Chapter 17: Yeolmu Bibim Guksu

Taking advantage of the moment, Im Jeongmyeong brought Irim to his restaurant.  

Im Jeongmyeong’s restaurant was located near the Police Museum in Yulmun-ri, Sinbuk-eup.  

Whether by coincidence or fate, it was very close to Irim’s home.  

Irim’s house was right behind the Police Museum.  

The restaurant was just a five-minute walk away.  

When Irim mentioned this, Im Jeongmyeong was delighted.  

“It seems our connection is more than ordinary, haha.”  

“Seems like it.”  

“So, what do you think of the restaurant?”  

At Im Jeongmyeong’s question, Irim examined the exterior.  

The restaurant was built in the style of a traditional thatched house, complete with a courtyard.  

While the interior was likely remodeled, the exterior was unmistakably an old-fashioned structure with mud walls and a tiled roof.  

It appeared to be about 25 pyeong (approximately 82 square meters) in size.  

The courtyard was covered with gravel, likely intended for use as a parking lot.  

After slowly taking in the exterior, Irim gave a faint smile.  

“It’s really nice.”  

“Haha, it seems our tastes align, young man. Shall we go inside?”  

Irim followed Im Jeongmyeong into the restaurant.  

The interior dining area was larger than it appeared from outside.  

Including the kitchen, it was likely around 30 pyeong (approximately 99 square meters).  

The kitchen was an open layout, and the tools inside were pristine, showing almost no signs of use.  

“This is the kitchen you’ll be using.”  

“It’s impressive.”  

“Isn’t it? The restaurant is set to open in five days, so come by the day before to get familiar with the layout and where the utensils are.”  

“But we haven’t even decided on the menu…”  

Grrrgle.  

A sound from Im Jeongmyeong’s stomach interrupted Irim.  

When Irim looked at him, Im Jeongmyeong rubbed his belly sheepishly.  

“Oh dear, I only had a couple of spoonfuls of bibimbap before leaving, so I’m starving. Shall we eat something and talk?”  

“Sounds good.”  

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you think of this as a job interview and whip something up in the kitchen?”  

“Me?”  

Im Jeongmyeong nodded.  

“Anything’s fine. I’ve been stocking up on basics since I occasionally cook here myself, so the kitchen’s got the essentials. No pressure if you don’t want to, haha.”  

“No, I’ll do it.”  

This man believed in him despite his loss of taste and smell.  

Irim wanted to show at least some sincerity.  

He opened the refrigerator.  

Inside were well-fermented cabbage kimchi, yeolmu (young radish) kimchi, eggs, gochujang, half a cucumber, and carrots.  

In the freezer, there was frozen pork shoulder, sliced for stew.  

On the counter were containers of salt and sugar.  

Opening a drawer, he found soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, and sesame seeds.  

In another drawer, there were a few packets of instant noodles and somyeon (thin wheat noodles).  

That was all the kitchen had.  

Irim thought about what to make with these ingredients when an idea struck him.  

He asked Im Jeongmyeong, “Sir, do you like noodles?”  

“I cook them from time to time. These days, broth packets are so convenient. I make broth with those, add zucchini and carrots, season with soy sauce and salt, and top it with egg strips. It’s quite filling. But I’m out of broth packets right now.”  

“Do you like bibim guksu too?”  

“I’d eat it if it were available, haha.”  

Irim decided to make yeolmu bibim guksu (young radish bibim noodles).  

He filled a pot with water and placed it on the gas stove.  

Click-click. Whoosh!  

While the water heated over the roaring flame, he prepared the sauce.  

In a large stainless steel bowl, he added four heaping spoonfuls of gochujang, then mixed in sugar, vinegar, and sesame oil in balanced proportions, along with a small amount of yeolmu kimchi brine, stirring thoroughly.  

Out of habit, Irim licked a bit of the sauce off the spoon, then squeezed his eyes shut.  

He had forgotten he’d lost his sense of taste.  

The bitterness of not tasting the familiar flavor was something only those who’d experienced it could understand.  

Quickly shaking off the pang in his chest, Irim added enough somyeon for two servings to the now-boiling pot.  

He chopped the tangy yeolmu stems into appropriate sizes and mixed them into the sauce.  

Just then, the water boiling the noodles started to bubble over.  

Irim quickly poured a cup of cold water into the pot.  

The overflow subsided.  

Repeating this process twice more ensured the noodles were perfectly soft and cooked.  

He rinsed the cooked somyeon thoroughly in cold water, making the noodles firm and chewy.  

He divided them into two bowls and added half the prepared sauce to each.  

While this alone would be tasty, it looked too plain and lackluster visually.  

Irim took the cucumber, sliced it diagonally, then julienned it to use as a garnish, sprinkling sesame seeds on top.  

With that, the visually appealing yeolmu bibim guksu was complete.  

While Irim cooked, Im Jeongmyeong stepped out to the dining area and sat down, not wanting to make Irim feel pressured by watching over his shoulder in an unfamiliar kitchen.  

Irim brought out two bowls of yeolmu bibim guksu on a tray, placing one in front of Im Jeongmyeong and the other in front of himself.  

“Wow, this looks really delicious.”  

