Jun Hyun-moo & Kwak Tube Conquer Asan's Hidden Gems with TVXQ's Changmin
Broadcaster Jun Hyun-moo and travel creator Kwak Tube, also known as Kwak Jun-bin, showcased their 'food trip master' skills by meticulously selecting and visiting hidden culinary gems in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, accompanied by the 'passion icon' Max Changmin from TVXQ.
In the fourth episode of MBN and Channel S's 'Jun Hyun-moo's Plan 3,' aired on the 7th, Jun Hyun-moo and Kwak Tube embarked on a culinary journey through Asan, referred to as the '66th roadside,' with Max Changmin. They savored a diverse range of flavors, from perilla oil sujebi recommended by viewers to the renowned 'Yangpun Dongtae Seokkeotang' (mixed pollack stew in a pot) that has captivated Asan, and a 'Korean beef omakase' restaurant famous for its 'deboning show.' Their adventure offered viewers fresh insights and healing through delicious food.
The duo met at Asan's landmark, 'Sinjeong Lake Park,' and declared their mission to conquer all tastes, from traditional 'ajae' (middle-aged man) cuisine to MZ generation hotspots. Jun Hyun-moo emphasized the 'viewer-recommended' plan for their first meal in Asan, stating, 'The quality of viewer submissions is different.' They headed to a perilla oil sujebi restaurant, where they indulged in seafood kalguksu, spicy kalguksu, and perilla oil sujebi, unleashing their happiness potential. Jun Hyun-moo declared the perilla oil sujebi his 'one pick,' while Kwak Tube favored the spicy kalguksu.
After their hearty first meal, they met with the 'passion icon,' Max Changmin, and moved to a restaurant famous for its 'Yangpun Dongtae Seokkeotang,' which is also popular among the older generation. During the impromptu journey to the restaurant, Changmin shared, 'I'm a P-type (perfectionist/planner). I get anxious if I don't pack for overseas trips in advance.' In contrast, the 'P-types' (spontaneous) Jun Hyun-moo and Kwak Tube joked, 'I have over 15 portable chargers. I always buy them on trips!' The trio then marveled at the 'mixed pollack stew' featuring pollack, roe, and swim bladder, expressing genuine admiration. Jun Hyun-moo, observing Changmin's enthusiastic eating, asked, 'Your mother must be a great cook,' to which Changmin replied, 'She is, as she's the eldest son's wife and has a generous hand.' He added, 'My parents often come up from Gwangju to cook for me. Recently, they even brought me dried yellow croakers,' eliciting envy from everyone.
In a heartwarming atmosphere, Jun Hyun-moo announced, 'The next dish is tailor-made for Changmin. A beef restaurant!' They headed to a special 'Korean beef omakase' in Asan. Upon entering, they were astonished by the sight of the 'perilla leaf and beef short rib bone grill' on a customer's table, exclaiming, 'What is this?' The surprise continued when the female owner, a former national field hockey player, appeared carrying a 37kg side of beef ribs on her shoulder, prompting another round of 'What is this?' The shock didn't end there. The owner, with energy that even surprised 'passion icon' Changmin, performed a 'deboning show' and then sliced a plate of 'chuck flap tail yukhoe' (raw beef). Jun Hyun-moo remarked, 'I've been to many places, but I've never seen anything like this,' his eyes widening, while Kwak Tube praised, 'The concept is so unique!'
For their second course, they were served the visually stunning 'perilla leaf and beef short rib bone grill' along with thinly sliced chuck flap tail and short plate steak, grilled on one side of the plate. Tasting it, Jun Hyun-moo exclaimed, 'The juice is insane!' invoking Changmin's popular meme. Changmin responded with, 'Only you know the good stuff~', displaying his 'clear-eyed crazy' persona. The third course was a hearty Korean beef short rib stew, with Kwak Tube exclaiming about the enormous size of the ribs, 'This looks like something out of a comic book!' The fourth was a slow-cooked calf knee soup. Changmin reminisced, 'My mother used to make bone broth like water when I was young.' Kwak Tube quipped, 'That's why you're so good at the joint dance!' eliciting laughter. Finally, a 'Korean beef ramen' cooked in the stew broth appeared, and the three devoured it as if rebooted, adding to the surprise. Having thoroughly enjoyed their Asan food tour, Jun Hyun-moo and Kwak Tube set their sights on Sangju for the first installment of their 'Gyeongsang Province Small Town Special,' raising anticipation for future episodes.
Netizens who watched the broadcast showed enthusiastic reactions such as "Changmin eats so well!", "I didn't know there were such hidden gems in Asan", "I look forward to who will appear next with the Jun Hyun-moo-Kwak Tube combination", and "The deboning show was amazing!", expressing their anticipation for the program.