chapter 11

The food that followed was delicious.

“Here, try a pork cutlet. Do you feel bad if you don’t eat it?”

Ji-Hye placed a piece of pork cutlet on Bora’s bowl, and he ordered fried rice once more.

It was impressive to see the fried clothes rise like a hedgehog, but as I heard, it was crispy without any oily taste. Furthermore, it was a flavor that filled the heart with a moist fleshy fragrance.

“Commissioner, try a spoonful of fried rice. I think it tastes better than yesterday!”

“Are you sure?”

Ji-Hye, who had just finished a spoonful of fried rice, cocked his head.

“Is that true? Is it tastier than usual?”

“correct? I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who felt this way.”

Both the pork cutlet and the fried rice tasted better than Ji-hye remembered.

It was a delicious house at first, but the taste was definitely different, whether it was because I was hungry for waiting.

Things are moving in the right direction.

I’m relieved.

At the same time, Han Gil, who was working at the cashier, smiled contentedly when he overheard the conversation.

I tried seasoning with garum instead of salt this time, and it seemed to work.

Garum’s deep fermented flavor and umami brought out the scent hidden deep in the ingredients.

There was no choice but to smile.

It’s not the same as saying that a first-time visitor says it’s delicious and saying that a regular who’s been coming for a while has gotten better.

#

“Hah… it’s finally over.”

Han Gil was exhausted after a warlike lunch break and collapsed on the table.

When I let go of the feelings of tension, the strength in my entire body slipped away.

“How many people have come……”

I became curious and rushed to the cashier.

When I checked the sales, I saw…

’46 people?’

It is 299,000 won for lunch sales alone.

It wasn’t a big deal compared to other restaurants, but Han Gil’s feelings were extraordinary from the perspective of Han Gil, who was anxious to shoot even 150,000 won every day.

If you just go like this… It costs more than 8.9 million won per month.

At the very least, the store will not be ruined.

‘No, I can still go too far…’

That was an assumption when everything went well.

Even if I made a minor error, I was able to return to my original state. Just today… Han Gil hurriedly installed a job application and posted a job posting.

First and foremost, I had to select an Alba-seng.

It’s not a good idea to make customers wait in order to save money on labor.

#

The next day, Han Gil went out into the streets early in the morning and distributed salads.

After returning to the store and preparing lunch, a young woman entered.

“Boss?”

“Is it Seulah Im?”

“That is correct.”

It was an Alba student.

Many people applied for it, as if the hourly wage had been raised, but it was the only one that Han Gil liked.

It wasn’t that I didn’t like it, but it was because the rest of the applicants did not appeal to me.

He didn’t even introduce himself and asked, ‘Is it really 15,000 won per hour?’ ‘When will the pay be paid?’ It appeared that if I hired people who sent text messages like, the problems would only get worse. That is how they might treat customers.

Seul-ah Im was the only one who introduced herself and sent a text message with a preface stating that she had contacted him after reading the job offer.

“You stated on your resume that you previously worked in a cafe. Have you ever worked in a restaurant or served before?”

“It’s not a restaurant, but I’ve worked at a casino.”

“Casino?”

“I’m not a dealer; I bring it to you when a drink order comes in… Well, it’s just serving. I took a year off from school to work.”

Seul-a was a woman with a face that seemed to be smiling even when she wasn’t.

Her face was also lovely, and there was a charm about her that made people feel at ease.

It was perfect for an ambush in a hurry.

When it came time for lunch, Han Gil realized he had made the right choice.

Seul-a was kind, but she was also perceptive.

Looking at the flow of taking orders and serving food, it was clear that all of the customers were moving quickly.

“May I give you some more water?”

“Please let me know if you need more salad.”

Furthermore, there was a meticulousness in taking care of customers before they even asked.

In the beginning, I raised the hourly wage and sought an alba for three days in a hurry, but I wanted to ask her to continue working.

I was able to concentrate on cooking alone because I had an albasaeng. There was even space to look at the customers after the order was served.

Looking at it from a distance, I began to notice details I hadn’t noticed before.

‘It also takes a long time……’

Customers were unable to make a decision on the menu because they waited too long. Regulars ordered right away, but first-time customers took their time.

Han Gil noticed the menu written on the store’s blackboard on the wall.

-Fried rice set meal

-Curry set meal

-Pork cutlet set meal

-Bulgogi set meal

There are only four menu options, but what if you can’t decide?

One reason.

There isn’t anything you really want to eat.

‘Is this also out of style now?’

When Han Gil first opened his restaurant, home-cooked meals were popular.

Warm home-cooked meals served in small wooden trays that make you feel like you’re eating at home were popular.

However, the trend is always shifting.

The same is true for the catering industry.

‘Is it the frozen pork belly and mara-sanggo that are popular these days? Frozen pork belly is a menu that evokes the old fragrance, and marasanggoo has a distinct scent……’

For a while, the path I was considering came to a halt.

This is because the previous evaluation of system creativity came to mind.

–

To stay in Itaewon, you’ll need a more distinctive menu.

Following the trend was not the same as being distinct.

I feel dragged by the phrase, ‘These days, this is going well.’

But I don’t need to just go along with it.

I must create a menu that can only be consumed here.

#

“Hah…. is it finished?”

The restaurant was once again deserted after 8 p.m.

There were a lot of people there for lunch, but there weren’t many at dinner.

Seul-a, an Alba, only works from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., so he was left alone in the restaurant.

‘But yesterday there were 46 people, today there are 55 people…’

Even though it had only been two days, the number of customers coming to lunch was steadily increasing.

Han’s Kitchen’s usual lunch service did not generate a profit. People arrived only at 12 p.m., at the start of the lunch break, and no more guests arrived after the table was full.

However, there are now people who come to me while they are waiting.

This is a huge difference.

“Let’s study the menu this time.”

Han Gil entered the kitchen after leaving the hall.

When the tide comes in, you must row.

Now, more than anything else, it was critical to complete the salad.

Even at lunchtime on the streets. Everyone in the room wanted to know when the salad was going to be served.

The vast majority of the newcomers are enquiring.

Curiosity is a fickle feeling.

It will be forgotten in an instant if you do not quickly present the menu.

[I made a new dish.]

+

Name: Grilled Eggplant Salad

Completeness: 50%

Charm: 4

Material: 5

Texture: 6

Visual: 9

+

[Dish with less than 80% completion cannot be registered on the menu.]

[I made a new dish.]

+

Name: Chicken Breast Salad

Completeness: 45%

Charm: 2

Material: 5

Texture: 6

Visual: 9

+

(Dish with less than 80% completion cannot be registered on the menu.]

However, even if I tried hard and used good materials, I was unable to achieve the required completion level.

The material and attractiveness are the reasons for the low score.

“Not even this…,”

Han Gil sighed as he glances at the complete mess of the kitchen.

Because I liked olive oil, it basically enhanced the flavor of all vegetables, but other than that… it was okay.

It tasted great.

When I first tried olive oil, I was taken aback.

It was not easy to create a flavor that piques people’s interest and draws them in.

‘Yet…’

There was still hope.

This was due to the fact that the countdown clock on the left side of the road was approaching zero.