Original subtitles

THE MARKET IS FINALLY OPEN

I have to get it together.

Wait, where's the price tag on this?

This has to work. Hold on.

How was I supposed to multiply it?

- I'll give it a go. - Okay.

- Right? - You did.

- Now press... - Cash.

Okay!

Do you have the four rolls ready?

We have five orders of kimbap.

How long will kimbap take?

I think we have to stay here.

Add them one at a time.

I think everyone in line wants kimbap.

You need to keep rolling.

We're opening the restaurant.

DAEGE RAMYEON ALL THE WAY OVER IN THE US

THE TABLES ARE FULL

THE RANGE IS FULL AND MR. ZO IS BUSY

It looks delicious.

UNENDING COMPLIMENTS

OFF TO A GOOD START, BUT WILL THEY BE ABLE TO KEEP IT UP?

12:30 P.M.

Have a seat here. I'll clean the table for you.

Okay.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you for the food.

SOMEONE IS BUSY ROLLING KIMBAP IN THE KIMBAP CORNER

FIGHTING A LONELY BATTLE SINCE LUNCH SALES STARTED

THANKFULLY, THERE IS A TON OF KIMBAP IN STOCK…

BUT…

Hi.

- How are you? - Good. How are you?

- Good. How are... - Two?

THE KIMBAP IS CONTINUALLY SELLING OUT

THE NEXT CUSTOMER ALSO…

Hi.

GOING FOR KIMBAP AS SOON AS HE ENTERS

Credit card? Okay.

MINUS TWO ROLLS

ALMOST GONE

Do you need a bag?

We're out of kimbap again.

- Yes. - We need to make more quickly.

WORRIED ABOUT KIMBAP…

There are only two rolls of kimbap left.

What? Juhwan just said there's a lot left.

The kimbap just sells out right away.

Don't ever think, "There's a lot left."

THINKING WE HAVE PLENTY IS FORBIDDEN

I understand.

- I won't be rash. - Okay.

BEING RASH IS FORBIDDEN

I can't leave my spot.

I know, right?

After this, I'll need to make more rice.

The rice is cooking now.

- It is? - Yeah.

Then let's roll this and...

Just roll those and wrap them up.

- Okay. - And bring them to me.

- Okay. - And...

- And for now, the kimbap... - Stop?

Yeah, let's wind down until the rice is done.

Wind down from kimbap? You wanna wind down on the kimbap?

Just... What should we do?

Just the way you said it was funny.

- No winding down then? - Of course not.

JUST THE WAY YOU SAID IT WAS FUNNY

Then how should I put it?

You should say we'll stop for now.

Stop for now?

- So... - Kimbap is not ready.

Kimbap is soon.

KIMBAP WILL BE BACK SOON

Kimbap…

- …is coming soon. - Coming soon.

WE MUST HOLD OUT WITH WHAT WE HAVE LEFT

Kimbap is so popular.

My goodness.

WILL THEY LAST UNTIL THE RICE IS DONE COOKING?

KYUNGHO HAS SOME TIME TO CATCH HIS BREATH

UNTIL THE RICE IS READY

HE SPOTS AN ADORABLE CUSTOMER

Hi!

Say hello.

You looks so pretty.

- Thank you. - So cute.

How... How month?

What... How much month?

- Twenty months. - Twenty month?

TWENTY MONTHS

- So cute. - Thank you.

What's your name?

Strawberry.

- Strawberry? Really? - Yeah.

In Vietnamese is "Dâu."

- Meow? - Dâu.

HE SHARES A RELAXING MOMENT WITH HIS NEW FRIEND, STRAWBERRY…

THE RICE IS FINISHED ALREADY

AS IF BOUND WITH KIMBAP SHACKLES

THE RANGE OF MOTION LIMITED BY THOSE SHACKLES

THERE IS AN EXIT…

BUT THERE'S NO WAY OUT…

THIS ISN'T HARD LABOR

GETTING RIGHT BACK TO WORK, WHAT A SAD VIEW FROM BEHIND…

NO MORE KIMBAP LEFT

- Yeah. Just that? It's that? - Yeah.

- Okay, that's it? - Yes, please.

Okay.

CURRENT NUMBER OF KIMBAPS SOLD: 80 ROLLS

- I'm tired. - We're out of kimbap again, huh?

Wow…

It's kimbap hell.

It's kimbap hell!

Wow. We're out of kimbap again.

It's no joke. This is really kimbap hell.

They must all be having kimbap for lunch.

DO THEY ALL EAT KIMBAP FOR LUNCH…?

KIMBAP IS LONG AND THE DAY IS SHORT

MEANWHILE, AT THE RESTAURANT

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

- Thank you. - I really enjoy your show.

Thank you so much.

How far along are you?

- How far? - Me?

- I have three weeks left. - Three weeks?

- Yes. - Wow!

Are you okay eating spicy ramyeon?

It's fine.

- It's okay? - She enjoys it.

I do enjoy it. I had some yesterday too.

You know,

I love watching films starring Zo Insung.

I watched Escape from Mogadishu recently.

And I loved A Dirty Carnival.

You like him?

He's so handsome.

HE'S SO HANDSOME… LOL

- He has great facial features. - Why are you so cute?

His eyes are so big.

I couldn't tell when I saw him through a screen.

LOL

THE LOVEY-DOVEY COUPLE WAIT FOR THEIR RAMYEON

THE RAMYEON IS ALMOST READY

- Juhwan. - Yes?

ONE ORDER OF RAMYEON IS READY

Here is one order of ramyeon.

- I'll be right back with the other. - Thank you.

Okay.

- Shall I eat first? - Yeah.

- Thank you for the food. - It looks good.

There's a lot of stuff in it.

An order of ramyeon, please.

- It's good. - Is it?

- The noodles are delicious. - Really?

LOVEY-DOVEY

Mmm.

It's chewy, just how I like it.

I feel like I'm in Korea.

Daege. Daege ramyeon.

Here comes your ramyeon.

HER HUSBAND'S RAMYEON IS READY

- I'm sorry it's late. - Thank you.

- Please enjoy. - It's delicious.

Good.

- Let me know if you need more kimchi. - Okay.

HE TRIES THE BROTH RIGHT AWAY

Oh, my.

It's not bad.

It may be uncomfortable that there are cameras, but don't mind them.

Because the cameras are rolling.

HE PICKS OUT THE CRAB MEAT TOO

AND TAKES A BITE WITH THE BROTH

EATING EVERYTHING, FROM THE NOODLES TO CRAB MEAT

- This is good. - Yeah, it's so delicious.

- It's good. - It's so delicious.

- I hope it's not too spicy. - No, I like spicy food.

It's so good.

- Do I pay here? - Yes, over here.

Thank you for coming.

I... I enjoyed Escape from Mogadishu.

- Did you? - It was so much fun.

And I really like A Dirty Carnival.

- I watched it five times. - Really?

He's so happy right now.

A SHY FAN'S CONFESSION

Did you watch A Dirty Carnival in Korea?

- I was in Korea. - You were?

How long have you lived here?

- It's been around three years. - Three years?

- Yeah, I met my wife here. Yes. - You did?

Is your wife from here? Or...

I moved here in 1999.

- So you immigrated? - Yes, yes.

I've been living in the US for a long time.

But I've been in Marina for about five years.

There must be something special about this area, huh?

There are many people who moved here from somewhere else.

- That's right. - Monterey is a beautiful place.

And there was...

- Right. Someone said... - What was it called?

There used to be a military base here.

A SMALL TOWN THAT BORDERS THE PACIFIC OCEAN

A CLOSED MILITARY BASE IS IN THE AREA

AFTER THE KOREAN WAR,

THE MILITARY BASE LOCATED IN DONGDUCHEON

CLOSED AND RELOCATED HERE

THAT'S WHEN MANY KOREANS ALSO CAME TO THE US

SOUTH KOREA

A SMALL KOREAN COMMUNITY

WAS FORMED IN MARINA SINCE THEN

THAT'S WHY THERE'S A STREET NAME IN THIS TOWN…

CALLED IMJIN PKWY NAMED AFTER THE IMJIN RIVER

THE MILITARY BASE SHUT DOWN IN 1994,

MANY KOREANS HAVE LEFT SINCE

BUT THE KOREANS THAT STAYED

CONTINUE TO LIVE THEIR LIVES HERE

- Thank you. - Thank you. Goodbye.

THAT'S THE KIND OF CONNECTION THIS TOWN HAS WITH KOREA

I heard a lot of Koreans came here during that time.

There are many churches too.

MEANWHILE, THIS PLACE HAS NO INTERACTION WHATSOEVER…

I'm looking for chestnuts.

I can't seem to find it.

- What are you looking for? - Chestnuts.

- Chestnuts? - Yeah.

The ones that are already peeled in the bag.

There were chestnuts? Please hold on.

Goodness.

- Wait. I think I know you! - Sure.

Hello.

SMILING

Wow, you're in a lot of movies, aren't you?

- Yes, that's right. In Korean movies. - Yes.

- I'm not a bad person. - What's that?

I'm rolling kimbap.

- He's rolling kimbap. - Yes.

HE HAS SHORT CHATS WITH CUSTOMERS LIKE THIS…

Very good.

- Very good. - Very good? Thank you.

Thank you very much.

EVEN GOT A COMPLIMENT!

17.99.

You still doing the rolls?

Wait a minute.

Are we making more kimbap right now?

I think we are.

Did you finish rolling a few?

- Yeah. - How many rolls?

Two, four, six, eight.

- These eight here? - Let me just wrap them.

Hyojoo, give us a second!

It'll take five minutes!

A QUICK REFILL

- Hi. - Would we be able to order 30 rolls today?

- Thirty rolls? - Thirty, yeah.

Okay. Wait a minute, please.

We need 30 rolls of kimbap.

Not... We can't make 30 rolls right now.

- Is this all we have? - Yeah. We can't make 30 right now.

THIS IS ALL THERE IS FOR NOW

We can... We can make new one,

but this is all we have now. Sorry.

Okay, we'll just take these for now, I guess.

Didn't the customer in the back say he wanted some?

How many? Two.

- Actually, he asked first, so… - Okay.

- I think we won't have 30. - So pack two of these. Sorry.

- Two, four, six. - Two's enough.

- Yeah, so we have six kimbap now. - Okay, we'll just take those for now.

- Is it okay? - Yeah, yeah.

- Sorry about that. - We're so sorry.

- No worries. That was their last... - Okay. Two.

- They're making more back there. - Yeah, but it's just...

Yeah. Okay, thank you.

TWO ROLLS OF KIMBAP GET SOLD FIRST

- So six? Six of kimbap? - Yeah, we'll just take those, yeah.

- So sorry. - No worries, no worries.

- It was very last minute, yeah. - That's okay.

TOTALLY GONE

IT'S LIKE A BOTTOMLESS PIT

I'm not gonna take the basket.

