Chapter 48 · 8 min

Chapter 48

...Hand-Pulled Noodles?!

Jin Myeong Gak’s morning.

Before opening time.

People who confirmed the newly stuck notice in front of the restaurant glass door had unusual expressions.

[Menu price increase notice]

[Jajangmyeon – 18,000 won / double – 23,000 won]

[Meat jjamppong – 20,000 won / double – 25,000 won]

[Tenderloin steak (limited 30 a day) – 100,000 won (no change)]

The jajangmyeon that was 13,000 won jumped to 18,000 won, the meat jjamppong that was 15,000 won to 20,000 won.

The tenderloin steak’s price was the same, but the waiting line instantly became noisy at the sudden 5,000 won price increase of the popular noodle cooking.

“No, isn’t this too much!”

“Receiving 5,000 won more? Not crazy?”

Resentment began bursting from here and there.

“Since the situation of prices rising differently every day these days, 1-2,000 won increase is understandable, but 5,000 won at once isn’t exceeding the line?”

“Since business is going well doing quite guts business. Really absurd···”

The grumbling people’s dissatisfaction filled the alley.

The price of 18,000 won for one bowl of jajangmyeon at a neighborhood Chinese restaurant far exceeded their psychological Maginot line.

Soon exactly 10 o’clock.

Jin Myeong Gak’s glass door opened and Bong-gu came out.

“Come in!”

But the customers’ reaction was cold.

Nearly half of the long lined line clicked their tongues and left as is.

The price tag of 18,000 won for one bowl of jajangmyeon, 20,000 won for one bowl of jjamppong at a neighborhood Chinese restaurant was an amount that far exceeded the public’s psychological Maginot line.

People who thought they absolutely couldn’t eat giving that money turned their steps without lingering.

In the end the people who steadfastly kept that place were only the true regulars who thought they couldn’t give up that crazy taste even if the price rose.

Thanks to that the front of the restaurant had a shortened waiting line compared to usual and even a chilly air circulated.

“See! Now the time to go bankrupt has come. I knew it would be like that.”

“The owner is crazy about money and doing that. The nose got high from appearing on television a bit and being floated on the internet. Completely openly guts business.”

“Not even the middle of Gangnam and doing neighborhood business selling jajangmyeon at 18,000 won? The end of a restaurant that lost the beginning is obvious. In a few days flies will fly again.”

These were none other than some merchants around the alley.

Of course it was an undeniable fact that tremendous vitality circulated in the entire dying alley commercial district as Jin Myeong Gak gained nationwide fame.

Thanks to the crowd flocking every day nearby cafes, bakeries, even convenience stores’ sales jumped together.

But the world’s human heart can’t all be one mind.

Merchants who inwardly felt sick seeing one Chinese restaurant sweeping money, took this opportunity and began sneering.

Just around when the front of the restaurant experienced a commotion and quieted.

Antoine and secretary Sophie who arrived later than usual due to morning schedule entered the Jin Myeong Gak alley.

“Oh? What’s this? Today the line seems short?!”

Antoine rejoiced seeing the shortened waiting line.

Waiting over an hour every day was inwardly hardship, but today became able to enter right away so it was reasonable.

“...!”

Sophie’s gaze stayed on the price increase notice stuck on the restaurant door.

She confirmed the content and calmly explained.

“Chef. There is a reason customers decreased. Jajangmyeon and jjamppong prices rose. Seems waiting customers largely left due to the sudden increase.”

At those words Antoine opened his eyes round then soon laughed heartily.

“Rather good!”

He shrugged his shoulders as if not minding at all.

In fact Antoine also as staying in Korea various schedules were increasing.

Embassy of France related events or domestic gourmet VIP invitation banquets etc., stayed in Seoul for a few days digesting major schedules.

Antoine and Sophie toured the highest-grade Chinese restaurants and hotel dinings that were most expensive and famous in the gaps of those busy schedules.

Tasted flashy noodle cookings costing tens of thousands of won per bowl, even hundreds of thousands of won, but Antoine’s conclusion was only one.

Doesn’t even reach the toe of Jin Myeong Gak’s cooking.

“Honestly by my standard even the risen price now feels cheap. Cooking that draws this level of taste is only that price, still a blessed matter isn’t it?”

At Antoine’s words Sophie also nodded.

Even to her taste Jin Myeong Gak’s cooking was not inferior compared to any fine dining, so even the risen price feeling cheap was fact.

“Of course compared to the taste it is still a cheap price is right. But can’t ignore realistic problems.”

Sophie pushed up her glasses and continued speaking.

“This place is a neighborhood Chinese restaurant where ordinary people live to the end. For general people jajangmyeon 18,000 won as one meal has no choice but to be a big psychological burden. Just seeing customers decreased this much can know.”

At Sophie’s picky analysis Antoine rubbed his chin and spat out.

“Then this time completely move the restaurant to Seoul and enlarge the scale too, and raise the price more refreshingly wouldn’t it be? If master chef’s cooking even calling several times the current price there seem sufficiently many people who will eat.”

“Of course that is so···”

“But···.”

Antoine recalled Jin Myeong’s indifferent eyes and burst out a small laugh.

“Master chef doesn’t seem like he would do so. Seems a person indifferent to money too.”

