Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Recipe Lessons and Neighborhood Buzz
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"Hold on. ...You really cook it like this? For real? My goodness."
It was literally "My goodness." There was no other way to put it.
I gaped at the sight before my eyes. Ahn Dongwoo was demonstrating his usual cooking method, so I watched to see what he was doing...
Chicken submerged in bubbling water. It had turned a nice milky white and looked fairly appetizing, but that wasn't the important part.
A lid sitting squarely on top!
"Why did you put the lid on?"
I asked, utterly baffled, and Ahn Dongwoo replied with a puzzled look.
"Huh? Well, so the water boils faster and the chicken cooks quicker..."
"You're blanching to remove the off-flavors and impurities—you can't cover it. Covering is for drawing out broth!"
"I-Is that so?"
"Is this just plain water? Nothing else added?"
"Yeah. Just water."
"......"
Oh, man. No wonder it had that off-smell.
"The recipe didn't mention details like opening and closing the lid..."
Ahn Dongwoo added sheepishly. Fair enough. Recreating a dish from a single block of text. It couldn't be perfect.
I understood. Still, the thought of this going out to customers made my stomach twist.
"Whew."
I let out a deep sigh before finally speaking up.
"I see the problems. Just a few changes, and it'll taste way better than this."
"Really?"
"Yes. I guarantee it."
The recipe itself wasn't bad. Fix the beginner mistakes, and it'd easily qualify as a restaurant-worthy dish.
"I'll tweak the spicy braised chicken recipe a bit, and pass on a solid miso stew one for you. That should do the trick."
Nothing else needed fixing. Customer service seemed solid, and the shop was old but cozy.
With a decent number of regulars, pushing for a full remodel and closure probably wasn't the best move.
Fix the root cause—the recipes—and it could bounce back in no time.
"Oh man, thank you!"
Ahn Dongwoo bowed deeply.
"Aw, no need."
I bowed back. It wasn't that big a deal.
"Our shop's right up the street anyway. We're neighbors. I'll swing by now and then, so no funny business with the recipes I give you. Promise you'll stick to them."
"Of course! Wouldn't dream of it."
Sure you wouldn't. Life had taught me otherwise.
But looking into Ahn Dongwoo's sparkling eyes chased away those bitter thoughts for the moment. His determination to make it work came through loud and clear.
"Thank you so much. ...I'm a fan of your show, Owner. When I first started out, I felt so lost... Watching your episodes, I started copying bit by bit and gained some confidence in cooking."
Aw. So that's the story? No wonder his gaze had been full of admiration. It hadn't felt like just looking at some TV celeb, and I'd been wondering why.
He thought even more highly of me than I'd realized.
I smiled awkwardly, feeling embarrassed.
"I'll work hard from now on!"
"Yes. I hope that spirit doesn't fade."
"Um, Owner. If it's okay, could you sign something for me here?"
"Huh?"
Sign?
I'd signed approval docs before, but someone asking me directly for my autograph? First time. I was caught off guard.
Before I could react, Ahn Dongwoo stepped closer, urging me on.
"Yes! I'll hang it up and look at it whenever I feel like slacking!"
"Well, alright."
He was putting it that way—hard to say no. I had no idea what good my signature would do, but...
In the end, I signed big and bold on the A4 paper, just as he wanted.
At the bottom, I added a little note in small print.
[Spicy Braised Chicken Spot Approved by Song Wooyeun!]
I wondered if it even meant anything. But with my name on it, I felt a strange sense of responsibility.
"You know I live nearby, right? If I drop in for a surprise check and the taste is off, it's coming down?"
"Yes! I'll keep that in mind!"
Ahn Dongwoo's face lit up with a bright smile, full of satisfaction. If he was happy, that was what mattered.
I nodded and got straight to the point.
"Alright, time for the real recipes. Fair warning: I'm pretty Spartan when I teach."
I flashed a grin, and Ahn Dongwoo's face went pale.
"Let's get started."
"Hmm hmm hmm~. Hmm hmm~."
Kim Youngjoo, owner of the neighborhood's one and only rice cake shop [Bean Tteok & Red Bean Tteok], was heading to work after a long time away.
She'd just returned from a family trip abroad.