ROLLS OF KIMBAP ARE FALLING INTO THE PIT…

WILL THE BOTTOMLESS PIT OF KIMBAP

EVER BE FILLED?

A lot of people will want kimbap, but you're out.

- I know. - We need to make more.

- Non-Koreans come here because of kimbap. - They love it.

- They come here often. - I heard.

- Kimbap is good here. - Is this it?

- You guys ran out. - We're making loads of them.

Kimbap is particularly popular, more than anything.

Wow, we just can't keep up.

The kimbap here is especially good.

It is delicious. It's super delicious.

YOU CAN DO THIS, KYUNGHO!

14.89.

You must've learned how to use the machine.

- You're right. - Can't be easy.

That's why we're still a bit slow.

The machine is different from what we used to use in Korea.

- It's different from Korean ones. - Yeah.

The system here...

Anyway, have a good day.

- Yes, sir. Thank you. - Thank you.

- Good luck. - Thank you.

- Thank you. - Come again.

- Come again. - Bye.

You guys are all too young.

- Hi! - Yes.

THE NEXT CUSTOMERS ARE

- Wow. - Hi!

- Hi! - So cute.

- Thank you. - Hi.

ADORABLE TWINS

- Adorable. - Aw, thank you.

We'll be doing EBT, if that's okay.

- EBT? Yeah. - Ah, EBT.

EBT CARD IS A BENEFIT CARD

THAT ALLOWS RECIPIENTS TO BUY FOOD IN THE US

Let's go, EBT.

Okay, EBT.

NEVER SWIPED AN EBT CARD BEFORE…

ACCORDING TO THE MEMO ON THE REGISTER,

22.74.

HE FOLLOWS THE PROPER STEPS

WILL THE PURCHASE GO THROUGH?

- Perfect. - Perfect.

Pin number?

MR. CHA REMAINS CALM

WITH HIS FIRST EBT PAYMENT TRANSACTION

- You took care of the EBT without a hitch! - Wow.

This is my...

This is our first time to pay with this card.

- Okay. - So.

It was a little bit of challenge, so we did it!

- On the first try, good job. - Mission complete.

- Mission complete. - Yeah.

Have a great day.

- You too. - You too.

Bye-bye.

- Bye-bye. - Bye.

You're smashing your brother.

Hi.

Hey.

Do you need to put a dollar in there? You don't have your wallet on you?

I do. I'm broke.

- You try? - I spent all my money on the...

- Try this? You want it? - Yeah.

- You want it? - Yeah.

Okay, okay, wait.

THE FIRST TIME OPERATING THE BOXING ARCADE MACHINE

This... Free, free.

- It's okay. - It's free.

- Yes, enjoy it. - Let's do it.

Nice.

Nice.

WHAT WILL BE SCORE BE?

- Oh! - No high score.

- Thank you. - Bye.

ALTHOUGH HE COULDN'T BEAT THE TOP SCORE

THE CUTE CUSTOMERS LEAVE IN A GOOD MOOD

NEXT CUSTOMER IN LINE

Hi.

- How are you? - Good.

New owner now or...

No, he's on vacation now.

- He's on vacation now? - Yeah.

Went to Korea?

- No, no, no. - No.

- Just right here? - We're from Korea, but...

You're from Korea?

WHILE HYOJOO IS TALKING TO HER, MR. CHA HAS HER TOTAL

I thought you're doing the banchan chicken.

- Banchan chicken? - Okay. $10?

- We have some banchan but not chicken. - Yeah, but not chicken, huh?

- We have ramyeon. - Yeah, ramyeon.

- Maybe next time… - Maybe next time.

- …we try one. - You should try it.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

We have very special chef.

- He's very famous actor in Korea. - Korean, huh?

In Korea?

And he is too.

Yeah, we watch the, uh, Korean mini-series in Philippines.

GAVE MORE THAN $20 AS CHANGE AFTER RECEIVING $20

- The Philippines? - A lot of Korean...

Goodness. Sorry.

How much I give it to you? I give you…

$20, I think.

- Okay. - Did I give you more?

Okay, okay.

- Okay, okay. - Did I give you more?

Okay, okay.

Okay?

HE BARELY MANAGES TO GIVE HER THE CHANGE

BUT AT THE SAME TIME…

My money is this.

$60 only.

- Next, I give you 20... - Do you have the other... The cream?

- You mean the yellow one, right? - Yes.

Do you have this in yellow?

I need to look for it. Wait.

- Let me check. - Okay, thank you.

HYOJOO CHECKS THE SHELVES FIRST

- It's not there, is it? - It wasn't here?

WHILE TAEHYUN HURRIEDLY PACKS THE CUSTOMER'S GROCERIES

I'll... I'll go check.

- Cover for me here. - Okay.

- We will check. Please wait a moment. - Yeah, yeah. No problem.

BUSY, BUSY

Mix, mix, instant coffee mix.

Coffee mix, coffee mix.

COFFEE MIX x 4

Coffee mix.

Is it this?

Ah... It's not here. We need to order that too.

We're missing a lot of things.

As of right now.

Hey!

- Sorry! - No?

- Yeah, no... Out of stock. - That's okay.

I try to fill, fill this.

- Yeah, Maxim... Yeah. - Yeah.

- Thank you. - Okay, thank you.

TAKES OUT THE MEMO PAD RIGHT AWAY

REALIZING THE NEED TO CHECK INVENTORY

Holy cow.

AFTER 4 HOURS OF BUSINESS

Thank you, bye.

Hi.

- You guys have any more rolls? - We all sold...

- You guys have any more rolls? Really? - We all sold out now.

OH, RIGHT! KIMBAP!

Actually, we are making now. So I will ask... Ask him.

STILL HARD AT WORK

- How many rolls did you make? - Can we sell them now?

Two, four... Of course!

- Six... - How many?

- How many do you need? Two? - Two. Yeah.

Two rolls!

- Two. - Two? Then wrap these up for me.

Just two rolls.

Two rolls coming right up!

- This is no joke. - Yeah.

I feel like I've become a machine.

LOL

But thankfully, people still come up to talk to me.

- Then, I feel human momentarily. - That your thought process?

- Okay, just keep wrapping! - Okay.

Keep wrapping.

YES, SIR…

KYUNGHO THE KIMBAP MACHINE

- For… - Two?

- Yes. Perfect. Thanks. - Okay. Yeah.

HE DELIVERS TWO ROLLS

AND RETURNS TO TAKE MORE TO THE COUNTER

Wow.

Whoever knows how to make kimbap has to man this spot.

- This spot should never be left empty. - Right.

I don't think we're that slow, either.

THE CURRENT WORK SPEED…

- We're getting faster. - It's the best we can do.

…IS OUR BEST

We'll have to make it work.

MEANWHILE, AT THE RESTAURANT

- Thank you. - Sorry, this...

- You gave me too much. - No, no.

- Do you live here? - Yes, I do.

Do you live around here? Like, in Marina?

- I was... I grew up here. I left. - Yes.

I went... moved to Atlanta, Georgia.

I'm home just vacationing right now.

- Vacationing. Good timing. - Ah, wow, really?

- It's beautiful timing. Beautiful here. - Yeah?

I normally... I normally visit.

So, she said she was coming to the Asian market.

She said, "Come here and eat lunch," and I said,

"Come to Asian Market?

- They don't have lunch here." - Yeah.

- This is new. - Yeah, this is new. Yeah.

I said, "They don't have... ", she said, "Come eat!" I said...

- "Asian does..." - Yeah.

Because, "Oh, there's a famous person there... They are making...

Making something."

- Thank you so much. Thank you. - You're welcome. Enjoy your time.

Oh, it looks so beautiful.

- Thank you. - Oh, my goodness.

It's really good. You'll like it.

- I love seafood, it's my favorite. - Thank you. Yeah.

- How'd you like it? Good? - It's good.

When all else fails, you always eat ramen. You know?

Especially when you're in college.

- There's no money. No nothing. - Yeah.

You always just eat ramen.

We just had one last night.

- She had one last night. - Yeah, that's crazy.

- Ramen? - Because I was watching a Korean show

and they kept eating ramen.

- I was like, "now I'm craving it." - Yeah, yeah.

Are you all from here?

- Yeah. - We live here. Yeah.

Yeah, we live in the marina.

Did you live in Korea before you came here?

He did, yeah.

- Yeah. I was born and raised there. - In Korea?

My story is that I was born in Korea,

and I came to the United States when I was four.

And then…

We stayed here. When I was nine, we went back to Korea.

We went to Daegu.

- Daegu. Yeah. - Daegu.

I went to school in Daegu.

Nine, ten, eleven, twelve. Three years. Came back here.

Went to school here. Went to high school.

My father was in the army, so we... So I'm here...

You travel a lot?

I traveled a lot.

THIS CUSTOMER HAS TRAVELED A LOT

DUE TO HER FATHER WHO'S IN THE ARMY

I come every year. I come home every year.

- Every year? - Yeah, this is my vacation spot.

Here, like, the beach is, like, a 10-minute's walk from here, you know?

Could just walk there.

- I have to go now. - Yeah, let's get going.

I haven't eaten this yet.

Let me eat this.

SHE'S NOT LETTING A SINGLE STRAND OF NOODLE GO TO WASTE

My name is Jun, by the way.

- This is Yang. - Yang.

- Yang? My mother's name is Yang. - Yeah.

- I'm Margarita, like the drink. - Margarita?

- Margarita. - Like the drink?

- Margarita? - Yeah.

IT WAS NICE TO MEET YOU

She's gotta go to work so we gotta bounce.

OKAY, ENJOY YOUR DAY

Well, enjoy your day.

- Thank you for the meal. - Please come again.

- Please come again. - We will.

Yes, please do.

Yes, thank you. Goodbye.

THE COUPLE LEAVES…

- Was it good? - Yes.

- Come again. - Okay.

…TO GO BACK TO WORK

IT SEEMS LIKE THESE TWO HAVE FINISHED THEIR MEAL TOO

SO THEY GET UP FROM THEIR SEATS

I heard that you're from Daegu.

I'm from Daegu.

- Yeah. Nice to meet you. - Yeah. Nice to meet you.

AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER ABROAD

WITH SOMEONE FROM THE SAME HOMETOWN

THIS SPOT IS TURNING INTO A PLACE FOR RANDOM ENCOUNTERS…

- And your name is? - It's... My name is Celine.

- Celine? - Or Heejin... Like, you can say whatever.

So this is like Korea. This town is like Korea too.

So you're not homesick, right?

- No. - You get everything, right?

No homesick. I love... No homesick at all.

Yeah. Yeah.

- It was nice. Thank you. - Thank you. You take care.

You take care. Enjoy your studies. Okay.

Where do I pay?

- Thank you. - Yes, thank you.

- Take care. All right. Bye-bye. - Bye.

