Episode 9
9.
The contents written in the note were jotted down as if sketching.
"Bowls and spoons all made of yugi -> look for lightweight yugi (bangjja) bowls.
Appetizer-style pine nut porridge -> should I modify it slightly with a taste that covers all age groups?
What if I change the soup to be boiled according to the guest's condition?"
The contents written in Sihu's note were full of consideration for the guests eating the food.
'Ah, his mindset and thoughts about learning Korean cuisine are different from the students I've seen until now. Reconstructing Korean food to be this accessible, and even recording his impressions after eating the surasang menu.'
Yun Sukhui nodded her head slightly.
Sihu glanced at Yun Sukhui reading his notebook.
'Maybe I shouldn't have shown her?'
Yun Sukhui couldn't know what Sihu was thinking.
While looking at the notebook, Yun Sukhui was revising her evaluation of Sihu upward.
'This student's sense of taste and talent have grown sharper than when he was in high school.'
Yun Sukhui recalled a student who had cooked with a clear theme at a cooking competition.
He left a strong impression with his clean movements while cooking and organizing.
Moreover, he was a student who deeply impressed her by bringing out the characteristics of ingredients better than anyone else.
Yun Sukhui looked at the Sihu before her for a moment.
That very student was Gang Sihu before her now.
Clack—
Yun Sukhui returned the notebook to Sihu and spoke.
"The notes are quite well organized. Especially, your taste evaluation of the surasang, the royal court cuisine, was impressive."
At Yun Sukhui's words, Sihu's ears burned red.
Sihu was embarrassed.
It was an extremely rare occasion for a top-tier Korean cuisine master of Korea to praise his notebook after reading it.
He was left with regret, wondering if he should have organized it better so anyone could understand.
After watching Sihu's blushing face for a moment, Yun Sukhui went back to the question she had asked earlier.
"Student Sihu, think carefully about why you felt your philosophy was contained in the royal court surasang. Also, you said earlier that you didn't know the answer to my question? If you find the answer to that question later, come find me again."
"?! Really?"
At Yun Sukhui's words, Sihu was startled.
She was not a master one could meet simply by wishing to.
When he looked at her with a surprised face, she was looking at Sihu with a benevolent smile.
Sihu felt as if he had received a homework assignment from Yun Sukhui's words.
"Also, the menus written in your notebook... I found them quite promising."
Hearing Yun Sukhui's words, Sihu lowered his head in gratitude and blinked.
'The Master praised me? And said she's looking forward to it?'
Master Yun Sukhui was someone who rarely praised participants in competitions until now.
Recalling that fact, Sihu felt bewildered by the praise.
"Then please enjoy the refreshments at your leisure."
Sihu looked down at the refreshments.
A plate with sujeonggwa, persimmons, pears, and yugwa placed upon it.
The fragrant aroma from the sujeonggwa tickled the tip of his nose pleasantly.
Orange persimmons and white pears were arranged beautifully.
Next to them, a wooden skewer that looked like a binyeo was visible beside the plate.
It was a refreshment table that conveyed sincerity.
"Then I'll take my leave first."
As her words ended, Sihu and Ha Yun conveyed their gratitude with a respectful bow toward Yun Sukhui, who was gracefully rising from her seat.
"Yes. Thank you, Master."
"Thank you."
***
A week had passed since Sihu met Master Yun Sukhui.
On [SeeYou]'s regular day off, Sihu asked Ha Yun to taste the newly conceptualized Korean menu.
Sihu began making various dishes in the home kitchen.
It was called the [SeeYou] Korean version.
It was a combination of Western-style and Korean cuisine.
"Sihu-ya. Hyung is hungry."
"Just a moment. It'll be done soon."
The one nagging Sihu from behind as he cooked was Ha Yun.
He tapped the spoon loudly against the table, pressing Sihu even more.
Paying no mind, Sihu selected a few types of Korean dishes from the kitchen and simply prepared a table setting.
Clack—
Sihu placed a large rectangular tray on the table.
Ha Yun looked at the tray Sihu had prepared.
"These are the bowls we saw at Master Yun Sukhui's Korean restaurant that day, right?"
"Yes, if you use yugi bowls, they have a sterilizing effect and they enhance the food's flavor. They also preserve nutrients for a long time."
Ha Yun nodded at Sihu's words and muttered to himself.
"Won't it be quite heavy to serve?"
Hearing those words, Sihu understood what Ha Yun meant.
Because when the food was made and taken out to guests, Ha Yun was the one who carried it.
"I think I can purchase slightly lighter bangjja yugi."
"The full set including spoons?"
Sihu nodded and offered the food.
Looking at the food placed on the tray, Ha Yun's mouth watered automatically.
An appetizer-style pine nut porridge.
Behind it were braised pork ribs and japchae; next to them were onmyeon, seasoned eggplant, seasoned perilla leaf sprouts, and kimchi.
In the back, there was a small pouch tied with silpa on a plate.
"What's this?"
The small pouch on the plate that Ha Yun pointed at with his finger.
"It's gujeolpan."
"Gujeolpan?"
"Yes. Hyung, that day at the Korean restaurant, you ate various ingredients wrapped in thin crepe with the surrounding items, right? I recreated that."
At Sihu's explanation, Ha Yun's eyes sparkled.
'That looked like it would take a lot of work at a glance... He made it so it can be eaten in one piece?'
Moreover, steaming bugeoguk and white rice.
Munch—chew chew—
Slurp—
Ha Yun exclaimed in admiration.
"Wow-. This is incredible. Especially this bugeoguk, what is it? The seasoning is just right."
"Hyung, try the other things too."
"Uh-. Sure."
Ha Yun looked at the food wearing a golden coat on the yugi bowl.
'Is it fried?'
