Wednesday Gourmet (Wednesday Food Talk / 수요미식회)

Welcome to the 189th episode of Wednesday Food Talk.

Welcome.

Right. They will share delicious stories with us.

She's an actress who blows away the stress of many housewives.

She's the ever-charming, Go Eun Mi.

It's nice to see you. - It's nice to see you.

On variety shows, he eats very well...

and shows unique acting skills on dramas. He's Chansung of 2PM.

Chansung. - Hello.

She's getting lots of love by her morning dramas.

But you have a 3-year-old and a 2-year-old.

You must be busy taking care of them and working at the same time.

Are there any foods you crave when you get stressed out?

I'm used to eating spicy foods...

whenever I get stressed out.

I like noodles like jjamppong.

If there are levels for the spiciness,

I would probably choose the most spiciest one.

I don't even drink a glass of water when I eat it.

You need to blow off your lid, right?

Right. - Right?

But when I see Chansung on eating shows,

I could see that you aren't acting but enjoying the food.

I love eating so much...

that I really lose my mind when I have something delicious.

Well, I tell myself that I should eat less...

and keep thinking about it. But when I come to my senses,

I have already finished the dish.

What is your favorite food?

I have no such thing. - Do you eat everything?

I like almost everything.

Are you sure you can actually taste things?

I taste things too well.

Do you? - Yes. I have a sensitive palate.

So I like pretty much anything.

2PM members are aware of this too. When I say something is not good,

it means it really tastes bad.

Really bad. - If Chansung says it is, it is.

Let's get started...

with today's Wednesday Food Talk.

Where the vintage buildings...

and stylish cafes coexist.

We're going to the soulful alleyways...

in Euljiro.

Euljiro refers to the street starting from the west in Jung-gu...

to City Hall continuing east towards Euljiro 7-ga...

through to Dongdaemun History and Culture Park.

Right. - Along with Jongno,

Cheonggyecheon-ro, and Toegye-ro, Euljiro is at the heart of Seoul...

as a commerce and business district.

I know Euljiro is one of Dong Yeob's favorite areas,

but it has become a hot place...

as more people started visiting recently.

Before, it was... - I didn't know it was so popular.

What Euljiro used to be before...

is completely different from what it is now.

I went to schools...

in the Jongno area.

Of course, I wasn't too keen on going to...

famous restaurants or anything,

but back then, Euljiro was famous for...

the alleyways of print shops and hardware stores.

Recently, the place has turned into an attractive place.

Its popularity does seem recent.

I went to schools in the Seodaemun area.

I used to walk from Seodaemun to Gwanghwamun...

and Gwanghwamun to Myeong-dong when the weather was nice.

But I didn't go to Euljiro,

because the area was perceived to be reserved for businessmen...

for some reason. - Right.

It was a sanctuary for old men.

For some reason. - Do we need to protect old men?

Why should we protect old men?

Old men can be fragile. - Can they?

They could get easily hurt.

I didn't know you were so soft-hearted.

A sanctuary for old men. - Right.

It felt like I shouldn't go. It'd be uncomfortable for both parties.

I thought I had to get a job first before going to Euljiro.

That's the thought I had. - That's right.

Yes.

These alleyways were formed a long time ago.

After the Korean War, they began to develop this area.

With the growth of industry...

and the supplies from the American troops,

like metals and skills,

With all these things...

Metal is very important in relation to economic growth.

There is no industrialization without metal.

To support industrialization things were manufactured here.

Some even said if you ordered a tank in Cheongyecheon,

they would be able to make it.

People used to say it.

It's not true, but that's how skilled the technicians were,

and their contribution was immense.

That's what our history tells us.

The remaining workshops here...

are like the sites of industrial heritage.

You can take a look around...

and see how Korea has developed over the years.

It's a compressed example of the past and present.

Here in the older alleys in Euljiro,

you can find a lot of old establishments.

These old establishments are restaurants that are decades old.

There are less than 10 restaurants...

that were built in the 70s and 80s in Korea.

They are rare.

This sure is an old restaurant.

Even the signs are worn in.

They sell the traditional style rice wine.

It's only sold during the winter.

Oh, my.

Gosh. This place is very...

I'm sure they have fed everyone in this alley.

What should I have? There is so many to choose from.

Doenjang stew is only 5 dollars.

It's made with domestic beans.

Kimchi stew is also 5 dollars.

It's hard to see these prices in Seoul these days.

Especially if the restaurant is at the city center.

I'll have the webfoot octopus dish as it's famous here.

Ma'am. - Yes?

May I have the webfoot octopus dish please?

Sure.

I can see they are of high quality. They look very fresh.

It doesn't take long to cook.

Cephalopods like squid and octopus...

don't take long to cook.

It's spicy.

Operating machines...

and working in dust...

would surely make them crave something spicy.

Euljiro is usually full of those who wear shirts...

and neckties.

Businessmen...

and the merchants in the Euljiro and Cheongyecheon area,

who lived here for a long time.

This is the commerce and business district.

These alleyways and stores have been here...

since the late Joseon period.

They have put on the new faces.

What used to be cottages changed to slate buildings,

and they stayed that way until now.

It is also a historic district,

full of things to reserve and cherish.

I looked around the legendary shops and restaurants.

Now, I'll look for the places to rest.

There are a lot of hidden places where you can rest after lunch.

Most of them don't exist anymore, but I'll show you the ones that do.

Gosh.

On this side, it's full of hardware stores.

Tools and equipment are sold here.

Aside from hardware stores,

there were a lot of cafes here as this was a business district.

I see an old cafe here.

It still has the atmosphere of the old days.

It's all the more meaningful because they haven't changed much.

I should have a cup of tea.

Thinking about the old days.

May I have some ssanghwa tea?

Do you serve it? - Yes.

Do you put the egg yolk in it too? - Of course.

When people had...

herbal tonics to restore health...

and eat healthy foods to rejuvenate,

this ssanghwa tea was one of them.

People drank this tea for better health.

Then this became a cafe menu.

Cafe isn't a traditional culture of ours.

This tea was added as cafes were localized.

Let me have a sip,

leaving the yolk on the side to cook it a little.

There are pieces of pine nuts and dates.

I think that people used to drink...

to appease their hunger at cafes...

with ssanghwa tea and Job's tears tea.

Drinking those teas made the hunger go away for a while.

In the winter,

when it's freezing outside. I think it was colder back then.

It was so cold that even the smell of gas...

used for the heater gave me comfort when I stepped in.

It gave me comfort and relief.

It made my frozen heart melt too.

That's how it felt when stepping into the cafes.

The sentimental value of cafes...