Wednesday Gourmet (Wednesday Food Talk / 수요미식회)

Welcome to the 193rd episode of Wednesday Food Talk.

Today's topic is...

the biggest traditional market with 600 years of history...

and a place that reflects the life of commoners.

With various attractions and abundant food,

this gourmet paradise has become...

the top tourist attraction in Korea.

My heart races even just by hearing the name.

It's Namdaemun Market.

There will be so much to talk about.

Jung Eun Pyo has a special tie...

with Namdaemun Market,

so we invited him...

even though he's busy.

What's your connection with it?

Namdaemun Market is...

a valuable place...

that helped me survive...

when I had the toughest times.

When I was acting in Daehangno after graduating university,

I couldn't eke out my living with my pay,

so I delivered coffee in Namdaemun night market...

from 12am to 8am in the morning.

It was when Namdaemun Market was at its best.

It was amazing in the old days. - If you go at 11pm or 12am,

it was super packed.

In the big crowd,

I delivered coffee for three years.

You were the tray boy. - Yes.

I delivered about 20 coffee in paper cups...

on a tray.

You need a skill for that. When I was on delivery,

if I hold it in front of me, I'd spill everything due to the crowd.

So my body always heads first and the coffee follows.

As I pushed people. I didn't even spill a drop.

It was very...

Actually...

before the debut,

I worked there for about two months.

That place sold bags.

I only worked for two months,

but I made so much money.

I thought about quitting school.

I thought about working there. - It wasn't a tough story.

There was a twist. He made so much money.

It was about whether he should debut or not.

Customers didn't know about this. If I sold this bag,

whoever sold it got a commission.

The bags that were many in stock.

So every time there was a customer, I approached them.

I got the most commission as a part-timer.

Other colleagues looked at me like I was weird.

I remember doing that.

Did you work in the daytime? - Yes, I did.

Young Mi's in a girl group, Celeb Five.

I'm still a rookie.

They're still a rookie girl group.

Celeb Five was born in Namdaemun Market?

We have a unique costume.

Such as sparkling jackets...

and fans.

We bought the fabric in Namdaemun Market...

and made it ourselves.

Right.

So now when I hear Namdaemun Market,

I think of a place that sells...

unique costumes.

People say you can find everything.

Right.

Does Sam have any ties...

with Namdaemun Market?

Maybe he doesn't. - He's making one up now.

It looks like he's making one up now.

Because he should be listening when others were talking,

but he was going like this.

It seemed he was thinking about something.

Are you trying to make it up?

Honestly, now that I thought about it, I have one.

There are many optical stores.

It costs 300 to 400 dollars...

to buy a pair of glasses in Australia.

But if you go to Namdaemun Market in Korea,

you can find a pair for 10 or 20 dollars.

My mother makes the most out of it.

She buys 5, 6 pairs... - She buys glasses there.

before going back to Australia. - Right.

She makes the most out of it. - It's worth it.

A Young's in the young generation relatively.

Relatively.

She'd be considered the oldest in other groups.

But she is young here. - Only in here.

People don't even go to a store for grocery shopping now.

They all order online. - Right. It's delivered.

You can buy something without any conversation,

and it's delivered to your house.

But when I went to Namdaemun Market this time, it was crowded.

It was very nice to hear, "Try this."

"Come to this restaurant." "I'll give you a discount."

My favorite was the ladies who deliver food.

They're amazing. - They still do it.

They have an amazing skill.

They have one on their heads and on their hands.

They walk faster than me.

They should be on Guinness. They have an amazing skill.

The fact that they can go through the crowd...

requires an amazing technique.

This time, let's talk about...

street food...

that you can never pass.

When the weather is cold like now,

those steaming dumplings.

You don't even need to have it,

but just by seeing it... - Yes, that smell.

The smell warms you up. - You put your face above it.

Yes, and...

And there are twisted donuts with lots of sugar sprinkled.

Yes! - Twisted donuts.

My gosh. - And...

a sip of hot fish cake soup.

We love all the food...

sold at the market. - You're right.

A Young is a gourmand...

so I'm sure it was hard for her...

to just pass by without eating.

Of course. I think it's a sin to not eat anything there.

I think it's inhumane if you don't.

All the foods are delicious, but I think the best one...

at Namdaemun Market is hotteok.

Hotteok. - I think it's the best.

When you take a bite of it, you need to burn your mouth a bit.

It's the courtesy. - You always burn the palate.

You know it's hot, but you can't stop eating it.

The fun of eating hotteok is when you brush your palate...

with your tongue to take out the dead skin...

Yes, that's true. - after you finish eating.

Right? - Yes.

I love hotteok too. - Your palate.

When my wife was pregnant,

she wanted some hotteok, so just to buy it for her,

I went to Namdaemun all the way from Ilsan.

That far? - Yes.

Even now... - They must sell it in Ilsan too.

No, it had to be the specific one.

The vegetable hotteok... - I see.

by the exit number two. - I know what it is.

I go there just for the hotteok.

I used to go to Namdaemun...

from Gwacheon just to eat it.

From Gwacheon?

We should meet there some time. - It's so good.

Yes.

I think I'll see you there. - The vegetable hotteok is great.

It's the best.

Look at the line.

There weren't that many people before,

but now... - The line is long.

This is the hotteok you need to line up for.

It's quite big, and it's almost deep-fried.

They roll it in oil. - I've never had this before.

Isn't hotteok usually flat with sugar inside?

Yes.

Have you been working here for 15 years?

Yes, on this same spot.

That's amazing. You kept this spot for so long.

The vendors at Namdaemun Market have been here for 40 to 50 years.

I'm the youngest here.

Are you? - Yes.

You've been here for 15 years, but you're the youngest.

The history here is incredible.

It's definitely worth the wait. - Yes.

Dumplings are here. Please stand back a little.

The steam is very hot.

Look at this steam.

It smells so good.

I think the smell of this steam...

makes you...

feel like you are smelling the taste of a real life.

This tastes just like the traditional dumplings.

What do you mean exactly?

It's nothing special.