#gimbap chefs

[seoul-bros]

Jikook Week 28 Complete ✔️(18/06 - 25/06/2024)

Their twenty eighth week in the military is now complete and time to celebrate this milestone with a look back at this week in 2020. This really was a jikook extravaganza week. I've never seen so many classic jikook moments all fitted in one week before.

BTS were in the lead up to the release of Map of the Soul 7 The Journey on the 14th July 2020. This was their fourth full length album in Japanese and their eighth studio album overall.

This week a series of photos to accompany the release including these two stunning pictures of Jimin and JK.

Stay Gold was released on 19/06 and this live version on the 22/06.

Also this week, BTS Music Journey Part 1 and Part 2 were released with them talking about their seven years since debut. When asked to say something about Jimin, Jungkook had the following response.

JK: "Jimin-ssi ...... are words necessary" JM: Yes, words are necessary"

JK: "I'm always watching you Jimin-ssi" JM: "I'll work harder"

The interaction itself and Namjoon's reactions in the background send me every time.

Twix Link

Finally on 21/06, it was the jikook - we are gimbap chefs live parts 1 and 2 and afterwards Jimin posted this photo on TwiX. It was the epitome of domesticity and ease and reflected how comfortable they are with each other. Part 1 was the dry run and Part 2 was when they put what they had learned in Part 1 into practice.

In Part 1, they laid out ingredients including Perilla leaves - yep the same Perilla leaves that caused a heated debate in the MBTI episode.

They fielded marriage proposals from ARMY which led Jungkook to swiftly change the subject. Egg gimbap anyone.

Then they got on with the serious business of cooking complete with dramatic soundtrack and sesame oil mishaps.

JK was teasing Jimin and dropping honorifics left, right, and centre...

..and couldn't contain his laughter at Jimin's gimbap slicing.

Not totally satisfied with their initial efforts they launched into Part 2 which went very well indeed.

Cr. to OP

So great to watch that again.

Post Date: 25/06/2024

[k-star-holic]

'Korean food tray' There was Lee Yeon-bok, but it was gone.

Source: k-star-holic.blogspot.com

[kai-uh-arcadian]

Birthday Wishes

10th!Member F!Reader x Tzuyu

My first fic in a while :D I hope you enjoy! Just a bunch of fluff-- it's kind of based off of Tzuyu's phone call with Chaeyoung!

CW: Implied drinking, drunk call, minor cursing, also it's like barely proofread so I apologize if there are any mistakes

Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you want more :D

Love you xoxo K (:

Word count: 2.4k

It was the night before your birthday and you and your members were celebrating together.. Minus one

Unfortunately, Tzuyu had a scheduled VLive to do called “Tzuyu’s favourite late night snack”

While you and your members were in the living room enjoying somaek and maekgoli while eating snacks– Tzuyu was away in a kitchen meticulously cutting various vegetables and rolling them into a gimbap roll. So close yet so far away!

11:30pm

“Ahh~” She exclaimed “Once! This is the final product” she angled the roll in front of the camera smiling like a child showing her parents her artwork from kindergarten

The comments flooded in one after another..

Tzuyu! it looks amazing

What’s in it

TZUYU I LOVE YOU

Try a piece

I love you Tzuyuuu

Chef Tzuyu

I’m so hungry

Can I have it?

Tzuyu it’s almost y/n’s birthday

what did you get her

happy early birthday y/n unnie

where are the other members

Chaeyoung would love that roll!

Tzuyu began to read the comments

“Where are the.. other members” she squinted her eyes to focus on the comments

“Ahh~ am I boring you!” She playfully scolded while placing the perfectly cut roll into her mouth

“Yeah it’s almost y/n’s birthday! It’s in 30 minutes'' she mumbled while covering her mouth with a gloved hand

You should bake her a cake

Where is she

Happy early birthday y/n!

I hear people laughing

Where are the members

You should call her!

“Okay okay~ I’ll call y/n once I finish making this ramen!”

12:30am

~

You were abruptly woken up from your drunken stupor to vibration coming from your side table

You rolled around in bed reaching for your phone and the phone lit up with the contact name “Tzuuuuu '' and a photo of her. Usually, when Tzuyu calls you, you can't help but laugh at her contact photo but this time you just blankly stared at your phone to get your eyes to focus.

You vaguely remember Jihyo and Jeongyeon helping you up the stairs and tucking you into bed. It was a blind-leading-the-blind situation as both of them were stumbling too!

“Hello~~ Tzu” you slurred your words after being pulled away from dreamland

On Tzuyu's side she could see the comments coming in,

happy birthday y/n!!🥰

Happy birthday! ♥️

Hbd!

Happy birthday!!! Thank you for everything you have done for me I love you so much!♥️

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I LOVE YOU

Tzuyu began to sing you happy birthday and you stop smiling while your head was spinning

“Ahh~ Thank you.. Tzuyu-ya” you said as you smiled through your yawn

“Sorry for waking you.. you were sleeping right~? She began, blushing as she began to get shy, “Thank you for everything you do for me and our members! Once’s say they love you~ say hii~”

Tzuyu’s sweet voiced danced in your ears

“Ahh~ you’re still live? Hi once~! Thank you for supporting my Tzuyu today and being here to celebrate my birthday with me” you chuckled

“Okay~ say bye I’ll let you slee-“ she began and cover her face in reaction to you adding ‘my’ in front of her name

The viewers seemed to catch that too!

“Tzuyu~ tell me about your vlive? I only watched part of it before Jihyo-unnie scolded me for being on my phone.. Did you eat well? How was it?”

“Oh,” she let out a giggle that made you cheese like crazy. “It was good, I also made ramen! Okay~ say bye so you can slee-“

Once again you accidentally cut her off again! You (unintentionally) wouldn’t let her end the call

“Ahh~ ramen! Did you make me any? What about the kimbap?” You inquired and let your eyes close as they were getting heavy— putting your phone right on your chest

“Uh.. no”

“Really! You said you would~~!” You huffed and she laughed at your audible pout. She could imagine the look on your face. Lips puffed out and you tried to feign sadness— much like a baby who doesn’t get their way

“Kimbap goes bad easily! You're sleeping now anyways” She tried to save herself

“I would’ve eaten it tomorrow~~” you trailed off

“I made it too watery,” she shyly stuttered. “I don’t think it would’ve survived through the night!”

Silence.

Tzuyu took this as you actually being upset at her so she tried to diffuse the situation!

“Ah~ y/n.. what if tomorrow I make you kimbap, ramen, and whatever else you want for your birthday dinner.. o-or maybe we all could go out and I could treat you to a dinn—“ she abruptly stopped her sentence.

Your light snores/breathing through the speaker cut her off.

Once’s in the comments were going crazy!

Tzuyu burst out into laughter and hid her face in her lap

“Are you sleeping?!” She said through her laugh

No response(of course)

“Ahh~ I’m going crazy!~” She covered her laughter “okay okay goodnight y/n~ happy birthday!”

Just before she was about to click end call you responded

“Ahh~ okay my honey. I love you~~” you said in the sleepiest/raspy voice before your breath evened out

Tzuyu (and once’s) were taken aback at the sudden use of a pet name AND a possible confession?

Next morning

~

You woke up with a slight headache but nonetheless you were full of excitement as it was your birthday!

You woke up and made your way downstairs to join the commotion in the living room

“Happy birthday!” The members said in unison

Your eyes doubled in size when you noticed the table that resembled a buffet!

There were 4 rolls of kimbap, jajangmyeon, miyeokguk, hae jang-guk(which is what you needed the most), various side dishes, and a LOT of various meats!

