I’m enjoying this series still so I’ll probably watch the final 2 episodes next week. Not only is it an ingenious idea to use food to move the romance plot forward, but I absolutely love finding these small connections.

For example, in Episode 5, the “Snowflakes Schnitzel” was about discovering the favorite things of JiYeong so King YiHeon could properly apologize for his drunken kiss. For JiYeong, it was easy to figure out what suited the King’s palate. Who wouldn’t like deep-fried food, gently dusted with crumbs? That’s why schnitzel was listed as one of Maria’s favorite things in the famous “The Sound of Music” song.

King YiHeon, on the other hand, had to go around in circles before he determined that the Jangwonseo greenhouse was the best present for her because she could source her ingredients from here. By fortuitous discovery, she also received the gift of the “poisonous” plant, gochu, from him. But what sent her over the moon was the return of her handbag. She thought that the Mangunrok was inside, and she could finally return home to the future with its help.

Now, five episodes later, she still expects King YiHeon to recover the Mangurok and deliver it safely into her hands.

And that’s the whole point of this episode, isn’t it? Restoring something or somebody to the previous state. 

On the surface, the title “Joseon Restaurant” may appear to refer only to the food that JiYeong prepared for the gravely ill Grand Prince JinMyeong. The boy couldn’t ingest the antidote because he was experiencing “hypoglycemia” (I’ll put that in quotes because JiYeong isn’t qualified to diagnose an illness and this is a work of fiction after all.)

JY: We’re going to make a nourishing dish….The dish is called “restaurant”. GilGeum I need you to make gour-shaped rice cakes with white rice. Cook Maeng, please make sujebi dough with wheat flour. Cook Min, can you get me the ox feet soup we made for the seoksura, evening meal? Cook Eom, can you go to the storage in Naeuiwon and get licorice, angelica root, cheongung root, and velvet antler?

Once she assembled the ingredients for this restaurant of hers, she explained the dish to GilGeum and Cook Maeng. (Wait, are they a couple now? Not GilGeum and the jester GongGil?)

JY: It’s a nourishing dish that got its name from the French word “restaurer” meaning “to restore.” We’re making the Joseon version.

Then, she further demonstrated the sauce she was concocting. It’s the velouté sauce.

Look here.

I’m not French but a) I do know that the velouté sauce is one of the five “mother sauces” of French cuisine, and b) I don’t think it was originally considered a restorative soup. A restoratif soup is basically a broth (e.g., bouillon, consommé) intended to soothe and heal tummy problems. However, when broth is thickened with roux (a flour and butter mixture), a creamy, velouté sauce is created (velouté means velvety) which can be used as a base for other dishes or served as is.

I guess any creamy soup can be considered restorative as long as it’s comfort food.

For those interested in deep dives…

I’ve heard of two legends associated with this French word restaurant.

The first involved a Monsieur Boulanger who opened a store to serve medicinal soup which he called “restaurant.” He was sued by a guild (or union) of butchers because he wasn’t just selling brothy, bouillon-y type of soup but also soup with meat in them aka stew. Stews, according to the butchers, follow a certain method of cooking. Quelle horreur! Monsieur Boulanger didn’t obey the rules. (Lol! You gotta love the French. They’re sticklers for accuracy.)

Anyway, he won when he demonstrated that his “restaurant” soup was actually a nouvelle cuisine. He then opened more stores to sell this restaurant and other foods he prepared, and soon the word “restaurant” became known as a place to eat good and nourishing food.

Interesting tidbit, Monsieur Boulanger’s last name means bread baker. Maybe if his name had been Boucher, the butchers wouldn’t have beef with him.

The second legend about “restaurant” involved the private chefs of the French nobility after the madmen of the French Revolution guillotined their employers. Since they were no longer gainfully employed, some chefs opened their own stores to sell their food, and some chose to work for the merchant class or the “bourgeoisie” which was a step down from the aristocracy. Nonetheless, these ex-private chefs taught their new clients to appreciate the old ways of the nobles and the “restaurant” became known as a place for upscale dining experience and high-quality food…unlike say, the dining experience found in a tavern or an inn where the hoi-polloi gathered.

