Chapter 10

Chapter 9

The contents of the notebook were written as if sketching.

“Dishes and cutlery are all made of organic materials -> Look for lightweight organic (bangja) dishes.

Acorn porridge as an appetizer -> Should I slightly modify it to appeal to all age groups?

The soup can be changed to be prepared according to the guest's condition.”

The notes written by Shiho were filled with consideration for the guests who would eat the food.

‘Ah, this student’s attitude and thoughts about learning Korean cuisine are different from those of the students I’ve seen so far. He reimagines Korean cuisine to make it more accessible and even reflects on the taste and experience of the royal banquet menu.’

Yoon Soo-hee nodded slightly.

Shiho glanced at Yoon Soo-hee, who was reading the notebook.

‘Should I have shown it to her?’

Yoon Soo-hee couldn’t tell what Shiho was thinking.

As Yoon Soo-hee read the notebook, her evaluation of Shiho was improving.

‘This student’s sense of taste and talent have become even sharper since high school.’

Yoon Soo-hee recalled a student who cooked with a precise theme at a cooking competition.

He moved efficiently while cooking and cleaning, leaving a deep impression.

Moreover, he was a student who excelled at bringing out the best in the ingredients.

Yoon Soo-hee looked at Shiho for a moment.

The student in front of her was that very student, Kang Shiho.

Tap

Yoon Soo-hee returned the notebook to Shiho and said, “Your notebook is quite well-organized. Especially, your evaluation of the taste of the royal banquet was impressive.”

Shiho’s ears turned red at Yoon Soo-hee’s words.

Shiho felt embarrassed.

It was a rare occurrence for a renowned Korean cuisine master to praise his notebook.

He felt a bit regretful that he could have organized it better for anyone to understand.

After looking at Shiho’s blushing face, Yoon Soo-hee revisited the question she had asked earlier.

“Think carefully about why you felt your philosophy was reflected in the royal banquet. And, you said you didn’t know the answer to my question earlier. If you find the answer later, come back to me.”

“?! Really?”

Shiho was surprised at Yoon Soo-hee’s words.

It wasn’t easy to meet a master just because one wanted to.

Yoon Soo-hee looked at Shiho with a gentle smile.

Shiho felt as if he had been given a homework assignment by Yoon Soo-hee.

“And, the menus written in your notebook… I’m looking forward to them.”

Shiho nodded and blinked, expressing his gratitude.

‘The teacher praised me? And she’s looking forward to it?’

Yoon Soo-hee, who rarely praised participants in competitions, came to mind.

Recalling this, Shiho felt a bit dazed by the praise.

“Then, please enjoy the refreshments.”

Shiho looked at the refreshments.

A plate with jujubes, pears, and yugwa.

The fragrance from the jujubes pleasantly stimulated his nose.

The orange persimmons and white pears were beautifully arranged.

Next to them, a wooden skewer resembling a hairpin was placed on the side of the plate.

It was a refreshment that showed a lot of effort.

“Then, I’ll take my leave first.”

After finishing her words, Yoon Soo-hee gracefully stood up, and Shiho and Ha Yun bowed respectfully, expressing their gratitude.

“Yes, thank you, teacher.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

A week had passed since Shiho met Master Yoon Soo-hee.

Shiho started making various dishes in the kitchen.

It was called [SeeYou] Korean cuisine version.

A combination of Western and Korean cuisine.

“Shiho! I’m hungry.”

“Just a moment. It’ll be ready soon.”

Behind Shiho, who was cooking, was Ha Yun, pestering him.

He tapped the spoon on the table, further provoking Shiho.

Shiho, ignoring him, selected a few Korean dishes and prepared a simple table setting.

Tap

Shiho placed a large rectangular tray on the table.

Ha Yun looked at the tray Shiho had prepared.

“Is this the bowl you saw at Master Yoon Soo-hee’s Korean restaurant?”

“Yes, using organic bowls has a sterilizing effect and enhances the taste of the food. It also preserves nutrients for a longer time.”

Ha Yun nodded at Shiho’s words and muttered to himself.

“Serving it must be quite heavy, right?”

Shiho understood Ha Yun’s point.

Since Ha Yun would be the one to serve the food to the guests.

“We could buy a slightly lighter bangja organic bowl.”

“Even the cutlery as a full set?”

Shiho nodded and offered the food.

Seeing the food on the tray, Ha Yun’s mouth watered.

Acorn porridge as an appetizer.

Behind it were braised pork ribs, jajang, cold noodles, eggplant salad, perilla leaf side dish, and kimchi.

At the back, a small bag tied with a ribbon was placed on a plate.

“What’s this?”

Ha Yun pointed to the small bag on the plate.

“It’s a nine-layer plate.”

“Nine-layer plate?”

“Yes. You also ate a thin wrap with the surrounding ingredients at the Korean restaurant that day, right? I recreated it.”

Ha Yun’s eyes sparkled at Shiho’s explanation.

‘That must have taken a lot of effort to make in one piece…’

Moreover, a steaming bowl of pollack soup and white rice.

Nom- Nom-

Ha Yun couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Wow! It’s amazing. Especially this pollack soup, what is it? The seasoning is perfect.”

“Brother, try the other dishes too.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Ha Yun looked at the golden food on the organic bowl.

‘Is it a fry?’

