Recap Korean Drama "Café Minamdang" Episode 11

Cafe Minamdang episode 11 starts with a flustered Han-jun unable to believe Jae-hui’s claim of being Jang-mi. However, a picture from when she was young proves her to be Jae-jeong’s sister, and he immediately tells her that she can’t be on his team. Jae-hui interjects that he was the one who got her assigned to Tae-su’s case, so it’s not like he doesn’t trust her. When he still refuses to comply with her request, she arrests him and takes him to the police station.

Just a tiny bit of blackmail is enough for Han-jun to take her on his team, although he is definitely unhappy about it. Su-cheol and Hye-jun are gobsmacked with Jae-hui’s revelation, and after some chitchat, they start to discuss Gu Tae-su’s connection with Park Dong-gi – the latter must have given Tae-su the job. Jae-hui leaves when Han-jun tells her that he doesn’t have a plan to get Jin-sang to confess just yet, but not before threatening everyone to not go off without her.

 

Still From Cafe Minamdang Episode 11

Unfortunately for Jae-hui, Han-jun continues to refuse to work with Jae-hui on the pretext that she can’t risk her life as well because he wouldn’t be able to face Jae-jeong. That night, Han-jun feels rather uncomfortable and unhappy after he remembers his past interactions with Jae-hui, especially the fact that he kissed his best friend’s sister. However, the past also brings back some fond memories. Jae-hui, too, isn’t doing much better at home.

 

Back at work, Jae-hui’s leg is pulled relentlessly after her colleagues see her putting on lipstick. The question is, however, whether she is going on a date with Han-jun or Do-won. At Minamdang, a cold war breaks out between Han-jun and Do-won after the former refuses to work with him, after which Do-won pulls out Joyce’s secret investors, and Han-jun has no other option but to agree to work with the prosecutor.

From the list, they figure out the names in the list and discuss whether they could’ve gotten such a huge amount of money. Do-won tries to figure out where the money originated from, while Jae-hui promises to look into finding more proof against Tae-su. Meanwhile, Jin-sang is heartbroken after not getting any replies from Han-jun until she finally does, sending his heart fluttering (or, at least, that’s what it looks like!)

Still From Cafe Minamdang Episode 11

 

At Minamdang, Han-jun manipulates Jin-sang into believing that an evil spirit is haunting his father, indicating it’s Tae-su. Hearing this, Jin-sang mentions that Tae-su takes orders from Auntie Im and that his father has kept Tae-su at his job. All the puzzle pieces start falling into place for Han-jun, who asks Jin-sang to perform an exorcism to get rid of the ‘evil spirit’. The exorcism, again, isn’t an ordinary one, and Jin-sang promises to give him 1.5 billion won for it. Of course, an ecstatic Han-jun agrees.

Afterwards, Han-jun and the team try to figure out how to find Auntie Im whereas Jae-hui and her team find out that Tae-su was in a firearm accident a few years ago. Meanwhile, Do-won puts his investigation on hold when he learns that Jae-hui is going to investigate something about Tae-su. After a rather interesting road trip, the witness tells them that Tae-su went missing after the firearm incident in the mountains, a fact that shocks everyone. Furthermore, Tae-su, apparently, isn’t Tae-su; his real name is Lim Yeong-ju.

 

So, just to recap – the real Tae-su died somewhere, and Lim Yeong-ju has taken on his identity. Thus, trying to get information on him is starting to get harder as the days pass. Meanwhile, at Minamdang, Han-jun and the team are hosting a ‘shaman convention’ to get to know everything they can about Auntie Im. The convention is a success, and Han-jun learns quite a lot about Auntie Im, especially that she murdered her Godmother.

Still From Cafe Minamdang Episode 11

 

A surprise dance performance at Minamdang later, news reaches Auntie Im that Han-jun has been digging up news about her She, however, isn’t very concerned and asks Tae-su to keep an eye on them and wait so that he can come out of his own volition. On the other hand, Do-won invites Jae-hui to a party which will feature the who’s who of the big bad world.

At the party, Han-jun comes face to face with a stunning Jae-hui and isn’t able to believe what he’s seeing. However, magical moments only last as long and after coming face-to-face with Min-gyeong and having an awkward reunion, she declares in front of Jin-sang, Jae-hui and Do-won that Han-jun is her fiancée. Han-jun immediately mentions that he turned that offer down.

An icy staring competition later, everyone scrambles to get in position as Cha Seung-won enters the party. As Do-won exchanges pleasantries with his brother and introduces Jae-hui, Han-jun comes flying in to stop them from interacting. After pouring champagne down Do-won’s suit, all three of them rush off to the bathroom while the remaining group talk about how Do-won was the first in line to the empire.

Cafe Minamdang Episode 11 Ending

Still From Cafe Minamdang Episode 11

 

Later on, in the party, Jae-hui is shocked to see Gu Tae-su, while Han-jun tries to find Auntie Im. The latter, meanwhile, also predicts that Han-jun is at the gathering and looks rather pleased when Tae-su confirms the fact – she mentions that it should be his last day on earth.

As Han-jun and Su-cheol serve them food, they put a bug under one of their plates. Auntie Im, recognising Han-jun, ‘predicts’ that he shouldn’t try to one-up those above him and later on, the two of them listen in on the bug where the guests at the ‘top’ table talk about Eun-hye and getting rid of Tae-su.

 

However, their little plot is caught on by Auntie Im, who gets rid of the bug and knocks the two of them unconscious.

In the epilogue, Do-won sees the entire last scene unfolding in front of him.

Cafe Minamdang Episode 11 Review

Still From Cafe Minamdang Episode 11

 

Cafe Minamdang episode 11 has reached quite a stale point in its runtime where the story doesn’t really move forward beyond a certain point.

The series, in spite of having some funny moments, stretches those points to a max, ruining any and all laughs that are generated from it. It’s redoing most of its funny moments and adding such unnecessary scenes in the runtime that don’t really add anything to it in any way. Like, I don’t care about the two extra cops who eat random mushrooms from the woods. It feels like a rather lame attempt to pad the runtime.

Coming to the mystery, Cafe Minamdang hasn’t really gone forward with the storyline apart from bringing Seung-won back and putting him up to be the main man to follow. The series is constantly adding new tricks that Han-jun plays on those around him as if they are idiots who don’t know his real identity when Jae-jeong’s death has been such a matter of controversy.

Now, these tricks and stuff might be amusing, but they don’t really push the story forward. And when it does, it’s just by just a little. Hopefully, in the next episode, things will pick up. But right now, I am honestly just waiting for the show to give us something shocking instead of constantly beating around the bush.