THEY SAY GOODBYE TO THE OTHER GUEST THEY SHARED TABLES WITH

Goodbye.

Please come again.

IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THEY MADE NEW NEIGHBORING FRIENDS

THOUGH IT WON'T BE FOR LONG,

CAN THIS PLACE BECOME THE SOCIAL SPOT OF THE TOWN?

- Hello. - Hello, sir.

HAPPY TO SEE A KOREAN CUSTOMER

Sorry for keeping you waiting, sir.

You look better than you do on TV.

Oh, my. Thank you.

IT'S A FRYING PAN…

Sir, this is…

…WITHOUT A PRICE TAG

I mean, sir…

PRICE TAG… WHY CAN'T I FIND YOU?

About that TV show…

- I don't recognize her… - Who's the guy from The Slave Hunters?

The lead actor?

- The Slave Hunters? - Yes.

- Jang Hyuk? - Yes, it was Jang Hyuk and…

Sir, where did you find...

- Hold on. - She wants to talk to you too.

Sir, the price tag...

- The price tag is right here. - You're right!

HE HADN'T NOTICED THE PRICE TAG ON THE HANDLE

Thank you. Goodness.

THANKS TO THE CUSTOMERS, HE MANAGES TO FIND THE PRICE TAG

Thank heavens.

AS CHAOTIC AS IT IS, WILL HE BE FINE OPERATING THE REGISTER?

- Oh, gosh. - That's why they don't age.

MR. ZO QUIETLY OBSERVES MR. CHA

Tell Kyungho to stop making kimbap and to help Taehyun out.

WALKING OVER TO KYUNGHO FOR REGISTER DUTY BACKUP…

- Kyungho, you can stop now. - Thank you. We need to cook more rice.

Kyungho is... Wait, not Kyungho. Please help Taehyun out.

Someone's asking for kimbap, though.

- They're sold out already? - Yes.

I mean, it's wartime for real.

He's making them back there.

- You making kimbap? - That's what I'm doing.

Will they be taken to the front?

- Yes, um… Five? - Can I have, like, five?

IT'S ALMOST HIS HUNDREDTH ROLL NOW

OUR KIMBAP MACHINE…

- He can't leave. - Why not?

- Out of kimbap again? Geez. - It never stops.

I mean, we escaped dish washing hell, but he can't get out of kimbap hell.

THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF KIMBAP ORDERS…

YOON KYUNGHO / EMPLOYEE IN KIMBAP HELL FOR APPROX. 2 HOURS

ASIAN MARKET 1:00 P.M.

THESE CUSTOMERS HEAD OVER TO THE RESTAURANT

THEY WANDER ABOUT AND WAIT IN LINE…

Hello.

Hello.

THEY ENTER THE RESTAURANT

- Do you speak English? - I'm not fluent in English, no.

- I'm Japanese. - You're Japanese?

- Yes, I'm Japanese. - Hello.

- Hajimemashite. - Yes, hajimemashite.

- Do you have daege ramyeon? - Yes, we do.

THOUGH SHE ISN'T FLUENT, SHE TRIES TO SPEAK IN KOREAN

Daege ramyeon.

- Are you all Japanese? - Yes, yes.

I see.

Hyojoo knows Japanese. Please take a seat first.

- Okay. - Right.

5.99.

ENGLISH & JAPANESE SPEAKER HYOJOO IS BUSY WORKING THE REGISTER

- More than you'd think, Koreans are... - Excuse me.

- Sure. - Thank you.

- Did he just say "irasshaimase"? - Irasshaimase.

Do you speak Japanese?

- Yes, a little it seems. - I see.

AFTER CLEANING THE TABLE HE RETURNS TO THE KITCHEN

Gosh, you meet people from all over the world here.

AMONG THESE INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS

THERE IS ANOTHER CUSTOMER WAITING

Have a seat.

AS SOON AS HE NOTICES THE CUSTOMER,

HE SHOWS HER TO HER TABLE

SINGLE CUSTOMER SUCCESSFULLY SEATED

Would you like some ramyeon?

Do I have to wait to get some kimbap?

Did you order kimbap?

- No, do I need to order separately? - Yes, order your kimbap over there.

- Then you'll get your... Yes. - Right away?

KYUNGHO IS STILL WORKING HARD AT MAKING MORE KIMBAP

So, you don't want ramyeon?

- I'll have ramyeon first. - Ramyeon first?

So, one ramyeon first?

FIRST, AN ORDER OF RAMYEON!

CURRENT ORDER STATUS PARTY-OF-ONE CUSTOMER -1 RAMYEON

Three orders of ramyeon?

HE FORGOT TO ASK THE JAPANESE CUSTOMERS…

- Three orders of ramyeon? - Three.

IT'S OKAY YOU CAN GET THEIR ORDER NOW~

TOTAL ORDER STATUS

PARTY-OF-1 CUSTOMER -1 RAMYEON JAPANESE CUSTOMERS -3 RAMYEONS

LOOKS AROUND

- We should come tomorrow too. - We're terrible.

REALIZES SOMETHING

He won't like it.

INTENSELY STARES

- Won't he? - I don't think he'll mind.

That young man over there is a little different than Korean men I've seen.

It's the first time I've seen a Korean ikemen.

- He understands a little Japanese. - No way…

- He understands. And he's hot. - He's hot. He's an ikemen.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT WITH JUHWAN AND HIS HANDSOME LOOKS

It's the first time I've seen a Korean ikemen.

I don't think he's a commoner. I don't think he is.

He really stands out, doesn't he?

- He's an ikemen after all. - An ikemen, ikemen…

SHE WALKS OVER TO ASK JUHWAN FOR SOME WATER…

- Would you like some water? - Yes.

- All right. You got it. - Yeah.

- He has a nice voice too. - Yeah.

THIS IS A RAMYEON RESTAURANT OF HANDSOME MEN

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- Okay. - Thank you.

Plain water, huh?

FEELING SHY -LOL

What? What?

- Is this place famous for kimbap? - They do good kimbap here.

At this place?

- Mr. Kim here… - Locals always buy kimbap from here.

Mr. Kim's kimbap.

Go and talk to him.

Just for a bit.

Can I? With all these people.

- …all customers. - Customers, yeah.

HYOJOO IS STILL WORKING AT THE REGISTER

She's a regular here.

That's so amazing how much those two can speak.

I'm impressed!

"It's nice to meet you."

STUDYING KOREAN WHILE WAITING

- What was that? - Nice to see you.

Right.

Nice to… Nice to meet you.

HYOJOO FINALLY HEADS OVER TO THE RESTAURANT

Hello.

- Nice to meet… - They're Japanese.

I see.

- Are you all from Japan? - Yes, that's right.

- Do you live here now? - Yes, we do.

That's great. For how many years?

Thirty years.

- Wow, that's amazing... For thirty years? - That's right.

- She's lived here for 30 years. - For real?

- Around 33 years. - Thirty-three years. Wow, that's so long.

Whoa, that's amazing.

WHILE HYOJOO IS BUSY…

…TALKING TO THE JAPANESE CUSTOMERS

Can I help you?

I just have a quick question.

What happened to the cafeteria that was here before guys?

HE MAY BE SMILING CALMLY BUT…

Sorry. One minute, one minute.

Hyojoo, help him out.

HYOJOO TO THE RESCUE AGAIN

- Help her. - Can I help you?

I was just wondering what happened to the cafeteria

that was here before you guys... The restaurant?

- The restaurant? The... Here? - Mm-hmm, yeah.

Do you guys know their phone number or their new address

or do you guys know if they went out of business?

We don't know, actually.

SHE NATURALLY RESPONDS IN ENGLISH

AS EXPECTED OF OUR EXPERT

SHE SOLVES THE ISSUE IN LESS THAN A MINUTE

Sorry we don't know the information. Come again.

FEELING AWKWARD

Gosh, Juhwan.

I immediately knew how you felt.

- You did, right? - Yeah, I understood.

I was listening, but she spoke so fast. I blanked out.

EMPATHETIC CONNECTION IN THE US

It's already…

Hyojoo, what would we have done without you?

We would've been in so much trouble. Seriously.

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE LIFE IN THE US WITHOUT HYOJOO

Do you know much about golf?

We pretty much all enjoy golf.

- There was a really big golf tournament. - Right.

- It was last month. - Last month?

Hyojoo Kim.

Yeah, the golfer Kim Hyojoo.

SHE'S EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE GOLFER

Look, look.

So… So… She really wants her to look.

- Who? - The golfer Kim Hyojoo.

- Right. - She took a photo with Kim Hyojoo.

I love her swing.

- Yeah, me too. - I love her swing.

- So perfect! - I know!

I know.

She's number seven, right... Seventh in the world right now.

You know very well.

- She's a golfer. - Whoa, really?

- I'm not, I'm really not. - No way! Really?

She's an amateur golfer.

Stop! My hands are shaking because of you.

- She's an amateur golfer. - My hands are shaking because of you.

Ask her if she knows Park Inbee.

Do you know the golfer Park Inbee?

Park Inbee.

She just had a baby.

Yeah, she did.

HE IS PARK INBEE'S BEST FRIEND

WHAT?

WHAT?!

She will come here too.

- Whoa! When? When? - It's true, it's true.

- When is she coming? - Next week.

Next week.

You should come and see her then.

- Done. - Yeah.

- I love her swing! - She's a world champion. Number one.

NO. 1 WORLD CHAMPION, INBEE, IS COMING SOON

She's coming here next week.

When is she coming? I want to come every day.

THE GOLF-LOVING CUSTOMER PROMISES TO VISIT AGAIN!

Tuesday next week, around then.

IN FACT, NEAR THIS PLACE, MARINA, IN MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA…

…THERE IS A PLACE EVEN MORE FAMOUS

THAN THE BEAUTIFUL OCEAN.

"PEBBLE BEACH,"

ONE OF THE WORLD'S TOP GOLF COURSES

GOLF COURSES WERE DEVELOPED HERE

DUE TO ITS LARGE LAND AND SUITABLE CLIMATE

IT BECAME A LIFESTYLE SPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY

BECAUSE OF THE AFFORDABLE PRICE

DAEGE RAMYEON IS COOKED JUST RIGHT

WHEN MR. ZO POURS IT INTO THE SERVING BOWL,

THE HANDSOME COUNTER GUY, JUHWAN, GETS THE KIMCHI READY

Here's your ramyeon.

Thank you.

Looks good.

- Looks delicious. - I think so too.

- Thank you. - It looks so good.

- Looks delicious. - Please enjoy your food.

PLEASE ENJOY YOUR FOOD

Thank you.

AFTER SERVING THE JAPANESE CUSTOMERS' RAMYEON

- Please enjoy your food. - Yes.

Thank you for the food.

I HAVE TO TAKE A PHOTO FIRST

SHE BLOWS ON THE HOT NOODLES

It's full of crab shells.