Ha Yun examined the fry closely.

Just looking at it made it feel crispy.

He picked up a piece and brought it to his mouth.

Crunch

The crispy sound and the burst of sea flavor in his mouth made Ha Yun let out a low moan.

“Mmm. This is a scallop? And the one next to it is a prawn?”

“Yes, I changed the sashimi to a fry that everyone would enjoy.”

Ha Yun picked up a green fry and asked.

“What’s this?”

“Durdle?”

“Durdle? In this season?”

Ha Yun’s question made Shiho flinch.

He had passed by a fruit tree next to the vegetable garden and found a durdle tree.

Shiho picked all the durdles, cleaned them, blanched them in salt water, dipped them in a spicy sauce, and decided to fry them and place them on the Korean table.

Crunch

After the crisp sound, Ha Yun’s eyes widened.

“Hey! This is really durdle. It’s my favorite spring vegetable.”

Ha Yun really liked it.

Even with food in his mouth, he asked Shiho.

“Shiho, where do you get this? Tell me, I want to buy it for our house.”

Ha Yun, seemingly in love with the crispy fry, took another bite of the durdle.

Crunch

Crunch-Crunch

“I’d eat this durdle for a month if you told me to.”

Shiho chuckled at Ha Yun’s words.

“Brother, do you know that durdle contains toxic components?”

“Toxic components?”

Shiho nodded and explained.

“The stem part of the durdle can cause food poisoning, but it’s fine if you blanch it well in salt water or eat the young shoots.”

Ha Yun looked at the durdle he was eating and then at Shiho.

“Am I okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“This has toxins, right?”

“Brother, has Mother ever had a stomachache from eating vegetables?”

“No, never.”

“Then you’re fine.”

“No, I mean this fry.”

Shiho chuckled.

“I only picked the youngest leaves, washed them thoroughly, and fried them. I tried them myself, and they’re fine.”

Shiho’s words made Ha Yun sigh in relief.

Ha Yun then ate everything from the jajang to the braised pork ribs.

After finishing the cold noodles (janchiguksoo), he put down his chopsticks.

“Ugh, I’m full. I feel like my stomach will burst.”

Shiho offered a glass of aede and a dried persimmon as a post-meal treat.

Ha Yun tilted his head and asked.

“What kind of aede is this?”

“Cinnamon aede.”

“Cinnamon?”

“Yes. It’s made from jujubes, which I simmered and then mixed with carbonated water. I tried it, and it tasted good.”

“Really?”

Ha Yun lifted the cup and took a sip.

The cinnamon, ginger, and jujube flavors in his mouth complemented each other, creating a subtle sweetness.

The carbonation added a slight tingling sensation, enhancing the sweetness.

“Wow, this is really good.”

“Try a bite of the dried persimmon and a sip of the aede.”

“Okay.”

Ha Yun followed Shiho’s suggestion.

“Oh! The sweetness changes subtly. But this might divide people’s preferences.”

Shiho nodded in agreement.

Many people dislike the cinnamon flavor of jujubes.

“What about just serving a dried persimmon and a piece of fruit as a post-meal treat?”

Shiho nodded after thinking for a moment.

“But… how will you price this? It seems to require a lot of effort.”

Shiho thought about it.

Over 80% of the ingredients came from the vegetable garden.

The cost was mainly for the pork and seasonal seafood, plus labor.

“I should ask Hyung Kang Hoon about the pricing.”

“Right. Then, will you make this Korean table for Hyung tomorrow?”

“Yes, do you want to try it?”

“Sure, I’d love to.”

“Then, I’ll make it at [SeeYou] tomorrow.”

“It seems to require a lot of effort.”

“I can make it quickly.”

Ha Yun, after chatting with Shiho, asked a curious question.

“By the way, was your house always this warm?”

Shiho’s gaze shifted to the bedroom.

Ha Yun’s gaze followed Shiho’s.

“That’s your parents’ room, right?”

“Yes.”

“Did you clean it?”

“Yes, I clean it every day.”

Ha Yun got up and walked to the bedroom.

Looking into the bedroom, Ha Yun’s eyes widened.

“This room feels like spring. Why is it so warm?”

Ha Yun, surprised, poked his head into the bedroom entrance and looked around.

‘Is the basement entrance not visible?’

Shiho was a bit puzzled by Ha Yun’s behavior as he looked around the bedroom and returned to the living room.

“Is the boiler temperature higher in the bedroom?”

Shiho, a bit awkwardly, nodded.

“Maybe we should raise the temperature in the living room.”

“Brother, didn’t you see anything in the bedroom?”

“What? I only saw the furniture your parents used.”

Shiho was worried that Ha Yun might have seen the basement in the bedroom.

‘Phew, what a relief.’

Shiho, to change the subject, brought up the Korean cuisine.

“Brother! If I serve this Korean cuisine to the guests, will they like it?”

“Hmm… Should I be honest about this Korean cuisine?”

Shiho started to tense up at Ha Yun’s words.

“Yes, please be honest.”

Ha Yun saw the eagerness in Shiho’s eyes.

Ha Yun, chuckling inwardly, gave a thumbs up.

“100% it will be a hit. And if it gets popular, you’ll be really busy.”

Shiho’s head tilted slightly at Ha Yun’s words.

“Popular?”

In this world, a genius chef with a vegetable garden?!