Cheat day

Yechan (3)

The daily lives and interviews of participants other than Joo Ji-seung were also revealed.

Choi Eun-sam, who runs a rice soup restaurant in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, was introduced. He was already known as a popular restaurant, but since the Korean Food Appreciation show, customers have been flocking to him.

– 3 AM. Choi Eun-sam’s day starts earlier than others.

– Are you coming to work at this hour?

Jwa Wang-taek asked in a husky voice.

– Yes.

Without saying much, Choi Eun-sam got into his truck.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, he began preparing for the day’s business.

– Do you do all of this by yourself?

– Of course.

Choi Eun-sam chuckled as he peeled onions.

As it passed 5 AM, customers started to arrive at his rice soup restaurant one by one.

There were market workers, people in work boots, and even Choi Eun-sam’s father.

As everyone was enjoying their bowls of rice soup, Jwa Wang-taek requested an interview with Choi Eun-sam’s father, Choi Deok-ho.

At 78 years old, he sells seafood, including dombaegi (a type of fish), in the market.

– Do you usually come out this early?

-Of course.

– Do you eat your son’s rice soup every morning?

– Yes.

Both father and son were consistently taciturn.

The scene shifted to an interview at Choi Deok-ho’s stall.

– You must feel reassured, having your son’s restaurant right next to yours.

– It is reassuring.

– He’s a good son.

– No, he’s a bad son. There’s no son as unfilial as him.

Choi Deok-ho shook his head and went inside.

The video then captured Choi Eun-sam after finishing his morning business.

– Did you have a disagreement with your father?

– Heh heh.

As he trimmed scallions, Choi Eun-sam chuckled but remained silent.

After waiting, Jwa Wang-taek prompted him to speak.

– My father said that young people should go live in Seoul. But he doesn’t like that I’m here doing rice soup instead.

– With your skills, I think you could do well in Seoul.

Choi Eun-sam set down the scallions and gazed outside.

– I like it here.

Looking out at his hometown, Choi Eun-sam smiled gently.

– It feels comfortable because it’s where I was born and raised.

Choi Eun-sam consistently used local ingredients such as garlic, onions, and dombaegi, which are synonymous with Yeongcheon.

– There are many people who would feel sad if I weren’t here. You saw that this morning.

– Indeed. Many came from early morning.

– It’s a bit disheartening to see people leave one by one. It really is.

Choi Eun-sam said bitterly.

The video conveyed the fact that Yeongcheon Market, once thriving, has significantly dwindled in size over the years.

Back on screen, Choi Eun-sam expressed that he dislikes seeing the market he remembered from childhood slowly fade away and be forgotten by people.

He wants to maintain his presence and let people know through Korean Food Appreciation that there are delicious foods in Yeongcheon.

“Your love for your hometown is truly evident,” Mukunji said.

“Yeah, it can’t be easy,” came the reply.

It reminded me of the dombaegi from the first round.

Looking back, the dombaegi was a dish infused with Choi Eun-sam’s love for his hometown.

He must have wanted to promote Yeongcheon through the delicious dishes made from the dombaegi his father sells, but receiving negative reviews must have been incredibly painful for him.

Next, the segment introduced Sa-daemun.

As a strong contender from Seosan, he has been in a constant competition for the top spot with Joo Ji-seung, and I was curious about his backstory.

Similar to Choi Eun-sam, Sa-daemun’s restaurant was introduced, and an interview took place during a quiet time between lunch and dinner.

– I’ve been doing this for a long time. I started when I was 17, so it’s been about 30 or 31 years.

In response to the question of when he started cooking, Sa-daemun replied.

– So you started in high school?

– Yes. I didn’t like going to school. Haha!

Sa-daemun shared that he dropped out of high school to pursue a career as a chef.

Subtitles revealed that Sa-daemun lost his parents at a young age and could not continue his education.

– Back then, there were no places to learn. I couldn’t even think about learning in school like now. I just went to a restaurant and started washing dishes to learn.

Sa-daemun spoke casually, as if it were no big deal.

– That must not have been easy.

– No, it wasn’t. You had to learn by observing, and back then, everyone kept their skills to themselves. They thought of it as a way to make a living.

– So what did you do?

– You had to learn cleverly. After washing dishes for a few years, they’d let you handle cold dishes, like salads. You’d be happy about that, and after a few more years of working quietly, they’d let you use the stove. That’s how it went.

– Did you ever want to give up?

– Not at all. I loved cooking. I was happy to earn 200,000 won a month and sleep in the attic of the restaurant.

Sa-daemun pulled out several worn notebooks.

He introduced them as recipe notes from that time, showing the wear and tear that illustrated his effort.

– 200,000 won?

– Yes. That’s how it was back then. The environment for chefs has only improved recently.

I knew how hard kitchen work was from my one-month experience in a lunchbox business.

While I was only doing limited lunch service, other chefs must have faced far greater labor intensity.

Despite that, it was a low salary, making me wonder how chefs of that era managed to survive.

– There was pride in it. At least in this town, I was the best at this dish. At least I was different from those who played around with food. Customers recognized that pride, and that’s how I continued.

U Wang-seon nodded in agreement.

– But there are times when that pride gets shaken.

– In what way?

Sa-daemun showed a family photo on his phone.

– Isn’t it beautiful?

– **I thought I wanted to live like that, so I started learning little by little, and it was so much fun. I had some depression, but I felt okay when I was cooking.**

I had heard similar things when I was in therapy for depression.

One of the ways to overcome depression is to move your body and prepare meals for yourself.

Just setting a decent table for yourself instead of relying on takeout or instant food can significantly improve symptoms.

This is true in practice as well.

-Since Mom runs a toast business here, I’ve learned a lot. I know what’s needed and how to deal with customers.

-Be quiet. Go take a nap.

Yook Hye-rin’s mother, Hong Jae-sun, scolded her daughter once more, but when Yook Hye-rin snuggled up and leaned against her shoulder, she couldn’t help but smile.

The mother-daughter relationship seemed really good.

-How is it at work?

-Everyone was surprised. They didn’t know I was doing something like this after work.

Yook Hye-rin said, a bit shy.

– You mentioned that if you win, you’d start your own business. What does your boss say about that?

– It’s not like the company would fall apart without me… They don’t really treat me well either. Ah, please don’t air this. Edit it out.

“Yook Hye-rin definitely needs to win.”

I couldn’t help but be impressed by the main producer’s personality, and Mukunji’s comment made me burst out laughing.