SLURPING

Yesterday…

SLURPING

When I was watching TV,

I was watching Miyaneya, and they said they go golfing from Tuesday to Saturday.

They said it costs a third of their income…

WHILE THE THREE ENJOY THEIR RAMYEON

So it looks like they have some money.

Here you go.

- Would you like a glass of water? - Yes, thank you.

HERE IS YOUR DELICIOUS RAMYEON

SLURPING

PARTY-OF-1 CUSTOMER IS TRYING TO ENJOY THE DELICIOUS RAMYEON

How do you like it?

I was working and...

Do you work around here?

I was working, but I told my boss that I had to go eat ramyeon.

Huh? What do you mean?

You told your boss that

- you were going to eat ramyeon? - I was going to go eat ramyeon.

Is your boss Korean?

- That's a relief. - He asked, "Where are you going?"

HE NATURALLY TAKES A SEAT IN FRONT OF HER

I said, "I'll be back in three hours."

- I drove 40 minutes to get here. - Seriously?

- It's so delicious. - I'm glad.

It's nothing special.

Ramyeon just tastes better when someone makes it for you.

It's because you made it, Insung.

Everything tastes good if you don't make it.

That's not true.

WHILE MR. ZO KEEPS HER COMPANY…

It tastes even better because you made it.

…WHERE IS THE COUNTER GUY, JUHWAN?

HE FILLS UP A GLASS WITH SOME COLD COLA

There were too many people.

POWER WALKING

Thank you, thank you.

HE PASSES THE COUNTER AND HEADS TO THE KIMBAP CORNER

WHAT BRINGS HIM TO THE KIMBAP CORNER?

It's good to see you.

Is the lunch business going well?

Yes.

- Was it busy there too? - First off...

Thank you.

Thank you.

HE GIVES A DRINK TO KYUNGHO WHO HAD A HARD TIME WORKING ALONE

GULP

- Thank you so much. - Don't mention it.

You did a great job.

But…

I want to make them faster and faster. You know what I mean?

- Yeah. - I want to challenge myself.

But spreading the rice...

It's a lot harder than I thought.

I HAVE A KIMBAP ROLLING COWORKER NOW

- I can't make kimbap quickly. - Right?

Yeah.

- Just a minute. - Okay.

MEANWHILE, AT THE COUNTER AT THE END OF LUNCH

- Do you need kimbap? - Yes.

- How many? Six rolls? - How many did we order?

- Three rolls. - What?

- Three rolls here? - Yes.

Did you place an order?

No. I just did.

Three rolls and six rolls... So nine rolls.

3 ROLLS + 6 ROLLS = 9 ROLLS

RUNNING OVER TO ANNOUNCE THE ORDER

We have another order of kimbap.

There are two of us now, so we'll roll them faster.

We have nine so far.

Wow, nine?

We're starting to make them now.

Can I get two more rolls of kimbap?

- No, we need nine rolls. - We can make them now.

- Can I get two? - Two? Okay.

- No, we have nine to sell right now. - There are nine.

- I have an order of nine rolls. - So it's 11 in total.

- A total of 11. - I'll make 11.

- You'll make 11? - Yeah, and that's it.

AFTER CONFIRMING THE ORDERS,

THEY BEGIN TO MAKE 11 ROLLS OF KIMBAP

SHALL I ROLL THEM QUICKLY?

PRESS, PRESS

ONCE KYUNGHO AND JUHWAN ROLL THE KIMBAP

MR. ZO WRAPS THEM RIGHT AWAY

WITH THE THREE WORKING TOGETHER,

KIMBAP IS MADE MORE QUICKLY

THE KIMBAP IS COMING RIGHT NOW

Three rolls of kimbap.

- Give them the kimbap first. - Here's the kimbap.

NINE ROLLS OF KIMBAP HAVE SAFELY BEEN DELIVERED TO THE COUNTER

THE PARTY-OF-1 CUSTOMER FINISHES HER MEAL

AND LEAVES WITH HER TWO ROLLS OF KIMBAP

- Please come again. - Sure.

Gee, I worked my butt off.

- You did a great job. - No, you did too.

We're good.

Wow, look at this.

- It's finished. - Yeah.

- Okay, thank you. - We'll keep making those rolls.

AFTER THE MARKET CUSTOMERS LEAVE

- Bye, everyone. Have a nice day. - Bye.

You too.

We just can't seem to get a photo.

THE JAPANESE CUSTOMERS ARE LAST TO FINISH THEIR LUNCH

That was so good.

IT WAS DELICIOUS

- Thanks for finishing them. - Thanks for the food.

- Shall we go? - We should let them enjoy their break.

- Thank you. - Thank you so much.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- We'll be back! - We'll be back!

THE JAPANESE CUSTOMERS LEAVE IN A GOOD MOOD

We'll have to come back next week.

THE FIRST LUNCH SALE IS FINISHED

Gosh.

WE MANAGED TO KEEP THE BUSINESS SOMEHOW,

BUT OUR MINDS HAVE GONE BLANK…

You guys worked so hard to make kimbap.

But this is a big problem.

- Great work. - Geez.

The kimbap…

This isn't easy, you know?

This place must be famous for its kimbap.

BOSSES CALL FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING

You're right. The Korean customers earlier dropped by just to buy some kimbap.

Because it's affordable.

They keep ordering kimbap.

But there's no kimbap in the container.

I think we sold about 100 rolls this morning.

THE OWNER SAID HE MAKES 300 ROLLS,

BUT TO ACTUALLY MAKE THEM…

We need two people on the kimbap.

Seriously. Just...

This is just…

IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TO WORK AT THE OWNER'S PACE…

This isn't a matter of getting used to making kimbap.

Yeah, this is something else.

But isn't the work itself fun? Meeting people and stuff?

- I like it. - Yeah.

It's just extremely hectic.

But so far, it's been really fun.

IN CALIFORNIA

3:00 P.M.

THE EMPLOYEES HEAD TO THE MARKET NEXT DOOR WHILE BUSINESS IS SLOW

I guess this place is open.

- Hello. - Hello.

Hi.

NEXT DOOR

LOCAL INFORMATION

THIS PLACE IS POPULAR AMONG CUSTOMERS

FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA AND SOUTH AMERICA.

We didn't have vegetables like these, right?

We didn't have fresh vegetables like those.

But we have onions, scallions and carrots.

But we don't have these, right?

- No, we don't. - This! Isn't it...

- This is it. Serrano. - Yeah.

- This is the spicy pepper. - The spicy pepper.

- It was right here. - Right here.

It was right under our noses.

"Right under our noses."

It'd be nice to have a pumpkin.

- Here's a zucchini. - Zucchini.

- That's all we need, right? - Yeah.

- If it's to make doenjang soup. - Yeah.

- Will you make doenjang soup today? - Sure. That'd be great.

MEANWHILE, IT'S FINALLY PEACEFUL AT THE KIMBAP CORNER

THE KIMBAP MACHINE IS TURNED ON

WE CAN'T LOSE A SINGLE KIMBAP CUSTOMER

BECAUSE I'M THE EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH…

DON'T MIND IF I DO

CARROTS HAVE RUN OUT

CRUNCH

HE'S WORKING HARD…

…AND SECRETLY EATING HARD

SIGH…

HE LOWERS HIS HAND SO HE DOESN'T GET CAUGHT

A CUSTOMER APPROACHES THE KIMBAP CORNER

Hi.

SMILING WITH A MOUTH FULL OF KIMBAP

Can I get the Kimchi, cucumber?

- Kimchi? - Yes.

Okay.

- How many? - One.

- One? - Yes.

No, your cucumbers.

CUCUMBER KIMCHI IS PLACED ON TOP OF REGULAR KIMCHI

- This one? Yes, okay. - Uh-huh.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

Can I have one kimchi there?

- That would be great. - This?

THIS TIME, REGULAR KIMCHI IS SOLD

- Yeah. Thank you. - You're welcome.

- Hello. - Hello.

- Hello. - I'd like one of these.

- Seaweed salad. - Okay.

You're fluent in Korean.

- Really? - Yes.

- I'm not. - You're so good.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- Sure. - Thank you.

OVERLOOKED BECAUSE OF KIMBAP,

THERE'S ANOTHER STEADY SELLER

VARIOUS SEASONED SIDE DISHES

AND KOREAN SALAD FOR SALE NOW

BELOVED KOREAN BANCHAN BY THE PEOPLE OF MARINA

THE HIDDEN STEADY SELLER OF THE KOREAN MARKET

MEANWHILE, KYUNGHO MADE MORE KIMBAP

HE DOESN'T FORGET TO WRITE DOWN THE TIME

How many do you want?

Uh, can I have one, please?

MINUS TWO ROLLS OF KIMBAPS

And let's get one for your brother just in case.

MINUS TWO MORE ROLLS

AS SOON AS HE WRITES THE TIME DOWN, HALF OF THE ROLLS ARE SOLD

- Okay. - Oh, my.

- No price. - No price. I know.

- Hey, here. Hurry. - Yeah?

- What is it? - Where is this from?

- Hurry. - What is it?

- The price. - Ah, price.

Well…

- Excuse me. - Yes.

- Where is… - Over here.

Ah, thank you, thank you.

It's $2.99.

- I'm sorry, so sorry. Yeah. - It's okay.

Today, we are first…

My first time.

- It's okay. - Thank you.

Okay, okay.

- Thank you, bye. - Thank you so much, bye.

- Have a nice day. - Thank you, you too.

Thank you very much.

MEANWHILE, IN THE STORE

- Aw, you're so cute. - What are you gonna buy, Savannah?

She's shy.

THE SHY LITTLE CUSTOMER

She's so cute.

Do you like chocolate or vanilla?

- Cho... - Do you want chocolate or vanilla?

- Yeah. - Are you sure?

INTO THE BASKET

- Chocolate. Daddy? - Okay.

Do you wanna get one for daddy too?

Yeah, daddy too.

Okay, sure.

GOING TO FIND SOMETHING FOR DADDY

- Hi. - Ta-da.

- Good choice. - Ice cream.

Ice cream.

WHILE MR. ZO IS TALKING TO THE CUTE LITTLE CUSTOMER

HYOJOO RETURNS TO THE COUNTER

Hi.

- You want one? - Yeah.

- Two? - Do you want one more?

Probably.

Get one more.

Okay.

NO MORE KIMBAP…

I thought you guys were filming an ad.

Oh, yeah. We are filming a TV show. It's a Korean TV show.

- Yeah. - Keep chatting.

Ah, that's cool.

We are all actors.

'Cause I remember, like, it was cut off right there.

HYOJOO TALKS TO THE CUSTOMERS

WHILE MR. CHA PUNCHES IN THE NUMBERS

- We do, um, for ten days from today. - Eighteen.

So we served ramyeon. Korean ramyeon.

And some of the other Korean food.

- 18.47. - Right now?

- 18.47. - 18.47.

