Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: The Unauthorized Yukgaejang
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Yukgaejang.
Yukgaejjaaaang?
What the hell is this? Yukgaejang? We'd never even developed or sold a menu item like that at Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap 0212.
"You're sure I didn't mishear that?"
"...I heard it clearly too."
Jo Yi-ruk's face stiffened. From the looks of it, he had no idea about this either.
"There definitely wasn't anything like yukgaejang on the menu when I was here...."
To get a firm grasp on the situation, I unfolded the menu.
It had a design similar to the one from headquarters, but the single-sheet menu had been expanded to two sheets.
The left side explained the single Hapjae Gukbap menu item, while the right listed add-ons like rice bowls or drinks. And there it was, smack on the right side: "Yukgaejang."
Holy crap. The photo looked scraped from the internet, and the description felt like a half-assed patchwork job.
"How could this happen? No one said a word to me about this."
Jo Yi-ruk seemed even more shocked than I was. He'd been the one handling it directly and keeping tabs, so that made sense.
Being his first time dealing with franchisees, he must have been eager to do well. He probably thought he'd built trust with the owner.
But the world isn't that forgiving. Some franchise owners deceive headquarters without batting an eye. And they don't feel much guilt about it.
They figure they're just borrowing the franchise brand for a bit—the shop is theirs, after all.
'I get the anxiety about relying on a single menu item.'
But this wasn't the way to handle it.
"You always announced your visits in advance, right?"
"...Yes. To coordinate times."
"They must've swapped out the menu only when headquarters staff showed up. On those days, if a customer asked for yukgaejang, they probably claimed ingredients were sold out and didn't serve it."
You might think, 'Would they go that far?' But they really do.
Even before my regression, it happened. Despite my thorough explanations about specializing in one dish, they said nothing to me until the day before opening—then added side menus on launch day.
I was floored. And that was with someone I actually knew.
'Well, after all those ups and downs, this doesn't shock me much anymore.'
It was well within expectations.
"I'm sorry. I must've been too complacent."
Jo Yi-ruk broke out in a cold sweat, gauging my reaction.
Hmm. He was out inspecting the shop with the boss, so things going sideways like this must be eating at him. I was fine, though.
"No, it's not your fault, Jo Team Leader."
Strictly speaking, it kind of was.
But we were short-staffed, and he was already working hard enough. No point in chewing him out more.
Even I, with plenty of experience before regressing, got blindsided like that. If someone's determined to hide it, you can't do much.
"Should I call the franchise owner right now?"
Jo Yi-ruk seemed to think I'd flip out here. Nah, not with all these customers around.
"Let's have lunch first and think it over."
I flashed a smile and said. I raised my hand, locking eyes with a nearby server.
"We'll order."
"Sure~."
As the server approached, I rattled off the menu I'd already decided on.
"One Hapjae Gukbap and one yukgaejang, please."
"Got it, one Hapjae and one yukgaejang. Order up!"
The owner was working the kitchen here. From the open kitchen, a voice repeated the order.
"Hmm."
The kitchen looked pretty clean. Of course, I'd need to go in for a closer look, but at least the parts visible to customers were spotless.
'That's passing grade material.'
As I nodded approvingly, the kitchen started prepping our order.
Clatter.
The order slip came out, got posted on one side, and they began with the Hapjae Gukbap first.
They ladled boiling broth from a huge pot and started skimming. He'd clearly learned it while prepping the shop, but his technique looked solid.
"I drilled the skimming part hard."
Jo Yi-ruk suddenly started highlighting his efforts from the side.
"The owner said you have to handle skimming like a master artisan."
"Right. It's the most visible performance to customers."
Experience shows in those hands.
If your knife work's sloppy, at least sharpen blades like a pro. People are weaker to what they see than you'd think.
A fairly seasoned owner skimming like that? It gave off the vibe of a 30-year tradition gukbap joint.
The Hapjae Gukbap was done in a flash.
'But when's the yukgaejang coming?'
Weird.
Normally, you'd start with the longer-cooking yukgaejang and finish with a quick skim for the gukbap.
'This owner's run eateries before, so he shouldn't miss something this basic. Why the rookie mistake... Huh?'
Right then.
From the less visible side of the kitchen, he lifted a stone pot and set it on a tray—not quite.