“Ah~! What’s this!” You exclaimed walking over to your 8 members on the couch in various colours of party hats

"It’s your birthday!" Jihyo said, beaming with pride in her yellow party hat. "So of course we had to make it special”

“Ahh~! Happy birthday!” Chaeyoung practically bolted from the couch grasping a red party hat to give to you as she hugged you

She almost knocked you over as she hammered her head into your chest and you let out a groan

“Chaey~!” You giggled and began to play fight over the hat. You tried reaching for it

“Hey!”

“AH!~ Just let me-!”

“No!”

She wanted to put it on you. You didn’t.

“How the hell do either of you have the energy to move like that right now,” Jeongyoung pitched in “I think both of you outdrank me last night and I can barely think” holding the sides of her temples

Naeyeon humphed in agreement with an icepack on her forehead while Dahyun and Mina sat there giggling to themselves

“Maybe it’s because you’re both so old” Momo teased and blew her party blower quite loudly causing them to scold her!

“Too loud!” Jihyo lightly pushed her shoulder

Jihyo was in full on mom-mode when she began to scold you and Chaeyoung

“Hey! You two, cut it out!”

Both of you somehow ended up on the floor with red party hats on you (Chaeyoung succeeded in putting the hat on you.) You peeked your head out just above the table with a look of embarrassment.

“Sorry unnies..!” You both said in unison

This caused the group to burst out into laughter

“She looks sooo cute! Like a baby!” Sana chimed in with her purple party hat and brought her phone out to take pictures of you

“So cute~!” The members all followed suit and began to take pictures of you

“Ahh~!” you pushed Chaeyoung gently off of you as she was taking close up .05’s of you

“Okay~ okay, that’s enough!” You began to get shy

“Our baby is getting shy~ how cute~!” Jeongyoung teased which caused more pictures to be taken

“Tzuyu-ya! Where are you! Help me!” You playfully yelled out

“Aww~ the baby wants help from the other baby! How cute!” Sana giggled along with your members

And just like that, your guardian angel appeared from the doorway to the living room holding a cake with three unlit candles

“Happy birthd– what's this?!” Tzuyu’s eyes doubled in size at the sight.

You, red faced with a crooked party hat while your members are all hunched over the table snapping pictures of you.

All of you came to a halt.

“TZUYU!” you collectively cheered as she shyly brought the cake to the table

Tzuyu carefully placed the cake on the table, her cheeks tinged pink from all the attention. "I heard I missed quite the scene," she said with a smile.

You laughed, feeling your heart swell with happiness. "Thanks for the save, Tzuyu."

She chuckled softly. "Of course birthday girl!"

“Is y/n turning three?” Momo deadpanned, making notice of the three unlit candles

“Ah!~ In Taiwan, on your birthday, you make three wishes. Two you can tell your family and friends but one you keep to yourself!” Tzuyu exclaimed, sharing a bit of her culture

“Alright!”

Jeongyoung handed Tzuyu a lighter, and she carefully lit the three candles on the cake. The room fell into a hush as everyone gathered around.

They all began to sing your happy birthday. It’s an awkward event as you don't know where to look but when you locked eyes with Tzuyu— all of your anxiety/awkwardness went away.

You were elated! You have never felt so loved and so cared for.

When they finished the song, Momo’s voice exclaimed: "Make a wish!" and her party blower was ready to make noise the second you finished blowing them out.

You closed your eyes for a moment, thinking of your wishes, then blew out the candles in one breath. Cheers erupted around you, and Momo's blower added to the festive noise.

"Happy Birthday!" Everyone chorused, and you felt a wave of affection and gratitude wash over you.

“Y/n! Tell us your wishes!” Chaeyoung excitedly chirped

“Ah~” you expressed “Well, I wished for always being by your side forever. I’m so thankful that Twice brought me to you all. You all are the reason I have no regrets in life. Every bad and good thing I have ever experienced has led me to this exact moment.. And honestly, I wouldn’t change a single thing” You began to get teary-eyed as you finished

“So cute~!” Sana was extremely moved by your little tangent also getting a little watery-eyed

They all forgot you had a second wish to share as Nayeon, Momo, and Jeongyoung went on their older-sister-love tangent, showering your group with affection.

Everyone began to dig into the delicious food on the table, enjoying the feast that had been prepared for you. Casually sharing stories about what happened last night and other memories you’ve all shared up until this point.

Eventually, you all finished, bellies full and content. The conversation gradually quieted down as everyone started to feel the effects of the morning's excitement and the hearty meal.

"Nap time?" Mina suggested, stifling a yawn.

"Definitely nap time," Dahyun agreed, stretching her arms above her head.

With unanimous nods, you all retreated to your respective rooms. It was a rare and cherished off-day for everyone, and the perfect opportunity to recharge.

~

When you got back into your room and began winding down, you heard a knock at the door.

“Hm? Yes, come in~” You sat up on your bed.

It was none other than Tzuyu.

The tall girl twisted the knob and came in, “Happy birthday. Again!” She shyly announced before walking towards you

You gestured that she could sit on your bed before fully sitting up

“What brings you here, Tzuyu-ya” you inquired playfully while turning your phone off

She got shy (for some reason you couldn’t pin-point why) “Just wanted to say happy birthday”

“You can sit if you’d like��� Gesturing again, and this time she took it and sat down

“But don’t be fooled, I’m still sad you didn’t save me any kimbap or ramen from last night!” you chuckled, trying to ease her anxious nerves with a joke

“Ah~!” she gently slapped you on the arm, “I told you it wouldn’t have stayed good in the fridge!” she defended herself

“Plus you fell asleep anyways!”

“Ah~ don’t remind me, Jihyo-unnie gave me a scolding this morning for falling asleep clearly drunk on your vlive!” You laughed

Tzuyu began laughing, “You don’t remember?!”

“No it’s not that~” you rubbed the back of your neck shyly, “Unfortunately I do remember when I decided to go to sleep. I don't know what made me think going to bed while you were talking to me was the best decision” You began laughing

Tzuyu laughed too but it seemed like there was more she wanted to say.

A brief awkward pause hung between both of you.

“..Tzuyu?” You attempted to break her out of her little trance, “You okay?”

“Ah~ it’s nothing.. just~ why did you say what you said to me on the phone?” She looked away from you

“..That I like you?” you began to get red in the face remembering how you called her ‘your honey’ over the phone

What the fuck were you thinking?!

Clearly you weren’t thinking.. That’s the issue!

“Yeah..” Tzuyu said

‘Uh..” you began, “I just do..” You didn't have much of an explanation

Both of you sat there in a brief silence while Tzuyu contemplated on confessing as well.

Before you could let her respond (as a way to try and save yourself from embarrassment/rejection) you deflected,

“So.. Where did that cake come from?”

Tzuyu was a bit stunned at the sudden change of subject

“Oh~! Uh.. I made it!” she laughed shyly

“Tzuyu! No way, it was amazing! I didn’t know you could bake! When did you make it” You praised

Her face became beat red if it wasn’t already!

“I made it last night. After you fell asleep.. But I fully decorated it this morning” she trailed off

“Tzuyu! Did you sleep enough?! Thank you so much!” You exclaimed, “I can’t believe you’d do that for me!” you tried your hardest to play off/forget the last 30 seconds of this damn awkward situation.

A light bulb appeared from her head, “You never revealed your second wish.. You only shared one!” she quipped

You paused for a brief second. Contemplating everything again.

She caught on and gave you a look of questioning.

“Ah~ don’t look at me like that. I wished for..” you paused and flashed an awkward smile

She stared at you with anticipation.

“Uh~ I wished that you.. Liked me back” You said shyly smiling, averting her gaze. Trying to avoid any form of rejection that you previously escaped from

After a few brief moments of silence, Tzuyu spoke up.

“You know y/n, you didn’t have to wish for that to happen..” she confessed

You looked at her with the most shocked face but before you could get a word out, Tzuyu gave you the biggest smile ever and tackled you in a bear hug.

