Chapter 87

The two chefs hastily bowed as Kim Bongnam entered the kitchen.

“Sungsu-nim!”

Kim Bongnam smiled at their greeting.

“What’s on the menu today?”

“Bibimbap and eomuk stew.”

“Sounds delicious.” He then turned to Kang Jin.

“After our guests finish eating, let’s have some too.”

“We’re here for sustenance, so we should eat after work is done.”

“You’re right.”

As they spoke, Kim Bongnam started taking ingredients out of the refrigerator nearby. Then he looked at Kang Jin.

“Do you know how to make kimbap?”

“Kimbap?”

“Do you know how to make it?”

“Yes.”

“Give it a try.”

With a nod from Kang Jin, Kim Bongnam pointed at the ingredients, and Kang Jin began washing his hands at the sink.

Kim Bongnam nodded at Kang Jin’s actions.

At least he knows the basics.

Hygiene was fundamental for anyone preparing food. Kim Bongnam appreciated that Kang Jin started by washing his hands before cooking.

With clean hands, Kang Jin stood in front of the ingredients.

“This is a test.”

As Kang Jin examined the ingredients, Bae Yongsoo whispered to him. Kang Jin glanced briefly at Kim Bongnam.

“I’m feeling a bit nervous with you watching.”

“Relax. I just want some kimbap…”

“Should I cook the rice too?”

“The foundation of kimbap is indeed the rice, isn’t it?”

Kang Jin nodded at Kim Bongnam’s words and subtly mouthed “Test?” towards Bae Yongsoo.

“Kimbap may seem simple, but it encompasses the fundamentals of Korean cuisine. You need to cook rice, prepare ingredients, cut them precisely with a knife, control the heat for frying eggs, and season everything correctly. Making kimbap is one of the practical tests during chef interviews.”

“Why me?” Kang Jin mouthed silently.

Bae Yongsoo glanced at Kim Bongnam before responding, “If Suk-su enjoys your food, he’ll dine at your restaurant.”

“Dine?”

“Suk-su doesn’t just take photos or eat anywhere casually. He won’t photograph or dine at places with subpar meals. People come because they recognize his face, so he feels responsible if the food isn’t good. That’s why he wants to try your cooking first.”

Bae Yongsoo’s words caused Kang Jin to frown slightly.

There is no need for this…

In truth, Kang Jin had confidence in his…no, rather, Kim Bokrae’s recipes. If ghosts didn’t appear during meal times, he believed their business would thrive. Similar to when they sold Sunji hangover soup, customers would flock if the food tasted good. Simply put, delicious food would attract patrons. However, since Kim Bongnam requested him to cook, Kang Jin decided to go ahead with it.

“The rice is over there.”

Following Kim Bongnam’s direction, Kang Jin walked towards where the rice was stored. The rice was kept in a traditional earthenware jar. Seeing the lustrous grains, Kang Jin smiled.

“Good quality rice.”

Bae Yongsoo smiled at Kang Jin’s murmurings.

“It is top-grade Cheolwon rice.”

“Cheolwon?”

“These days, most rice tastes good. However, Cheolwon rice has excellent flavor due to its high sunlight exposure during ripening and wide temperature fluctuations.”

Kang Jin nodded at Sung Yongsoo’s explanation before turning towards Kim Bongnam.

“How many servings should I make?”

“If we’re making it anyway, why not make plenty? Let’s say twenty servings.”

Upon hearing ‘twenty servings’, Kang Jin scooped out the required amount of rice into a bowl. Then, he started washing the rice.

Rinse! Rinse!

After quickly rinsing the rice under running water, Kang Jin promptly drained it.

“You’re discarding the water immediately.”

“I was taught that it’s best to discard the initial rinse water.”

“Do you know why we do this?”

“It’s to prevent impurities from being absorbed by the rice.”

Kim Bongnam nodded as Kang Jin repeated what was written in the cooking practice manual verbatim. As Kang Jin stated, dry rice immediately absorbs water upon contact. Therefore, it is essential to discard the initial rinse water promptly; otherwise, any murky water could be absorbed by the rice grains.

