Youn’s Kitchen, Season 2 Episode 6 (Part 2)

Youn’s Kitchen has new mountain to climb as a big day is coming. This is a matter of pride so they must do it right.

At minutes past six o’clock, Youn’s Kitchen’s fifth day of business has just concluded.

The Night Before the Big Day

Even though they have no customers left, there are works to be done. Boss Youn seasons the meat for tomorrow. Tomorrow is friday, the big day for the reservation for a get-together from the restaurant they dined in. Seo-Joon notes the ingredients they need for tomorrow. “Lettuce and spinach,” Yu-Mi says.

They continue preparing for tomorrow until the night falls.

Dinner and Anticipation

Yu-Mi brings two stuffed toys, a pig called Gara and a dog called Chico, to the window. As usual, she goes to the laundry room to wash tablecloths and aprons.

Dinner is kimchi fried rice and soup. They raise a toast to tomorrow. “Sleep well for tomorrow is an important day,” Seo-Jin says. They enjoy the kimchi fried rice.

After dinner, Seo-Jin expresses his worry about tomorrow, due to reservations and tomorrow being friday. “Weekends start on fridays here,” he says. They should expect more people. Boss Youn just says that they should start preparing tonight.

Yu-Mi will tear mushrooms that she has brought home. “Right now?” Seo-Jin sounds appalled. It is against his ‘never bring work home’ policy and philosophy, which is a fine one on any other day. “Help me, Oppa!” Yu-Mi tells him that there will be so much to do tomorrow. So Seo-Jin and Seo-Joon help tearing the mushrooms.

“Don’t forget to wear black and white tomorrow,” Seo-Jin tells Yu-Mi.

 

 

The Morning of A Big Day

The morning routines commence. Yu-Mi does the laundry, eats breakfast — she breaks apple in half with bare hands — and goes back to her room. While waiting for the laundry machine to ping, she does stretching. Once the laundry is finished, she goes to the rooftop to hang the freshly cleaned clothes.

Seo-Joon, wearing white shirt, irons his black trousers thoroughly. Today they all wear white and black. He then irons the cleaned aprons.

Unusually, Seo-Jin goes out first. He goes to the butcher’s to get ham and then store it in the kitchen fridge. He goes out again towards the town square and stops at the square cafe — last night, the casts decided to have breakfast there. He sits and waits for the others.

At home, Yu-Mi and Seo-Joon, collecting apron and ingredients they’d worked on, prepare to go out while Boss Youn is staying. She needs time to revive herself. Yu-Mi and Seo-Joon go to the town square and join Seo-Jin.

Breakfast at the Town Square

Seo-Joon, the most fluent in Spanish among them, orders one hamburger for himself, one bacon and chips for Seo-Jin, and one sandwich for Yu-Mi. Seo-Jin then tells the others that current President Moon Jae-In appeared in his dream. It must be a good omen. “We are going to be successful,” he says. Yu-Mi asks if the President said anything. “I can’t remember,” Seo-Jin says.

They discuss today’s to-do list and grocery list. Seo-Jin tells them to shop now while they are waiting for the food. Seo-Joon goes to the greengrocer’s to buy spinach and lettuce. Seo-Jin tells Yu-Mi to prepare increased portions of everything for today. “Think of it as the last day,” he says.

Seo-Jin points at the crowd of tourists and paints a worst-case scenario in which all tables are occupied. What are they going to do if that happens? They go quiet as their drinks are served. “I wished we’d gone to work earlier,” Yu-Mi then says. She fears the remaining hours to opening time aren’t enough to prepare the day’s business.

Seo-Jin gets lettuce and spinach, helps a lady with her groceries, pays for his and returns to the town square as soon as possible. Yu-Mi notices he only brings one spinach. “This was the only one left,” he says. Besides, there is still some spinach in the kitchen.

Once again, Seo-Jin tells them to think of this as the last day. “Let’s go crazy and do it to the end,” he says. Yu-Mi is nervous. “Shall I start cooking rice now?” she says. Seo-Jin calms her down. They have enough time to do preparation.

Seo-Joon lists things to do: pre-cooking chicken gangjeong, scooping ice cream, frying vegetables, blanching spinach, preparing rice. Yu-Mi thinks he’s got so much to do. “I’m fast,” Seo-Joon says.

 

At home, Boss Youn is seeing a doctor for she is not feeling well. Her blood pressure has dropped. “It drops whenever I feel tired,” she says. Should she tell others she won’t be coming to work? Thankfully, her body temperature is normal.

Final Preparation for The Big Day

Yu-Mi and Seo-Joon go the the restaurant to start preparing as they have listed. Seo-Jin slices ham he bought earlier into small squares for the kimchi fried rice, occasionally eats little bits. He then cuts the kimchi double the usual portion for kimchijeon and kimchi fried rice.

One and a half hour before opening, a group of three stop by the entrance. Their friend, the original owner of the restaurant, had recommended that they make reservation for the place. Seo-Jin takes notes of their reservation for next Sunday at 2:30 PM.