Thus, when JiYeong told Gilgeum that they were making a “restaurant” dish for King YiHeon’s half-brother, I can’t help wonder, “Uh-oh! If YiHeon’s deposed, his whole palace cooking staff will be out of a job. Will they open their restaurants, too? Or travel like the Ming cooks to perfect their craft?” 😂

To sum up:

The definition of a restaurant, as we know it: a place to eat
Original meaning: a restorative soup, or food that restores good health
French root word: “restaurer” (or “restore”) meaning to restore
Synonyms: recover, recapture, repair, mend, re-establish, reinstall, refresh, revive, return to a former state

With the synonyms in mind, I can see more ways to connect “restaurant” to the developments in this episode than simply the nourishing food served the ailing Prince Jinmyeong. I’ll list them from the beginning.

1. Recover the missing gochogaru

Prince Jesan stole them from JiYeong during the competition to give to the Ming female chef. In Ep 9, Royal Secretary Im hauled them away while Prince Jesan feigned sheepishness about the incident. In Ep 10, King YiHeon was waiting to surprise her with them in the greenhouse.

He was restoring the gochu to its rightful owner.

2. Recapture the memories of their physical contact

While waiting in the greenhouse, YiHeon recollected both her jubilant reaction to the gochu (e.g., jumping into his arms) and his quick save from a wheelbarrow (e.g., twirling her into his arms).

He reconstructed the move, hoping that he’d avoid falling flat on his back again. He wanted to restore his dignity. 😂

3. Restore his sanity

He was already filled with murderous rage when he saw JiYeong shackled and abused. But then his stepmother arrived to accuse him of attempting to kill her son.

He was stunned.

YH: Why would I do such a thing when I have no reason to fear him?
Queen Dowager: If something unfortunate were to happen to you, Jinmyeong would take the throne and maybe that is what you fear!

In other words, she thought of him as evil. She believed he’d stoop to killing an innocent child, his own flesh and blood, just to retain power. Poor YiHeon! He hadn’t done anything yet, but he was already regarded, treated, and labeled as a tyrant. His reputation preceded him.

YH: (grabbing a guard’s sword) I dare you to say that again.
QD: At last, you show your true colors.
YH: (raising the sword to her throat) Say it again.

We must give him credit for restraint.

In those days, her seditious words would have been sufficient cause for her execution. She was resisting his authority and accusing him of being unfit to rule. Filial piety didn’t come into play here; just because she was his stepmother didn’t excuse her speech. He was the supreme ruler of the land and his royal command was to be obeyed as if it was a divine command.

YH: Hand over the key. It is a royal command.
QD: You will not have it as long as I am breathing. Kill me.
YH: I said it is a royal command. (swinging to slay her)

It’s a good thing JiYeong called out to him. Her voice restored sanity, restraint and composure back into YiHeon.

JY: Your Majesty. Please. Your Majesty. Your Majesty. Calm down. You must not do this.
QD: What are you doing? Cover her immediately!

This is laughable but understandable. Cover JiYeong? What on earth for? The king could hear her anywhere.

But I get that Queen Dowager (QD) was frightened that JiYeong, who was said to be a gwinyeo, would command him from inside her cell to do a dastardly deed.

JY: Put the sword down. You’re not helping me by doing this. You know better than anyone that I wouldn’t do such a thing. So…put down the sword, and please prove my innocence.

Nice tactic. She was distracting him from killing the QD. She instinctively knew of her power over him; that is, if he had to make a choice, he would choose her over anything else. By appealing to him and telling him that SHE needed him to get her out, she forced him to choose her need over his need to off the QD.

In her head, however, she was praying, “You must never become a tyrant.” To me, there was a reason she didn’t voice this out loud. She was hoping that history could be changed but she also understood that the change had to occur organically from YiHeon himself. She couldn’t personally interfere (e.g., tell him details of the future) or she’d create havoc in the future where she was returning.

Hearing JiYeong’s entreaty, YiHeon lowered his sword, and spoke to the QD.

Calmly, he talked about her betrayal. I’m sure it hurt him that the people whom he considered family were infighting because of succession. His stepmother’s betrayal shattered his trust in his family and the bonds he once believed they shared.

But as much as this betrayal is personal, it’s also a crime against the state. It’s treasonous so he contemplated killing the QD for it. But JiYeong wouldn’t have it.

YH: If we must become political enemies just because we are blood-related, then it is only right that I put an end to it all right now.
JY: (pleading) Your Majesty. I know what happens here. I know the future. If you use that sword now, everything will spiral out of control.

She insisted that he trust her and walk away. She was from the future, and she knew the domino effect of killing the QD.