[sea-moon-star]

To You || YJH

Pairing: Boyf! Jeonghan x f.reader

Genre: Fluff, slight angst (barely), slice of life

WC: 1k

Summary: What does Jeonghan have up his sleeves for your date night? Him taking care of you after a long day at work by cooking Korean comfort food for you (Mayhaps pranking you!)

A/N: Thanks to Elle's Mama I made it video for being the inspiration for chef & domestic Hannie! This is as self indulgent as I could ever be. 🌊🌙⭐️

-----------------------

Y/N's POV

I had to pinch myself when I entered the house after a particularly long day of work, to the aroma of food coming all the way to the front door. Jeonghan was so busy focusing on the simmering tteokboki & ramen on the stove while he prepped for the gimbap ingredients that he didn’t even notice that I’d come home. I went upstairs and freshened up, only to come down and see him in the same position as I’d left him, with his brows furrowed in concentration as he prepared his gimbap. Earlier, he’d been chopping the veggies but now he was rolling them up carefully, as if he was on Masterchef about to impress Gordon Ramsey himself.

I chuckled to myself as I decided to lay out the table in the meanwhile, not wanting to shift his focus from the task. I put a bunch of roses inside the vase that lay in the centre of our dining table, it was our little ritual where I got him a new bouquet of roses because it was his favorite flower and it reminded us of an inside joke we had while drunk watching the bachelorette, he’s said that if he ever starred in the show, he’d win all the roses and break the competition because no man would ever stand a chance against him. Usually I wasn’t one to further boost his ego but drunk me had all but agreed wholeheartedly and since then, I’d always given him roses on date nights like this one.

As I opened the cabinet to remove a favorite bottle of red, one that he loved along with two wine glasses, I couldn’t help but get a bit distracted myself. It’s not like this was new but everytime I saw him, I couldn’t quite believe that the Angel of SVT, the man who stole the heart of Carats worldwide, Yoon Jeonghan was just standing there in our shared kitchen, making me dinner for our date night. He looked gorgeous, even as a sheen of sweat covered his forehead, a stray lock from his messy bun covered his face & he struggled to pull up his sweater sleeves to keep them from getting dirty as he cooked. I couldn’t believe this man in a bunny apron, still managed to look that sexy & that he was not a figment of my imagination but he was real, he was mine… it felt incredulous.

In my bid to not look away from him, even for a second, I failed to see that I hadn’t closed the overhead cabinet & bumped right into it. Despite the initial shock & the tiny exclamation of pain that left my lips, I felt shaked but relieved, knowing that the bottle of wine & glasses were unscatched. I had managed to hold onto them before they toppled over so there was no damage done. In the flash moment that I managed to keep the glasses & wine on the table, while steadying myself, he was there in front of me, as one hand reached above my tiny 5 foot frame to close the cabinet doors, the other hovered protectively over my head, keeping me from getting hurt again.

“Are you okay? When did you come? Why didn’t you tell me you were home?” He said, his voice laced with worry while looking me all over for any bruises. “I’m okay, it’s not a big deal. Don’t worry, I saved the alcohol, not a drop wasted!” I said, & chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Eyyy, that’s not what I’m concerned about, you know that! Look at that, you’ve grazed your head! Stay still, let me fix that, jagi." I blushed in a way that might’ve outdone the red on the table, as he traced the cut on my forehead gently with his cold fingers & despite my million protests, proceeded to put a cute animal band-aid on it.

He always kept a band-aid in his wallet, not even the first aid box, it was one of the first things I’d noticed when I’d met him. For all his aloof, savage & mischievous behavior, he was the first to come to anyone’s rescue if they were hurt, like the time Soonyoung had scratched his nose with their SVT ring & Hannie had been the one to give him the band-aid. I ended up smiling, thinking of that kind gesture as he glared at me in anger, “Yah! Where is your attention? This is no joke. What on earth has you this zoned out!? “I’m sorry, it’s not my fault that I have a visual like you as my boyfriend, it’s only human for me to get carried away.” I answered sheepishly. He tried to keep his poker face intact but I knew him too well to see the corner of his lips were turning upwards, that he was fighting the urge to smirk. “What am I going to do with you? Bubbleproof you? Sigh! The food’s getting cold, just sit down & no, I don't need your help, don't even say it. Just stay here & don’t touch anything, don’t move, don’t breathe- I’ll be back.” He said & I could swear I heard a small laugh as he went to the kitchen to bring the dishes.

I played, our song- “To you by SVT” in the background, to set the mood for our date as he gave me a plateful of food & gestured at me to begin eating. He wanted me to take the first bite & tell him how it tasted so I abided. I eagerly reached out for the gimbap, my favorite item. But when I bit into it, I tasted a mouthful of carrots, Han & I both hated carrots so it was quite the sight to see as I forcefully tried to stuff down the gimbap while he laughed his ass off. “How dare you!? Jeonghan!!” I screamed as I gulped some wine to wash down the taste. “You’re one to talk, you’re the one who gave me a heart attack a while earlier, this is just an equalizer.”

I pouted, accepting my defeat, knowing this was just his way of showing his care & affection. I’d signed up for this, not just the visuals or the kindness, but the pranks too, I loved him for all of it. “You win, Hannie-1, Y/N-0. Happy?” I replied, a smile on my face because I’d eat as many of these carrot filled gimbaps if it put a grin on the face of the man I loved the most.

THE END. 🌊🌙⭐️

[img0022]

E-Mart 24 black and white chef menus image text translation New products rel... https://en.imgtag.co.kr/issue/738182/?feed_id=1971550&_unique_id=6765ea8e2d2ec

[steve-explores]

Wedding Anniversary Celebration at Meta Restaurant

To celebrate my 3rd wedding anniversary and a long awaited date night with my wife, we decided to visit one of the Asia's Top 50 Restaurant that has been sitting in our "must visit" list for a long time: Meta Restaurant, ranked 17th in the 2023 list with One Michelin Star, is renowned for its innovative spin on Korean classics with artistic minimalistic flair, in a cozy setting with warm greys and wooden finishings.

Snacks: Yuba Salad, Salmon Sandwich, Gimbap, Tuna with Avocado, and Prawn Toast.

Tasty treats that are surprisingly refreshing and light, tantalizing the taste buds with sneak peeks of the main menu.

Below is a quick run-through of the main menu items, each dish exquisite and familiar, emitting the strong vision of metamorphosis by the chef and his culinary team, marrying French techniques with Japanese ingredients and Korean flavors to create a unique blend of influences and cultures.

Stripped Jack with Surf Clam and Squid.

Jeju Abalone with Kamtae, Wakame, and Lilybub.

Samchi with Shirako and Pen Shell Clam.

Milmyeon with Beef Tendon, Daikon, and Gochujang.

KBBQ featuring Wagyu, Burdock and Jangajji.

Beetroot with Shiso and Fingerlime.

Buckwheat with Barley and Injeolmi.

Now for the important question of the day: Is the restaurant worth a second visit?

Overall, the restaurant performed to our expectations. My wife and I are new fans of Chef Sun Kim and his culinary team at Meta Restaurant. To us, the restaurant represents elevated Korean comfort food and it is worth a return visit in another season to sample new variations and creations from the chef.

Slight improvements to the restaurant include the ambient lighting to make the dishes more flattering and appealing to diners and cameras, and the overall service attentiveness to lift the restaurant's ratings in various fine dining guides.

A big thank you to Meta Restaurant for making my wedding anniversary a culinary memory to savor for years to come.

[qrcode101]

Top 5 Koreatown Restaurants You Should Visit

Do you get that captivating sensation when binge-watching a Korean drama series—especially when the characters cook or eat mouthwatering dishes? In seconds, you find yourself wanting a spoonful of what they’re having.

The excellent news is you won’t have to book a flight to Seoul to do that. Instead, you can drive to Koreatown in Los Angeles to grab a bite of delectable and authentic Korean cuisine.