In the kitchen, Yu-Mi begins stir-frying the vegetables, all are notably in larger-than-usual volume. Seo-Joon deep-fries a bulk of chicken gangjeong.

Boss Youn, dressed chicly, finally comes. She immediately continues with preparation of Japchae, noting the extra portions. Seo-Jin and Seo-Joon devise Hall strategy for the upcoming reservation, from table layout to setting.

Seo-Jin tells Boss Youn that they are going to be busy. “Don’t make me nervous,” she says. He also tells her about his dream. “So you are dreaming now,” she says. He dreamed about meeting the President. “And I should buy lottery ticket now,” she says.

Seo-Joon, upon some premonitions, decides to set the outdoor tables as well but Seo-Jin stops him. Boss Youn also decides to cook kimchijeon in advance.

It’s one o’clock in the afternoon. Seo-Jin goes out to see the surrounding. In the kitchen, Yu-Mi prepares to cook spring onion oil for kimchi fried rice. Boss Youn sees the amount of spring onion oil being prepared. “How are you going to use all that?” She asks Yu-Mi. Yu-Mi is optimistic that they are going to sell well today. Even if there is leftover, properly preserved, it can be used tomorrow.

Seo-Jin asks the kitchen if they are ready. “Yes, let’s open,” Boss Youn says. Seo-Jin goes outside to put the open sign up.

Youn’s Kitchen’s Sixth Day

Seo-Jin is nervous. He gulps down water over and over again. Seo-Joon goes outside to set the tables. He decides to do it now, fearing he will be too tired to do it later.

Meanwhile, the restaurant of which employees are going to Youn’s Kitchen later, is empty. Restaurante Aristides is closed on Fridays and Saturdays. The employees gather at a cafe in the Town Square’s park.

Seo-Jin checks the kitchen and finds everything ready. Boss Youn notices the juniors are getting even more proficient in preparation. “They put kitchen towel underneath to absorb oil,” she says. Outside, Seo-Jin and Seo-Joon stand by the entrance waiting for the ‘enemy’ to come.

Last minute anxiety attacks. As the people at the cafe begins to move towards Youn’s Kitchen, Boss Youn searches for Hotteok press. She finds them near the window. Seo-Jin is also looking for something.

The restaurant’s people are getting closer. Seo-Jin asks Boss Youn to welcome them. Boss Youn looks at the massive ingredients that have been prepared. “We are going to sell all,” Seo-Jin says optimistically.

They are finally here, including the owner-chef. And there are thirteen people, not eight as mentioned before. Confusion and unease are visible on the Hall team’s faces.

Boss Youn welcomes the group. Youn’s Kitchen’s crews may not be professionals like their guests but she promises to do their best. “From our heart,” she says. She hopes they will enjoy the Korean dishes. Seo-Jin and Seo-Joon rearrange the tables to accommodate more people in the group.

The restaurant employees with their friends and family take their seats. They comment on the cutlery. Seo-Jin and Seo-Joon give everyone the menus. Before ordering, they take group photo with the Hall team — Yu-Mi poses with a heart sign from the window.

The Hall team redraws their plan for table and seating layouts. In the kitchen, Boss Youn plans to do cooking with verve. Yu-Mi decides to do something and cuts banana. “Let’s do what we can,” Boss Youn approves.

In the Hall, the chefs are discussing chopsticks. “This is light,” the owner-chef says. They are quite taken by the metal chopsticks. Seo-Jin stands ready to take their order. They want to taste everything in the menu so they order each items for a group of four. They chose bulgogi bibimbab over vegetarian, and order red and white wine. Meanwhile, the others take notes of the interior. They are impressed by the details and colours.

 

Two women and a little girl look interested in Youn’s Kitchen but hesitate going in after reading the reservation note. One of them asks the nearest man to the entrance, one of Aristides’ chefs who happens to wear chef uniform, to come out.

Inside, one of his colleague tells the others how within minutes he advertises for another restaurant. “Don’t forget to tell them that our restaurant is just round the corner,” the other one says.

The women outside asks if they can eat now. The man goes inside to tell Seo-Jin about the potential customers. Seo-Jin notifies Seo-Joon about the customers outside. He then goes to see them and get extra chair for the little girl.

Inside, the Hall team puts wine glass for everyone. Seo-Jin then puts the red and wine bottles at one ends as he doesn’t know who’s drinking which. One of them asks the restaurant’s own sommelier to serve the wine. Yeah, show him how to do it right!

A group of women talk about the handsome Korean men, which seems to be true everywhere. One of them asks for lemon juice.

They raise their glasses for a toast and continue joking around and taking pictures while waiting for the food.

Seo-Joon goes to the kitchen and tell the cooks to start with kimchijeon, chicken gangjeong, and Japchae. “Three for each dish,” he says. “Got it!” Boss Youn says.

11