And we're back!!! Here's hoping that we will have better K content consumption this 2025. :)
We finally finished watching Jinny's Kitchen 2 that was filmed in Iceland in 2024. It's still the same old Korean restaurant concept in a foreign country. What made this season different was there was no BTS V. It's also in a cold country compared to the summer place of Bacalar in Jinny's Kitchen 1. And we're introduced to the team's newest member, Go Min Si (Live, Love Alarm 1 and 2, Youth of May, and Jirisan).
President/CEO Lee Seo Jin
Back as the restaurant's owner/President/CEO is the ever dependable Lee Seo Jin (Wonderful Days, Youn's Stay, and Jinny's Kitchen 1). It was funny to watch him act like his usual snob self especially when he first met Min Si. But we can't really complain. He commands respect because he knows what he's doing and he always takes over when needed. No task is too small for him (like peeling potatoes). And despite looking strict, he's actually a very caring boss who takes care of his employees' welfare - making sure everyone's well-rested and well-fed.
Executive/Managing Director Jung Yu Mi
It's always a breath of fresh air to see calm and cheerful Jung Yu Mi (Youn's Stay, Jinny's Kitchen 1, Reply 1994, Live, What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, and Train to Busan). I was so happy to see her have another girl teammate. She was so cute acting like a mother hen to the staff, especially to Min Si. It's so amazing that she made sure everything was taken care of, directing traffic when things got too busy. She may appear meek and like a quiet worker but she's someone you'd always want to have on your team.
Director Park Seo Jun
As usual, Park Seo Jun (Youn's Stay, Jinny's Kitchen 1, She Was Pretty, Fight for My Way, What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, Itaewon Class, Record of Youth, Gyeongseong Creature, and Parasite) was still very well-organized and responsible. No task is ever too huge or complicated for him. He will always find a way to do things as the multitasking master. He works just as well as Yu Mi but what sets him apart is his very charming personality. Cooking (and eating) seems so much fun when Seo Jun does it.
Assistant Manager Choi Woo Shik
It was nice to finally see Choi Woo Shik (Youn's Stay, Jinny's Kitchen 1, Fight for My Way, Our Beloved Summer, Secretly Greatly, Parasite, and Train to Busan) take on a bigger role. He was promoted from intern to assistant manager. And he was even the first head chef for the restaurant. It was nice to see Seo Jin trust him more. Even if admittedly, he did seem to slack off compared to Min Si, haha. But he really matured a lot. This was evident on his second time as head chef. He appeared more relaxed and organized. And he exhibited some foresight too. I guess we just have to keep him away from V. :D
Intern Go Min Si
Whatever bad feelings I had for Min Si in Love Alarm are completely gone now. I started to like her in Youth of May. But now, I totally love her. She is so extra. She brings her own tools. She's always ready to help others even if she's busy doing her own tasks too. She's proactive, preparing her own grocery list. She debriefs at the end of the day to know what she needs to improve on. And she diligently prepares for the next day. We might have finally found a multitasking princess, heiress to multitasking queen Yu Mi. She deserves all the praises she got from usually aloof Seo Jin. She shines but she remains respectful and humble, knowing her place in the restaurant's hierarchy. And she's so observant too. Her descriptions of the other chefs were spot on - Woo Shik is fun, Yu Mi is organized, and Seo Jun is systematic with a hawk eye. I'm pretty sure they'll keep Min Si because she's a very hardworking employee.
Execution
Iceland was so very picturesque. Beaches like Bacalar in Mexico are nice but snow and auroras can be pretty too.
The show broke the opening day curse when they saw a lot of customers coming in. The staff was flustered, including the usually nonchalant Seo Jin. Their teamwork was tested right away when they had to prepare all the ingredients again on day 1 with such short notice (between lunch and dinner hours).
The only downside of the hectic days was that we didn't get to see a lot of behind the scenes - where the staff would just goof around. We missed Yu Mi a lot with the very limited screen time she got. It probably didn't help that she's quiet and would usually just do her own thing.
And there was lesser airtime for the diners too. With the huge number of customers, we can't really expect them to feature everyone. But that also means we didn't have a lot of opportunities to learn more about the place's culture and people. And things tended to be quite repetitive too.
Proof that Seo Jin is a smart manager was when he thought of staggering the arrival time of the guests (10-minute apart for each table). This lessened the pressure on the kitchen and ensured that diners didn't have to wait for a very long time.
It was nice to see them celebrate Woo Shik's birthday despite their busy schedule. Yu Mi was so sweet - cooking seaweed soup with seaweed brought from South Korea. And Seo Jun buying his friend a cake with his own money despite being given the company card.
I'm usually sentimental when shows end. But Min Si crying on the last day made things more sentimental here. The finale was a nice touch because we finally got to see them somehow enjoy their time in Iceland - with the boys visiting some tourist spots, Min Si shopping, Yu Mi going to the grocery, and Seo Jin just chilling at home. The final game was cute too - with Woo Shik and Min Si winning but getting lousy prizes.
Yes, the show's still the same familiar concept but each and every episode (and any upcoming seasons too) was still worth watching because of the new intern and the beautiful place they discovered and explored.
Oppa says...4.3.
Noona says...4.25.