Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Episode 27: Difficulties of the First Broadcast (2)
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Highroad, where Chef Kim Un-sik worked.
Kang Han-do, who had returned to this place, asked the server who came to take his order.
“By any chance, is Chef Kim Un-sik in today?”
“Yes. He’s in the kitchen right now, but…”
“If he’s not too busy, could you ask if I can have a quick word with him?”
“Right now?”
“Yes.”
When Kang Han-do said he wanted to meet Chef Kim Un-sik, the server tilted her head.
A short while later.
Chef Kim Un-sik came to the room where Kang Han-do and Nemid were.
“Hello, Han-do ssi!”
Chef Kim Un-sik greeted Kang Han-do with a bright smile.
It wasn’t their first meeting. When he’d dined with PD Woo Sung-cheon and PD Na Won-cheol, PD Na Won-cheol had called Chef Kim Un-sik over to introduce them.
This was their second encounter since then.
“I was secretly worried he might not be here. Glad to see you are.”
“Even if I wasn’t here, I would’ve headed straight to the restaurant if you called. My house is right next door anyway.”
“That’s incredibly close.”
“I hate wasting even commute time on running the restaurant. That’s why I settled right next door on purpose.”
A man who poured everything into cooking. That was Chef Kim Un-sik, right before his eyes.
But on TV, you couldn’t rely solely on cooking skills.
Various factors had to be considered.
Kang Han-do decided to test that lightly.
“If it’s okay, could we chat for a bit?”
“Chat?”
“Yes. You got booked for a program by PD Na Won-cheol this time, right? About that.”
“Oh, yes! Of course!”
Tension flickered across Chef Kim Un-sik’s face.
He’d said this was his first TV appearance. Lately, even mentions of broadcasting made him tense like this.
Especially with Kang Han-do, a fellow performer on the same show, sitting right there. The tension doubled.
“It’s nothing special. Did they tell you what program it is? I haven’t heard the details yet. If it’s okay, could you give me a little hint, Chef Kim Un-sik?”
“Didn’t PD Na Won-cheol tell you?”
“He said he’d explain later, but I wanted to hear from you first.”
It was actually a lie.
Kang Han-do had already heard every detail about the program from PD Na Won-cheol.
But there was a reason for the fib.
To roughly gauge how well Chef Kim Un-sik could speak coherently.
“From what I heard… it’s a program where I serve my dishes to regular participants and we chat as we go.”
“Did you volunteer to go first, Chef Kim?”
“No. PD Na suggested it first. I hesitated at the beginning, but seeing star chefs thriving on TV sparked this desire to spread the charm of cooking to more people. I’m not super confident I’ll do great, but I plan to give it my all. At the very least, I won’t hold you back, Han-do ssi. Haha!”
Kang Han-do nodded.
He thought to himself.
‘He speaks so coherently.’
It flowed smoothly without a hitch. His eye contact while talking was decent too.
Above all, his voice tone was the best fit. Not too soft, not too loud. Perfect for TV.
‘Now I get why PD Na Won-cheol picked Chef Kim Un-sik.’
It was exactly as expected.
PD Na Won-cheol had a great eye for people. Kang Han-do confirmed it once more.
* * *
After finishing the meal and stepping out.
Kang Han-do gave a brief review of the day’s food.
“Delicious.”
Was it just his mood, or did it taste even better than before? Kang Han-do’s lips curved up.
“Nemid, how about you?”
“It was good for me too. So, have you decided?”
The purpose today wasn’t just a tasty meal.
To check how it’d be broadcasting with Chef Kim Un-sik. That’s why they’d come here.
Kang Han-do gave Nemid a different answer.
“Can you contact Writer Yoon right now?”
The main writer planning Chef Kim’s kitchen with PD Na Won-cheol.
Nemid nodded.
“She said to reach out anytime, day or night, so it should be fine.”
“Then from now on, text her exactly what I say.”
Kang Han-do’s words were concise.
“Looking forward to working with you.”
* * *
With Kang Han-do accepting PD Na Won-cheol’s offer, casting for the trio leading Chef Kim’s Kitchen was complete.
Kang Han-do would handle serving and talk segments. Chef Kim Un-sik as the main chef in the kitchen. The last spot went to young actress Jo Min-ha, who’d serve alongside Kang Han-do.
Jo Min-ha was a rookie actress just starting to make her name. Her resume? Just two bit drama roles.
‘Practically a nobody right now.’
Still, Kang Han-do had high hopes for Jo Min-ha.
Her visuals were on point. Even without lines, her stunning beauty had her name popping up in online communities constantly.
And she was thoughtful beyond her years.
Kang Han-do recalled old memories.
