Cheat day

Baekban-ttara

It wasn’t long after getting on the 8 o’clock bus that I started to doze off.

There were other passengers inside, so I couldn’t make noise, and since I had to wake up at the crack of dawn and run around from the morning, I was quite exhausted and fell asleep quickly.

It took about three hours to arrive, but Gangneung in March was quite warm.

I used my smartphone to find the way and headed to the Central Seongnam Market in Gangneung.

“Hey, is the kalguksu good here?”

“When you think of Gangwon-do, you think of Jang Kalguksu, right?”

“Isn’t it super cheap here?”

“Where?”

Baek Woo-jin showed the smartphone.

It’s S restaurant, and they say a bowl of kalguksu costs only 3,000 won.

“Here it is.”

“Is it delicious?”

“Why do you keep asking me?” You would know if you had gone.

You seem to know a bit, don’t you? It has the vibe of a popular restaurant.

“I don’t know.” First, let’s go because it’s cheap. If it’s 3,000 won, even if it’s not tasty, it’s worth it.

“That’s true.”

I set the kalguksu restaurant near the entrance of Seongnam Market as my destination and walked for about 30 minutes.

There were two kalguksu restaurants on either side of the sign that read “Soreukgukbap Alley.”

Both places charge 3,000 won for a bowl of kalguksu.

“It’s super cheap here.”

“Right?” Where should we go?

“Let’s go to where there’s a seat.”

I stepped into the house I first found.

The inside of the restaurant was filled with the strong scent of an old establishment, and five out of the six four-person tables placed on the porch were occupied.

“What can I get you?”

The menu only has spicy noodle soup and regular noodle soup.

Since we’re in Gangneung, it would be better to have jang kalguksu instead of just kalguksu.

“Two servings of spicy knife-cut noodles, please.”

“Yes~ Two knives!”

After placing the order, Baek Woo-jin looked around and asked.

“What’s different about Jang Kalguksu?”

“It’s just kalguksu mixed with gochujang.” In the Yeongdong region, they use gochujang, while in the Yeongseo region, they say they use makjang or doenjang.

“Mm.”

Baek Woo-jin nodded.

Did you eat often? This is your hometown, right?

“Sometimes?” It seems like my parents’ generation eats a lot.

“I’m curious.” “Try it for the first time.”

“It’s not because it has a special taste that we eat it.” It’s just a feeling of having a cheap meal without any worries.

It’s not a food you must go all the way to Gangneung to eat, even though it’s incredibly delicious.

It feels like a lunch menu that the people living here choose comfortably.

However, like most regional dishes, it is also a food that allows you to fully appreciate the local characteristics.

The ordered spicy noodle soup came out quickly.

“Wow, a lot went in there.”

Even mul naengmyeon, it’s characteristic here to generously sprinkle it with seaweed flakes and sesame seeds.

Also, usually, Jang Kalguksu has a thick broth, but this place’s broth is on the clearer side.

“There’s a lot.”

Right. I will eat well.

The portion is quite substantial, so it seems like it will be filling for a meal.

After loosening the well-cooked noodles with chopsticks, I picked them up with a big scoop.

The steam rising gently carries the spicy scent of gochujang, making me feel like I’ve come home.

I blew on the noodles to cool them down and put them in my mouth.

The overly ripe side gently envelops the tongue.

It seems that the people eating at the market are older, so the food is well-cooked for easy digestion.

As someone who likes chewy noodles, it’s not to my taste.

The comfort of a hearty broth and perfectly cooked noodles, without being too spicy.

It’s a delicacy you can enjoy at the Gangneung market.

Hu. Hu.

Baek Woo-jin is also diligently blowing on the noodles and eating the spicy noodle soup.

He’s a guy who eats everything heartily.

“I haven’t had this kind of kalguksu in a really long time.” It feels like Grandma made it.

“Did the noodles get soggy?”

Yes. Not even counting. But I feel at ease.

“Here, it’s food we eat in our daily lives, so it shouldn’t be uncomfortable.”