'Need to check the rice flour status today. If it's good, I'll whip up some garaetteok first and dig in. Hehe. Fresh garaetteok dipped in honey is such a treat... Huh?!'
But her peaceful commute didn't last. The shop next door was swarming with customers.
'What, what is this? What's going on?!"
Kim Youngjoo immediately checked the sign. Still [Chicken & Dori]. No sign of a new place that had just opened to fanfare.
'What the heck. It was barely scraping by until recently. Why the sudden turnaround?'
Eyes wide, she hurried into her own shop and peeked next door.
A few people waiting outside—probably a line—and the interior packed full.
"Jeez. Enough to make a ghost wail."
She muttered under her breath, only to get an unexpected reply.
"What ghost is wailing?"
"Eek!"
Kim Youngjoo jumped and looked beside her. Han Mia was standing there, beaming.
"You nearly scared the life out of me! Whew. Make some noise next time!"
"Hahaha. Heard our Kim Owner was back from vacation today~. Thought I'd snag some bean crumbs?"
"As if I'd forget to set aside for you, Han Owner?"
Kim Youngjoo pulled a prettily wrapped souvenir from her arms and handed it over.
"Here. Told you I wouldn't forget."
"You really brought it? Wow, thanks! I'll put it to good use!"
"Yeah, yeah. ...But this next door. Definitely wasn't this crowded before I left. What happened?"
"Oh, [Chicken & Dori]?"
Han Mia whipped her head around to look. Yeah, packed as ever.
"Wooyeun passed on some recipes, and business exploded."
"Huh? Really? Wooyeun as in that Song Owner?"
"Yeah, yeah. That's him~. Remember how tough it got for Ahn Owner after those other owners collapsed so suddenly?"
"Yeah."
Even thinking back, it was heartbreaking. They were perfectly healthy right up to the day before. You never know with people, but that was too harsh.
"Felt bad just watching, so I asked Wooyeun if he could help out... and he said yes right away!"
"Aw. What a big heart."
Most folks are too busy with their own shops, and even if they've got time, they get jealous of neighbors stealing customers.
But lending a hand like that? She'd watched Han Mia from afar and heard snippets about this Song Wooyeun guy. Definitely not your average person.
"He learned the recipes, made tweaks based on the advice, and word spread that it's delicious. It's been packed like this the last few days."
Han Mia looked as thrilled as if it were her own success. Kim Youngjoo shook her head.
'By now, the other merchants around here must be dying of stomachaches.'
Harsh reality, but true.
Foot traffic in the area was fixed. If a few spots boomed, what were the rest supposed to do?
Song Wooyeun's places already hogged so many customers that the merchants' association was up in arms.
'Ahn Owner doesn't get the local dynamics, so he grabbed the help. Teaming up with them means burning bridges with everyone else...'
Kim Youngjoo glanced around.
Her shop was on the opposite side from Song Wooyeun's cluster, and the vibe wasn't friendly at all.
She'd been here forever, and rice cakes targeted a totally different crowd, so she was fine.
But people giving Han Mia the side-eye could start needless drama.
"You should head out. I've gotta prep to open. You can't leave your place empty too long."
"Left it with my daughter. Gotta run anyway. Catch up on the trip next time~."
"Sure thing~. Get going."
Kim Youngjoo shooed Han Mia off hurriedly and slipped inside her shop.
'If it were near Song's spots, taking help wouldn't matter. But around here...'
[Chicken & Dori] was bound to face some subtle ostracism.
'Ahn Owner's gonna have a rough time mentally.'
The thought crossed her mind unbidden. Kim Youngjoo clicked her tongue inwardly.
"Ugh, sick of it. Time to close up and head to the countryside for farm life."
Just imagining the petty power plays and sniping ahead made her tired already.
...Yeah, I figured it'd play out like that.
But Kim Youngjoo had apparently overestimated people's sense of solidarity.
Instead of banding together to target Ahn Dongwoo's [Chicken & Dori], folks started moving in a completely different direction.
Namely...
"Huh?"
Song Wooyeun looked baffled. He couldn't make sense of it at all.
"...You want the recipe?"
The merchant in front of him nodded vigorously, like it was the most obvious thing.
Finally, exasperated, Song Wooyeun asked back.
"Why me?"