Chapter 99: A Busy Day

The next day, because Hyo-ri had a cold, Lee Shin-hyoung still made her a bowl of green onion porridge, while he made himself a bowl of noodle soup.

Entering the bedroom, Lee Shin-hyoung walked to the window and pulled the curtains open, letting the sunlight fill the room. Then he walked to the bed and woke up Hyo-ri, who was sleeping soundly on her back.

Hyo-ri, who had been woken up, squinted and asked, "Is it already morning? What time is it?"

"It's already past eight in the morning. Get up quickly, wash up, and have breakfast."

Lee Shin-hyoung pulled back the blanket, pulled her up, and pushed her into the bathroom.

She had started sleeping around eight o'clock last night and had already slept for twelve hours.

After she finished washing up, the two of them went downstairs together to have breakfast.

"Are you feeling better? Is there anything else that's bothering you?" Lee Shin-hyoung asked Hyo-ri, who was eating porridge.

"I'm already better, there's nothing that's bothering me." She swallowed the porridge in her mouth and replied.

"That's good. Be careful not to catch a cold again, and drink more water to recover faster..." Lee Shin-hyoung instructed her.

"I know, Oppa." She never contradicted his instructions and didn't find him nagging, because his words were filled with love for her.

"When will you be back today?"

"I don't know, but I probably won't be back for dinner."

"Today, eat something light outside. Avoid greasy and spicy foods, and don't eat cold things."

"Okay, I'll remember."

After breakfast, Lee Shin-hyoung, as usual, made a pot of Goji berry, red date, and longan tea for Hyo-ri.

When he saw Hyo-ri off, Lee Shin-hyoung didn't forget to instruct his assistant, Kang Hye-young, about Hyo-ri's cold, telling her to remind Hyo-ri to drink more hot water and to explain the meals in detail.

Kang Hye-young could only nod and remember it carefully.

After seeing Hyo-ri off, Lee Shin-hyoung returned home and started cleaning.

After about half an hour, Lee Shin-hyoung changed into a different set of clothes and went to the garage to drive out.

A couple of days ago, the head chef at Myeongdong called him, saying he was developing a new dish but encountered some difficulties and wanted him to come and give some advice. However, due to the filming of "Family Outing," he didn't have time to go, so it was postponed.

So today, since he had time, Lee Shin-hyoung decided to go and take a look.

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"Jung-hyun, have you seen Yong-tae-ssi?"

Walking into the kitchen of the restaurant, Lee Shin-hyoung stopped a person and asked.

Jung-hyun, one of the deputy head chefs at Myeongdong, is a year younger than Lee Shin-hyoung but is very skilled in cooking and is responsible for managing the desserts.

"Oh! It's Shin-hyoung-ssi. I'll take you there; the head chef is working on his new dish."

"Have you tried it?"

"I have, it tastes pretty good, but the head chef said he feels like something is missing."

As they were talking, they saw Shin Yong-tae, who was concentrating on cooking.

Shin Yong-tae, currently 47 years old, is the head chef at Myeongdong. He has been a chef for about 20 years, starting as an apprentice in his teens and began cooking at 25, continuing until now.

Seeing Shin Yong-tae focused on cooking, Lee Shin-hyoung didn't want to disturb him and stood to the side, watching and waiting.

When Shin Yong-tae finished plating the dish, Lee Shin-hyoung walked over.

"Yong-tae-ssi, is this the new dish you're working on?"

"Oh, Shin-hyoung, come and try it, give me some feedback. I always feel like something is missing, but I can't figure out what."

Seeing it was Lee Shin-hyoung, Shin Yong-tae quickly handed him a pair of chopsticks and asked him to try it, hoping he could help come up with an idea.

At first glance, Lee Shin-hyoung thought it was a Lion's Head dish from Huaiyang cuisine, but when he put some in his mouth, he realized it wasn't. The sauce was different.

The Lion's Head dish is usually made with pork, mixed with ingredients like carrots, lotus root, cabbage, scallions, or glutinous rice, chopped and mixed, then formed into balls, fried, and served with a sauce.

The sauce is crucial to the dish, contributing half of its flavor.

The local people prefer a lighter taste, with less oil and a preference for sweet and sour flavors.

So Shin Yong-tae wanted to modify the Lion's Head dish to suit the local taste without compromising its deliciousness. However, after trying it multiple times, he still felt that the sauce and the meatballs didn't quite match and couldn't blend well together.

Lee Shin-hyoung picked up another piece and put it in his mouth, then spoke after a while.

"I think I know what you're looking for, Yong-tae-ssi. Is it something like a sweet and sour sauce from Thai cuisine?"

"Yes, yes, yes, that's it." Shin Yong-tae clapped his hands, "Oh, you don't know how frustrating it was, having it in my mind but not being able to express it. Now that you've said it, I know how to adjust the sauce."

Saying that, Shin Yong-tae immediately started looking for ingredients and making the sauce again.

Not long after, he brought over a plate of Lion's Head.

"Try it, this time it should be better." This time, Shin Yong-tae looked much more relaxed and confident.

Lee Shin-hyoung used his chopsticks to cut the meatball in half and picked up a smaller piece to taste.

This time, Lee Shin-hyoung didn't say anything, just gave Shin Yong-tae a thumbs up.

Shin Yong-tae smiled, his small eyes almost disappearing.

"Jung-hyun, come and try it too."

Lee Shin-hyoung called out to Jung-hyun, who was passing by, and handed him the chopsticks.

"Sure!" Jung-hyun took the chopsticks, picked up a piece of meatball, and put it in his mouth.

"Mmm!! This is much better, less greasy, and the sweet and sour taste is refreshing. I could eat this all day without getting tired. It's really delicious."

Before he could swallow the food in his mouth, Jung-hyun picked up another piece and put it in his mouth, clearly enjoying the sauce.

"Yong-tae-ssi, according to the usual practice, make a few more when it's not busy, let everyone try it, and then add it to the menu."

"Sure thing~!"

After finishing the kitchen work, Lee Shin-hyoung went upstairs to his office and asked the finance department to bring him the accounts for review.

Although Lee Shin-hyoung had a manager to run the restaurant, he still needed to check the accounts periodically to prevent any issues.

By the time Lee Shin-hyoung finished, it was already past four in the afternoon. Just as he was about to rush home to cook for Hyo-ri, he remembered she wasn't coming back for dinner.

Since he was alone, Lee Shin-hyoung didn't want to cook at home, so he decided to eat out.

He turned on the computer in his office, entered a food forum website he often visits, and searched for recommended dishes.

"Oh! Jajangmyeon from Jeonju, I haven't had it in a long time. I'll choose you today."

Lee Shin-hyoung turned off the computer, took the car keys, and left the office.