Not now for lunch.

18.47.

Thank you.

CUSTOMER COULDN'T HEAR HIM 'CAUSE SHE WAS SO FOCUSED

- Thank you. Bye. - Thank you. Have a great day.

- Hello. - Hello.

- I want these. - Do you guys have anymore kimbap?

- I... I will check. - Do we have more kimbap?

THE PREVIOUS CUSTOMER TOOK THE REST

Hold on a second.

We are making. How many do you guys want to... Two?

- Okay. Just a moment, please. - Two?

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- Do we have more kimbap? - Yes!

- We'll need two for now. - Okay.

I just made one, so I'll be right out.

- Okay, take your time. - Okay.

- One minute. - Okay.

- Fifty-nine. - Come on.

- Fifty-eight. - Goodness.

- Fifty-seven. - Man.

- Fifty-six. - Come on.

- Don't play with food. - Fifty-five.

Okay. Thank you.

TWO ROLLS MADE QUICKLY

Here it is.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- Thank you. - Bye.

THEY LEAVE THE MARKET WITHOUT WAITING TOO LONG

Okay. 15.86.

- Hi, hi. - Hi.

THE BABY CUSTOMER IS HERE TO PAY

So cute.

Annyeong.

Can you say annyeong?

Annyeong.

Annyeong.

SHY

Do you have anymore of these or no?

- Please wait. I will check. - No, I was just asking.

That's why I came. I was like…

Thank you!

- We have kimbap, right? - Yes.

- We keep rolling them. - Oh, okay.

Kimbap is okay.

- We are making. How many do you want? - How many?

Can I get three, please?

- Three? Okay. - Okay, just a moment, please.

- Yeah, that's fine. - Hello.

- How many rolls do you want? - How many?

- Just two. - Two?

- He's rolling them right now. - They're making them now.

Two, two, three?

- We need five rolls of kimbap. - Okay.

NONSTOP ROLLING OF KIMBAP

Let's roll these first.

JUHWAN JOINS IN BEFORE GETTING READY FOR THE RESTAURANT

HE QUIETLY COMES IN

This is no joke. It's so chaotic.

TWO KIMBAP MAKERS IN OPERATION!

I already used up two and a half bags of rice.

Kimbaps?

- Kimbap? - Yeah.

- We are making. How many do you want? - Okay.

- Four, please. - Four, okay.

Kimbaps?

- Kimbap? - Yeah.

- We are making. How many do you want? - Okay.

- Four, please. - Four, okay.

Just a moment, please.

- Four more. - Okay.

ORDER, KIMBAP 5 + 4, TOTAL 9

There are nine in total.

- About ten minute? Yes. - Ten minute?

No, quickly, quickly.

Wait, wait…

Do you want to pay first?

It's different in here. It looks different.

- Yeah. - Did they sell it?

LOL

We are, we are going, yeah...

- Shooting TV show. - Korean TV show.

Is it... Is it a new restaurant too?

- Yeah. - Yeah.

- It's not open yet, though? - This is first time working in USA.

Nice, that's nice.

It's harder for you, huh? 'Cause of English.

My mom's Japanese.

And she talks better in Japanese than English.

Yeah, so I do understand.

Thank you.

- Hello. - Hey, how are you doing?

- … do kimbap? So that's... - Did he bring one at five?

ANOTHER CUSTOMER COMES IN FOR KIMBAP

- Yeah, or... I meant, the, we have... - We're just making…

Actually, this is our first time making kimbap.

So it might taste a bit different from the previous ones.

But we made it with our love and care.

Are they still waiting for kimbap?

- If you have time… - You guys can take a seat there.

Sit down, please.

- You guys want four kimbap, right? - Yes, please.

- And a seaweed. - Okay.

We are making so... We're just working on it.

- Oh, yeah. - No worries.

- It takes time. - Are you new?

Yeah, we are new. It's our first day of working so…

- Please understand. - Okay.

Have you been here before?

Here's kimbap is so famous, right?

I remember when it used to be $1.

Used to be $1? Now $2, right?

It's very cheap, though. Very good.

- Beef... - When?

So health... Feels so healthy.

- When? Maybe like ten, 15 years ago? - I love it.

Wow, you been here so long time ago.

There's only like... Well, there's a lot of good Korean food here, but…

Not like…

Fast, you know.

- Only like sit down and waiting. - Yeah.

I love this place because it's fast.

I LOVE THAT I CAN CONVENIENTLY GET THE FOOD TO GO

MEANWHILE, A CUSTOMER FINISHES CHOOSING ITEMS

STOPS!

Why are you guys seated?

We're waiting for kimbap.

- So the owner went somewhere... - Hello.

- My goodness. - I'm going to buy kimbap for Dennis...

Oh, my. Are you on a date?

- I know her. - You see all your friends here.

Isn't that normal?

It's been that way for everyone.

- Even when we opened in Korea. - You're right.

- Everyone knows everyone. - We all see each other.

WHETHER IT'S KOREA OR AMERICA

- You're right. Everyone. - I can't believe it.

It's so great, you know?

- It's good to see you again. - Good to see you too.

- Yeah, yeah. - Just nice, you know?

By the time the shoot ends, everyone becomes so close.

- Right. - Yes.

I'll do this. You can pack the kimbap.

ALL THE EMPLOYEES ARE IN A BATTLE WITH KIMBAP

EXCEPT MR. CHA

THEY ALL HELP OUT WHEN ORDERS RUSH IN

Could you give me the wrapped one?

- I'll be right back. - Okay.

- By the time the show ends... - Thank you for waiting.

Everyone becomes...

- We just made it, so still warm. - Okay. That's okay.

It's for my 90-year-old mom.

So I'm trying to get her stuff. She don't like American food.

She's Japanese.

- Is she? - Yeah.

Hope she like this.

She does. We always come here and get it.

Every week, I get it.

I think there are a lot of regulars who buy kimbap here.

- She buys them every week. - Really?

And you're here for a week, or...

For ten days.

Nice, you like it?

- I don't know. - Actually, we don't know because we just...

Here... Got here, and then, just working.

That's okay. You get money for it, right?

- Yes. - See? That's a blessing!

- We got this! - Thank you.

- Thank you. - Have a good day.

You too.

THE CUSTOMER SPEAKS ABOUT THE BLESSING OF WORK AND LEAVES

AFTER ROLLING KIMBAP…

- Let's start preparing by 5:00 p.m. - Okay.

…IT'S ALREADY TIME FOR DINNER SALES

Ten minutes left.

I'm just going to take these.

HE FILLS THE KIMBAP BOX

- You should wait more... A little bit. - Okay.

Gosh, they've been waiting so long. Is this okay?

- Four kimbap, right? - Yes, thank you.

This is taking so long.

Sometimes people come in and order, like, 20 or a lot.

- The kimbap? Wow. - Yeah.

It's... It's very hard working.

EXPERIENCING FIRSTHAND THE HARD WORK OF ANOTHER…

- You have to work hard… More. - Thank you very much.

- Thank you so much. - Have a great day.

- Sorry, I should've said that. - No, no.

- So you want a... Two? - Two.

- Two? Okay, I will ask him. - Okay.

BUSY, BUSY!

- You're welcome! - Thank you.

Seven... Seven dollar?

- Do you need a bag? - No, thank you.

- Just a couple rolls of kimbap... - Okay.

THE CUSTOMER PAYS IN CASH

Oh, my gosh.

Sorry.

OUT OF QUARTERS

Excuse me. Quarter?

Ah, yeah, those are quarters.

- Quarter, okay? - Yeah.

Right?

- Okay. - Yeah, quarters, yeah.

- Twenty-five cents? - Twenty-five cents.

- Thank you. Thank you very much. - You're welcome.

- Have a nice day. - Yeah.

One popsicle, please.

You don't have any steamed buns?

- You have enough change, right? - Change?

No, what I meant was…

The owner here used to come to me if he ran out of coins.

COIN

COIN RICH

- Sir, why are these the same size? - What? Which one?

Twenty-five cents and this.

AMERICAN COINS…

Should they be the same size?

…HAS HIM CONFUSED

Doesn't look right.

- They're both 25-cent coins. - Right? Why was it in here, then?

Wow. This could've been bad.

- They're different in size, right? - That's right.

Who's putting them all in here?

When I first came here...

- The dime, coin, nickel... - That's what I'm saying!

- It's confusing, huh? - Yes. It's confusing.

QUARTER, 25 CENTS

DIME, 10 CENTS

NICKEL, 5 CENTS

PENNY, 1 CENT

Most importantly, the images on them are tough to discern!

- This is… - The small one.

- This is a dime, right? - Yes.

A LESSON ON COINS ONE BY ONE FROM A CUSTOMER

Oh, geez.

- Keep up the good work. I'm going home. - Okay. Got it.

You're going home early... It is time to go home, huh?

- All right, then. - Good work!

Okay!

JUST AS THE LAUNDROMAT OWNER GETS OFF WORK

- I need to do three more, right? - Yes.

- Should I put them in here? - Yes.

KYUNGHO MAKES THE REST OF THE ORDERS

- I'll take them out, then. - Okay.

IT'S SWIFTLY DELIVERED TO THE REGISTER

I don't think I'll ever get to see you guys again, so...

- Hello. - How about one of these here?

- No, that's okay. - You have it?

She's... She's my boss.

- Is she? - She's my boss.

Well, my real boss is at home.

This is my work boss.

We'll be back at, what, six o'clock for dinner, right?

Yeah, be back with your real boss.

Perfect, yeah. Two bosses.

- Okay, then, I will wait here. - By the way, my name is Detlev.

My name is Hyojoo.

- Hyojoo? - Yeah, your name is?

Detlev. D-E-T-L-E-V.

- Det… left. - Detlev.

- Detlev. - Yes.

Okay, I will remember.

I'm from Germany originally.

It's... People have problems with my name.

- Detlev. - That's it.

I lost everything in an instant.

Okay, so what are you guys doing?

- Are you coming back for dinner as well? - Yeah.

Actually, today's my husband's birthday.

- Wow. - I need to cook.

- It's your birthday today? - Yeah.

Birthday? Really?

Husband birthday.

- Happy birthday. Why don't you... - You can bring him...

Why don't you look at the camera, and your husband name, happy birthday.

LOOKS AWAY

I can't…

What's your husband's name?

- Hyunseok. - Are you okay?

Hyunseok! Happy birthday!

HYUNSEOK, HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Wow, this is surreal.

- Thank you. - Yes, thank you.

Come again.

- I'll come again. - Okay.

- Bye. - Bye.

A KIMBAP STORM HAS SWEPT BY…

AFTER THE KIMBAP ROLLING MADNESS…

What time is it?

…THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME

TIME TO PREPARE FOR DINNER SALES!

IN THE EVENING, THEY WILL BE SERVING A NEW MENU

- The dried pollack. - Okay.