How Koreatown Came to Be

Popularly known as ‘K-town,” this culturally vibrant and ethnically populated district rose in the early 1900s, having it first established in Pachappa Camp—the first Korean-organized immigrant settlement located in Riverside, California. 

Today, Koreatown has been taking the global market, branching out to different parts of the world. The most notable in Central Los Angeles is considered the largest in the world. 

The culinary scene is one of its biggest draws. Koreatown restaurants serve your favorite Korean delicacies like kimchi and bibimbap. It is also home to multiple cultures and ethnicities in different businesses and cuisines. 

These establishments have become a popular destination for Korean pop culture fans who want a slice of the exact dishes eaten by their favorite actors, idols, and groups.

Many restaurants in the area have incorporated tech-savvy solutions to guarantee a convenient dining experience for all their guests.

These tools include a QR code menu software for contactless dining, cashless payment methods, and online review platforms for customer feedback.

With all these in mind, we’re sure you’re now looking forward to a gastronomic trip to Koreatown.

5 Best Restaurants You Should Visit on Your Next Koreatown Trip

Here are five authentic Korean restaurants in Koreatown, LA, that will give you the most satisfying experience for you and your taste buds.

Gaju Gimbap

Also known as Bunsik, this tiny little lunchtime spot and snack nook is tucked away in California Market, serving affordable versions of famous after-school dishes like gimbap (seaweed roll with rice and vegetables) and tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cake). 

They also serve lappokki—spicy stir-fried rice cakes added with ramen noodles. These are perfect pick-me-up dishes you can indulge in while shopping or having a quick lunch with friends.

Jun Won Dak

Jun Won Dak is a well-known mom-and-son restaurant at West Third Street in Koreatown and is a haven for comfort food.

One of their specialties is samgyetang, a hearty soup made with a whole young chicken filled with glutinous rice and simmered with ginseng, garlic, and Chinese red dates.

The mixture of these ingredients results in a wonderfully tender chicken in a flavorful, piping-hot broth that’s perfect for cold weather.

Fun fact: Koreans have a tradition of eating samgyetang when they have the flu or common cold!

Han Bat Shul Lung Tang

This third-generation restaurant specializes in seolleongtang, or ox bone soup. It’s perfect for relieving a hangover from all-night parties.

Its preparation mainly involves simmering the ox bones for an extended period, allowing them to break down and creating a rich and creamy broth.

The soup comes with beef brisket for added protein and flavor. For seasoning, add salt, garlic, and ginger to bring an aromatic texture to the soup.

Selleongtang often comes with rice and side dishes like kimchi and pickled radish, giving you a good energy source to start your day.  

4. HanEuem by Chef Kang

Pancakes are easily one of the classic American all-time favorites, usually paired with milk and maple syrup. But HanEuem by Chef Kang gives this breakfast option a greener twist.

This modern drinking spot revolutionized classic dishes. Its bestseller is modeumjeon, a combination of jeon dishes or pan-fried battered food in which all the main ingredients are combined in a flour batter and pan-fried into a crispy pancake.

In modeumjeon, meat and vegetables are cut into pieces, individually pan-fried in an egg batter, and served in one platter or basket—the best combination for your favorite drinks. 

5. Park’s BBQ

Samgyupsal, which translates as three-layered pork grilled by itself, brings out a smoky and savory flavor to feast upon. 

For the best Korean BBQ in Koreatown, go to Park's BBQ. They also serve various other traditional Korean cuisines in a clean, smoke-free environment. 

Park's serves prime-grade meats on the table. The beef is paired with various banchan—side dishes made from fruits, vegetables, and herbs that have been simmered, braised, stir-fried, fermented, or pickled and is even on par with some of the best in Seoul. 

Conclusion

Food allows you to experience the culture and traditions of the place it came from without even going there. No need to go to South Korea; simply explore Koreatown in Los Angeles.

So, where will your next food escapade be? We suggest visiting these restaurants for you to enjoy and indulge. 

[kyleknight]

being a kpop stan saved my life tonight because I needed to make something that actually made me feel happy for dinner (because work was completely awful but I dont have the money to buy anything for a while) and I realized I could make gimbap... took some time but they came out so good and tasty.... thank you jimin and jungkook the most inspirational of gimbap chefs

[jmdbjk]

Today I finally watched the pair of V Lives with Jungkook and Jimin cooking up some gimbap together. Forgive me if all of this is old news to everyone, remember, I am sort of new to the fandom. The above link is the first go round and the “do over” V Live is below.

I have seen clips from these all over and after watching them now I wonder why these do not hold as much significance in the consideration of the status of their relationship as some of the other things that are usually listed as “benchmarks”.

First of all, I laughed my ass off. Together, these two are hilarious. They need their own show, just them, doing shit...anything. The way they play off each other is perfect.

Second, since they are so great together, I wish they would do more of this. They are precious together. And obviously very comfortable with each other (this can’t be overstated). And obviously spend a lot of time together. And obviously that could be their real kitchen at the home where they live together? What was the original conversation about this when it first dropped?

Anyway, here’s the link to the “do-over” 

https://www.vlive.tv/post/0-18231727

I understand all the talk about “fan service” ... all of these V Lives are fan service. It’s how they connect with fans... but there is natural chemistry between two people that cannot be scripted or faked or turned on and off, not like what these two have – a genuine connection when they are with each other. I guess each of us interprets differently the nuances in human interactions that we witness between people. These V Lives should rank higher than “almost kisses” and be up there with showing off hickeys and sucking ears. That’s what I see. 

I hope my links don’t get me banned from Tumblr.

[minieggukie]

OH NO THIS IS SO CUTE 😭😭

[cook4yourself]

Samgak Gimbap

Category: Snacks Cuisine: Korean

Quantity : 8-10 servings Time: Preparation: 30 minutes. Cooking for 10 minutes. Calories: 185 kCal

Samgak Gimbap is a popular dish of South Korean cuisine. It is a triangle of rice stuffed with tuna wrapped with a sheet of Nori seaweed. For 10 gimbap, you will need about 500 grams of rice, a little brown sugar, garlic, sesame seeds and soy sauce. In specialized stores you can find special packages with Nori for this dish. And if you don't have such shops nearby, then you can take ordinary sheets of Nori measuring 4x7.8 inches (10x20 cm) and get the same effect. You can make a rice triangle with your own hands or buy a special shape. The dimensions of the mold differ from those indicated by us in this recipe, therefore, you should have the right size of the algae sheets.

Recipe here: https://cook4yourself.com/snacks/samgak-gimbap/ Android app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cook4yourself.android iOS app here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cook4yourself/id1561606000 Support Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/cook4yourself

#cookforyourself #cook4yourself #cookapp #ilovecook #foodblogger #food #cook #foodie #tasty #delishes #chef #homecook #recipes #samgakgimbap #gimbap #korea #koreanfood #koreansnacks #snack #streetfood #koreanrecipe https://www.instagram.com/cookforyourself/p/CZQkn2dqdJQ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[k-star-holic]

"Moy Yat Tuna Gimbap": Austin Kang reveals busy 'chef' routine

Source: k-star-holic.blogspot.com

[megansaltz]

smell of cooking meat wakes me

walk into kitchen at 2:30am

?

response: “tomorrow is the last day of class ... you can spread rice on seaweed sheets.”

back to bed 4 hours later.

the next day at school

meticulously made gimbap pieces are deposited in Asian Studies Students’ Stomachs, briefly confusing their priorities

(no sign of sesame-oiled fingers or pijamas or dirty dish towels or work-related worries)

then the seaweed wrap opens up and

             the sautéd carrots

  the sautéd spinach

         the egg strips

  the fish cake strips

                  the seasoned beef

        the pickled radish

            the sesame’d rice

disperse for the summer

[akookminsupporter]

Several of my family and friends are fans of BTS, and every single one of them has eventually, completely independently come to the conclusion that Jimin and Jungkook are in a relationship.

