Urgent Inspection Reflecting Consumer Feedback
CEO Baek Jong-won visited one of the Saemaeul Sikdang branches, a brand under his restaurant franchise company The Born Korea, to conduct an urgent inspection.
On the 29th, CEO Baek uploaded a video titled "Has Saemaeul Sikdang lost its original spirit? Conducting an urgent inspection" on his YouTube channel. Reflecting consumers' opinions that Saemaeul Sikdang, once popular for its reasonable prices, has changed from before, CEO Baek personally went to inspect.
Visiting a Saemaeul Sikdang in Seoul, Baek Jong-won ordered the signature dishes Yeoltan Bulgogi and 7-minute Kimchi Stew. He explained, "The grill must be heated thoroughly before cooking. If it’s not heated, there is a big difference," while grilling the meat over high heat. The store owner stopped him, saying, "You shouldn’t do it like this. It’s gas, so it will burn," but Baek replied, "Meat tastes best when grilled over high heat with flames flaring up. This is how you get the smoky flavor," and handed the cooked meat to the owner. After tasting the piece of meat Baek gave him, the owner was surprised and said, "The taste is different."
CEO Baek advised, "They keep saying charcoal tastes better because the gas flame is weak. When grilling, as the fat drips, the flames should flare up to add the smoky flavor. If it keeps burning like this, once it’s cooked, you can reduce the heat to low." He continued, "We switched from charcoal to gas because of complaints like 'the meat burns' and 'there’s smoke,' but as the complaints decreased, the number of customers also declined."
He also expressed regret that the 7-minute Kimchi Stew cooking method was changed for the convenience of the store owners. CEO Baek said, "Originally, there was fun in waiting 7 minutes, but it was changed because it was difficult to operate. This charm comes from cutting the fat in front of the customers, which is very challenging."
He added, "When the owners and staff changed it to make things easier for themselves, it lost its charm. When the person running the business is uncomfortable, the customers enjoy it more," and took measures to simplify the menu and change the cooking method.
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