Cut it up, and rinse it with water.

Where did you put them?

- Is it in there? - Yes.

HE'S OFF TO PREP THE DRIED POLLACK

THEY MIGHT HAVE A LOT OF DINNER CUSTOMERS

SO, IN GOES ANOTHER PACKET

JUST LIKE WHAT CHEF ZO DID YESTERDAY,

CUT THEM INTO BITE-SIZE PIECES

AND RINSE IT WITH WATER

THEN, DRIED POLLACK PREP IS DONE!

- Just did a light rinse. - Yeah, no need to soak it.

Okay, thank you.

CHEF ZO OFFICIALLY BEGINS TO MAKE DRIED POLLACK HANGOVER SOUP

POUR IN THE PREPPED RADISH INTO THE POT

ADD THE DRIED POLLACK PREPPED BY JUHWAN

THEN, A DRIZZLE OF PERILLA OIL

AFTER STIR-FRYING IT TO BRING OUT ITS FLAVORS

ADD A GOOD AMOUNT OF WATER

THEN, SIMMER IT IN HEAT

UNTIL THE BROTH BECOMES MILKY

What should I do?

- Soybean sprouts. - Wash them?

- Two packets. Yes. - Two?

- Tofu. - Right. That too.

- Bean sprouts and tofu? - Two blocks.

TRUSTY SOUS-CHEF JUHWAN

- Two blocks? Okay. - Yes.

SOYBEAN SPROUTS

ARE RINSED UNDER RUNNING WATER

AND TOFU IS CUT UP BEFOREHAND

- Here's the tofu. - Thanks.

The tofu must be... Good job.

- I cut them. - Yeah, good job.

HE'S ALWAYS PREPARED AND IS THE EPITOME OF METICULOUSNESS

About eight bowls, or maybe ten?

WHEN IT STARTS TO SMELL LIKE DINNER…

This should be enough, no?

THE MARKET BECOMES BUSY ONCE PEOPLE ARE OFF WORK

AND OUT OF SCHOOL

CHILDREN LIGHTHEARTEDLY WALK INTO THE MARKET

WITH THEIR MOM OR DAD

PARENTS COME GROCERY SHOPPING WITH THEIR KIDS

- Hello. - Say, "Hi."

- Hi. - Hi.

ON THEIR WAY HOME FROM WORK

THIS LITTLE ONE PROVES THAT SHE'S A REGULAR AT THE MARKET

DROPS IT IN

THE MARKET IS FILLED WITH CUTENESS AT THIS TIME OF DAY

What is this?

Tokens to play the... the boxing game.

- The... The... - Boxing game?

- Yeah, yeah. - Free. Free.

- How many time? - Just, like, a couple times.

- Two. Okay. - Two.

Thank you. Appreciate it.

Gift for you.

Show him how to do it.

- Follow me! - Okay.

KYUNGHO FINALLY GETS TO ESCAPE FROM THE KIMBAP CORNER

Okay. Insert coin.

One coin in, one sh... one t... one punch.

BAM, BAM, BAM

SHE'S THROWING PUNCHES EVEN BEFORE THE COIN IS IN

No, no, no.

Just... Just a minute.

Okay!

WHY YOU!

Very good!

- One hundred twenty-three … power. - Yeah.

- That's good. - Yeah, good.

- You wanna try it one more time? - One more time.

O - KAY

I LIKE IT

Do you want to put your other quarter in?

Yes.

- Okay. Wait. - Wait, wait, wait.

- Okay. Whoa, good job. Now hit it. - Whoa.

BOOM

There you go.

Whoa.

Good job. Now hit it.

- There you go. - How much is...

WHAT'S THE SCORE?

- How much is it? - Okay, one more time!

ONE MORE TIME!

Punch harder!

WHILE KYUNGHO LEAVES FOR MORE COINS, MOM COACHES HER FIERCELY

LIKE THIS?

- He's gonna get us another quarter. - That's it! Hit it hard!

Okay, I'll do it very hard!

- Yeah! - Yeah!

- Thank you... Yes? - Kyungho!

- We can't take kimbap orders now, right? - Well…

- How long will it take? - For you.

GOTTA GO, BUT HERE ARE THE COINS

- Not anytime soon, huh? - The rice is cooking, so about…

- I see. - Yeah.

KYUNGHO IS BACK ON KIMBAP DUTY…

- You forgot them, no? - No, they're in here.

How long until…

SURPRISED

If it takes too long…

- Aren't you Cha Taehyun? - Yes, sir.

He's famous, you know.

He's famous too.

He's rich too.

He's very rich man.

Rich man!

Well, congratulations.

EMBARRASSED

There's all kinds of famous people here in this countryside.

I'm here from Arizona to visit my daughter.

Really?

- Is this your daughter? - Yes.

HE'S HERE WITH HIS FAMILY TO BUY GROCERIES

I haven't been to Korea since I left in the '70s.

I don't know many Korean actors. It's my first time seeing one.

But how did you...

GRATEFUL THAT HE WAS RECOGNIZED

I saw you on TV.

Don't you want to go to Korea?

- No, I never want to go back. - It's all right?

- Because all your children are here? - Yes.

- Keep up the good work. - Thank you.

Bye!

Bye!

Bye.

AS THE FAMILIES HEAD HOME ONE BY ONE

30 MINUTES UNTIL DINNER SALES

- One cup of fish sauce. - Okay.

It'd have to be this much.

The paper cup isn't good for measuring.

HE ADDS THE SEASONING TO THE DRIED POLLACK HANGOVER SOUP

HE CAREFULLY ADDS THE FISH SAUCE

We can add more anytime.

- We can add more water too. - Yeah.

BREW, BREW TO BRING OUT THE TASTE OF KOREA!

Hyojoo, when you have the time, can you write the dried pollack hangover soup?

- Shall I write it? - Yes.

All right.

SHE WRITES THE MENU IN KOREAN FIRST

ONCE SHE FINISHES, THE ENGLISH MENU

Is this good?

Yeah.

- Okay? Yeah. - It should be fine, no?

ALL READY FOR DINNER SALES!

A FAMILIAR PERSON ENTERS THE RESTAURANT

- Hello. - I brought some side dishes.

JUHWAN ALSO NATURALLY GREETS HER

Wow. Thank you!

THE LADY WHO SAID SHE'D BRING SOME SIDE DISHES

Let me know if you like it, and I'll make some more.

Thank you, ma'am. What is it?

It's dried radish.

Thank you for the food. We'll have some with our dinner later.

FEELING THE WARMTH OF KOREA EVEN IN THE US

SOME CUSTOMERS RETURN

SOME NEIGHBORS RAN INTO EACH OTHER

WHILE WAITING FOR SOME KIMBAP EARLIER

Our table is ready? All right.

THEY ARRIVED AT 6 P.M. FOR DINNER,

EXACTLY AT THE OPENING TIME

Such a nice restaurant.

Okay, we're ready.

I'll take your order.

What's your favorite dish?

What's your favorite dish?

Well, ramyeon is the most popular dish.

- The daege ramyeon? - Yes, it's the most popular.

We have a new dish. The hangover soup.

- You had it for breakfast, right? - That's right.

Maybe you should try hangover soup.

- Both of them, same thing? - No, no.

- Order a bit of everything. We can share. - Two things, right?

- Let's try some ramen. - Yeah, let's split it up.

- We'll try the ramen... - Daege ramyeon.

We'll have two bowls of ramyeon

- and two hangover soups. - Okay.

- It has to be served with rice too. - Okay.

- And kimchi. - Okay!

So in Korean, "ne, ne" means "Yes, yes"?

- Yes, yes. - In German, it means the exact opposite.

When you say, "Nee, nee, nee", it means "No, no, no."

SHALL WE START WITH THE RAMYEON FIRST?

MANILA CLAMS FROM CALIFORNIA

LOCALLY PURCHASED FROZEN SNOW CRABS

HE POURS THE SEASONING PACKET

THEN FILLS THE POT WITH WATER AND BOILS IT

MEANWHILE, THE REMAINING TABLES FILL UP

UP NEXT IS TODAY'S MAIN MENU

DRIED POLLACK HANGOVER SOUP

HE'S GENEROUS WITH THE BEAN SPROUTS

HE ADDS SOME TOFU AND WAITS FOR IT TO BOIL

THE SECOND TABLE IS A CLOSE FAMILY OF FOUR

The ramyeon looks so good.

What kind of hangover soup is it?

- Dried pollack? - What is that?

Bugeotguk.

It's kind of like bugeotguk.

A KOREAN-AMERICAN WHO IS UNFAMILIAR WITH KOREAN FOOD

- Would you like to order? - Yes.

- Do you want ramyeon? - For sure they are going to do ramyeon.

Okay.

Should we get two of each?

Two dried pollack hangover soups.

- And two bowls of daege ramyeon. - Okay.

MEANWHILE, THE DRIED POLLACK HANGOVER SOUP

HAS STARTED TO BOIL

ADDS SOME SCALLIONS~

HE TURNS OFF THE STOVE FOR THE DRIED POLLACK HANGOVER SOUP

AND POURS THE WHOLE POT INTO A BOWL

Wow. It looks delicious.

HE FINISHES UP BY ADDING JALAPEÑOS

INSTEAD OF CHEONGYANG PEPPERS

STARING

HE SUDDENLY JUMPS UP FROM HIS SEAT

Did you train as a chef?

Or is this just a hobby for you?

Just a hobby.

- It's a hobby? Yeah, same here. - Yeah.

You're doing good, though.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

I'm... I'm an amateur. Amateur.

AMATEUR

Oh, no. It's better than amateur.

- He looks very professional, right? - Yeah, I know.

THE LAST PREPARATION FOR THE DRIED POLLACK HANGOVER SOUP

- It smells wonderful. - So whose show is that?

Here's the dried pollack hangover soup. Yes.

Yes.

HE HEADS TO THE FIRST TABLE WITH THE NEW MENU

Wow. Look at that. Wow.

I should take a picture.

Oh, my God.

Mina, pick up some chopsticks

and make it look like you're a professional eater.

MANY DIFFERENT ANGLES

Take a picture of me, Detlev.

TAKE A PICTURE OF ME TOO!!

A GOOFY PRANKSTER

- Thank you. - Of course.

IN THE MEANTIME, THE DAEGE RAMYEON IS READY

- Should I have ordered this instead? - Yeah.

THE LAST DAEGE RAMYEON IS SERVED

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

Come on. Hurry and try some.

More bowls of kimchi. Look at that.

- Look at that. Perfect! - Thank you.

Do you wanna switch with the seafood with you?

- Yeah. - Okay.

THEY SWAP WITHOUT ANY HESITATION

Yeah, Denise is a seafood fan.

THE SEAFOOD FAN STARTS OFF BY TASTING THE DAEGE RAMYEON

- It's a first day today. - Yeah, this one is more spicy.

Try this.