It is very obvious.

My parents are in their 60s, they don't have social media, and called them "the boyfriends" since Memories of 2019.

My best friend and I were not very online until 2018, and literally made our first Twitter/tumblr accounts after GCF in Saipan because we wanted to see when they started dating. We were shocked to find out the truth is so controversial!

Because it's so obvious.

Now, every time they do anything cute and coupley I come back to see what people will say. Surely they'll be convinced by JM traveling for JK's birthday, or the gimbap chefs vlive, or Holiday Dynamite, or that hickey they were both so freaking proud of, or Jimin's birthday live, or...

The fact that they're so obvious.

But the more denial I see, the more I'm convinced that they see it too. Why else spend all this time and energy doing all these mental gymnastics to explain away what can be so simply explained?

When the explanation is SO OBVIOUS?

Conclusion: is obvious.

[jikookuntold]

Since it got so long, I had to write the rest in part two.

Taekookers say the company couldn't pair taekook together before because of jikookers?! Are they for real?! Jikook is barely the third most popular ship in bangtan. The vast majority of shippers and nonshippers don't even like jikook, most of them hate seeing jikook together. Just look at the Twitter trends. The only time their trending surpassed 300k tweets, was after the black swan masterpiece. Meanwhile, taekook has reached 1M just for sitting next to each other and making paper carnations. Do we do the math here or just talk nonsense? Girl, Bighit knows it all, and they always wanted to pair taekook together, also jikookers still exist, nothing has changed.

The only reason they couldn't pair taekook together is Jungkook. He was the one refusing it the whole time. There was some insider information back in 2019 and 2020 saying that taekook can't get along and have the worst relationship in the group. Of course, bighit was not supposed to tell you about that. They have made this ot7 bond agenda for years, and they won’t let anyone ruin it. Don't get me wrong, they all have great but different personalities, and some duos get along better than others. So taekook had to pretend they are fine on camera, still, there were so many moments exposing their awkwardness. No, I'm not talking about stupid body language analysis, I'm talking about "you always ignore me so I didn't notice", "I miss the old days", "I think Jungkookie doesn't let Jimin come" and many other examples.

No, empty flirts and stage fanservice are part of their job, and it doesn't prove their closeness. Of course, they weren't like this before. They admitted that they were close in their debut years, but many different things including growing up separately, lead them to the point that they refused to work together as a unit no matter how much bighit insisted. Of course, Bighit didn't come up and say "yeah guys, we tried to pair taekook for this thing, but jk doesn't want it." What did they do instead? They planned that famous ITS moment. I also agree it wasn't 100% improvised, nothing on cam is 100% genuine, there are always scripts, but scripts have a point, and this script was to understand what was the issue between taekook, and with this act, they put jk in a situation where he couldn't say no anymore.

Taekook's mother's day Vlive in 2020 was so awkward that the company decided to take action, and they filmed ITS that month. But the first phase of the plan didn't work well, as jk said himself, there were still things unresolved between them, and jk reflected it in his behavior. The gimbap chefs Vlive with Jikook was only a few weeks after ITS, and jk emphasized how he had a great time doing that vlive, while after TK vlive he came to weverse to say he felt awkward, and no, it was a week BEFORE his Itaewon scandal. He had no reason to feel awkward unless it was his companion. I'm not hating any of them or their friendship, I'm saying this again, people have different personalities, and when two people don't get along it doesn't mean that one of them is a bad person. Their personalities just don't match. I'm sure they want the best for each other, but we need to accept and face the truth.

Wonder why bh was so eager to resolve TK issues and give taekookers what they want. Was it for something other than the money and the constant demand coming from taekookers?

🤷‍♀️

[lubdubsworld]

Tell me your dreams ( Jungkookx OC)

Summary : Line chef Kim Soeun can't afford expensive dreams , let alone something as luxurious as Jeon Jungkook , The Director of the company she works at.

Genre : Mild angst, Fluff , Explicit Sexual Content.

Rated 21 +

Chapter One

“ Soeun, Dreams are expensive, “ my mother used to say, hunched over the kitchen sink , steel wool clutched in a death grip as she scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed at the old aluminum pot, trying to get rid of the stubborn stain at the bottom . I would always wonder why she even bothered, when it hadn’t worked the seven hundred times before. Perseverance is admirable but when does it cross the line into folly?

I groaned.

It was a little past seven and I was already at my station in the large industrial kitchen in the lower floor of Jeon Enterprises, prepping vegetables and meat for lunch while a couple of my colleagues worked on stacking the display with pastries and bread , setting up the coffee machines, wiping down the already spotless counters. The restaurant/ Cafeteria occupied the entire floor and had wide open lounges and spaces for the patrons to get a relaxed meal and I’d worked here as a line chef for almost a year and half now.

It was a good enough job, paid well and I’d taken my mother’s words to heart. Healing was a slow , exhausting process and dreams were too expensive, so I was alright with this : a seven to five work schedule where I had a definite set of duties involving vegetables prep and making simple soups and eggs and occasionally helping out at the rotisserie station because grilled meat was a favorite with the employees.

The Head chef was Kim Seokjin , someone who had apparently graduated from a top culinary school and was taking a ‘ break’ from his position as an Executive chef at one of the Jeon resorts in Macau. The man was pretty enough to be a model but also playfully humble and sweet.

Not to say you could slack off. Chef Kim ran his kitchen with a high level of professionalism and everyone who worked under him took careful measures not to fall short of his expectations. The food was always good and delicious and in the hectic buzz of everyday life, the employees definitely found a little pocket of heaven here on the ground floor.

There were three of us here in the vegetable prep section : Sohee, a vibrant nineteen year old who had recently left culinary school and Ken who was from Japan and had the prettiest lips I’d ever seen on a man. Ken was currently busy peeling potatoes and carrots in the back and Sohee had gone to the pantry to grab supplies for the soup. I found myself sorting through a large crateful of eggplants, mostly to make sure none of them had gone bad.

“ Gimbap, Hobak Juk and Bapsang for the boss today…” Lee Jieun who manned the counter waved at me and I quickly grabbed the marker and made a note on the white board, felling a very unwelcome tug on my heart strings. I bit my lips as I carefully write the names of the dishes before carefully writing out his name next to it.

For Director Jeon Jungkook.

I stared at the name for a few second, feeling my pulse kick up again. Of all the people to develop a hopeless crush on, my wretched heart had chosen the Director. I sighed, shaking my head and pulling away before I did something stupid like draw a heart next to his name. It was even more ridiculous because I had never exchanged a single word with him. I’d only ever heard the stories and the stories were, as always exaggerated and unbelievable.

But it wasn’t the stories that drew me to him.

It was the way he behaved. Director Jeon was , simply put, kind.

A kind, considerate man who behaved nothing like a wealthy, privileged chaebol heir usually would. Director Jeon was aloof and quiet without being arrogant. He was a perfectionist and yet he always managed to put his point across without seeming overbearing. Every woman around him looked properly smitten and it wasn’t uncommon to see women unbutton their blouse buttons hastily or reapply makeup anytime the Director made rounds , but he always kept a respectful distance from everyone.

He was a good man and I had been so deprived of good men in my twenty eight years here on earth that I’d latched onto him as the ideal man of my fantasies, in just a month of working here. So here I was , crushing on a man so unattainable he might as well be on a whole other planet.

Sighing , I went back to my station and began washing the eggplants when Sohee slid in next to me , a large box of mushrooms ready . She began working on them, humming happily.

“Unnie!” she began as soon as she grabbed her knife, giving me a despondent smile.” You were right about Lee Shin. He really was a complete asshole.”

“Ahh, I knew it. I still can’t believe he made you pay for his cab when he came to see you.” I shook my head.

