Chapter 16
Sampling Corner (2)
Oh Jong-hee reached out and accepted the paper cup.
Just looking at the fluffy potatoes mixed with carrots and onions made him swallow.
“Thank you.”
Without hesitating, he put the entire cup of stir-fried potatoes into his mouth.
The potatoes danced across his tongue before melting away.
It happened so quickly.
One bite wasn’t enough to fully appreciate the taste.
What a shame.
Such a shame.
He wanted another bite.
“May I have the paper cup?”
“Hm?”
“I’ll give you another serving.”
“I feel like I’m asking for too much.”
As if he had read Oh Jong-hee’s mind, Han Jigu generously filled another paper cup with stir-fried potatoes and handed it over.
“The potatoes were so soft that you couldn’t really savor them the first time, could you?”
“Yes. That’s right. I don’t know how these potatoes are so tender….”
This time, Oh Jong-hee slowly placed the potatoes into his mouth.
He wanted to savor every bite.
The savory saltiness spread across his tongue, followed by the natural sweetness of the carrots and onions that gently coated his palate.
Strangely enough…
After eating the stir-fried potatoes, all he could think about was a bowl of freshly cooked white rice.
For the past several days, he had been dealing with an exhausting client. He had completely lost his appetite and barely eaten, to the point where he often felt dizzy.
But now…
His vision was clear.
Just a little while ago, he had been planning to go home and lazily mix cold rice with water for dinner.
Now, all he wanted was a proper meal.
“Um…”
“Would you like to buy a pack of stir-fried potatoes?”
Han Jigu asked with a gentle smile.
One pack…
That didn’t seem like enough.
After making up his mind, Oh Jong-hee raised two fingers.
“I’d like… two packs.”
“Then please come inside!”
Following Han Jigu into Hyangsuk’s Side Dish Shop, Oh Jong-hee’s eyes widened slightly.
The interior looked like something straight out of the 1990s.
Old wooden shelves, glass display cases, and the comforting aroma of homemade side dishes filled the shop with nostalgia.
“Would you like any other side dishes?”
Other side dishes…
Buying only stir-fried potatoes felt a little plain.
“What would you recommend? This is actually my first time here since the owner changed.”
“Then come this way.”
Almost as if enchanted, Oh Jong-hee walked over to the refrigerated display.
There weren’t many different side dishes.
“Our most popular side dish is grilled deodeok. You said the potatoes melted in your mouth, right?”
“I did.”
“The grilled deodeok is also very tender.”
“Would you like to try some?”
“Oh… thank you.”
The moment he took a bite…
His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Why is this so good?
The tender texture of the deodeok combined perfectly with the rich seasoning.
It instantly made him even hungrier.
“It’s delicious, isn’t it? We carefully pound thick deodeok until it’s tender, coat it with fragrant sesame oil and a sweet-and-spicy sauce, then grill it by hand. The outside is lightly crisp, while the inside stays moist and soft.”
“Yes! It’s incredibly juicy!”
“And since it’s a little spicy, it pairs perfectly with the stir-fried potatoes.”
Without thinking, Oh Jong-hee picked up another piece.
“And if all you have is stir-fried potatoes and grilled deodeok, your meal might feel a little incomplete. Do you have kimchi at home?”
“No.”
He shook his head, remembering his nearly empty refrigerator.
“Then how about some fresh kimchi? The spicy kimchi balances the richness of the grilled deodeok and potatoes. Every Korean meal needs a little kimchi, doesn’t it? And we also have seasoned bean sprouts…”
Thanks to Han Jigu’s smooth sales pitch…
One side dish after another somehow ended up in Oh Jong-hee’s arms.
“Shall we head to the counter?”
Even though he was carrying several containers…
It somehow didn’t feel like he’d bought too much.
“I guess I talked you into buying a lot.”
“I was completely captivated by the stir-fried potatoes….”
“You won’t regret buying the grilled deodeok or the fresh kimchi. They’re both very popular.”
“I believe you.”
Oh Jong-hee handed over his card and glanced inside the paper bag.
The delicious aroma drifting from it nearly made him dizzy.
“I’ll definitely come again.”
“We’ll be waiting for you next time!”
Carrying the bags in both hands, he crossed the street, intending to quietly place them in his car.
“Pfft.”
Hearing someone laugh, he looked up.
Grandma Kim Myung-ja was standing nearby with her arms folded, grinning at him.
“Why are you carrying so much?”
…
Oh Jong-hee awkwardly adjusted his glasses and looked away.
“You said you were only going to sample the stir-fried potatoes. Now your paper bags are practically bursting. Lawyer Oh Jong-hee, you’re so stubborn, but in the end you’re no different from anyone else.”
“I’m only human. If something tastes good…”
“If it tastes good, what?”
Grandma Kim narrowed her eyes teasingly.
Oh Jong-hee answered confidently.
“Then of course I might buy it.”
“Hahaha!”
Grandma Kim burst into hearty laughter and clapped her hands.
“That’s more like it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You think I’d tell you to come here for no reason?”
With nothing left to say, Oh Jong-hee hugged the paper bags tightly.
The pleasant aroma of the side dishes drifting out through the opening made him smile without realizing it.