“Okay. Kimchi is also delicious. Cabbage and napa cabbage are both in here.”

I also tasted the unique kimchi made with both cabbage and napa cabbage.

It seems like the kimchi is homemade here; it has a crunchy texture and is refreshing, making it perfect to eat with hot kalguksu.

Now that we’ve tasted the basic flavor, it’s time to add some pepper.

“Do you put pepper in kalguksu too?”

“Not putting it in?”

“Don’t you usually not put it in?”

“Try putting it in your mouth.” The taste is completely different.

When the pepper shaker was passed, Baek Woo-jin sprinkled pepper on the kalguksu without a second thought.

He mixes it quickly and then picks up the noodles, his eyes wide and nodding his head.

“Much more delicious.”

From then on, I also focused on my meal.

During the pre-meeting, PD Park Sang-cheol said that there was no need to go into detail about the taste of the food.

A video of a non-celebrity comfortably and naturally eating the local food that is typically consumed in the area.

I asked them to maintain that concept, so I finished my meal as usual without any pressure.

Whether it’s because I’ve been on a diet or because the portions here are large, I only had one bowl, but I feel full.

“Wow. I’m really full.”

“Exactly.” I couldn’t even finish half of the soup.

“For 3,000 won, this is really good.”

“Right.” If I lived here, I would have come here sometimes.

“Exactly.” These days, gimbap costs 3,000 won, so this is a steal.

People were lined up outside, so we couldn’t talk any longer and got up.

The store is small, the food comes out quickly, and there are many people waiting, so the turnover is fast.

Since it’s a place where they sell a lot of items at low prices, occupying a seat for a long time is inconsiderate.

I took out the envelope, paid 6,000 won for two bowls of knife-cut noodles, and headed outside.

I started walking aimlessly, thinking I might as well check out the market.

It wasn’t very crowded since it was a weekday, but the smell of food wafting from all around was making me feel dizzy.

“It’s squid sundae.”

At Baek Woo-jin’s words, I turned my head and saw a place selling squid sundae for 13,000 won.

“Do you like me?”

No. I haven’t tried it. “How about you?”

“I’m not really into it.”

“Why?”

“I’m sick of squid.”

Right now, squid aren’t being caught, but just 10 years ago, people were piling them up and eating them from the East Sea.

When I was in college, it was 10 for 10,000 won, and when I was younger, there were times when it was 20 for 10,000 won.

Since they were caught so much, I started to prefer octopus or cuttlefish over squid.

“Jjamppong mulhoe?”

I turned my head because it was a dish I had never heard of before.

“What is jjambbong mulhoe?”

“I don’t know either.” Boss, what is jjambbong mulhoe?

When I asked the person in front of the store, they told me that if you’re in Gangneung, you absolutely have to try it.

I was curious and wanted to try it, but I was too full and my budget was tight, so I couldn’t.

“Is Gangneung jjambbong famous?”

“Famous, right?” Gyo-dong Jjamppong.”

“Ah! Is this it?”

“Actually, I don’t know.” But they also sell things like jjambbong sundubu, and they have a lot of it.

“Right.” They’re even selling jjampong bread.

“What bread?”

“Jjamppong bread.”

Jjamppong and bread, really?

It’s a combination that makes you doubt your ears, but when Baek Woo-jin turned his head in the direction he pointed, they were indeed selling jjambbong bread.

Contrary to the image of jjamppong bread, it is a store with a quite modern interior and a blue sign.

“Really?”

“If I weren’t so full, I would try it.”

“Hey, you have to eat this.” How can you not eat this?

“You didn’t even eat the mulhoe earlier.”

“That’s because it was expensive.”

“You’re full, right?”

“하. You’re still far from becoming a pig. As long as you have the will to eat, you can eat anything.

“……Why do I feel like I did something wrong?”

“Because I made a mistake.” Let’s go.

There is a menu board standing in front of the store.

With the photos, I can roughly guess what the unfamiliar dishes might be like, but it’s just unexpected combinations like spicy jjampong bread, cheddar cream jjampong bread, and chili jjajang soboro.

