This recap is pretty late due to Are You Human Too airing 4 back to back episodes on Tuesday. But on the bright side, it is the fourth of July over here so I actually had some additional time to run a quick grammar and spelling check over the text (emphasis on quick). We will be back to the normal aftercap schedule next week!
Our criteria for dropping shows is at the bottom of this post. Check it out if you get a chance.
MUSIC: Wok of Love Music List
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WOK OF LOVE LIVE RECAP EPISODES 29+30
OPENING
SP shows up at the mansion and sees SJ walking out along with JH, GJ, and SW. He is flabbergasted, his knife…his noodle….his ladle? SW tells her mother goodbye, she will be back early.
Poong cannot believe this. He thinks back to his initial interview with SJ. He told her that she was the best knife he had ever seen, and she told him about GJ, and then JH showed up as well. He thought the kitchen help looked like one family. He also remembers them arguing at SP about how hard JH worked. He remembers all the strange things.
SP drives away thinking about this and must have drifted because another car honks at him.
He gets to work, everyone is there, waiting for instructions. He looks at the ones that all live together and tells them to wait a minute. He walks out. GJ wonders why he is like that, SJ says she does not care and starts to prepare for the day.
SW comes outside and asks him why he had to make JH quit like that. Why is he such a different person in the kitchen? If he is angry like fire, then people will get burnt. Customers are valuable, but employees are important too. That is why all the kitchen help hates you.
SP tells her that he knows that the gangpaes hate him, why does everyone hate him? SW asks him who will be with him if he is like that? You can just talk to her quietly, why are you publically embarrassing her? Are you happy to kick her out like that?
He says that the kitchen is not a place to play and she left, I did not fire her. SW thinks it is the same thing, you made her quit, so it is the same as firing her. He wants to know if she is on his side or the kitchen help side. SW tells him that she cant listen to him, he is so childish. She leaves and goes back inside.
OFFICE
Meanwhile, CS is shadow boxing in his office. SW comes in and asks what his trophy is. He says it is just something that is there. She notices the picture of his dad and says that it is super cool, he looks just like you. He asks her why she is there, so she tells him that she is angry at SP, he made JH quit.
CS does not want to talk about that since it is Poongs kitchen. SW is just telling him because she thinks Poong will be alone. What if GJ and SJ leave over this? CS wants to know, you didn’t fight with him…you are worried about him? She starts talking about how he listens to CS, so can’t you talk to him? He will listen to you.
CS takes off his glasses and asks her, you like Poong, right? She sheepishly says yes, then tells CS that she likes his trophy. She asks him to leave it there all the time so she can see it.
RESTAURANT
The restaurant is super busy, and everyone is a bit unorganized. Poong wants GJ to remake something, it is too thin. SJ tells him to be a little relaxed about it, but Poong just starts to nitpick everything they do. He won’t let one of the fried shrimp dishes go out because the head is missing on one of the shrimps. He is basically making everyone miserable in a polite way.
SJ shakes her head in annoyance. Poong tells SW that she should say jongdaemal to him when she speaks, she agrees and walks out. He continues making everyone annoyed by nitpicking. His new target is SJ. She mixed the carrot and cucumbers again. She tells him that she never makes this kind of mistake, it is because one person is missing.
SJ tells him that she just wants to save him a lot of money. He tells her that everyone knows it isn’t for him. They all look around at each other. The annoying behavior continues until Sj and SW are just standing and looking at each other, not doing anything.
JH is happily at home when SP calls. She is looking for another job and tells herself that she is not going to pick up. She doesn’t.
Poong gets the voice mail in the locker room and hangs up. SW comes in and says she has to go somewhere, it is a secret. He tells her that she likes secrets so much, are you ashamed of me? If not, then why do you want to keep our dating a secret? SW gets sarcastic and tells Poong that they should be secret until they die. Then she says to him that it isn’t like she wants to secretly date. He is sarcastic and tells her that she told him it was thrilling. He wants to know if she has something to say to him? She says no. He storms out and says he has secrets too.
SW rolls on the bench and wonders if she should tell everyone. Maybe they shouldn’t date anymore! Mom and everyone will get upset!
Poong comes back and tells her that the four of them live in one house, you lied to me from the beginning. She is your mother? SW says yes, she is my mother. JH magically appears, so Poong says that it is because she hates me, that is why you are not confident and want to hide everything? You shouldn’t disregard me like this from the beginning. You want to secretly date because I am embarrassing? Everyone hid their ID from the start and came in one by one. Now I am monitored and in the middle of your family.