“Thank you, Grandma.”
“Hm? What are you thanking me for?”
“Because now I have a good side dish shop.”
“I don’t think I’ll be skipping dinner anymore.”
Just smelling the food made him feel happy.
“Wow… I’m exhausted.”
It had been a long time since his fingers and wrists had ached from working so much.
Nearly all of the sliced potatoes had been used.
The tasting corner had been a complete success.
Later in the day, there weren’t even enough side dishes left on display to sell.
‘That should be enough advertising for the shop.’
Watching the last customer leave, Han Jigu flipped the sign on the door.
Closed for Business.
“Nya.”
“Haetae?”
“Were you busy, nya?”
Haetae swished his tail while walking around him.
The tasting corner had been so crowded that they hadn’t even had time to talk.
“Yeah.”
“It’s finally over.”
Han Jigu picked Haetae up under his front legs and hugged him.
“I left some potato fried rice in the Divine Garden earlier. Did you eat it?”
“I did, nya.”
He had prepared food for Haetae despite being busy because he worried the gluttonous cat might get hungry.
“Thank you, nya.”
“Hm?”
Haetae rested his chin against Han Jigu’s arm.
“You remembered to take care of me, nya.”
He’s adorable.
People always say that if something is cute enough, that’s all that matters.
“Did I?”
“I don’t like that tone, nya.”
“What tone?”
While teasing each other, they walked into the kitchen.
“Ah…”
The sink was overflowing with dirty dishes.
No matter how much work he finished…
There was always more waiting.
“Eat something first, nya.”
Haetae gently rubbed the back of Han Jigu’s hand with his paw.
It seemed to be his way of comforting him.
“If you’re making food, I want some too, nya.”
…
“Why, nya?”
“Yeah.”
“You have to eat to keep going.”
“What do you want for dinner?”
“What can you make, nya?”
Han Jigu searched through the commercial refrigerator.
“There are some pork shoulder slices left from the other day.”
“How about we eat that?”
“Spicy stir-fried pork, nya!”
Dinner was decided.
He placed the pork on the cutting board and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Before cooking, he opened a drawer to gather the seasonings.
But…
‘I’m running low on almost everything.’
If he ignored it now, he’d probably forget tomorrow.
So he grabbed the GS Company notepad from the counter and wrote down everything he needed.
Shopping List
Commercial soy sauce (13L) ×1
Roasted sea salt (5kg) ×1
Commercial gochujang (14kg) ×1
White sugar (3kg) ×1
Cooking wine (1.8kg) ×1
Corn syrup (3kg) ×1
Oyster sauce (510g) ×1
“There’s a lot to buy…”
He glanced at the wall clock.
Exactly 8:00 PM.
‘I can probably put the notepad inside now.’
He placed the notepad into the bottom compartment of the refrigerator and closed the door.
A moment later…
The compartment opened by itself.
A message appeared.
?
You’re not sleeping?
“Huh?”
Another message appeared.
Shouldn’t you still be preparing ingredients right now?
Han Jigu quickly wrote back.
A reply came almost immediately.
You really live a busy life.
Shrugging, he wrote:
You should stay busy too.
The response was unexpected.
LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
Han Jigu simply wrote exactly what he was thinking.
?
Just give me the seasonings already.
Why are you chatting instead of giving me what I asked for?
Something clattered inside the refrigerator compartment.
Then every seasoning on his list appeared.
‘The seasonings are all ordinary.’
They had said only the first gift would be something special.
While moving the ingredients, he noticed another note lying on the floor.
I heard you opened a tasting corner.
Han Jigu frowned.
How do you know that?
Before the ink on his message had even dried, another reply appeared.
Word spread here.
Right…
They did say they were keeping an eye on me.
He wrote one final message.
Thanks for letting me know.
No further replies came.
He carried the seasonings into the kitchen and started cooking the spicy stir-fried pork.
“I’ll go get some green onions, nya.”
“Okay. See you.”
Watching Haetae dash into the Divine Garden, Han Jigu smiled.
He mixed together chili powder, gochujang, garlic, sugar, cooking wine, corn syrup, and oyster sauce to make the marinade.
After slicing an onion and the green onions, everything was ready.
Spicy stir-fried pork was actually a simple dish…
As long as you had all the ingredients.
Now all that remained was waiting for Haetae to return with the green onions.
“Huh?”
Han Jigu opened the upper kitchen cabinet to take out one of the bowls his grandmother often used.
“What?”
“Where did it go? I’m sure I left it here.”
Unable to find it, he opened every cabinet in the kitchen.
“What’s wrong, nya?”
Haetae returned from the garden carrying fresh green onions.
He tilted his head as he watched Han Jigu frantically searching.
“The bowl keeps disappearing… Wait… it’s back?”
His eyes widened.
The bowl had somehow returned to exactly where it had been.
“What do you mean it’s disappearing, nya?”
“…Haetae, could you step outside the kitchen for a moment?”
“…Hmm. Alright, nya.”
The moment Haetae walked out through the back door…
The bowl in the upper cabinet mysteriously disappeared again.
Not every bowl.
Only the one Han Jigu was reaching for.