Without further comment, Kim Bongnam observed Kang Jin washing the rice.

He’s doing well.

As experts recognize each other’s skills, even just watching him wash the rice revealed how proficient Kang Jin was in cooking. Of course, his technique mirrored Mrs. Kim Bok-rae’s recipe, so it wasn’t necessarily indicative of Kang Jin’s individual prowess.

Rinse! Swish!

Kang Jin’s hands moved rhythmically as he washed the rice thoroughly without breaking or damaging any grains. Once done, Kang Jin looked around for something to cook it in.

“We don’t use electric rice cookers here; we make rice on gas stoves.”

Kim Bongnam handed him a pressure cooker, and Kang Jin started cooking the rice.

“Oh, I need some kelp.”

When the chef who had given him noodles earlier made to move, Kim Bongnam shook his head.

“You stick to your job.”

Bongnam then brought over the kelp himself. Kang Jin rinsed the surface gently with water before placing it atop the rice.

Kim Bongnam observed Kang Jin with interest.

He’s trying to enhance the flavor.

Having guessed Kang Jin’s intention, Kim Bongnam asked,

“Where did you learn cooking?”

“I learned from my grandmother who owned a restaurant.”

As he spoke, Kang Jin placed a rice cooker on top of the stove. He then inspected the ingredients for kimbap. They were basic ones: eggs, ham, lean pork, yams, dried bean curd, and seaweed.

Just as Kang Jin picked up his knife, Sung Yongsoo quickly interjected:

“Taste each ingredient before cutting them.”

Kang Jin glanced at him.

“Why?” he mouthed quietly.

Sung Yongsoo looked at Kim Bongnam standing behind Kang Jin before responding.

“The taste of ingredients can vary from day to day. It is basic for chefs to check their ingredients before cooking with them. Let’s do this properly.”

Sung Yongsoo wanted Kang Jin to display his perfection in front of Kim Bongnam. Although he couldn’t call Kang Jin his disciple yet, Sung Yongsoo was teaching him how to cook. Of course, Kim Bongnam wasn’t aware of this fact, but Yongsoo still wanted to present Kang Jin favorably in front of him.

As such, Kang Jin used his knife to cut small pieces off each ingredient and tasted them. This brought a smile to Kim Bongnam’s face. He appreciated that Kang Jin took the time to sample the ingredients beforehand. Seeing this smile, Sung Yongsoo also broke out grinning.

Kang Jin felt the eyes of both the ghost and Sam on him as he started to prepare the ingredients.

Shhhk! Shhhk!

As Kim Bongnam watched Kang Jin slice the kimbap with his knife, he couldn’t help but eat a piece of dried anchovy.

Munch! Munch!

The dried anchovy was quite tasty.

‘The rice is sweet yet savory, and the egg has a delicate flavor. Moreover, the dried bean curd complements the sweetness of the rice well. Additionally, it’s beautifully crafted.’

Kim Bongnam nodded while evaluating the taste of Kang Jin’s kimbap.

Shhhk! Shhhk!

Once Kang Jin finished slicing all the kimbap and placed them on plates, Kim Bongnam spoke up:

“Well then, let’s join everyone for lunch.”

With that, Kim Bongnam left the kitchen, followed closely by Kang Jin carrying the kimbap.

Kang Jin followed Kim Bongnam to where he could see employees eating their meals. While Kang Jin was making kimbap, the new chefs had prepared eomuk stew and bibimbap ahead of time and were already digging in. This dining area appeared to be exclusively for staff; unlike the elegant interior of Yunam Restaurant, it looked more utilitarian but still clean.

“This fellow made some kimbap, so let’s try them out too,” said Kim Bongnam.

At his words, those seated at the table stood up and helped themselves to some of the kimbap Kang Jin brought over. Observing this, Kim Bongnam took a seat at an empty spot nearby.

“You sit down here as well.” As Kang Jin joined him, one of the young chefs brought over bowls of bibimbap and eomuk stew.

“Go ahead and enjoy.”