He asks magical JH why she hates him so much. JH tries to slap him. SHe tells him all the things she does not like about him: no parents, no college, no money. He tells her that he became a hotel chef in college and did not graduate. SW tells her magical mom to stop. JH tells him that she is the daughter of a banker, her father will get out soon. She is not a girl that should work in a Chinese restaurant and be a wok and ladle. How dare you love my daughter! The same class people should get married. But even if you are a millionaire, I don’t like you because you have a terrible temper. I really don’t like you because you called me gong-baeng-gi (like larva or worm-like thing). She really hates someone like him calling her that! I do not want my son in law to know that I wash dishes and carry food in a Chinese restaurant.
Fine, then I will date her secretly and keep it secret from you forever until I die. I will make you mad forever.
Go away from my daughter!
SP turns to SW and wants to know if he should go away. SW starts yelling in frustration and covers her ears, it was all her imagination.
CAFE
JH leaves her home and comes out in the same dress she wore in SW’s imagination. She meets with Poong to get the rest of her money. Poong apologizes, they only removed their gangpae image because of her. She did a good job catching all the people passing by their restaurant. A lot of customers wanted to see you, actually. Our restaurant does not flow well anymore. I am really sorry, please forgive me and come back as the hall manager.
She asks if she can ask him one thing. He says yes. She asks if he likes Sae-woo, just in case, doesn’t’ like her. You don’t’ look good together. He tells her that he does not like her, never. She asks him if he is truthful. He says yes. She tells him that she will think about going to work again or not.
Poong slowly walks back to the Hungry Wok. SW is outside with Dimsum. She tells him that he can sit if he wants, she will forgive him, but he just angrily goes inside. She wonders why he is like that, she didn’t do anything wrong.
HOTEL
GJ and SJ meet with WCS at the hotel, they want to work there. SJ tells him that GJ is an excellent noodle guy. But WCS only wants SJ, not anyone else, he did not ask her to bring a goiter with her. GJ mutters that they should go home. But WCS tells him that he is that strong guy that messed up his kitchen with Poong. SJ tells WCS that Poong hired GJ right away from her recommendation. WCS says that is a little restaurant. SJ is upset at him so she tells GJ that they should leave.
HUNGRY WOK
SP shows the thugs the birds nest that has been soaked for 24 hours. The thugs must take all the feathers out. It is a swallows nest that they are preparing for the $5000 meal. He then asks them if they also hate him. The thugs are all like, do you know or are you just curious? Did someone else say they hate you other than us? Poong tells them that all the kitchen people hate him.
Cut to Poong showing the thugs a 1 to 1 to 1 ratio of skin to fat to meat ratio of pig meat. He fries it and teaches them all the cooking secrets as he prepares the meat gloriously. The last thing is to steam-boil it for 4 hours, then the meat will be very tender. The thugs wonder why he is so kind to them? Are you going somewhere?
PRISON
CS meets SG again (SW’s dad) in jail and asks him if he has thought about it. SG asks CS, can you take care of my family until I get out of jail? Right now they are working in a restaurant by hiding their relationship with me. CS tells him that he will take care of his family, what are they doing now and where?
Cut to OJ and SW leaving the divorce offices. He wants to give her an envelope, it is $100k. She did not take the house, so this is the only money that he can take without his parents knowing. He is doing this because he pities her and is sorry. SW tells him to live uncomfortably forever and does not take the money.
HUNGRY WOK
A sign on the door says that there is no dinner tonight due to a private dinner appointment. Then we see Poong preparing the birds nest with egg and fried sheets. It is a quiet moment as he prepares everything by himself. It is 7pm, so it is about time for the guest to arrive.
The doors open…..it is SR.
Poong – It was you? The one that bought the table?
SR asks if he does not like it? You don’t want to cook for me? But Poong tells him that a customer is a customer, please sit. SR tells him that one more person will come, is that okay, he will pay for the extra. MCS shows up. SR tells SW that he called him to see how good your student is.
They both sit.
Poong brings out the silverware and dresses the table. He tells them that he will prepare a Japanese-Chinese Fusion meal for them. Please wait a little bit.
OFFICE
Meanwhile, CS gets back to his office. He is in a deep thinking mood. SG told him that his family is in a Chinese restaurant, they are hiding that they are related and work there. He heard that she borrowed money from CS, he will pay for that when he gets out too. I will resolve your trouble.
CS takes off his shades in his office, and also took them off when talking to SG. He told him that this job is important to him too. SG asks him if he likes his daughter. CS tells him that she refused him twice, he can’t even have a one-sided love affair with her, he should not like her anymore, really.
END PART I
HUNGRY WOK
Poong prepares the food carefully in the back. He tells them that the first dish is a birds nest tubu sandwich, it is a tasty appetizer.
