I don't know if it's because it's Saturday today, but the streets are bustling with people even late at night.
Lin Chen hasn't gone out after work for a long time, almost completely disconnected from normal social life.
Endless customers gather in twos and threes to buy fresh fruit jelly drinks, the business is booming, forming a sharp contrast with the relatively quiet scene from a few days ago.
"Come, come, come, limited-time event, buy spicy stir-fried rice cakes and get three free side dishes of your choice~"
"Freshly handmade Korean-style kimchi~"
Seeing the business of the food trucks next to hers thriving, except for her own, Kimchi Lady couldn't sit still and pulled out her secret weapon just pickled that day from the refrigerator.
Soy sauce-pickled perilla leaves, spicy sauce mixed with chives, spicy sauce mixed with leek, sweet soy sauce-pickled onions, spicy radish chunks, spicy cabbage, six types of side dishes neatly placed in disposable small cups, not to mention they look quite tempting.
The sour and spicy fermentation aroma of various kimchi spreads out, paired with the hot and spicy stir-fried rice cakes, attracting many curious diners.
Korean cuisine's influence is quite weak internationally, only a bit famous in Asia, mainly thanks to Korean dramas.
When abroad, to foreigners, sushi, curry, and modified Chinese food are considered representational Asian dishes, few know what Korean cuisine is, mostly just aware of kimchi.
This Kimchi Lady is pretty clever. Her food truck is equipped with a TV, constantly playing food shows from Kimchi Country, attempting to disguise her products as star-like delicacies.
Many clueless foreigners, upon seeing the food they've seen on TV shows, tend to impulsively want to buy it to try, especially when buying one portion gets them three extra.
However, after taking a bite of the spicy stir-fried rice cakes, one by one their faces turned somewhat unpleasant.
The issue wasn't with the rice cakes themselves, but with the sauce.
"Hiss... spicy, so spicy!"
"No, I can't eat it, I feel my tongue is swelling."
"Water, I need water!"
The spicy stir-fried rice cakes come in sweet spicy and extra spicy versions, but regardless of the type, the capsaicin level is over the top for most foreigners, combined with the scorching heat it actually feels way spicier than the cold mixed dishes Lin Chen sold yesterday.
A few young people with flushed cheeks, sticking out their tongues and frantically fanning themselves, sweating profusely, terribly affected by the spiciness.
With a smile, Kimchi Lady took a few bottles of chilled Coke from the fridge and handed it over.
The young people, overwhelmed, didn't think much and pulled off the tabs to chug the drink.
Gulp... gulp...
"Ah, refreshing!"
Refreshing indeed, but after the cold sensation, the ample fizz didn't reduce the spiciness, it even intensified it somehow.
"Try this, this is sweet and can dull the spiciness."
Kimchi Lady handed over a cup of pickled onions soaked in a soy sauce-like liquid, which indeed seemed devoid of chili.
The young people barely glanced at it, without any interest in taking a bite, shaking their heads repeatedly.
Onion strands mixed into salads with other foods actually taste okay, but asking them to eat it raw directly is just unacceptable.
"No need, no need, how much is it, check please!"
"Spicy stir-fried rice cakes 12 euros, Coke 5 euros, totaling 17 euros."
"... How much? This little can of Coke for 5 euros??"
Earlier, the dish prices felt pricy, but with three free gifts, averaging out seemed fairly cheap, yet they didn't expect the side dishes were all spicy and couldn't be eaten.
Now, given this sky-high Coke price, they suddenly realized.
They've been ripped off!
Having opened it, they couldn't refuse to pay, reluctantly counting coins one-by-one before placing them on the window.
At this moment.
Two tall girls walked past each holding bowls of vibrant multi-colored fruit jelly, sipping them while occasionally exclaiming 'How cool!'
Looking at the frost-covered plastic bowls in their hands, it instantly seemed thirst-quenching.
Most importantly, inside were watermelon, pineapple, Hami melon, all chilled fruits. A bite of that would surely relieve the spice!
Without hesitating, the group ran straight towards them, only to discover they had to queue, with scores of diners already sucking on fruit jelly, even some coming back for seconds before finishing their first bowl.
Lucas held a small bamboo basket in his palm, helping maintain order while also acting as a mobile cashier station, introducing the menu to new diners.
"Come, come, come, fresh handmade Great Xia plant jelly, paired with refreshing mint syrup and fresh fruits, only five euros a bowl, healthy, nutritious and delicious~"
"I'll have one!"
"Paid already, can I go straight to collect it?"
"Yes, yes, here's your receipt, keep it safe~"
Lucas was smart, tearing a stack of small pieces of paper as meal tickets, each about the size of a fingernail, representing one bowl, distributed to customers who paid.
This upfront payment model helps prevent diners from losing patience and not wanting to queue, maintaining sales stability, making the business seem booming.
Lin Chen also found a quick method to make the jelly, preparing ten bowls at once, then adjusting the toppings of dried fruits based on customer preferences.
Regarding the flavor, he standardized it to a brown sugar mint mix, saving inquiries about available flavors.
"Hiss... damn, this devilish thing tastes way too cool!"
The queue advanced quickly, and shortly after a few spicy-stricken lads got their own bowls of jelly.
Sipping the cool syrup, the intense minty chill instantly eradicated the mouth's spiciness, lingering long-lastingly with each breath feeling refreshingly cool.
Most importantly, such a large bowl, hefty, only for five euros!
Disgruntled, they lined up with full fruit jelly bowls in front of the kimchi truck.
"Oh my, look at this Great Xia dessert, such a large bowl for just five euros~"
"Half the bowl of fruits alone cost two euros in a grocery store, so worth it!"
"Not only cheap but delicious too, I've never tasted such a richly mint-flavored sweet drink, and this jelly, it really helps de-stress, isn't it a better deal than a five-euro Coke?"
With every sip, each person marveled, frequently glancing at the newly arrived 'victims' in front of the kimchi truck.
Those two were also severely affected by the spicy stir-fried rice cakes, panting with mouths agape, almost accepting the Coke offered by Kimchi Lady.
Upon hearing the exclaiming voices, they instantly became alert, looking towards Kimchi Lady.
"This Coke... how much?"
Kimchi Lady's face turned somewhat unpleasant, but unwilling to lower the price.
"5 euros."
"..."
Without hesitation, the two turned and joined the jelly queue, with a quick toss of their barely touched spicy stir-fried rice cakes into the street trash bin.