YH: The situation is already past the point of control.
JY: No. Nothing has happened yet. Put the sword down. And no matter what, you must restrain yourself. Don’t give in [to your rage]. You must stand strong. You have to believe me. You must go. Now.
YH: If I leave now, you will die.
JY: If you do this, everyone will die! What do I do need to do to prove it to you? Do you want me to hang myself right now?

I’m sorry but I sniggered here. 🤪 She was so dramatic and illogical. How could she threaten to kill herself in order to stop him from killing others when she knew full well that her death would trigger him to kill others? Please make it make sense.

But whatever it was, she managed to convince him to drop his sword to the ground. Then, he and the QD exchanged counter-threats, like kids in a schoolyard.

“If you touch the woman, I’ll see you in bloody hell.”
“If my son dies, I’ll smack the bloody wench.”

But he got the last words in, “You’ll have to bloody dethrone me first.”

Whoops. Is this a foreshadowing?? I wish he didn’t say that.

Anyway, the point here is JiYeong RESTORED the king’s sanity, and he RECOVERED his rational behavior despite that explosive encounter.

When his stepmother depart, he rushed to JiYeong’s side. It was ironic that he wanted to comfort her when he had been the cause of her distress.

YH: You must have been scared. It must have hard.
JY: (shaking her head)
YH: You must be strong.
JY: Okay. You have to remember what I said.
YH: (nodding) All right. I will not forget it.

It was also cute how they were both reminding each other to be strong. The king didn’t look at all like a despot, did he? He was powerless to help her.

4. Restore his grandmother’s confidence and trust in him

I like that the Grand Royal Queen Dowager (GRQD) has regained her faith in her grandson. They had the cooking competition among the palace cooks to thank for. That event displayed to the GRQD that JiYeong was someone with a good heart and that she could tame the anger in the King.

Hence, when the GRQD’s her brother, the Prime Minister, suspected King YiHeon of scheming to oust their Han family from the court, she reproached him for his “disloyal words.” The Prime Minister believed that YiHeon ordered his half-brother, Prince Jinmyeong poisoned in his bid to avenge his mother’s death.

Note: Remember I told you in Episode 4 that the King himself had no idea of their involvement in his mother’s death? Upon learning of the assassination attempt on the drafter Yi JangGun, he wondered, “What crime could my mother have committed that they are trying so hard to hide it?” In other words, he assumed that Yi JangGun was being hunted down to cover up a crime that his mother had committed. He didn’t suspect his Han relatives of conspiring to depose and kill his mother so he had no intentions — at least at the moment — to purge his royal court of his Han relatives.

King YiHeon’s grandmother flatly rejected her brother’s theory.

GRQD: No. Brother, think back to the Muin Literati Purge. His Majesty is someone who would make pretenses to exile individuals, but he doesn’t plot or scheme. And to use poison of all things? This is not His Majesty’s doing.

The translation is a bit confusing here. Let me try to get to reword this better —

What the GRQD meant to say was that the King would give a pretext (i.e., false excuse or misleading reason) to justify his action. Case in point: when he exiled the governor in Episode 2.

But King wouldn’t do anything underhanded and treacherous like scheming to get what he wanted. Case in point: he hunted and killed the deer; he wouldn’t resort to poisoning the deer.

An aside: poison is considered a woman’s choice of weapon. If I were the GRQD, I would have cast my eyes on the women as the perpetrator.

Prince Jesan was the one who acted this way, but he had successfully disguised himself as a fool and deceived everyone.

Oooooh. I wish the GRQD would figure this out soon. It’s so frustrating that none of the people in YiHeon’s camp has yet figured out the snake within their midst?

The GRQD believed that her grandson changed because of JiYeong.

GRQD: Not to mention, His Majesty has changed since the chief royal cook came here. He has become a different person.
PM: Hmph! Will you believe me only after the other princes fall unconscious? The only one to escape this crisis will be the idiotic Grand Prince Jesan.
GRQD: Jesan….

5. Restore JiYeong to her previous prison cell

This scene was hilarious.

JiYeong wanted the King’s aid in proving her innocence so she could be released from prison. Her situation worried him, but the Eunuch reminded him that he had once imprisoned her there.

YH: Cook Yeon is not well. To think that she must be suffering in that cold prison weighs on my heart. I can’t stand it.
Eunuch: I sent Eunuch Yoon to check on her in the morning and evening. And she’s doing well and staying strong, saying that it is where she stayed when she first came to the palace. You need not to worry too much, Your Majesty.
YH: What do you mean it is where she stayed?

Wow! How quickly he forgot! This tells us his feelings for her — as well as his character — went through a major shift.

