Jeonju in May

May is the busiest month in a year. It is a family month and has many holidays with various festivals across the country. Each region hosts a festival for its indigenous produce with unique things to see and taste.

Jeonju is no exception. It hosts a series of events ranging from the Jeonju International Film Festival to traditional cultural festivals, such as the Hanji (traditional Korean paper) festival, the Dano festival, and the Daesaseup festival. The Hanok (Korean traditional house) village was packed with people and the Nambu (southern) market where my restaurant is located was crowded with people. I was really busy during the holidays.

But I never understand my mind. I felt I was going to die during summer and winter because there were few customers. But as I got too busy during festivals and holidays, I thought I did not want customers anymore. Though I want to provide good service to customers, I sometimes turn my head to avoid an eye contact with them when I get too tired. I feel like I am going to starve to death when there are few customers while I feel like I am going to die when I have too many customers and get too tired. What should I do?

Nonetheless, when I have more customers, I make handsome money and my wife stops nagging me, which makes me physically comfortable. Yes, let’s think that many customers are helping my family become peaceful. This thought does not last long, however. When holidays are over, my mind gets uncomfortable again.

I don’t want to be a chef just looking at order memos delivered to me by a part-time waiter and flip food in a pan, being unable to see customers. For me, a restaurant is not a place to fill your stomach but a place where I talk with customers with a bonding experience. My job is to talking to customers about other worlds, looking in the eyes of people who order a menu and expect a lot of stories from me. It is my job to ask them whether they liked my food, whether they live in Jeonju, how long they have lived in Jeonju or whether they made a trip to Jeonju, and if so, what they saw and eat, and whether they disappointed at the city, and if so, I make some suggestions for the remaining time of their trip.

If I just look at the wall and flip food in a pan to add more zeros to my bank balance, which depletes whenever I fill it, I would start wandering again, recalling my old life in Seoul before marriage when I used to think “I don’t want this.”

Many people came to my restaurant. I like this place because it is not a place where people just stopped by but because it is a place where some people come to listen to my stories. I hope more people could remember this place and visit me again. Instead of people taking selfies with the restaurant sign, I want people who can be a friend sharing stories with me over a glass of beer.

It does not have to be a trip to Jeonju. Why don’t you go to a restaurant where local people recommend and talk with the owners over a tea or a meal leisurely and make fond memories, instead of hot restaurants advertised on blogs? There are many ways to meet other worlds.

This story was written by Kim Eun-hong, the owner of a restaurant in Jeonju.