Chef Park Eun-young, who is set to marry in May, revealed that her mentor, Chef Yeo Kyung-rae, initially opposed her opening a Chinese restaurant.
On the May 2nd episode of KBS2's 'Problem Child in House,' Chef Park Eun-young, known as the 'Goddess of Chinese Cuisine' from the Netflix series 'Chef's Table: BBQ,' appeared alongside Chef Kim Si-hyun.
MC Yang Se-chan congratulated Park on her recent restaurant opening, to which Kim Sook added, “Reservations are fully booked.” Park humbly responded, “Since it's newly opened, it seems like many people are interested.”
Park shared, “The best part of being the owner is having the freedom to make decisions. However, I have to pay more attention to the staff and sales, which is a bit challenging. As payday approaches, the pressure on sales increases.” Despite being open for only two months, she already employs 12 staff members.
Contrary to her modesty, reservations at Park's restaurant are reportedly snapped up in just one minute. Kim Si-hyun mentioned, “There’s a restaurant reservation app, and over 1,500 people logged in on the opening day.”
Park also mentioned that fellow chefs Kwon Jung-jun and Choi Hyun-seok, who appear with her on 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,' have visited her restaurant. “I get nervous when chefs visit. They all say it's delicious, but they do point out things like 'the balance seems off.' I tend to incorporate their feedback,” she said.
When asked about her mentor Chef Yeo Kyung-rae’s reaction, Park said, “He’s been holding back his comments, saying there are probably many people giving you advice right now.”
Regarding his initial reaction to her restaurant plans, she confessed, “He wasn’t very supportive. He mentioned that while there are many successful chefs, there are also many who aren’t. Since the restaurant business is tough, he advised against it.”
Meanwhile, Chef Park Eun-young is set to marry her doctor fiancé at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul this May.
Tae Yuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr