Pasta: Episode 10

by skimmy

Skimmy here!  I’m sorry for the long delay – my partner in crime Andromytta is taking a hiatus from Pasta recaps, so you’re stuck with me for now!  Without any further delay, on to Episode 10!

Squee!

SONG OF THE DAY

Clazziquai – “Part Time Lover” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 10 RECAP

We open to Hyun-wook and Yoo-kyung getting their vitamin infusions at the hospital.  They are being generally adorable.  Hyun-wook grabs her hand, and then tries to mask it by remarking how ugly it is.  She is not having any of it, and grins, clutching at his hand.

He asks if she’s not concerned about the other kitchen staffers finding out about their relationship.  He tells her that she’s totally obvious about her feelings for him and tells her seriously that you can’t favor any one person in a business – you have to treat everyone equally.  Yoo-kyung replies that she plans to favor him.  Hyun-wook scoffs at her,  and says it doesn’t work that way.  It’s about the teacher favoring one student, not the student favoring the teacher.

They continue with their flirtatious banter when Yoo-kyung notices that her IV bag is empty.  Hyun-wook tells her that his is still full and she can leave if she wants.  She asks if she should turn out the lights.  Slyly, he asks her why.  She replies that it’s so he can rest comfortably after she leaves, and then actually turns off the lights . . . and leaves. Like the rest of us, Hyun-wook snarks that she’s kind of oblivious.

As Yoo-kyung looks for the nurse, San returns.  She asks him what he’s doing back at the hospital, since he already paid the bill.  He wonders why the only conversations she has with him have to do with money.  Watching her fiddle with her bandages, San says those have to be kept dry.  Yoo-kyung tells him that it’s impossible to work in a kitchen without getting her arms wet.  Surprised, he tells her that’s what the assistant is for.  She replies that the assistant isn’t her assistant – she hasn’t been a cook long enough to order people around.  Besides, the assistant is the busiest one in the kitchen.

Their conversation inevitably shifts to more important things as Yoo-kyung asks whether he and Se-young are dating.  He replies that they dated, but now are just friends.  As it turned out, both of them were interested in other people.  She asks who Se-young likes.  He says that he doesn’t know. Captain Oblivious-pants (aka Yoo-kyung) then asks him who he likes and San shrugs off the question.  She asks whether the other woman likes him back, and San says that she might.  Laughing at his ambivalence, Yoo-kyung chuckles that his affection must be unrequited.  Semi-hurt, he wonders why she finds his pain so funny, and she replies that it’s amusing because it’s like her situation.  Curiously piqued, San asks her who she likes.  It’s Yoo-kyung’s turn to shrug off the question.  As he suggests that the two one-sided lovers occasionally wallow together, out strolls Hyun-wook.

Disproving Yoo-kyung’s assertion that her love is also unrequited, Hyun-wook jealously asks they two of them what they’re doing.  Plonking down next to Yoo-kyung, Hyun-wook asks why San seems to favor her over La Sfera’s other employees.  San replies that it’s because she showed him kindness when he was just a guest of the restaurant.

Abruptly changing the subject, San asks how long the kitchen is going to remain a battleground. Hyun-wook demands to know why that’s his fault – San’s the one that installed two chefs in one kitchen – what did he expect?  San replies that it’s not Se-young’s fault either.  Belying that he does know whom Se-young loves, San notes that Se-young wholeheartedly pursues pasta in pursuit of someone.  Hyun-wook asks what that has to do with him.

San notes that the two of them – Hyun-wook and Se-young – are very similar, which is why they butt heads.  San asks that they try to get along for the sake of his kitchen.  His hackles up, Hyun-wook retorts that San is the one who threw them together in the first place.  He gets up to leave, pulling Yoo-kyung along with him.

San: Why you’re the only one that doesn’t recognize Se-young’s worth, why you intentionally don’t want to see it, that’s what frustrates me.

Hyun-wook: Hey, President . . . sir.  Do you sincerely believe that peace will come to a kitchen with two chefs? You bring a wife and mistress into the same house, and you expect that house to stay tranquil? Well?

Clearly distressed at the hostile tone of the conversation, Yoo-kyung drags Hyun-wook off and waves San away.

Later, as they leave the hospital, Hyun-wook tells her that he does not like anyone at the restaurant treating her better than he does.  For that matter, he doesn’t like anyone treating her worse than he does either.  Yoo-kyung says that it would be fine if it were just the latter.  Besides, who gives her a harder time than him anyway?  He says that he’s going to be both nicer and meaner to her than anyone else.  She smiles at that, and he repeats, “I said I’d be meaner to you too!”

Yoo-kyung: And just how are you going to be nicer to me?

Hyun-wook: I said I’ll be giving you a harder time too.

Yoo-kyung: Right, how are you going to be nicer to me?

Hyun-wook: ::sigh:: How is it that you choose to hear what you like?

