The bitter bits of life make the sweeter bits of life sweeter…
Late Night Restaurant Episode 11 “Marinated Chicken Fried Rice” Recap
For the first time, a customer brings Master food. He brings marinated and fried chicken. He asks Master to use it in a dish. Master hesitates, he doesn’t know where the food comes from. The man, Gwang Jo, explains he is a manager for a famous singer and before every performance the singer’s fans send this chicken. The singer ignores the chicken and it goes to waste. Master relents and uses the chicken in a fried rice dish. When he delivers the Marinated Chicken Fried Rice to the Gwang Jo, he tastes the dish and asks Master to burn the rice more. Master, who makes everything to order, complies and Gwang Jo declares the dish fabulous.
We learn Gwang Jo has worked with this famous singer for years and knows that many in the music business consider him old and out of touch to manage such a famous singer. Gwang Jo ends up running errands and transporting the singer and the business details aren’t always handled by him now. Gwang Jo decides he needs to release the singer from the obligation of employing him. He quits.
Without a job, Gwang Jo disappears from the late night restaurant for a while.
When he returns he brings a young man just back from his army service that is a good singer. They agree to enter a 1 year contract, with Gwang Jo’s role as producer. Gwang Jo’s concept for the young singer is a trot singer with a great body. To that end, they spend endless hours in the gym sculpting the singer’s body. The trot song is catchy and fun. But while the late night restaurant patrons enjoy the music, it goes no where in the music industry. After a year the singer and the man part ways. The singer then becomes a famous trainer much to the Gwang Jo’s irritation. He’s the one that help create that body!
We end the episode with Gwang Jo and the famous singer reuniting. Turns out the famous singer missed his faithful producer. They decide to remake the catchy trot song. Master makes them the fried rice dish wrapped in egg. Master observes that no one’s life is all bitter. Without the bitter you would not appreciate the sweet.
My thoughts
The morale of the story was bitter enhances sweet. In the fried rice dish, the bitter burnt bits enhanced the rest of the dish. The producer’s struggles to restart his career with another singer, while ending in failure, brought him full circle with his famous singer client.
The charm factor for this episode was medium. I liked the story but I wouldn’t call it charming.
Asian drama fan
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