THIS TIME, SHE ROLLS UP THE NOODLES

- Should we ask for some? - This one, this one has more flavor.

No, this has more...

HOW IS THE DRIED POLLACK HANGOVER SOUP?

- It's very refreshing. - Yeah.

THEN I'LL TRY THE SOUP

…too well, so I just put everything.

HIS SPOON DOESN'T STOP MOVING

HE BLOWS ON IT AND HAS A TASTE OF THE DRIED POLLACK TOO

WHY ARE YOU BLOWING ON KIMCHI?

THEN WHAT DO KOREAN CUSTOMERS THINK?

It's refreshing.

- It's very refreshing. - Seriously. So refreshing.

IT TASTES JUST THE WAY IT SHOULD!

How is the food?

- It's so good. - It is.

- How's the soup? - It's refreshing.

- Is it good? What a relief. - Yes. It's amazing.

It's been a while since I've eaten healthy food.

Yeah, it's healthy.

I'm so happy.

I wonder how the non-Korean folks feel.

They're enjoying it.

- How do you like it? - He's asking.

Please be honest.

You are not...

WHAT WILL HIS RESPONSE BE?

You are not an amateur.

You're a professional chef!

Thank you. It's such a high praise.

- Thank you. - He's a professional actor.

But how does he know how to cook?

He's better than I am.

I guess supposed to be very, very healthy. Good for you, huh?

I'll eat it anyway.

Would this be like saying this is Brad Pitt?

- Are they like... - Mm-hmm.

- He's famous. He is. - Okay.

Korean Brad Pitt!

She said you're a Korean Brad Pitt.

No, no, no.

He's Brad, and he's Pitt.

HE'S BRAD, AND HE'S PITT.

- I'm getting hot. - He's also a famous movie star.

See? That's him. He starred in this movie.

This is a gangster movie.

THE STAR OF A GANGSTER MOVIE!

Yes, they ordered.

And then the guy in the apron at the cash register…

In any case...

ANOTHER MOVIE STAR, WHO IS BUSY AT THE CASH REGISTER

The very first Korean movie I ever saw was this.

- Yeah. - Because of your mom.

This is one of my favorite movies.

You should watch it. It's really good.

He's too young?

MEANWHILE, HE'S ALMOST DONE WITH KIMBAP!

- Hi. - Hi.

A LADY APPROACHES HIM WITH A SMILE

- Excuse me. - Yes?

I'd like a packet of jwipo, please.

Yes, when you say jwipo...

Is this what you're looking for?

SHE'S LOOKING FOR JWIPO AND…

- We have this. - You guys had whatchamacallit.

- Dried pollack. - Dried pollack!

Over here. I saw it here.

I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE DRIED POLLACK IS!

- I'll stock up. - It's fine, it's fine.

AFTER HE QUICKLY FINDS IT FOR HER

Thank you. But this place is…

There are so many customers who want kimbap.

I think you'll have to make kimbap three to four times a day. Right?

- It's been over three to four times. - Just today?

- Yes. - With that big rice cooker?

Two in the morning and two in the afternoon.

Six times in total. Yeah, it's been about six times.

- Did you learn how to make it? - Yes, the owner gave me the recipe.

The owner gave it to you?

- You know, the owner… - Yes?

He has great energy,

but when he presses the kimbap, he's like a machine.

Of course. I heard it's been 23 years.

It's probably been that long.

Because I've been living here for almost 40 years.

I see.

AT THE BACK OF THE STORE

KIMBAP ARE MADE AT LIGHTNING SPEED

THE JOB MAY NOT BE A BIG DEAL

BUT IT'S ALSO AMAZING WORK AT THE SAME TIME!

A BOY WHO USED TO ENJOY THEM FOR A DOLLAR IS NOW ALL GROWN UP

AND A 90-YEAR-OLD JAPANESE STILL FINDS COMFORT IN IT

ANYWAY, HE'S OUT OF RICE AGAIN

AND FINALLY…

THE LAST KIMBAP OF THE DAY IS BEING MADE…

WORKING HARD

Thank you. Let me, let me take this to the counter.

Yeah, go ahead.

- I'll do it. - How many?

This is it. There's no more. That's all.

Three?

THESE ARE THE LAST ROLLS OF KIMBAP OF THE DAY…!

- That's all. - Three.

No, no. Excuse me. We are... It's all. So...

KYUNGHO ASKS HER FOR A SMALL FAVOR

- One team, max two. - Uh-huh.

Two, maximum.

THE CUSTOMER UNDERSTANDS WHAT HE MEANS!

- Okay. - Thank you.

THE LAST FIVE ROLLS OF KIMBAP

WERE SERVED AS DINNER

FOR THE REST OF THE CUSTOMERS

NOW KYUNGHO IS OUT OF KIMBAP HELL

- Hello. - There you are. Do you remember?

Yeah. Cheolho.

- Lee Cheolho. - Yes.

- Cheolho, my bro. - Wow.

- Hello. - Hello. Hello.

Hello.

His uniform is so cool.

He's in the navy.

- Did you enjoy it? - Yes, it was so good.

Was it good?

- Thank you so much. - I'll come back later with my wife.

What's your name?

His Korean name is Lee Cheolho.

Cheolho. I'll see you later.

She must be your wife.

I didn't recognize you from the back.

Your kids?

- Yes. Hey, guys. - Yes, these are our sons.

- Hello. Nice to meet you. - Hello.

- Hello. You're good at Korean. - No.

SHY

- Hello. Hi. - Hi.

STARING

They're shy.

I understand.

AWKWARD

It's fine. He's still growing up.

How did you know? He's going through puberty.

BINGO!

We were all once teenagers too.

I want to tell him something, but I can't speak English.

I respect everything you are going through.

- It's okay. He doesn't understand. - Okay.

Please enjoy.

Enjoy.

THE CONVERSATION ENDS ABRUPTLY

Hello.

Hello. How do you like the food?

- Pleased to meet you. Hello. - Nice to meet you.

- Don't you want to know? - Was he a basketball player?

He's asking if you were a basketball player.

- Did you play basketball when you were... - So, so tall.

No. I'm from Germany.

Germany?

When I was little, my mom, when it was raining, she sent me outside.

So when it rained, I got really tall.

- That's why he's tall? - The rain made him tall.

- That's what made him tall? - But the rain...

- Grew like a tree. - That's why I'm tall.

She needed one tall son.

So that's me.

So sad. So sad story.

THE TALK SHOW HOST HAS TROUBLE WITH GERMAN HUMOR

- I'm so sorry. - It's okay.

But they are hiring Korean soccer players for the German league.

Cha Bumkun? Cha Bumkun?

- Yes, him. - Boom Cha.

- That's right. - Yeah.

Korean hero.

- Yeah. Boom Cha. Yeah. - Yeah, yeah.

- He would play in the league… - Bundesliga.

GERMANS ALL KNOW BOOM CHA THE LEGEND

And they just hired somebody for Munich.

- Bayern Munich. - Munich, yes.

Kim Minjae, goalkeeper. Goalkeeper Kim Minjae.

That's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Before Korea beat you.

- Good money. - Yeah. That's right.

- We are very pride... proud him. - Yeah.

Yeah, he's a good player.

Yeah, very good player. Yeah.

Please tell him to keep rooting for Kim Minjae.

MARINA GUKBAP

- You can give those to them. - Okay.

I'll give you more kimchi.

Thank you.

Thank you.

FINISHES SERVING FOOD AT TABLE 2

- We have... We have to eat fairly quickly. - I know. We have to start eating.

- Kimbap is good. - The taste is subtly...

- Is it good? - It's good.

- Want some? You try. - Water.

Do you want water?

CHEOLHO TRIES DRIED POLLACK SOUP FOR THE FIRST TIME

You can order it.

- Soda. - Soda?

They don't have a water.

IT MUST SUIT HIS APPETITE SEEING AS HE'S INHALING IT

Do you want water?

Thank you for waiting.

DAEGE RAMYEON FOR THE KIDS

You can take out all the other stuff and just eat the noodles and the soup.

THE FINAL DAEGE RAMYEON GETS SERVED TOO

Okay, I'll give it to you.

I'm not sure if they'll like it.

- It's really good. Yes. - I'm glad.

This is really good.

They didn't have Cheongyang chili pepper here.

Where did you get them?

I thinly sliced jalapeños.

I see.

Did you live in the States?

I used to live in Korea.

- I see. - Yes, in Korea.

He's my friend's friend.

I didn't expect to get married in the US.

That's how I met him.

We've been married for 18 years.

- Wow. - When we first met,

- I couldn't speak Korean. - Right.

- And I couldn't speak English. - Right. How did you talk to each other?

- This is really... I'm curious. - Back then…

- We didn't have phones back then. - Right.

- We didn't have cell phones. - FaceTime…

- We were typing. - We exchanged emails.

- We used MSN messenger. - Yeah, we had that.

- We used to chat a lot on MSN. - That's how we kept in touch.

Every vacation, he would come to Korea,

- and we'd go on dates. - I see.

I think you would've felt how I feel now.

- It feels like you can't get through them. - Of course.

It's so hard. Yeah.

Whenever someone talks to me in long sentences, I want to avoid them.

- Right. - You get the gist of what they're saying,

but you can't seem to talk because you're not sure.

That's so true.

But the locals are so much more friendlier than we think.

- Right? - Right.

But you can't help feeling intimidated.

Back then, the first year was the toughest.

And my mother-in-law is the only one who speaks Korean. The rest speaks English.

- It was hard at first. - You must've been lonely.

- It feels like home now. - You went through a lot.

SHE WAS LONELY AT FIRST, BUT NOW THIS IS HER HOME

- My wife really wanted to see you. - Thank you.

But really, it's so nice to meet you.

Thank you. I'm glad to see you.

They're inhaling this.

- Ramyeon. - Kids love ramyeon.

THEY'RE EATING RAMYEON WITHOUT A WORD

- Is this your first time in America? - My break time...

CRAZY FOR RAMYEON

- When do you close? - Our break time is at 10:00.

In Korea, closing at 10:00 is...

HE TAKES THE CRAB MEAT AND EATS IT!

Only the guys go there.

Yes! Jackpot!

Hey, are you almost done?

HE SUCKS THE MEAT OFF

Yeah.

- Crab, crab. - Really?

Okay, okay, okay.

THE CUSTOMERS ARE FLOODING IN NONSTOP AT THE COUNTER

- How much is the soybean sprout? - Hello.

Hi. Hello.

Can I ask you something?

- Yeah? - What is it like being an actress?

How do you think?

'Cause I really want to be one when I grow up.

Really? You want to...

- Taehyun. - Yeah?

She wants to be an actress. That's her dream.

Do you have any tips for her?

So my daughter dream is actress too.

Just don't be so sassy.

Keep studying.

KOREAN TIGER DAD MODE KEEP STUDYING!

Put lots of effort in it.

