[Book Review] Welcome to Milano Gisa Sikdang

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] It was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2020, a restaurant opened in the public redevelopment area of Jeungsan-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. It was called 'Milano Gisa Sikdang' (Milano Knight's Restaurant). Once the opening buzz faded, anxiety crept in. The owner and chef, Jungwoo Park, recalled, "I felt like I was driving myself off a cliff."

The streets, emptied by social distancing, seemed even larger. The empty seats in the restaurant must have looked ten times bigger. Though the beginning was hollow, over time, one by one, people started visiting the restaurant.

For Chef Park, the empty dishes they left behind were more precious than anything else. Whether it was an empty plate after finishing the food, two plates cleared by a little guest, or several dishes served to parents, Chef Park captured the feelings he sensed through conversations with these valued customers and took photos of the empty dishes to post on his blog.

Two years of survival passed this way. COVID-19 did not disappear; it became part of daily life. 'Milano Gisa Sikdang' survived and became a famous fusion restaurant featured on TV. Chef Park’s 'Empty Dish Stories' were compiled into a book titled 'Welcome, This is Milano Gisa Sikdang (Yemundang)' published last August.

Reading this book makes one want to visit at least once. In a book filled only with photos of empty dishes, you can almost taste the food that once filled them. This is probably because the traces of communication between the person who made the food and the person who ate it stimulate the mind. It might be the same reason why guests who have visited say things like, "While traveling, I thought of Chef Park and brought a gift," or "I came here with my parents" when introducing the place. Taste tends to be forgotten once you are full, but the connection with the chef becomes a memory over time.

The survival story of 'Milano Gisa Sikdang,' a restaurant where "customers come before money," as Chef Park says, and where "people stay as people before they leave," is captured in 'Welcome, This is Milano Gisa Sikdang.' It could serve as a warm guide for those preparing to start a business or running a small business.

Welcome, This is Milano Gisa Sikdang | Jungwoo Park | Yemundang | 237 pages | 15,000 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.