“For that this price increase seems too sudden.”

At those words Antoine nodded.

“Heuum, hearing that it is so. But seems there is a reason.”

“Meaning there is another reason?”

“That I don’t know.”

“...”

At Antoine’s evasion Sophie who looked at him with eyes narrowed this time headed her gaze inside the restaurant.

The large build employee organizing the hall.

But his face seemed much more overflowing with vitality than usual.

‘Customers decreased that much at the restaurant··· not worried at all even seeing the current situation?’

Sophie tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand.

Just then, there was a familiar face who found Jin Myeong Gak after a long time.

A man holding a smartphone gimbal in one hand and walking while doing real-time live broadcast, YouTuber Myeondosa.

Recently as Jin Myeong Gak’s tenderloin steak gathered explosive topicality steak review requests poured from subscribers but he didn’t accept that.

Because of the belief of faithfully reviewing only noodle cooking to the nickname Myeondosa.

So only now when the steak fever subsided a bit he found Jin Myeong Gak again.

“Okay, everyone! Came to Jin Myeong Gak again after a long time. Eh? But why is the line so none today?”

Myeondosa puzzled shoving the camera, then soon discovered the price tag stuck on the door.

“Aha··· price increased. Jajangmyeon 18,000 won. Rose by 5,000 won.”

The chat window instantly burned up.

-18,000 won? Crazy, crazy ㅋㅋㅋ what neighborhood jajangmyeon is that?

-Wow, even when 13,000 won last time thought exceeded the line, now completely openly guts business.

-With that money rather grill meat and eat. Who eats 18,000 won jajangmyeon?

-Owner touched some money and seems nothing visible in the eyes. The model of a restaurant that lost the beginning.

But Myeondosa shook his head.

“Clearly a burdensome price for a neighborhood Chinese restaurant is right. But this place is still a place that does value beyond the price. If someone who experienced that crazy taste even once, 18,000 won will never be regrettable.”

As soon as his conviction speech dropped, the chat window of the real-time live broadcast began burning at a terrifying speed.

-Hyung, speak honestly. How much received at Jin Myeong Gak? ㅋㅋㅋ

-Even so shielding 18,000 won exceeded the line. Money poison rose.

-Myeondosa lost the beginning. Back ad or front ad?

-Completely entered as Jin Myeong Gak affiliated YouTuber? Have share you ㅋㅋㅋ

-Eyes rolled at one jajangmyeon and sold even conscience ㅉㅉ

-Canceling subscription. Don’t want to see the sight of defending neighborhood Chinese restaurant guts business.

Angry comments mixed with criticism and mockery filled the screen densely.

When even absurd speculation ran wild Myeondosa raised his voice as if unfair.

“No, everyone! Bought and ate with my money my money my purchase! If you really just eat once you’ll know my heart··· haa, frustrating, really.”

Just when Myeondosa who was trying to continue conviction speech steadfastly even amid the pouring malicious comments’ gaze stuck on the blue-eyed old gentleman standing in front of the restaurant door.

“···Eh?”

Myeondosa’s two eyes widened.

“Everyone! There! It’s Antoine chef?!”

The excited Myeondosa carefully approached Antoine and gave a greeting toward the live broadcast screen.

“Hello! Antoine chef! Nice to meet you!”

But Antoine glanced at Myeondosa’s camera then signaled with his eyes to Sophie standing beside.

Sophie politely said to Myeondosa.

“Sorry. Chef does not do any interviews during personal time.”

“Ah, is that so. Understood! Sorry!”

Myeondosa hurriedly stepped back yet couldn’t shut his mouth toward the camera.

“Wow··· said Antoine chef likes Jin Myeong Gak food the most and seems real! Meeting such a person at a place like this. Something amazing!”

-Heol crazy really Antoine ㄷㄷ

-That grandfather, the story of not returning to France and continuously staying in Korea was real? ㅋㅋㅋ

-Said stamps attendance at Jin Myeong Gak every day and was real.

-Look at the class of neighborhood Chinese restaurant where Michelin 3-star chef waits in line outside ㅋㅋㅋ

-Hey, honestly if Antoine visits that often should acknowledge as real famous restaurant?

-World 1 tier chef comes to eat every day and 18,000 won is rather cheap ㅋㅋㅋ who are the reverse-caps who cursed earlier?

└It’s me you shit**!

└ㅋㅋㅋ hyung go out if don’t want to die!

Just with Antoine’s appearance the controversy about the price went in, and instantly changed to curiosity.

Soon it became the turn and Myeondosa entered inside the restaurant.

He who sat and took a seat habitually glanced toward the kitchen as always.

But.

Myeondosa’s gaze headed inside the kitchen and paused.

“······Eh?”

With Jin Myeong in front of the burner an unfamiliar middle-aged man was standing.

Originally Jin Myeong Gak’s boss would have been pulling noodles using the noodle machine, but now it was different.

Taaang!

Chalssak!

Jwaaak!

The cheerful striking sound of the man fiercely striking the flour dough on the wooden work board and stretching it long echoed loudly throughout the kitchen.

In the blink of an eye the blunt dough was transforming into dozens of thin noodle strands.

“Eh??? Su, suta noodles??!”