- And just do it. - Okay.

- Just do what you want. - Okay.

There's so much cameras here.

Yes!

- At least... - At least...

THIS MUST BE ACTING PRACTICE, SIS!

- Maybe 40. - Maybe 15.

Twenty or 50?

ANOTHER CUSTOMER COMES IN WITH A PET

We don't allow pets to enter. Sorry.

- Sorry can you speak... - That's okay.

- No, go ahead. - Okay.

Pets are not allowed at the store.

- So can you leave it outside for a while? - Sure.

- I'll play with it. - Sure.

CALIFORNIA LAW NO ANIMALS ALLOWED AT ANY FOOD FACILITY…

Come here!

…ONLY SERVICE DOGS ARE ALLOWED

Come here.

SHE ADDS ANOTHER JOB TO A MILLION OF JOBS SHE ALREADY HAS

Such a cutie!

- Such a cute dog. - Hi.

Stay here.

Is that a mini teacup poodle? Like...

I guess so. It's not mine, so…

So cute!

A female?

- You're so cute. Yes. - What a beauty.

Let's take a break.

SHE ENJOYS THIS SHORT BREAK

WITH A DOG SHE DOESN'T KNOW THE NAME OF

JET LAG IS MAKING HER FEEL ZONED OUT…

AND THIS ALL FEELS SURREAL

THE NOISE BEYOND THE STREETS REACH OUR EARS

AS WE CLEAR OUR HEADS OF ALL PROBLEMS

Are you pooping in this situation?

Are you pooping in this situation?

You're really something, aren't you?

SHORT BATHROOM BREAK

How do I do this?

Okay.

You took a really nice number two. And a lot too.

Good job.

WHAT AN OPTIMISTIC LADY

Good job.

SHE WAS PUNISHED FOR RESTING

This is a reality check.

No, you can't go in. Your mommy is shopping.

Come here.

No, not yet.

Not yet.

You're not even looking at me. I don't even know how you look.

Can't you show me your face?

Can't you show me your face?

The next customer is your mom, so she'll be out soon.

She'll be out soon. I'm sure she's paying right now.

Mommy's back!

She pooped!

WITH A GENIAL SMILE "SHE POOPED!"

EMBARRASSED

I see she's very healthy.

Okay, bye, ma'am. Bye!

Daisy, bye!

SHE LEAVES HER MARK…

Bye.

…AND NEVER LOOKS BACK AS SHE GOES

- It was an honor. - It was my pleasure.

MEANWHILE, THE FIRST CUSTOMERS FINISH THEIR MEAL

So you're a fan of BTS?

- We're all BTS fans. - Is it…

- Oh, God… - BTS!

- She's BTS Army. - Army.

THIS ARMY PAYS FOR THE MEAL WITH PRIDE!

A COUPLE ENTERS WITH THEIR ELDERLY PARENT

THEY MUST BE HERE FOR A MEAL…

Hello, sir.

- This here is the owner. - Hello, sir.

One moment. I'll clean it up for you quickly. It won't take long.

They're running a new restaurant at the Asian Market.

- Thank you! - Yes, thanks.

He's a professional actor and a professional chef.

You give him thumbs up?

No, no.

I'm no professional. I'm an amateur.

- What did you have? - I had the hangover...

- Hwangtae haejang-guk. - There you go.

THE LOCAL CUSTOMER'S RECOMMENDATION

DRIED POLLACK HANGOVER SOUP

- Enjoy. - I'm glad you did.

I WILL TRY IT OUT

Take care.

- Take care. Good to see you. - Thank you.

- He's from Germany. - Have a good night.

Bye.

THANK YOU FOR THE TASTY MEAL

Dad, you have the hangover soup.

DAD'S GOING WITH THE RECOMMENDED MENU!

The ramyeon has crabs inside, so it'll be harder to eat.

THE SNOW CRABS MIGHT BE HARD TO EAT

- And you, honey? - I want dried pollack soup.

- Really? - Yes.

- What would you like? Yes. - Can we order?

Two dried pollack hangover soups and one daege ramyeon.

- Okay. - Good.

- Two dried pollack, one ramyeon. - Okay.

TABLE 1 - 2 DRIED POLLACK SOUP, 1 DAEGE RAMYEON

- You've been busy, huh? - Yes. Wow.

We wanted to come as your first customer.

- What a shame. - I can see my chimney from here.

- Oh, really? - Yes, come. I'll show you.

- Over there below the highway. - Yes.

- Can you see? - Yes, I see it!

- That building. - Yes, I see two chimneys.

- The two over there? - Yes.

SUPER CLOSE TO THE MARKET

Is that why you wanted to come here as soon as we opened?

I hoped to be your first local customer.

THAT'S TOO BAD

HE POURS THE SOUP INTO SMALLER PORTIONED BOWLS

Hey, Kyungho. Can you cut two blocks of tofu for me?

- Without boiling it? Okay. - Yes.

SOS TO KYUNGHO FOR TOFU DUTY

POSITION CHANGE FROM KIMBAP MAN TO KITCHEN MAN

THE ORIGINAL KITCHEN MAN IS WASHING THE DISHES

Have a good night!

MEANWHILE, HYOJOO IS IN CHARGE OF THE REGISTER ALONE

Why Marina?

- I don't know. Who knows? - It's so small...

We're just... We're nowhere.

That's our purpose.

It's pretty here.

- He's saying it's such a small… - In Korea, do you even know where we are?

Of course we know.

We haven't looked around yet. We are so busy.

- I bet. - But I think here is so beautiful.

But it's so small. But the beach…

- The coast is nice. - Small.

YES, THE BEACH IS BEAUTIFUL

- Do you want a receipt? - No, I don't need a receipt.

- Thanks. Okay, all done. - Thank you.

See you tomorrow.

- Have a good night. - Have a good night.

THE DRIED POLLACK SOUP AND ITS RICH BROTH

IS ALMOST READY TO BE SERVED!

It smells good.

- Right? It'll be done soon. - Yes, I can smell it from here.

Who ordered the hangover soup?

- My father. - Over there.

Here you go, sir.

Thank you. Looks delicious.

REFRESHING SOUP FOR THE FATHER

LASTLY, DAEGE RAMYEON IS SERVED

You can take a picture.

One, two, three.

THEY TAKE A FAMILY PHOTO TO REMEMBER THIS DAY

It's hot. It's hot.

- Thank you for the food, sir. - Please enjoy.

- I don't know if it'll be good. - We'll tell you.

I HOPE IT'S TO THEIR LIKING…

It's hot, hot, hot.

HAH…

Careful, it's hot.

They've traveled so far to get here...

- Have this too, Dad. - Yeah.

Do you serve lunch as well? Lunch? Lunchtime?

- Yes, we do. - Yeah?

IT MUST BE TO HIS LIKING

AS HE LIFTS UP THE BOWL FOR A LARGER SLURP

Is it good, hmm? It's good?

He says it's good.

Mr. Zo! Dad says it's good.

Thank you, sir.

THANK YOU FOR ENJOYING IT

Good job.

We have an elder there.

MR. CHA GOES TO SAY HELLO

- Mr. Cha. - Hello.

Is it good? Is it okay?

- I bet you've heard much compliments. - Hello, sir.

BOWING

- Hello, sir. - I bet you've heard much compliments.

Wow…

- How old is he? - He's 94.

- Wow! - Dad…

Have you been here the whole time?

- Yes, we moved here in 1975. - They came here in 1975.

That's before I was born.

I was born in 1976.

WAY BACK WHEN IN '75… BEFORE I WAS BORN…

My father was the first Korean police officer in San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO'S FIRST KOREAN POLICE OFFICER IN 1975

An Asian policeman in the US, back then?

My father was very smart.

SHE FINALLY BEGINS TO EAT SINCE SHE WAS BUSY CARING FOR HER DAD

So good!

RELIEVED

Insung is really good at this.

We've been making this for three years now.

It's very popular in Korea too.

Try the soup.

IF IT'S THAT GOOD DAD SHOULD HAVE A TASTE

Just the soup. Try it.

It's refreshing, because of the crab.

- How is it? - It's good.

- He says it's good! - It's nice and warm too.

THE FATHER CHANGES HIS MAIN DISH TO RAMYEON

EYES WIDE OPEN

Isn't it good, Dad?

THIS PLACE MAKES GOOD RAMYEON TOO!

THIS TOO, DAD!

Can I have a bottle of soju?

Soju? One moment, please.

One bottle of soju.

- Gotta show him my license. - Okay.

- Let me see your ID, ma'am. - Okay.

Well, I'm pushing 70, so why bother?

I thought you were in your thirties.

My dad finished it all up.

- Wow! - Oh, my God.

- Look at this. - Wow.

He really doesn't eat, though.

He's lost his appetite lately. You know how the elderly don't eat much.

Exactly, ma'am.

Oh, my God. Dad, cheers.

- Good. - Oh, wow!

Soju is the best, huh?

Insung, he just drank soju.

Really?

He must've liked your ramyeon so much. He ate all of it.

Let me show you this, Mr. Zo.

Oh, wow!

I want you to be proud of yourself. Look.

THANK YOU FOR ENJOYING OUR FOOD

This city isn't bright and flashy but…

- We're leaving, Mr. Zo. - Yes.

Thank you!

- Travel home safely! - All right.

THANK YOU FOR THE NICE MEAL!

DINNER SALES CONTINUE

- Are you here for dinner? - Yes.

CUSTOMERS POUR IN

It's really good. Really good.

It's good.

THANKFULLY, MR. ZO'S MENUS ARE…

We're all sold out!

Ten, nine, eight, seven…

- It's eight o'clock. - Close it.

THE EMPLOYEES…

- Let's lock it. - Lock it.

…FORCE THE DOOR CLOSED

WILL THEY SUCCESSFULLY CLOCK OUT ON TIME…?

Mr. Yoon!

- Back to work. - Okay.

THE BATTLE AGAINST KIMBAP CONTINUES

EVEN AFTER THE MARKET CLOSES

- It's easy now… - Task delegation all done.

NO CLOCKING OUT, JUST WORKING OVERTIME

From now on, stragglers are to… just endure the pain.

We have no backup now, okay?

We'll have 100 rolls pre-made.

THE KIMBAP WAR HAS CREATED…

We'll make extras along with the 100 rolls.

…A MONSTER

I want to go home… Mr. Cha.

BYUNGEUN THE EXPERIENCED IS HERE

Hello, brother!

Just tell me your work process.

ABILITY TO ASSIST AT THE CASH REGISTER: A

A

Wood ear mushrooms? Wood ear mushrooms…

You mean, mosquitos? Buzz.

DAD JOKES ABOUND

Mosquito… shrimp.

I'm so glad that you're here.

It feels lively again.

WILL WE BE OKAY AT THIS RATE…?

Translated by Jisu Park, Tiffany Hwang, Jea Heon Chung