SR – So you are the one that recreated this birds nest into this special dish?
SP – It is my honor to refuse a compliment from you. I will make the next one.
WCS tells SR that he is still rude. SR thinks that is his attractive point.
In the back, Poong prepares the next dish. The second dish is sharks fin, soy sauce stew with crab eggs. SR thinks this one is the best one visually. He tells Poong to come back to his kitchen. WCS is upset. SR tells him that he should have hired him. WCS asks if he is firing him! SR calmly tells him that he is not fired until Poong says yes, so don’t be so irate.
Poong goes to prepare the next dish.
VO – To get the hospital customers back, we need Poong for our restaurant. We have to have our main customers. The hotel will be used more, that is how our hotel will survive. I am not doing this because I like him.
The last dish comes out. Poong tells them it is Pork steak, it will be easier to eat it with a fork and knife. WCS thinks this does not make sense. How can you eat Chinese food with a fork and knife? He does not even honor the basics of Chinese food.
Poong says that WCS is always talking about the basics and ignoring Poongs good ideas. Because of that, he works hard and uses his creativity based on the fundamentals that he knows. Enjoy it.
SR tells him, why don’t they put it as a signature in the Hotel? Poong is sarcastic to him. SR asks if he is really upset with him, is it because of your ex? I will separate from her.
This makes Poong extra upset, he holds SR’s collar and asks him how he can say that so easily? I will not work for you ever.
SR tells WCS that he does not have to pack up, Poong wants to stay there. WCS leaves in a rage. But he turns around to confront Poong. He tells him that SJ and GJ came to visit him, he can hire them if he wants to! So don’t attempt to be the head chef of our restaurant, just take care of your people better!
WCS storms off. Poong looks at the Hotel sign from the Hungry Woks vantage point.
MANSION
JH tells them all that she met with Poong, he called her a lot, so she had to. He apologized to her very formally. He also told her that he does not like SW, so it will never happen. She is thinking of going back.
Poong calls SW, so she goes to her room to answer, he will be in front of her house soon. She tells him not to come! But he says that he is already on his way. She tries to sneak out, only SJ sees her, but SW tells SJ to please be quiet about it.
OFFICE
CS takes $3,000,000 out of a safe. I do not know how he has that much money. Then he looks at his fathers’ trophy, and his mother’s voice tells him that he is her champion. He puts on his shades and takes off.
Poong picks SW up at her fake house. He sees her acting really weird in front and calls her. She runs back inside and then walks out as if this is her first time outside. Poong thinks she is trying really hard to act nonchalant. He gets out of the car to greet her and asks if she is happy to see him. She tells him that she likes a man that apologizes right away after fighting.
SW pulls Poong away to have their night out, her ex-husband sees her.
HOTEL
Meanwhile, CS gets to the hotel, he has the key to the ballroom from DS’s wife who worked there. He goes directly there. The sign says that this company should stop killing small companies and should pay the fee right away. He yells at whoever is in there to come out.
But the bad thug is there with all his other thugs and tells him they won’t give up the right to protest. CS holds up the 3 million dollars and tells him that this is the money that they should have paid those people inside. Bad thug tells him that should be all his money.
CS tells him that he can’t take this from him, he will give them this money and transfer the right to protest. Would you like to do it? The thug easily takes the money. CS smiles and says that he started it so today he will save only his legs since he has to report to SR.
CS starts fighting all of them and takes them all out quickly with his fan and fighting moves. Only the main thug is left. CS and the main thug fight, CS is also able to knock him out by boxing him. He reminds the thug that he should look at the fist when it hits him. Then he tells him to come to apologize to the protesters with him.
CS drags the thug in and rolls him in front of the protesters. He tells them that it was his fault that their home and office was destroyed, but he won’t bother them anymore. The head guy says he will not sell the right to protest, those guys are bad enough to ruin their business.
CS presents the 3 million dollars to them and tells them to go back to their families and stop doing all this nonsense, just go home and eat a home-cooked meal with your family. The workers want to do it and tell the head guy to do it. CS asks for the contract again.
Elsewhere, Poong and SW are driving in his car. He tells her that he apologized to JH and asked her to come back. He wants to know what more he should do. SW tells him to pull over. He does what she asks and asks what he should do. She wants to know why he changed his tune. Poong thinks his employees are valuable too. SW tells him that her mother has triangle eyes, so she only sees what she wants to see. She is also problematic, she is pretty and never had a hardship before. She is slow and not that good in the kitchen. She is so bad, she uses too much detergent and breaks a lot of dishes, but at home, she won’t be able to cut any apples. She made too many holes from dishwashing. She should wear gloves even if the world collapses. She is so afraid of making her skin go bad.