“Men are so terrible. Well, at least we can dream about Director Jeon and hold out hope.” She sighed dreamily and I grinned. Was there a woman in the company that didn’t lust after the handsome man, I wondered. And who could blame them?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Director Jeon arrived at the company cafeteria at 7.45 Am on the dot. He was punctual that way and I hovered for a few seconds to catch a glimpse of him through the thick glass panels , just to see what he was wearing. Sohee liked to called it a package rating. You know, rating what kind of package he came wrapped in that day. It was wrong on so many levels but I couldn’t help it.

Today, he stood near a tall artificial fern, flanked by his executive assistant on one side and one of the department heads on the other. I stared at him, feeling my mouth go dry at the sight of him.

He was tall, wide shouldered and broad in all the right places. He also had a very lean waist with long legs that were always encased in the most fitted slacks. Everyone knew the Director worked out religiously, almost everyday, staying back at the company gym after hours.

And it wasn’t just his body. Director Jeon had a truly remarkable face, beautiful in every way. Even from a distance I could see the way his eyes sparkled, lips an alluring pink and jawline sharp and chiseled. He had a strong nose and a permanent smolder in his eye, lips very reticent when it came to smiles but somehow that only added to his beauty. He seemed so ethereal like this : untouchable and above everyone else. Like some higher deity that we were luck to even look at.

Today he wore a light grey suit and grey slacks, with a crisp white shirt and striped navy tie, made with a perfect Windsor knot. I stared at him for a few more seconds before Sohee gave me a nudge.

“Chef Kim is going to see you gawking and call you out. Get back to the station.” She said quickly and I flushed, quickly going back to my station and starting on the eggs for the bibimbap as Sohee moved to chop a few onions. I was just done with the fifth egg when a commotion outside caught my attention. It was loud, a proper ruckus really and everyone rushed to see what it was.

Confused, I turned the stove off and moved to the window as well and then a horrifyingly familiar voice screamed over the din, “ Kim Soeun, you whoring bitch!”

I felt my heart take a steep dive, gut clenching in disbelief. Horrified, I quickly shouldered past the crowd near the door rushing outside only to be met with the nauseating sight of my ex-husband with both hands clutching the lapels of Jeon Jungkook’s jacket. And then as I watched, he raised his fist and swung back, like he was going to punch the Director.

I lost my mind at that exact moment.

“Yah!! Jooheon, you crazy bastard!” I screamed in disbelief, barreling straight at the pair and even the security guards rushing over to help seemed to freeze at the sight of me running at full speed. I had a brief glimpse of stunned doe eyes before I bent at the waist head butting my useless trash of an ex right at his midriff.

Joo Jooheon was a skinny bastard and the force of the impact lifted him clean off his feet and he went sprawling over the potted plants right behind us, crashing into the shrubbery and hopefully hitting his skull in the cement .

I panted, staring in disbelief at the man before ignoring the people around me and rushing over to him. There was a dull roaring in my head and I felt myself shaking in disbelief, wrapping my hands around myself.

Jooheon, who was getting dragged out by the security screamed at me again.

“You think that piece of paper is going to protect you, you stupid bitch? You’re mine! You hear me? Mine!!” He roared and I recoiled, feeling sweat break out all over my body, skin going icy cold at the words. God, this crazy bastard…

“I’m calling the cops on you for this!” I said shakily, voice breaking and Jooheon merely scoffed.

“Do it! See if anyone hires you again! You’ll get fired today for this! And wherever you go, I’ll come do the same thing. Till you come crawling back to me on your knees. That’s where you belong Soeun! On your knees in front of me ! For the rest of your life!!” He laughed like a maniac and I clenched my fists , turning away.

“Call the cops, Ms. Jung.” A firm voice said behind me. “ Tell them I called personally and that I want to talk to the lead detective myself. Now.”

A second later something warm and soft settled over my shoulders and the same deep, concerned voice went, “ Are you okay?”

I froze.

I had a pretty good idea who it was, but I couldn’t bring myself to turn around and confirm. I couldn’t survive that. Frozen , I could only nod.

“Mr. Jeon, please let me handle this! Soeun ssi… please, come with me.” Jungkook’s assistant stepped forward, reaching for my arm and I let her lead me away from the men . “ Soeun ssi, let’s get you to the guest lounge and get something for you to drink yes? The cops will arrive and you can give a statement? Is that okay?”

I nodded, shrugging off the jacket quickly and turning to bow in the general direction of where Director Jeon stood, keeping my gaze on the floor as I held it out. A second later he took it back from me.

Bowing again I turned back, mind racing. Cops? What would the cops do? They would do nothing. They hadn’t done a damn thing in the many years that I had spent married to the monster, getting battered and bruised over and over again . They didn’t care. No one cared.

No one ever cared about what happened to me and I-

The warmth settled over my again and I froze, this time turning around to stare right up at him in confusion. This close, Jeon Jungkook was almost blindingly attractive and my throat went dry at the soft look on his face.

“Keep it on, Soeun ssi. I’ll collect it later. You’re shivering.” He said softly and I swallowed, pulling away as my heart thrummed inside my ribcage. But beyond the attraction was the panic. I had made such a scene today and I just knew that a company like Jeon Enterprises wouldn’t like publicity like this. I could already imagine the people who must’ve taken videos, and I remembered the jarring scene when Jooheon had grabbed the director by his collar? Oh, God was I going to get sued? Was he going to-

“ Hey…Soeun ssi… please, look at me.”

It took me a second to realize that I’d started hyperventilating a little.

I turned back to him and he looked determined. Eyebrows furrowed and mouth set in a straight line, Jungkook reached out and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, squeezing just a little. The touch was oddly soothing and I fought to catch my breath.

“Its not your fault. No one is going to fire you, Soeun ssi. Alright? ” He asked gently and I blinked. “ That’s it… Breathe with me come on…” He smiled, stepping closer and breathing in deep. I swallowed and he reached down to gently grip my wrist, bringing my hand up to press against his chest and I started panicking again for a completely different reason. I made to pull away but he gripped harder, pressing my palm flat against his chest, just on the side of his chest and he breathed in , chest rising and falling .

“Its okay… focus on me, Soeun ssi… Breathe with me, come on.. you’re okay..” He said firmly and I finally pulled myself together . My skin burned where he touched me and the fabric of his shirt felt so soft under my fingers from where my palm rested against his chest. I stared at where my palm rested on the white fabric, the white fabric staining a bit from the purple on my fingers .

Everytime he breathed in, my hand moved with the rise of his chest and the movement was hypnotic in a way, and after what felt like an eternity , I felt myself calming down. As I started breathing with him, my own chest mimicking his movements, I felt my senses return.

I pulled away quickly, jittery and distressed. I stared up at him, embarrassed and apologetic. He looked so worried, handsome face genuinely concerned and the sight of it got burned into my head This was going to make my life so much harder. I could just feel it.

“I… alright. Yes. I’m alright…” I whispered and he hummed. He stepped back just a bit, but fixed his jacket over my shoulders again. I stared up at him and he looked determined.

“Don’t worry, Soeun ssi. We’re going to take care of our employees in every way we can. I’ll ask section Head Mr. Park to stay with you when you meet the cops and I’ll talk to the head detective myself and make sure this never happens again. You have my word , Soeun ssi.” He said firmly.

“Thank you, Director.” I whispered, bowing again.

He smiled then, gentle and reassuring and I felt my heart lurch again. Oh, God I was in so much trouble.

“Director, one of the Board members in waiting Conference room 8 , he wanted to discuss about a possible stock holder meeting next month….” His assistant said gently and the Director groaned.

