'Problem Child in House' chef Jeong Ji-seon prepared a special measure to operate establishments with high turnover rates.
On the 26th episode of KBS2TV variety show 'Problem Child in House,' Chinese cuisine female chefs Jeong Ji-seon and Lee Mun-jung, who became a hot topic in the 'Culinary Class Wars' series, appeared.
Chef Lee Mun-jung has been working at a hotel for 25 years. Chef Lee Mun-jung said, "I graduated from a culinary program and had to get a job. I looked around and was told there were positions in hotel Chinese cuisine. I actually turned it down because I was thinking about dainty presentations like Japanese or Western cuisine," and "but seniors told me, 'Who do you think you are? Do you think a hotel job is easy? Go in first and then move around,'" explaining how she entered Chinese cuisine.
She said, "On my first day after entering the company I opened the iron door and heard the sounds of fire, water and steamers. I even thought people were fighting. It was so different from the kitchen image I had," and "as I worked, handling fire and using knives was so dynamic. I discovered the charm of the big knives I didn't know. I decided to stick with it until the end, and that brought me to today."
Chef Lee Mun-jung said, "It took me 10 years to master the wok. At first I served and made side dishes. Then I did dim sum, the noodle station and boiling noodles. After that there is a role called 'order reducer,' which adjusts portion sizes," explaining step by step how she rose to her current position.
Chef Jeong Ji-seon said she started confidently because of studying abroad and awards, but she suffered greatly from the cold attitudes in the industry. She said, "After studying abroad, graduating from university and winning a cooking competition gold medal, I went to establishments thinking I was good, but when they didn't acknowledge me and treated me like an invisible person, it was really hard and I wanted to quit," and confessed, "They thought I would disappear anyway. They thought I would get married and have children and then disappear."
Chefs Jeong Ji-seon and Lee Mun-jung said they tried to hide their pregnancies and childbirths. Those who walked their own paths became, respectively, a chef in charge of a hotel executive lounge and a chef owning two establishments.
Chef Jeong Ji-seon, unlike Chef Lee Mun-jung, was struggling with operating establishments. Jeong said, "Someone was supposed to start work at 10 a.m., but at 9:50 a.m. they called and said, 'I drank a lot and vomited so I can't come to work.' It was so blunt that I wondered if this was right," and, "Another time, the night before coming to work they said, 'Please give me time to decide whether I should work here.' They were an employee with three months' tenure. They asked for two weeks. So they contacted me after three days and we processed the resignation immediately," she said, startling everyone. She also said some people come to interviews accompanied by their parents.
Chef Jeong Ji-seon said, "I provided a vehicle to employees who work hard. Employees with more than five years' service can choose the vehicle they want," and "I ask long-serving employees whether they want a luxury item or a car. Any luxury brand is fine," she said. Even so, she said few people take the support, and she was troubled.
[photo source] KBS2TV variety show 'Problem Child in House'
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