SW keeps saying all the things her mom is bad at. SP asks her if she is saying all the bad stuff behind her back. SW laughs and asks if she sounded good? SP wants to know if the kitchen people will have a different view of him. She asks him if he wants to go there?
OUTDOOR CAFE
Somehow, WCS and MD are eating at the same cafe by accident? Maybe on purpose. SJ sighs and tells MD that she will meet with WCS first and then with him. She meets with WCS and tells him that he told her that he didn’t need her, but now he is coming to her. You are the one playing with my heart. He says he stood at the crosswalk for her, but she still humiliated him! He is not sure why he is so angry at him. Because he lost the cooking challenge or because she is with him. I DON’T KNOW!
MD walks over to WCS and pulls him up. How dare you yell at her? She is my night boss, the only one and coolest person in the world, how dare you. WCS wonders if they are dating. MD says he likes her, he wants to date her, if you are around her one more time, then I will kill you.
SJ tries to break them up, but the standoff continues as the standoff music plays. MD punches WCS, so SJ pulls him away before the police come. They run until they can’t run anymore, then MD kisses SJ suddenly. He tells her that she is the first woman that kissed him. So don’t cut me off like a knife. Let’s date seriously. Let’s date greasily.
She asks how they can date greasily, what does that mean? He tells her that it means they should date with their instincts, he does not have a house or a car, but she will never know how he is if she does not date him. SO lets date greasily as our heart shows.
Cut back to CS. he got the signature to protest and looks at the hotel in a big F-you. He smiles as he plots the future.
HUNGRY WOK
SJ and MD cook ramen together. SJ smiles and mentions that Soju and ramen are the best. MD apologizes for not having enough money to buy expensive side dishes as they start to eat. She asks what he likes about her. He tells her not to ask him like that…how can he just say it. She asks him if he dated a lot? He says that he never received any real love. She wants to know if he gave love. He tells her that he is not stingy with giving love.
She smiles, that is a good attitude.
But then someone comes in. They wonder who can come in this late! Hide! Hide!
They hide their food and themselves just as MD and SJ come in. SJ wonders what if they figure them out? I am over 40, should I start dating like this? MD thinks it is thrilling, they date because of this kind of fun.
SJ tells SP that they talked bad about JH, so should they talk bad about SJ now too? She chuckles and says that they are dating and talking about everyone. SP tells SW that SJ has excellent skills, she is a good knife.
SW says she is good at the knife, she pretends that she is strong, but she doesn’t make eye contact when she has to take care of crab, and she can’t eat snail, and she has sexy thoughts when she uses her knife.
SJ and MD hear all of this. SW says that GJ looks at women customers a lot when he makes noodles. The reason his dough is not flat is because he is not focusing. SP says okay, but it also seems like he does not care about women. Poong and SW eat ramen and then wonder if they should eat kimchi as well. They go to the fridge to get some. SJ and MD have to move their location, but then more thugs come in, so SW and Sp have to hide.
The thugs immediately think something is off, the cooks wouldn’t’ leave something like this in the kitchen. Poong is concerned about them finding them, but SW just wants to cuddle, so she hugs Poong from behind and tells him that his back is mine. The kitchen might hate you, but I love you.
He turns her around and tells her…I know….everything. JH, SJ, GJ, and you. Your family living in one house. You lied to me about that so you could get hired here. I know everything.
MD hiccups in the corner and SP and SW look at him. They’re busted.
Fade Out
COMMENTS
I’m not sure why they made Sae-woo say all those things about her family at the end there. I’m sure it was to cheer up Poong, but it came across as off putting to me. Poong was even defending her family against what SW was saying, which made her seem extra annoying.
PREVIEW
Poong – Sae-woo and I love each other.
JH – Are you crazy!
SW – What did you eat last night to be that brave?
CS – I suggested a cooking battle to him, the winner gets the restaurant.
WCS – Four days later, 11 am, one fire, one kitchen hand, three people.
JH – If you go to the competition, then both of you should leave the house.
SP – Please come, I beg you.
To your question about why SW saying all those things about her family…I think she was trying to show Poong that she loved him and was loyal to him. He was complaining earlier that it seem like she love the kitchen staff more than him. She didn’t know that he already knew they were her family when she said all of that stuff. He defended them because it’s the family of the woman he loves! Anyway, that’s my take on it.
But you’re right, it did seem out of character for her.
Author
Right, perhaps if it could have been phrased a little differently? Or maybe I just didn’t catch some subtle tone changes during the live watch that would soften her words a bit and make it more carefree. It did feel a bit out of character.