Eunuch: I am talking about the prison you had specially arranged for her when she first came to the palace, Your Majesty.
YH: (remembering that he told her that he prepared a “special residence” for her and she had to get used to the confinement if she was going to survive living in the palace. He felt ashamed.) Do you still remember such a thing? That is not like you. However, things are different now. If I leave her be, her life will not be worth living.

To me, though, he should be grateful that to JiYeong, returning to the prison cell was just like homecoming. His harsh treatment of her in the beginning prepared her to survive in the palace, indeed.

The GRQD also remarked on JiYeong’s appearance in the prison cell.

GRQD: I thought you would be struggling, but I see you have managed to adapt even in this place.
JY: Gilgeum and I stayed here for a while, so I’m used to it.

I like that the GRQD believed JiYeong’s words.

GRQD: I will ask you just one thing. Did you truly try to kill the Grand Prince?
YH: Of course not. Please don’t tell me you also believe that.
GRQD: Then did His Majesty put you up to it?
YH: What are you saying? You know what he’s like. If he wanted someone dead, he’d do it himself.

The GRQD couldn’t argue with that.

She hoped that JiYeong could extract herself from the situation because if JiYeong failed, her own grandson the King would also be implicated and end up in grave danger (e.g., deposed or killed). People in the palace had been gossiping that the king was acting erratically ever since he took in the gwinyeo cook.

Ha! It seems like JiYeong assumed the role of the evil Consort Noksu in history books.

6. Restore their employer-employee or king-cook relationship

With the GRQD’s warning ringing in her ears, JiYeong quickly returned to the palace kitchen to prepare the king’s natgeotsang. He was hard at work analyzing the Prince’s medical herbs and didn’t want to stop for lunch. But when he heard her voice scolding him, “Your Majesty, I told you many times. You shouldn’t skip your meals,” he looked up from his papers and wondered if he was imagining her voice now.

He rushed out of his office to check on the voice and was shocked to see her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside the room to hug her.

YH: I missed you so much. How did you get out?

JiYeong couldn’t respond because the GRQD’s words weighed on her. “All kinds of malicious rumors are running rampant throughout the palace. They say His Majesty’s judgment has been clouded because he keeps the gwinyeo cook too close to him.” So, she pushed him away.

JY: Your Majesty. You don’t seem to understand so let me make it very clear. There are misunderstandings and absurd rumors going around the palace because you keep hugging and kissing a woman you don’t even like.

Did you see her re-interpretation of the Queen’s words?

1. The king’s “judgment has been clouded” became “hugging and kissing.” JiYeong assumed that his displays of affection were evidence of his impaired judgment. Actually, the GRQD was referring to the surprising changes in the king’s decision-making and actions, like rashly agreeing to a cooking competition with the Ming delegates and head-butting the Ming envoy. The GRQD wasn’t referring to the couple’s physical intimacies.

2. Also, the “gwinyeo cook” became “a woman you don’t even like.” To me, this is a sign that JiYeong still remembered – and resented – that he once told her that he didn’t see her as a woman because she was his “chief royal cook.” The GRQD was talking about something else entirely; she was referring to the influence JiYeong had over him, and NOT his feelings for her.

I think JiYeong felt aggrieved because she assumed the GRQD was opposed to their romance/relationship. But judging from the GRQD’s earlier conversation with her brother, I think she was aware that the changes in her grandson were a) an improvement on his character and b) a credit to JiYeong. How could she not approve of her then?

Noteworthy: the GRQD had stepped in to stop the Ming envoy from demanding JiYeong as tribute to the empire.

But because JiYeong was especially sensitive after her conversation with the GRQD (like she’s been caught with her hand in the cookie jar), she wanted to RESTORE distance between the YiHeon and herself. When he pulled her back into his arms, she muttered an excuse.

JY: I’ll explain everything while you have your –
YH: (kisses her)
JY: (pushes him away) What are you doing?
YH: That was for the woman I cherish the most. That was my kiss.

The most important thing to note here is that he understood what she meant when she used the English loanword, “kiss.”

I’m not sure but this is probably the first time he understood an English loanword from her without requiring an explanation. Back in Episode 5, the Eunuch had called the kiss “ipmachum” – meaning “ip” (mouth) and “machum” (to match or bring together) and Secretary Im had demonstrated the kiss by pursing his lips.

I think he’d finally come to accept that she was a girl from the future.

source: sunjaesol’s tumblr

Okay. Will continue later to give your tired eyes a break.