‘Mature, and incredibly diligent about self-management.’
Not a superstar, but she’d carve out a solid career as an actress in the future. Building connections while filming with her didn’t seem like a bad idea.
The first shoot for Chef Kim’s Kitchen was scheduled for next week.
Pre-meetings were all done.
Not just the cast, but the staff too—they were solid.
But one regrettable point.
‘It’s a cable channel, which is a bit of a shame.’
Would’ve been better on terrestrial TV. Kang Han-do felt that twinge.
The ratings gap between terrestrial and cable was huge. No helping the lingering regret.
‘No. Don’t get greedy too early. Take it step by step.’
For the first shoot, Kang Han-do got into the car Nemid was driving.
He checked the profile of today’s first guests at Chef Kim’s Kitchen.
A newlywed couple entering their second year of marriage.
But there was a twist.
‘The husband’s Italian?’
A foreigner. Five years in Korea. He’d settled here, met a woman he liked, and gone international with the marriage.
‘I can see today’s concept.’
He was at the stage where he could tell at a glance.
No matter how great Korea was, homesickness for his homeland was inevitable.
For this Italian husband living abroad, the Chef Kim’s Kitchen crew needed to serve food that’d let him bask in Italian nostalgia.
A healing restaurant with food laced with stories. That was Kang Han-do’s intent.
After arriving at the shoot location, Kang Han-do met the staff and the regular newlywed couple in advance.
“Oh, Kang Han-do ssi!”
The wife lit up the moment she saw Kang Han-do. The husband was thrilled too.
“Hello, Han-do ssi. I watch Pobokjeoldo all the time.”
Fluent Korean.
Kang Han-do was inwardly surprised.
“Your Korean is really good.”
“While living in Korea, I studied like crazy. People around me praise it too. Haha!”
The Italian man had a bold, outgoing personality.
Name: Fabio. Three years younger than his wife.
Before recording started, Kang Han-do went to the kitchen to find Chef Kim Un-sik.
“Un-sik ssi. Prep status?”
“Perfect. Heard we have someone from Italy today? I’m super confident in Italian food. Just trust me.”
“Looking forward to it.”
When it came to cooking, Chef Kim Un-sik was the expert over Kang Han-do.
So Kang Han-do decided to leave the cooking entirely to him.
* * *
A small sign reading “Chef Kim’s Kitchen.”
The opening started with the camera capturing that sign.
Kang Han-do, Chef Kim Un-sik, and actress Jo Min-ha hurried with restaurant opening prep.
No need for a separate opening. PD Na Won-cheol wanted raw realism, like they were truly running a restaurant.
“Min-ha ya.”
Kang Han-do called Jo Min-ha.
“Yes, oppa!”
“Time to open soon, so take this and hang it at the entrance.”
A small picket sign reading ‘OPEN.’
Jo Min-ha replied energetically once more and trotted to the door.
After the shop opened, the Italian couple appeared.
“Excuse us.”
Jo Min-ha greeted them first.
“Yes, welcome. Are you the reservation? We only operate by reservation, so no booking means no meal.”
“We reserved. Under Fabio.”
“One moment. Ah, there’s your name on the list. This way.”
Jo Min-ha guided them smoothly. Before acting, she’d done serving part-time at a restaurant for two whole years.
Service mindset was ingrained.
The young couple tilted their heads.
“No menu?”
Now it was Kang Han-do’s turn.
“Yes. We don’t have a special menu here. If guests tell us what they want, we customize and serve accordingly.”
“Unique restaurant.”
“That’s the flavor of reality variety.”
The newlyweds burst out laughing at Kang Han-do’s sudden quip.
Jo Min-ha giggled from the side too.
He didn’t want the vibe too stiff. Chef Kim’s Kitchen was undeniably a variety show. Light laughs were like seasoning, enhancing the program.
Fabio’s wife asked.
“What do you want, honey?”
“I’d like…”
The choice went to Fabio.
Fabio asked Kang Han-do.
“Pasta possible?”
“Yes, it is.”
Fabio explained the pasta type and detailed options to Kang Han-do.
Kang Han-do nodded.
“Got it. We’ll prepare it right away.”
Before heading to the kitchen with the order slip, Kang Han-do called Jo Min-ha.
“Let’s play some music so the guests don’t get bored.”
“Yes, got it.”
Pleasant classical music played in the background.
Kang Han-do entered the kitchen and found Chef Kim Un-sik.
“Order slip here. Chef Kim, please make it a delicious pasta.”
“Don’t worry! Just trust me!”
Chef Kim Un-sik exuded confidence.
Kitchen cameras focused on his flashy hand movements.
Chef Kim’s Kitchen. The long-awaited first dish began.