Kang Jin smiled and nodded at Kim Bongnam’s suggestion. The young chefs who made kimchi rolls also prepared bibimbap, which looked delicious to Kang Jin. Seeing it now on his plate with noodles mixed in red seasoning garnished with egg slices, he couldn’t wait to dig in.

He took a big bite of bibimbap.

Munch, munch!

As soon as he started chewing, Kang Jin felt uplifted.

It’s so good.

The spicy yet sweet flavor put him in high spirits. It was tasty enough that if they opened a bibimbap restaurant, it would instantly become popular.

Kim Bongnam observed Kang Jin enjoying his meal before speaking up.

“How’s the taste?”

“It’s really delicious,” replied Kang Jin.

Kim Bongnam nodded and started eating his noodles.

Kang Jin then overheard some employees nearby talking.

“How is the kimbap?”

“It tastes great.”

“So, is Yongsoo also training as a chef here?”

“If the kimbap is any indication, he seems to be at the trainee level already.”

Kang Jin glanced their way based on what they were discussing.

Do they think I’m here for a job interview?

He understood why they might think so since Woonam Restaurant used to test prospective chefs with making kimbap during interviews.

Kang Jin looked back at Kim Bongnam who continued eating his noodles without paying attention to others’ conversations around him.

After finishing his noodles, Kim Bongnam looked at Kang Jin.

“If you have finished eating, let’s go check your physical condition.”

“I should come along too?”

“Yes, I believe they will want to speak with you directly when you see the dragons in your dreams.” With that, Kim Bongnam turned towards someone else.

“Manager!”

At Kim Bongnam’s call, a middle-aged man who was eating kimbap nearby approached them.

“Yes sir.”

“I’ll be back shortly. Call me if anything comes up.”

“Understood.”

Kim Bongnam then glanced at Kang Jin again.

“Let’s go now since we’ve finished our meal.”

Kang Jin nodded and stood up from his seat. He then addressed everyone present:

“I’m a friend of Sung Yongsoo.”

People turned their attention towards him as he spoke.

“I’ve heard much about you from Yongsoo. He mentioned that you’re good people and like family to him. It’s great to finally meet all of you.”

People nodded at Kang Jin’s words, but some looked somber as they remembered Sung Yongsoo. This prompted a sigh from Bae Yongsoo himself.

“You guys have such big hearts…”

Kang Jin playfully nudged Bae Yongsoo before following Kim Bongnam outside. As they headed towards the parking lot, Kim Bongnam asked:

“Did you bring your car?”

“I took the bus.”

“Then hop in with me.”

As Kim Bongnam got into his sedan, Kang Jin moved to join him in the front passenger seat but paused upon noticing Heo Yeonwook and Bae Yongsoo.

Kang Jin needed to accompany them… However, he would have to open the rear door for these two ghosts. Ghosts couldn’t simply enter anywhere they wished. They could access shops or places with open doors but not closed residences or private spaces.

‘But I can’t sit in the back seat either?’

It was inappropriate to sit in the backseat when someone senior to you was driving. Thus, opening the rear door for the ghosts and then entering through the front passenger side felt awkward…

Kang Jin observed the ghosts.

“I’ll call out to them.”

“Please do so.”

“Take care, Mr. Heo.”

Bae Yongsoo smiled and nodded after receiving Kang Jin’s parting advice.

“I’ll check out Woonam Restaurant for the first time in a while.”

Hearing Sung Yongsoo’s words, Kang Jin stopped arguing and got in the passenger seat next to Kim Bongnam.

“Woonam Restaurant is quite nice, isn’t it?” Kim Bongnam was unaware of Kang Jin talking with ghosts earlier. He assumed Kang Jin had been observing Woonam Restaurant when he stood gazing sideways.

Kang Jin nodded in agreement.

“It feels more like a park than a restaurant.”

“A park…”

“Well, calling it a park isn’t entirely wrong. It incorporates elements of both dining and nature.”

“A Korean cuisine park, that sounds intriguing too.” Nodding at Kang Jin’s remark, Kim Bongnam started the car and began driving.