One day in Seoul 🇰🇷

🇰🇷: 60

The evening was perfect, a blend of elegance and warmth that I never thought I'd be part of. Sarang, our little princess, was finally turning five. It felt surreal, this moment-being here with her, celebrating her birthday for the first time as her father. There was a certain weight to it, a happiness mixed with the quiet sadness of all that had happened, but today was Sarang's day, and nothing was going to take that away from her.

We decided to keep it simple, but still, we wanted to make it special. Mari suggested we hold the dinner at Maxana, her family's fine dining restaurant, and it was the perfect choice. The restaurant itself was classy yet cozy, the kind of place that made you feel like royalty the moment you walked in. Maxana had been a part of Mari's family for generations, and it held a certain sentimental value. Tonight, that sentiment was for Sarang.

As we entered the restaurant, the maître d' led us to a private dining room, beautifully set with a long table adorned with white linens, crystal glasses, and soft candlelight. Sarang's eyes sparkled as she held tightly onto Katarina's hand, her excitement bubbling over as she skipped along, her pink dress flowing behind her.

"Ang ganda naman dito, Daddy!" Sarang exclaimed, her small voice filled with joy.

I smiled, watching her take in everything. "Yes, anak. Para sayo 'to. Happy birthday."

Katarina glanced at me, her expression soft, and I could see how much this meant to her too. For Sarang to have this moment, to be surrounded by family.

The chef entered the room, smiling warmly at us before he began to explain the meal. "Good evening, everyone. Tonight, we have prepared a special five-course meal for your celebration. Let me walk you through each dish."

The first course was a delicate amuse-bouche, a bite-sized creation of truffle-infused goat cheese atop a crisp crostini, drizzled with honey. The chef explained how the earthy flavor of the truffle was balanced by the sweetness of the honey, creating a harmonious start to the meal.

Next came the second course, a lobster bisque, rich and velvety, served with a dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of chives. Sarang giggled when she tasted it, her nose crinkling slightly at the unfamiliar flavor.

"For Sarang," the chef said, "we've prepared something special as well. Mini chicken sliders with fries and her favorite spaghetti bolognese-kiddie style, of course."

Sarang's face lit up. "Yay! Spaghetti!"

Everyone chuckled as the chef continued, presenting the third course: pan-seared scallops on a bed of cauliflower purée, with roasted baby carrots and a balsamic glaze. The scallops were cooked to perfection, golden on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside.

The fourth course was a classic but elevated dish-filet mignon, cooked medium rare, with truffle mashed potatoes and sautéed asparagus. The steak was tender, the flavors so rich and complex that it felt like it melted in your mouth.

For the final course, dessert, the chef brought out a chocolate lava cake with a raspberry coulis, topped with vanilla bean ice cream. The sight of the cake made Sarang's eyes go wide again.

"Sarang, this is for you," the chef said, bringing out a smaller cake just for her-a strawberry shortcake, her favorite.

But before we could dig in, it was time for the moment everyone had been waiting for.

Katarina stood up, holding Sarang's hand. "Okay, let's all sing happy birthday to our little princess."

Everyone gathered around, voices filling the room as we sang "Happy Birthday" to Sarang. Her smile was so wide, her cheeks flushed with happiness as she blew out the candles on her cake.