Ha Yun looked closely at the fried dish.
Even looking at it with his eyes, it felt crispy.
He picked up a piece and brought it to his mouth.
Crunch—
With a crispy sound, along with the burst of sea flavor in his mouth, Ha Yun let out a low moan.
"Mm-um. This is oysters? And next to it is shrimp?"
"Yes, instead of raw fish, I changed it to fried food that any guest would like."
Ha Yun picked up a greenish fried item next to it and asked.
"This one?"
"Dureup?"
"Dureup? In this season?"
At Ha Yun's question, Sihu flinched.
Passing by the fruit trees next to the vegetable garden, there had been a dureup tree.
Sihu had picked all the dureup, trimmed and blanched it, dipped a piece in cho-gochujang to taste, and then decided to try frying it, placing it on the Korean table.
Crunch—
After the cheerful crunching sound, Ha Yun couldn't help but open his eyes wide.
"Hey! This really is dureup. My favorite spring herb."
Ha Yun truly liked it.
Even with food in his mouth, he asked Sihu a question.
"Sihu, where on earth do they sell this? Let me know. I'll buy some for our house."
Whether Ha Yun had fallen for the crispy fried dureup, he bit into another piece that was placed there.
Crunch—
Crisp-crisp—
"Really— Even if you told me to eat nothing but this dureup for a month, I'd eat it."
At Ha Yun's words, Sihu chuckled.
"Hyung. Did you know that dureup has toxic components?"
"Toxic components?"
Sihu nodded at Ha Yun's words and explained.
"The stems of dureup contain toxic components that can cause food poisoning, but it's fine if you blanch them well in salt water or eat young shoots."
Ha Yun looked at the dureup he was eating and then at Sihu.
"I-I'm going to be okay, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"You said it has poison?"
"Hyung. Have you ever had a stomachache when your mother made namul with it?"
"No, I haven't."
"Then it's fine."
"Ah, no, that's not what I mean, this fried thing—"
Chuckle—
"I only picked very young leaves, washed them clean, and fried them, so it's fine. I tasted it too, and it's fine."
At Sihu's words, Ha Yun stroked his chest in relief.
After that, Ha Yun ate everything from japchae to braised pork ribs.
Finally, after eating the onmyeon (janchi guksu), he put down his spoon.
"Ugh— I'm full. My stomach's going to burst."
Sihu offered a glass of ade and gotgam for after the meal.
Ha Yun tilted his head slightly and asked.
"What kind of ade is this?"
"Cinnamon ade."
"Cinnamon?"
"Yes. It's made with sujeonggwa ingredients; I made thick sujeonggwa and mixed it with carbonated water. I made it and tasted it, and it was delicious."
"Really?"
Ha Yun picked up the cup and took a sip.
In his mouth, the scents of cinnamon, ginger, and jujube embraced each other without asserting dominance, and a subtle sweetness was felt.
Moreover, the tingling sensation of carbonation approached as if drawing out the sweetness a bit more.
"Oh? This is really good."
"Drink that, take a bite of gotgam, and then another sip of ade."
"Oh? Okay."
Ha Yun ate as Sihu instructed.
"Oh! The sweetness changes more subtly? But this might be divisive?"
Sihu nodded as if agreeing with that point.
There were quite a lot of people who disliked the cinnamon scent of sujeonggwa.
"How about just serving gotgam and a slice of fruit for the after-meal dessert?"
At Ha Yun's words, Sihu, who had been thinking for a moment, nodded.
"But... how are you going to price this? Doesn't it take too much work?"
At Ha Yun's question, Sihu pondered.
More than 80% of the ingredients were from the vegetable garden.
Except for pork and seasonal seafood costs, it was just labor costs.
"I should ask Gang Hun-hyung about the pricing."
"Okay. Then are you going to make this Korean table for hyung tomorrow?"
"Yes. Would you like some too, hyung?"
"If you give me more, of course I'd like it."
"Then I'll try making it at [SeeYou] tomorrow."
"Looking at you, it really seems like it takes a lot of work?"
"I'll make it quickly."
As Ha Yun talked with Sihu about this and that, he asked something he was curious about.
"By the way, was your house always this warm?"
Sihu's gaze instantly turned toward the master bedroom.
Ha Yun's gaze also followed Sihu.
"That's your parents' room, right?"
"Yes."
"You must have cleaned it?"
"Yes, I clean it every day."
Ha Yun got up and walked toward the master bedroom.
Peeking into the master bedroom, Ha Yun opened his eyes wide.
"Why is it spring weather only in this room? Why is it so warm?"
As if surprised, Ha Yun only stuck his head through the master bedroom entrance and looked around.
'Is the basement entrance not visible?'
Sihu felt slightly puzzled watching Ha Yun look around the master bedroom and come out to the living room.
"Did you turn the boiler temperature up high only in the master bedroom?"
At Ha Yun's question, Sihu raised the corners of his mouth vaguely and nodded.
"You should just raise the living room temperature."
"Hyung, didn't you see anything in the master bedroom?"
"What? Other than the furniture your parents used, I didn't see anything."
Sihu had worried that the basement in the master bedroom might be visible.
'Phew— that was close.'
Sihu brought up the topic of Korean food to change the subject.
"Hyung! If I serve this Korean food to customers, will they like it?"
"Hmm... Can I be really honest about that Korean food?"
Sihu began to tense up at Ha Yun's words.
"Yes. Please be honest."
Ha Yun saw an eager desire in Sihu's eyes to hear it.
Chuckling inwardly, Ha Yun snapped both thumbs up.
"It'll be a hit, 100%. And I think it'll get really busy once word of mouth spreads."
Sihu's head tilted slightly at Ha Yun's words.
"Word of mouth?"
Thank you for reading.
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