“I’ll head up there by myself. Ms. Jung make sure she gets something to drink and maybe add a splash of whiskey in there. She looks terrified and we need her to be a bit relaxed when the cops come in. I’ll ask Jimin hyung to sit with her , but you should stay too. And when it’s done give me a call. I’ll come down and meet them myself.” Jungkook said sharply and Ms. Jung immediately bowed .

“Yes, Director.”

“And call Sana.” He said firmly. “ Tell her it’s an emergency.”

Ms. Jung paused at that.

“Your sister?” She blinked, looking confused and Jungkook nodded.

“Yes. Call her and tell her to come meet me right away.” Jungkook said firmly before turning to me again. “ I’ll see you soon, Soeun ssi.”

I watched as he lightly bowed and moved away and I stared after him, feeling completely overwhelmed. This was too surreal to process.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The cops were as helpful as always and I filed a complaint, knowing full well nothing would come off it. The altercation had been in a public space, Jungkook hadn’t actually been hit and technically I was the one who had assaulted him when he hadn’t threatened me in anyway. The CCTV footage revealed that much. It was nauseating, seeing the smug smile on Jooheon’s face as they let him go and the police officer told me to keep my family affairs out of the public eye and to behave with dignity.

I stayed perfectly quiet, too jaded by the whole thing to care too much of it. It was another couple hours before they left and Jooheon gave me a look that said clearly that he was far from done with me. Which was also nothing new. In the two years that we had been divorced the man had always turned up at least two or three times a month to harass and scream at me. He didn’t touch me though , although he had graphic threats he liked to spew at me. But I wondered if one day he would snap and actually hurt me. The thought of it made me sick.

“Director Jeon was quite upset about how things turned out. The law in our country needs to change .” Ms. Jung said with a sigh as she carefully folded the jacket and placed it over her arm. I stared at the clothing feeling a pang of affection for the man. Was this what men of culture were like? Jooheon had grown up on the back streets of

I’d been offered a day off but I declined. Travelling all the way to my home and then heading back in the evening to pick my son from his school would be too hectic. I would rather remain at work than head home by myself to an empty apartment. I would finish up around six as I always did and then head to the school. Haesoo would be done with his piano lessons by then . And now that the day was over , I’d finally found the time to grab the jacket from my locker and take it to Ms. Jung to return it to her. I hadn’t seen Jungkook walk out of the building, so he was presumably still at his office working.

“It’s alright. I’m just grateful that I’m no longer bound to him by marriage.” I said with a small laugh and she hummed thoughtfully, watching as I carefully fixed my own coat over my shoulders, ready to take my leave.

“You have a son, don’t you Soeun ssi?” Ms. Jung asked curiously and I nodded.

“Yes. He’s nine years old.” I smiled, warmth seeping in at the thought of Haesoo. My little boy was everything good and wonderful in my world , my own saving grace and the only reason I was still breathing.

“You must’ve had him at a young age.” She said surprised. I thought about it. At the time , I had felt old enough. Exhausted enough. And my parents and husband had convinced me I wasn’t young at all. I was a woman. A wife. I owed it to the man to give him a string sturdy son. It was the least I could do for the mad who had provided me with his name.

“Well, I suppose I was.” I smiled. “ Thank you for all you did today, Ms. Jung. I would have probably been in jail if you hadn’t helped me answer those questions.” I said honestly and she smiled.

“It’s the Director you should be thanking. I’ve never seen him so worked up about something. Well, he’s always had a soft spot for damsels in distress so I suppose he felt like quite the knight tonight, coming to your rescue she said teasingly and I couldn’t stop the blood rushing to my face.

“Director Jeon is a very kind man and of course I’m truly grateful to him at all times. Please do let him know that I said that… ” I stuttered nervously . She chuckled thoughtfully and something seemed to be on her mind. She hesitated before glancing at the jacket and back at me.

“Well, Soeun ssi… Why don’t you hand this over to the director and then express your gratitude to him yourself?”

Before I could process what she had just said, she was placing his jacket back in my hands and bowing lightly, and grabbing the phone in front of her desk.

“Oh, what? No.. I .. Ms. Jung! Wait!” I yelped but she was smiling serenely at me.

“Hello?” She spoke into the receiver. “ Director, Soeun ssi is here to return the jacket.” She smiled at me amused probably by the blood draining straight off my face. I felt panic building up. I looked like ….well like I’d spent ten hours in a sweltering hot kitchen. My hair was a mess and my clothes wrinkled beyond redemption.

She hung up the phone and gave me a smile, pointing at the hallway that led to a private lounge and further in the Director’s private cabin.

“He’s waiting for you.” She smiled and I exhaled shakily as I clutched the jacket tighter, before turning down the hallway and heading towards his cabin.

I’d only been here one time, when I’d joined a dozen other new employees in order to greet Director Jeon when we were first hired.

A receptionist sat right outside his cabin and she frowned at me when she saw me.

“What are you doing here?” She asked sharply and I flinched.

“Oh.. I.. the jacket-“

The glass door behind her slid open and Director Jeon stepped out, looking so much more attractive without his jacket and tie. The top few buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned and his sleeves were folded up, showing off muscled forearms . His usually pristine hair was slightly disheveled , like he’d run his fingers through the strands.

“Oh, Soeun ssi…” He smiled genuinely and I quickly held the jacket out, thanking God for small mercies. I could just thank him here and run.

“Your jacket, Director Jeon! And really, thank you so much for-“

“Why don’t you come in?” He said suddenly before glancing at the receptionist. “ Send for some refreshments. What do you drink Soeun ssi?”

I gaped at him, stunned.

“Umm… drink… I…”

“Its been a long day. How about an Iced tea? And maybe some hot spicy rice cakes?” He smiled and I could feel the receptionist boring holes into my skull with her gaze. Feeling like my face was on fire I quickly shook my head.

“No.. I’m sorry, Director I.. my son is waiting. His piano classes end my half past six and I have to pick him up from school now.” I said apologetically and Jungkook frowned glancing at his watch.

“Its already twenty past six. Where does he study?” he asked briskly. Not sure what else to say I told him the name of the school and he made a noise of impatience, shaking his head.

“How are you planning to reach there on time Soeun ssi? Do you have a car?”

“Oh, no.. I’ll have to catch a bus and-“

“Is ther a bus that heads that way at this time. You usually leave around six don’t you? You’ve probably missed the bus by now.” He gave me a small smile. “ How old is your son?”

“He’s nine. But its alright, he can wait there . its quite safe because its in his school and his teacher-“

Jungkook hummed like he hadn’t heard me.

“Kira? Clear my schedule for the day, yes?” He told the gaping girl and turned to me with a smile. “ Soeun ssi.. Give me a few minutes and I’ll drive you to your son’s school.”

“What? No… please I…”

“Don’t you trust me?” He smirked and I faltered. Trust…what? What did that have to do with anything. I stared as he quickly went back to his cabin and I was left standing in the hallway, completely confounded.

“Do you know the Director?” Kira demanded the moment the doors slid shut behind him and I blinked.

“Oh..what?”

“Do you know him personally? Why is he treating you like that?”

“Oh.. I’m.. no. I don’t know him.” I shook my head.

“And you have a son? You’re married? What are you doing making eyes at the Director if you have a husband?” She snapped and I stared at her.

“I.. I’m not making eyes at him. I’m..” I hadn’t told a lot of people that I was divorced and I certainly wasn’t going to share it with this woman .

The door slid open again and Jungkook was back, this time shirt properly buttoned and tie back on and hair combed. He gave a me a small smile.

“I spent a fruitless five minutes looking for my jacket.” He said softly and I lurched, quickly handing it back to him and it was ridiculous, how attractive he looked shrugging it on. I stared at the way his shirt stretched over his biceps , glancing away nervously only to catch sight of Kira staring at the man like a slobbering dog. Distaste filled my mouth and I wanted to hold a blanket up to cut off the view for her.

