In 'Dad and Me,' Chef Jeong Ji-sun confessed to Yeomin, the son of Lu Ching Lai, that he has a shrimp allergy.
The episode aired on the 13th featured Chef Jeong meeting the father and son duo, Lu Ching Lai and his son.
On that day, Lu Ching Lai said, "I called someone who could be helpful for your career as a chef. You should know who it is," drawing curiosity. The person Lu called was none other than Chef Jeong Ji-sun. Lu Ching Lai mentioned about Jeong Ji-sun, "About 15 or 20 years ago, Chef Jeong boldly came to China to study cooking. At that time, it was rare for students to learn Chinese cuisine," explaining that the first workplace was also achieved through Lu's introduction, continuing their connection.
His son Yeomin also recalled, "I first met my sister when I was 18 or 19 years old. I was the one who started learning to cook, and Ji-sun was in charge of the noodle section. I think I teased her a lot, but she always took good care of me."
Jeong Ji-sun referred to Yeomin's earlier comment that he never thought of his father, Lu Ching Lai, as a mentor, saying, "That's too much." An embarrassed Yeomin explained, "I never felt a mentor vibe from him. I've never thought of my father as a disciple."
Jeong Ji-sun asked, "Have you ever worked anywhere else besides with your father?" but Yeomin replied that he had mostly found jobs on his father's recommendation. Jeong Ji-sun followed up, asking, "So did you go around saying you were Lu Ching Lai's son?" Yeomin responded, "I didn't see the point in using it."
Then Jeong Ji-sun said, "But why do you feel hurt about that? Do you expect everything to be done for you without doing anything?" He added, "If you have a dream, you should leverage your father. Then you wouldn't feel upset like this. One question: doesn't Chef Lu Ching Lai have many Chinese cooking techniques? Were you planning to learn those?"
As Yeomin hesitated, Jeong Ji-sun said, "When we talk about Chef Lu Ching Lai, the carving plating comes to mind. No one in Korea has done that. Do you know why I went abroad for study? I went to learn those techniques because there were no schools in Korea. That's why I went all the way to China."
He then advised, "But you are in the closest position to him. You should leverage that. There's a great opportunity to learn closely. You should recognize how big of an advantage that is. You need to approach your father more. It seems you're a bit lacking in that regard."
Meanwhile, while advising Yeomin, Jeong Ji-sun revealed, "People call me a star chef, but I'm really a努力型 (effort-based). I can't eat shrimp. I have an allergy and carry allergy medication with me every day. If I eat shrimp, I get hives. I still do that; I always carry my medication with me," surprising everyone.
Most Chinese dishes contain shrimp. In fact, 90% of the dim sum Jeong Ji-sun makes contains shrimp. Yeomin asked, "How can you cook shrimp dishes if you have an allergy?" Jeong Ji-sun replied, "I season the food using the smell. It's possible to season with the smell of shrimp. I've practiced a lot and put in effort for that."
In particular, Jeong Ji-sun said, "You can't avoid using shrimp in Chinese cuisine. It's fine to touch it. As long as I don't eat it, I can manage. There's a limit to allergy medication, so I thought of seasoning with the smell. The taste varies depending on the ratio of seasoning. I learned to get familiar with the aroma through study. There's no other choice; I can't stop because I can't eat shrimp."
[Photo] Captured from the broadcast of 'Dad and Me.'
[OSEN]