The red broth sloshing around was definitely yukgaejang.
'When the hell?'
I'd been watching the whole time—no memory of him pulling other ingredients. How was this possible?
'Thinking back to the blueprints I saw before, that side has... Ah, extra burners.'
It was space for additional burners to boil water for broth seasoning. Tucked away so customers couldn't see.
He cooked the yukgaejang there?
I was baffled, trying to make sense of it, when the server headed our way with the dishes—and the secret unraveled.
"...!"
The owner ducked out from the fridge with one stone pot, slipping back to the burners.
Through the open fridge door, I glimpsed a stack of stone pots.
"...."
Pre-made.
One hundred percent sure. He'd prepped the ingredients in the pots ahead of time—just add water, boil, and serve.
That way, no backups, high table turnover.
"Jo Team Leader, you said turnover here's great and it's always packed, right?"
"Yes. Exactly. Other spots don't turn tables this fast, but this place had overwhelming customer volume."
"...This is bad."
"Pardon?"
Jo Yi-ruk hadn't peeked in the fridge yet. He had no clue what the issue was.
"Your Hapjae Gukbap and yukgaejang are up~. Which side for the yukgaejang?"
"Here, please."
"Got it."
Bubble bubble.
I gazed down at the yukgaejang, steam rising white, with a heavy heart.
"Enjoy~."
"Yeah, thanks."
The server's innocent. I nodded politely, then gently stirred the yukgaejang with a spoon to inspect the contents.
Finely shredded beef, chunky green onions, mushrooms, bracken ferns... And for color, fresh green onions and red chili slices on top.
The ingredients themselves weren't bad. The red broth looked spicy and appetite-whetting.
"The yukgaejang looks decent."
Even Jo Yi-ruk piped up, surprised.
I needed to taste it, but I could already guess the flavor, so my hand hesitated.
Sigh. I let out a breath, scooped a big spoonful, and shoved it in.
Mmm. Just as I thought.
"How is it?"
Jo Yi-ruk eyed me curiously. I smiled brightly and handed him a fresh spoon.
"Give it a try."
He hesitated a moment, then dipped a bit of broth.
"How's the taste?"
"Hmm...."
He pondered, then answered.
"Just average. Not particularly tasty, pretty standard."
"Try the meat too."
I tore off a big piece with unused chopsticks and placed it on his spoon.
It might look like some couple-y affection to others, but we were dead serious.
Munch munch.
Gulp.
After one bite, Jo Yi-ruk winced slightly and said,
"Off-taste from the meat."
"Right?"
"Not too bad, but picky eaters might struggle."
Way below Hapjae Gukbap quality. A sigh escaped me naturally.
Glancing around, most tables had Hapjae Gukbap, but every two or three tables, someone was eating yukgaejang.
Slurp.
"The Hapjae Gukbap's good, though. Just like we taught."
"At least that's something."
What to do.... I tapped the table, and Jo Yi-ruk cautiously added,
"...Most people are eating Hapjae anyway. The yukgaejang's just average, not bad. There's definitely a crowd that likes spicy broth."
Not defending the owner—just saying it wasn't as dire as it seemed.
Total backfire.
"Some owners are like that. Usually the ones with tons of menu items. They say two or three out of ten are just okay, the rest fine."
Over ten items, and it's impossible for everything to be great. Two or three are just for show, to match customer tastes.
"But Jo Yi-ruk, after eating this yukgaejang, would you come back here?"
"Ah...."
"Bet the customers who eat it here won't be impressed and will forget about it in days. That's lower repeat visits."
Such a waste.
"Saying 'just one or two out of ten' means nothing. If a customer hits one of those, the whole place gets branded as meh."
"Yeah... you're right."
"So if you're not confident, don't sell it."
I finally set my spoon down. Watching the kitchen, I asked Jo Yi-ruk,
"This owner used to run a yukgaejang place, right?"
"Yes. Correct."
"Probably tanked, though."
"...Yes. Probably."
Couldn't shake the habits here either. One failure wasn't enough to wise up, huh.
"Let's go. Not filling up on this."
"Got it. ...What about the owner here?"
At Jo Yi-ruk's question, I paused, then said flatly,
"We'll come back around closing time."
Meaning,
"I'll handle it myself."