramen.”

Kang Jin licked his lips thoughtfully.

Ramen… Is there any ramen in the cooking practice room?