Yoo-kyung: So . . . starting tomorrow you’re saying that you’re going to be nicer to me than the President (San), right Chef?  But, it’s going to be hard for you to me nicer to me than the President.

Hyun-wook: How would you know?

Yoo-kyung: Because that doesn’t suit you.

Hyun-wook: Have you seen me try?  Have you?

Adorably, he yanks her handbag out of her hand in an effort to be chivalrous and then stalks off.  Delighted, Yoo-kyung chases after him.

The next morning, Se-young comes upon Yoo-kyung and Eun-soo furiously scrubbing a mountain of mussels.  She worriedly notes that Yoo-kyung should’t get her bandages wet.  After Se-young leaves, Hyun-wook comes upon them and criticizes them for using steel wool to scrub the mussels (as opposed to scrubbing them against one another).  Hyun-wook flicks them both on the forehead and tells them to do it right.

In the locker room, Team Italy and Team Korea are engaged in their typical bickering. Ji-hoon (Curly) and Ho-nam (Kissy-face) are about to get into it, when Se-young enters and asks several of them to come to kitchen.  She says that because of the day’s specials, the number of mussels that have to be washed has increased ten-fold.  They’ll all need to step up to help Yoo-kyung and Eun-soo.  The other cooks bristle at this and retort that preparing the ingredients is the responsibility of the kitchen assistants – it builds character and is a part of their training to be better cooks (real thoughtful fellas). Se-young says it seems like they’re just being lazy.  For once, Team Italy and Team Korea are united in their opposition to Se-young.  She asks Ho-nam to help her with the mussels outright, and he flatly refuses.

While she’s stewing about their flagrant disrespect, Hyun-wook arrives and orders the cooks to help clean the mussels.  They meekly raise the same arguments that they voiced moments before – rank and file, law of the kitchen, blah blah blah.  Hyun-wook coldly tells them that they make a good point – rank (hierarchy) is the law of the kitchen, and the Chef is the law.  He tells them to stop wasting time and haul ass into the kitchen.  As they scurry off, Se-young is on the verge of tears.  When it’s just the two of them, Hyun-wook (who obviously read the situation as soon as he walked in the door), tells her that she should have expected as much.

During the lunch preparations, Yoo-kyung keeps sneaking happy little looks at Hyun-wook. He follows her into the refrigerator and tells her to knock it off.  He fired someone for dating in the kitchen – he would like a fool if the rest of the staffers found out about their relationship.  As he storms out of the fridge, she draws little fish on the window.

In the kitchen, Se-young again tries to bend Team Italy to her will.  She notes that the pasta cooks are using vegetable stock instead of chicken.  Woo-duk explains that vegetable stock is better, but she cuts him off.  Later, as they prepare for dinner, she tells them that she plans to use chicken stock with tonight’s pasta, so they should prepare some immediatley.  Team Italy disagrees with her suggestion and replies that they’ve used the vegetable stock without any complaint – they don’t see the need to change it.  Se-young replies that Koreans prefer the savory flavor of chicken stock over vegetable stock.  Team Italy remains hostile and says they don’t find her reasons compelling.  Opting to catch flies with vinegar, Se-young dumps the remaining vegetable stock down the drain and then tells them they have a good reason now.  Responding in kind, Team Italy storm out of the kitchen.

Yoo-kyung runs to tell Hyun-wook what’s happened.  He calls Team Italy and thunders at them to return to the kitchen immediately.  They complain that they can’t work under Se-young.  Yoo-kyung chases after them and begs them to return.  Ji-hoon tells the others that they should bring her along – having no pasta cooks will teach Se-young a lesson.  Back in Hyun-wook’s office, he confronts Se-young and demands to know whether she thought this would be easy.  Either she figures out a way to break through the frontline or she leaves La Sfera.  On the roof, Team Korea reflects on Se-young’s power grab – she who controls the stock, controls the kitchen.  And, in San’s office, he, Kang, and Seol are wondering what to do about the dinner rush.  Kang, who witnessed the kitchen scene, can’t believe the audacity of Team Italy and surmises they have some sort of a personal grudge against Se-young.

In the kitchen, Hyun-wook asks Eun-soo where Yoo-kyung is.  The maknae tells him that she went off with Team Italy.  Hyun-wook calls her as the four of them are driving aimlessly around. He tells them that if they don’t return by dinner, they’re all fired.  He also tells her that if they don’t return, he takes back what he said to her the night before.  Yoo-kyung is more upset by that than the prospect of getting fired.

Seol leaps at the opportunity for the fired female trio to make their triumphant return to La Sfera and San reluctantly signs off and allowing them to return.  When Team Italy finds out that they’ve being replaced, they race back to La Sfera.  Hyun-wook and Se-young do double duty on the pasta line as the fired female trio and Team Italy simultaneously run into the kitchen. Hyun-wook tells Team Italy and Yoo-kyung to get the hell of his kitchen and tells the three women to take their places on the pasta line.