“What should I eat?”

It seems that Baek Woo-jin is also troubled.

“Spicy jjambbong bread is probably going to be spicy.”

“Right?”

I haven’t seen a normal dish that includes the word “fire.”

“Boss, is the spicy jjambbong bread very spicy?”

“Yes. It’s a bit spicy.”

The boss replied with a slight smile.

If it’s that spicy, it really means it’s spicy, so as someone who can’t handle spice, I have no choice but to go with the cream jjambbong bread.

“I’ll give it a try.”

Baek Woo-jin snorted and said.

“How about the PD, the director, and the writer?”

“Us?”

When I asked PD Park Sang-cheol, the entire production team was puzzled.

“You’ve come all this way, you should try it.”

“We’re fine.”

Since there are five of us, we can each have one. “Choose one at a time.”

“That spicy jjambbong bread, please.”

“Me too.”

The cameraman and the writer spoke up decisively, and PD Park Sang-cheol also chose the cheddar cream jjambbong bread as if he had no other choice.

“Three spicy jjambbong buns and two cheddar creams, please.”

It’s not easy to pronounce this.

We ordered, each grabbed a piece of bread, and roughly settled down on a nearby bench.

The outside is a slightly thick and chewy bread, and the inside is filled with creamy filling.

When I split the bread open, the filling seemed about to overflow, and I was taken aback.

“It’s delicious.”

Baek Woo-jin nodded and was eating the jjampong bread when he made a sour face.

It seems that the spiciness is coming on late because of the bread.

“Water! Ah, water!”

“None.”

“Water!”

Baek Woo-jin’s funny hopping made me laugh for a long time, and then I went to a nearby convenience store to buy him some water.

I bought two bottles and gave one to the crew, so after deducting the fare for the return trip, I only have 3,000 won left.

Looking at the flustered Baek Woo-jin, the cheddar cream jjampong bread is thick and sweet, making me feel like I might get diabetes.

“…….”

Is it okay to eat this?

I got scared for a moment while inspecting the jjambbong bread, but then I just ate it.

Recently, my blood sugar levels have stabilized quite well, so I think it would be okay to consider it a cheat day.

“Hek. Hek. Ahh.”

Baek Woo-jin, who was just as much of a spice wimp as I was, finished the jjambong bread despite his suffering.

It seems that even though it’s spicy, it’s still delicious.

I can’t help but laugh.

“Sniffle.”

“What’s so funny?”

“You don’t know, do you?” You look really funny right now.

It’s so spicy that I can’t even argue back and just grimace.

“Is it that spicy?”

“Yes. But it’s delicious. How’s the cream?”

“Super thick.” Sweet. I think I’m going to get angry, what should I do?

“Why don’t you walk a bit?”

“Okay.” Let’s go check out the market some more.

“I don’t want to.” “Do you want to stay here?”

“We should go together.”

“No.” I overdid it. Walking, running, spicy.

“What’s that supposed to do?”

When I grab their wrist and pull them up, they have no choice but to walk slowly.

“Ah, this guy started exercising and his stamina has improved so much.”

“It’s strange that you have less than me.” You should exercise too.

Baek Woo-jin shakes his head vigorously.

“Do you know that?”

“What?”

In 1973, a bank hostage situation occurred in Sweden. At that time, a man named Jan Erik Olsson was holding four hostages.

“What kind of nonsense is that?” “Suddenly?”

“The police somehow managed to rescue the hostages, but the hostages told them not to hurt the perpetrator, Olson.” The hostage is defending the criminal. Isn’t it strange?

“Isn’t it Stockholm syndrome?”

“That’s right.” The reason it’s called Stockholm Syndrome is that the incident we just talked about happened in Stockholm.

“Why did that come up in this situation?”

“You’re saying I have Stockholm syndrome.” How much gaslighting must Ji-chan have done to make you say something like “just exercise a bit”?

“……Now that you mention it, I see.”

“I told you so.”