Im Jeongmyeong marveled at the neatly presented yeolmu bibim guksu.  

The red-tinted noodles looked so appetizing that he couldn’t stop swallowing.  

“Try it.”  

“Let’s eat together.”  

“I’ll eat after watching you try it.”  

“Then I’ll go first.”  

Unable to wait any longer, Im Jeongmyeong picked up a large portion of noodles with his chopsticks and put them in his mouth.  

Slurp!  

The cool noodles were sucked into his mouth.  

“Mmm.”  

Im Jeongmyeong let out a sound of admiration as he savored the mouthful.  

The gochujang-based sauce delivered a perfect trio of sweet, sour, and spicy flavors, playing a symphony in his mouth.  

No single flavor overpowered the others; they blended harmoniously.  

The nutty richness from the sesame oil exploded, making it an impeccable bibim guksu.  

It was a taste almost too good to swallow.  

Gulp!  

After savoring the noodles for a long time, Im Jeongmyeong swallowed and clapped instinctively.  

“Oh, this is truly delicious.”  

“Really?”  

“Yes. The best bibim guksu I’ve had in recent memory.”  

Irim’s bibim guksu wasn’t anything extraordinary.  

The ingredients were common and easily obtainable.  

But Irim knew exactly how to combine them to bring out the most universally appealing flavor.  

“Young man… no, calling you that feels a bit off. What’s your name?”  

“It’s Irim. Just one character.”  

“That’s a fine name. You probably saw my business card, but I’m Im Jeongmyeong.”  

“Yes, sir, I know. And please speak comfortably.”  

“Is that okay?”  

“It’d make me more comfortable.”  

“Then I’ll speak casually from now on. Haha. Come on, Rim, eat up.”  

As Im Jeongmyeong urged Irim to eat, a booming voice came from outside.  

“Hyungnim! You in there?”  

Before Im Jeongmyeong could respond, someone flung the door open and walked in.  

Irim saw a middle-aged man with a balding head and a protruding belly.  

Im Jeongmyeong greeted him familiarly.  

“Hey, if you’re just gonna barge in, why bother asking if I’m here?”  

“You know I’m impatient. Who’s this guy?”  

“Our head chef, Irim. Rim, say hi. This guy runs a junk shop nearby.”  

“I’m Park Cheolho. Nice to meet you, chef.”  

“Nice to meet you too.”  

“What are you eating?”  

“Yeolmu bibim guksu, made by our chef.”  

“Looks pretty tasty.”  

“Want a bite?”  

“I had a light lunch, so I’m hungry… but there’s none for me.”  

At that, Irim offered the portion he was going to eat.  

“Take mine.”  

“Then what’ll you eat?”  

“I’m not that hungry anyway.”  

“Well, I won’t say no then.”  

Im Jeongmyeong scolded Park Cheolho, who licked his lips as he joined them.  

“Talk about shameless.”  

Ignoring Im Jeongmyeong, Park Cheolho mixed the yeolmu bibim guksu and started talking.  

“It’s been a while since I had yeolmu bibim guksu. Are you planning to sell this at the restaurant?”  

“No, he just made it because I was hungry.”  

“Good call, chef. Young people these days don’t know how to bring out the deep flavor of bibim guksu. It’s all surface-level.”  

“What nonsense are you spouting in front of the person who made it?”  

“I’m just stating facts, hyungnim. It might taste good, but it can’t beat the bibim guksu my mom used to make when I was a kid. The way she mixed the red sauce into the noodles with her rough hands—eating it made my eyes close in bliss.”  

“Just shut up and eat.”  

“I’ll enjoy it.”  

Park Cheolho took a big bite of the well-mixed bibim guksu.  

The chewy noodles, coated in sauce, danced vibrantly on his tongue.  

The crisp yeolmu stems added a refreshing crunch.  

In that moment, only one thought filled Park Cheolho’s mind.  

Delicious!  

As he chewed enthusiastically and swallowed, his eyes closed involuntarily.  

Srrr.  

“…Huh?”  

Opening his eyes in surprise, Park Cheolho looked at Irim.  

Im Jeongmyeong asked, “How does it compare to your mom’s bibim guksu?”  

“…It’s better.”  

Park Cheolho was brash and impulsive, but he couldn’t lie.  

He finished the entire bowl in silence, devouring it in no time.  

“Burp!”  

After a satisfying belch, Park Cheolho looked at Irim seriously and said, “Listen, young chef. How about selling this yeolmu bibim guksu at the restaurant?”  

His change in attitude was almost comically drastic.  

Thanks to Park Cheolho, the menu for Jeongmyeong Restaurant was set as yeolmu bibim guksu for the time being.  

It turned out that the yeolmu kimchi was homemade by Im Jeongmyeong, and the yeolmu itself was supplied by Park Cheolho.  

Though he ran a junk shop, he owned a large field and focused more on farming.  

So, it was better to visit his field than his shop to find him.  

With the menu decided, Irim arranged to meet again at the restaurant in four days and returned home.  

“Time to log in.”  

Irim drank a bottle of Connection Water, put on the Connector, and lay on his bed.  

When he pressed the button in his hand, his consciousness was pulled into the virtual reality game Real.