“Should we leave then?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jungkook’s car was as understated and classy as its owner and I found myself hesitating to even sit too well, intensely aware of how badly I probably smelled after a whole day in the kitchen. Jungkook pulled out of the parking lot and gave me a side glance.

“I’m sorry about what happened in the morning. Its unfair that the man gets to walk the streets . He should be behind bars.” He said gruffly.

I didn’t reply, staring straight ahead. I felt uncomfortable, terrified even. I wasn’t sure why I was here and why Jungkook was being so ….well friendly. His actions had long crossed the boundaries of a concerned employer and I felt nervous. It was one thing to crush on the handsome Director from the safety of the kitchen. Quite another to be sitting next to him in his car after work.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” He said softly after a few minutes of awkward silence.

“I…what?” I blinked before laughing nervously . “ No. No, Director Jeon . You’ve been very kind to me today and I’m just sorry that I’ve inconvenienced you like this. You’re a busy man and I shouldn’t be taking up your time like this. I’m sorry that I-”

“So eun ssi.” Jungkook said firmly, making me stop from continuing, “ One thing you must know about me is, no one can make me do anything I don’t want to. So if I’m here with you in this car right now, It’s because I want to be here.” He paused long enough for me to glance at him, “ With you.”

I turned back to stare out the window, feeling a bit like my heart was thudding straight out of my chest. There really was no mistaking the look on his face but I would not go down that road. I could not. The sight of the school gates made me practically sob in relief. I quickly dialed Yoongi’s number.

“Oppa? I’m out by the gates.” I said hastily and Jungkook seemed to stiffen next to me. “ Okay. I’ll see you soon.”

“Oppa? Your brother works here?” He asked casually and I blinked.

“Oh.. Oh no.. It’s Yoongi isn’t my brother. That would make it incest..” I laughed the words slipping out before I could process what I was saying. Jungkook’s brows shot up into his hair and I choked on my own tongue.

“Oh fuck. “ I swore before clamping a hand down on my mouth to shut myself up.

“So you’re dating his teacher?” Jungkook asked casually, his voice icy cold and obvious in its hostility and I flinched.

“We’re not dating. I’m.. Not anymore. We used to date, a couple of years ago. Not anymore.”

Jungkook hummed. I stared as Yoongi and Haesoo stepped out from the front gates , and I quickly pointed them out to Jungkook.

“There!”

“Mom!! Wow. Mom, who’s this!” My son shouted, gazing at the car in awe and Jungkook climbed out of the front seat smiling wide and holding a hand out to my son. Yoongi moved to stand next to me pulling me into a side hug and kissing my cheeks.

“You okay?” He whispered and I nodded quickly. I’d called him during lunch just to make sure my husband hadn’t gone to try and get Haesoo from the school.

“I’m fine.. Just a little shaken. I was wondering if you could keep Haesoo with you in the apartment for a few days. Just till I get more locks fitted in at my place?” I asked nervously, watching Jungkook chatter away with Haesoo , something about the car. My son ran his fingers all over the hood before asking to climb into the driver’s seat and I watched as Jungkook happily obliged.

“That’s no problem. But will you be okay by yourself? You can come with too.” He said softly and I shook my head.

No. That would just complicate things. Yoongi and I had what you would can a non-closure break up. A break up where neither of us really wanted to break up but we had to because of Haesoo and Yoongi’s job. So we tried not to make things difficult for each other .

“Hi.. I’m Jeon Jungkook.” Jungkook’s voice made Yoongi glance up and he smiled politely holding a hand out for the other to shake.

“Min Yoongi.” He said with a smile and Jungkook frowned.

“Wait… why is that name so familiar… Are you ….Have you worked with Namjoon hyung n one of his albums?” Jungkook frowned and Yoongi looked a little pleased at the recognition.

“That would be me, yes.” He bowed politely and Jungkook whistled.

“Wow. You’re super talented, Yoongi ssi. How’s the girlfriend, by the way?”

Yoongi went stiff as a board next to me and Io blinked.

“Girlfriend?” I frowned, confused.

“Well, Namjoon hyung said that you were going out with one of the actresses on the MV set? Hyejin was it?”

“You have quite the memory, Jungkook ssi. Seeing as that was a month ago and it was one date.” Yoongi snapped and Jungkook smiled.

“What can I say? It’s a blessing and a curse.” He turned to me. “ Should we leave Soeun ssi?”

“Oh, yes. Just a moment. Haesoo-yah!” I called for my son who immediately bounded over .

“Yes, mom? “

“You wanna crash with Yoongi for the night? You can practice a bit more for your recital? Mom will pick you up after school tomorrow?” I asked gently and his eyes immediately lit up as he glanced at Yoongi.

“Can I play with the avengers Lego set?” He asked eagerly and Yoongi laughed , nodding. “ Okay!!”

“Thank you for this.” I whispered quietly and Yoongi nodded before pressing another kiss to my forehead.

“Let’s go champ!” Yoongi bowed to Jungkook before leading Haesoo away and I watched them make their way over to Yoongi’s car.

“Is there a reason you’re sending him off with someone else for the night.”

I hesitated before answering carefully.

“Not really, no. He has a recital coming up and he needs the extra practice.” I said with a smile.

“I see. It doesn’t have anything to do with his father being deranged?” Jungkook asked casually.

I flinched.

“Its alright. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be prying but …my mother…” Jungkook paused. “ She was in a situation like yours, a long time ago. I guess that’s the reason I’m here…. Right now.”

I stared at him.

“What happened ?” I asked quietly and he exhaled slowly.

“She died.” He said simply. “ He killed her.”

I recoiled, surprised.

“Director Jeon…”

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I understand in hindsight that it must’ve been a little alarming , watching me invade your space like this. I don’t know why I did it. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” He said softly, bowing a bit.

“I… Its alright.” I watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of cigarettes , sliding one out before tucking it between his teeth. He pulled out a lighter and slowly lit the end, the orange flare bright in the dark of the night.

I watched as he carefully inhaled before blowing a puff out.

It felt good to see him have a vice. So he wasn’t that perfect after all.

“Would you like to stay over at mine? I have a spare bedroom and running water.” He smiled evenly and I shook my head.

“That would be a bad idea, Director.”

He turned to me then, staring down at me thoughtfully . He held my gaze for a second and in the golden glow of the streetlight , he looked quite breathtaking. I wondered why and how it had become so easy to look him in the eye , when just this morning I’d been shaking at the very thought of it.

And then his gaze dipped to my lips, for just a second . But long enough for me to catch the movement. I quickly looked away, heart pounding.

“I should head home. I can take a cab…”

“Don’t be silly.” He shook his head, dropping the cigarette down and stomping the embers with his shoes. “ I’ll drop you off, Soeun ssi.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Thank you for everything.” I bowed again and Jungkook stared up at the apartment building , brows furrowed. He gave me a small glance, tilting his head thoughtfully.

“You’re sure you’re going to be okay in there?” He asked carefully. “ Your ex husband doesn’t know where you live?”

I hesitated before nodding.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Go on then.” He smiled waving me off and I took a second to take in the sight of him, leaning back against his expensive car in his expensive clothes and his beautiful self…. It was straight out of all those dramas I’d binged on as a teenager. But real life worked under a different set of rules. I couldn’t let myself get carried away with dreams and fantasies.

Dreams are expensive, Soeun-ah…My mother’s voice always lingered in the back of my mind and I wasn’t going to stop listening to her.

Dreams were expensive and Jeon Jungkook was a dream I couldn’t afford even if I sold my entire existence.

Or at least that’s what I thought to myself, till I woke up at five in the morning to get ready for the day only to peer out of the window and find that his car was right there. I stared in confusion until I saw a shadow move in the backseat.

I felt my jaw go slack.

Had the mad man spent the night in his car outside my building????

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note : Just me finding solace in sweet line cook Soeun and her gentle heart.