Closed on Tuesdays

Monday Morning

Yeon took a step back and closed her eyes as the sun beamed on her face. She could hear the neighborhood bus honking not too far away. "The hot weather must be making people cranky," she thought as she stepped back into the building. She glanced at her mother, her beautiful and petite mother standing by the sink washing the chickens she bought for Monday's class. The usual setting of the restaurant was what was waiting for her to clean. Four long wooden tables, plastic stools stacked up to the left of the room, cooking utensils organized in plastic Starbucks take-out cups, and a huge whiteboard pushed to one corner. From outside, the place looked like somebody's restaurant. The usual stares and people stopping to peek in were normal because once they get a good look, they realize it's a cooking studio. And on the glass door entrance it read, "Yeon's & Hyeon's."

"You know we can buy ones that don't have the head, right?" Yeon asked her mom who was looking for the knife. Her mom just laughed as she pulled out a knife from the rack. Yeon grabbed a slice of the carrot her mom chopped up for the dongchimi and took a bite of it. "Those aren't for you," her mom said as she slapped her on the back. Her slaps were never hard and they never hurt, but Yeon always made a big motion as if she was in excruciating pain. "It's fine, we always have enough." Yeon walked behind her mom and watched as she carefully beheaded the chickens they bought for the class. She cringed for the 100th time, as samgyetang were probably cooked that many times in their classes.

Right after graduating middle school, Yeon was at the studio with her mom, cooking. More than 10 years they have been doing this together. Yeon loved her mom, the studio, and every person who had come in to learn. Each left with a new memory and craving for Korean food. It was the best part of her day when people left with plastic containers filled with food they just cooked with Yeon and her mom's help.

"Can you double check if we have everything?"her mom asked as she washed the chicken blood off her knife. Yeon walked to the white board and grabbed the schedule she taped yesterday night as she reconfirmed reservations and final schedule. "Monday, samgyetang and dongchimi. Dessert, hongsi ice-cream," Yeon mumbled as she wiped the whiteboard. It was already clean, but she wiped anyway like any other day. Yeon placed the paper on the board and a small circular magnet on top. The menus were usually written on the board, in clean straight handwriting Yeon could never imitate. If anyone asked why, she was ready to answer and say that it was because her fingers were already used to holding a knife, not a marker. But that wasn't true. She can write. But it was somebody else's job. That somebody was no longer available for that job, but Yeon never got that. So she just cleans it, waiting.

Yeon stood by the shelves, looking for the perfect bowl for the dishes. As she grabbed a pale gray bowl, one they used every time for samgyetang, she heard the door open. Without looking up she said, "We're not a restaurant, the famous curry place is down the street." Normally, before even looking up Yeon heard the door close, but it stayed open. She just heard a loud panting noise. Yeon looked up to see who it was, slowly. This person was wearing a pair of worn-out Chuck Taylors, worn-out jeans, a white t-shirt, and a brown and red checkered flannel on top, sleeves rolled up. All she could think in the 3 second scan was how hot this person must be. Yeon finally looked at this person's face. He was sweating, black short hair, almond shaped eyes, brown like almonds too. He smiled as she met eyes with him. "Finally," he thought as he used his right hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead. "He never told me it was up on a hill," he mumbled to himself under his breath.

"Can I help you?" Yeon asked. She thought he might be one of the students for today's class. He looked around and smiled. He ignored the young lady who stood a few steps away from him. He noticed the shelves filled with dishes in all sorts of shapes and sized and colors. Then he noticed the kitchen. It wasn't small but it wasn't big. He started to walk towards the kitchen and looked at the older lady who had a knife in one hand and a pair of tongs in the other. 

"You must be Yeon," he said as he took off his backpack. He placed it on the floor and walked towards her. Before he could even take another step, the younger one stepped in front of him. "No, that would be me," Yeon couldn't help but sound rude. He was being rude so she was being rude. She didn't like how he came in, looking around, not telling them why he was even here. He looked down at Yeon and smiled again. It wasn't a polite smile, it was more like a smirk. 

"Can I help you?" Yeon wasn't really asking because he didn't look like he was going to answer. It was silent for a few seconds. Yeon could hear the neighborhood bus honking not too far away. "The hot weather must be making people cranky," she thought again as she took a step back. She glanced at her mother, her beautiful and petite mother standing by the sink washing the chickens she bought for Monday's class. Today's class. Then she glanced at the man who didn't move a bit after she asked again. "Can I help you?" Yeon asked again, this time she tried to sound polite.

"I think you can. I think... you only can," he said with a grin. This time, it was a genuine smile, but still Yeon couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"It's nice to finally meet you. My name is Hyeon," he said as he stretched out his right hand. 

to be continued

How to cook samgyetang

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, water, a cup of sticky rice, Korean ginseng, 5 garlic cloves, 6 dried jujube, 4 ginko nuts, 4 chest nuts, 2 spoons for green onion, thinly sliced, fine sea salt, 

large pot (big enough to fit the chicken), cotton tie

1. Wash the chicken, inside out thoroughly under cold water

2. Stuff the chicken with sticky rice, ginseng, garlic cloves, jujube, ginko nuts, and chest nut

3. Cross the chicken legs and and tike them with the cotton tie (do not skip this step, this is to prevent the ingredients from pouring out when boiling)

4. Place the chicken in the pot and pour enough water to fully dunk the chicken

5. Cook in medium high heat for 30 minutes

6. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for another 30 minutes till chicken and sticky rice is fully cooked

7. Transfer the whole chicken to a wide bowl or a ttukbaegi  and pour the broth on top

8. Throw in the green onions and season with a bit of salt or provide salt the side for dipping.