Team Italy and Yoo-kyung linger outside the restaurant during dinner, surreptitiously looking inside.  The very cute hall server, Dae-po comes outside and Yoo-kyung asks if things are going well.  He dejectedly nods his head and sweetly puts a pair of earmuffs on her head.  The pasta chefs are dispirited to hear that they’re not missed.

At the end of the night, Hyun-wook finds Yoo-kyung outside, rolling pin in hand.  She asks what he’s going to do with them now.  He replies that he’s going to first beat the crap out of Team Italy with the rolling pin.  But, because he also ran away once, he’ll also clean the kitchen and bathrooms with them for a month.

Hyun-wook: I’ve been humiliated today because of you guys.

Yoo-kyung: Yes, Chef.

Hyun-wook: Those women came and helped out in the kitchen.  I’m honestly scared to face them.  As I was looking in the line, I was terrified that they would attack me with the frying pans and knives – and you weren’t there.

Yoo-kyung tells him that he should thank them for helping out.  Besides, if he was so afraid of them, why did he pick them over Team Italy and herself?  Hyun-wook replies that Team Italy petulantly walked out, while he forced those women out.  It took a lot for them to return to support the restaurant in an emergency.

As they talk, the fired female trio spies on them, as do San and Seol.  San tells them he will buy them a round of drinks to show them his gratitude – Hyun-wook and Yoo-kyung will join them . . . Seol will not.

Back in San’s office, Kang remarks at how immature Team Italy is when they return to apologize to Se-young.  They say they’re taking her out for a round of drinks – it’s their punishment.

In a karaoke bar, the fired female trio, San, Hyun-wook, and Yoo-kyung are singing and tossing back drinks.  Hee-joo notes that it’s interesting how Hyun-wook has two females in his kitchen in spite of his “no female” rule.  Se-young aside, she wonders why he kept Yoo-kyung.  She asks Hyun-wook and Yoo-kyung if they’re dating.  Hee-joo snips at how unfair that would be, seeing as how Mi-hee and Chan-hee were fired for that very same reason.  Hyun-wook and Yoo-kyung dodge the question and San interrupts and replies that they’re not.  The fired female trio asks him how he knows this.  San easily replies that Hyun-wook would never go against his own “no-dating-in-the-kitchen” rule.

Yoo-kyung leaps to her feet and ably diffuses the situation by suggesting that Hyun-wook re-hire the fired female trio.  La Sfera could open the smaller kitchen and start a breakfast menu.  She asks him to honestly critique the women’s’ cooking this evening.  Hyun-wook simply replies, “I can’t say that they did well, but I acknowledge that they’ve improved.”  The fired female trio are satisfied and San is impressed with Yoo-kyung’s diplomacy.

In another bar, Se-young is drinking with Team Italy. She asks why they’re criticizing her methods before even trying them – maybe they’re chicken (no pun intended)?  Team Italy recognize a challenge when they hear one.

Later that evening, Hyun-wook and Yoo-kyung return to La Sfera (where they’ve missed the still-practicing Team Korea).  They notice that Eun-soo has left buckets of unwashed mussels in the kitchen.  They scrub them, not aware that Eun-soo is asleep in the locker room.  After they finish, Hyun-wook repeats the familiar refrain that she has ugly hands, a so-so mouth, and a funny looking nose . . . but, there is one place that looks pretty.  He then tenderly kisses her eyes.

Hyun-wook: Hey Goldfish . . . if you get off my chopping block, you’re dead.

Yoo-kyung realizes what he’s saying and he flatly tells her that he likes her too.  She asks him if he even likes her in the kitchen, and what about his no-dating rule?!  He says they can just date in secret.  She blushes furiously and they both laugh. Eun-soo has of course espied this entire adorable episode as he gingerly tiptoes out of the kitchen.

COMMENTS

Just a couple of thoughts on this episode:

Team Italy v. Se-young.  I’m torn on this one.  If it hasn’t been clear, Se-young is not really my favorite character.  That being said, Team Italy’s blatant rebellion against her authority left a bad taste in my mouth.  No matter their personal feelings, she’s still a Chef (albeit, Chef #2), and deserves their compliance, if not their respect.  However, Se-young wasn’t doing herself any favors with her initial slash and burn strategy.

Hyun-wook and the FFT.  You’ve come a long way, baby.  Good for Hyun-wook for doing the just thing and letting the three women stay in the kitchen and tossing Team Italy out on their ears.  Also, good for him for swallowing his pride and recognizing that their skills had improved (even though Yoo-kyung had to drag it out of him).

Hyun-wook and Yoo-kyung.  YAY!  They are so cute.  I love the progression of their relationship and the two actors are clearly having a great time.  They seem to genuinely get a big kick out of working with one another.

Finally, thanks so much for your patience!  See you soon!

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