Hometown Flex: Episode 04 in Gwangju Recap
The story in Gwangju continues after last week's touching Hometown Flex reunion between Yunho and his middle school friends who have come to meet him. Cha Tae Hyun and Lee Seung Gi will need to recharge over dinner to keep the good energy going as the day is not over yet. The Gwangju local representatives, consisting of Hong Jin Young, Yunho, and baseball legend Kim Byung Hyun have a lot more prepared. A long night awaits the members filled with more delicious local food, more intense competition, and more fun!
Discover the Taste of Gwangju on Hometown Flex
It is time for dinner! Yunho and his friends are in another vehicle heading to the restaurant together to join the cast members for a taste of home. On the way, Jin Young goes on non-stop about how delicious and amazing the food is describing the nutty refreshing taste of the roasted perilla seed-based soup. A rejuvenating dish that will fuel you right up, it is oritang (duck stew)! Lean duck meat packed with nutrients is boiled to perfection for a hearty and rich stew. This dish is one of the top 5 local specialties in Gwangju!
Hong Jin Young & Yunho's Local Food: Duck Stew at YEONGMI ORITANG 영미오리탕
Perilla seeds or "magic powder" are often available on the tables in Gwangju. Jin Young says this powder makes a world of difference for the duck stew. She teaches the Seoul bumpkins how to make a proper dipping sauce for the duck meat by mixing together equal parts of perilla seeds and chojang. The oritang is served with a heaping pile of minari (water dropwort). Add a plentiful handful to the pot and allow it to boil until just slightly wilted. Yunho advises to just keep adding more even if you feel like there is no more room in the pot. The minari is so incredibly delicious with the thick stew that you can get full just eating it!
The Gwangju locals begin to dig in to the meal, enjoying a taste of home they have all missed so much. The Seoul bumpkins take a bite too, and Seung Gi is amazed by the incredible flavors. He says this is not something you can find in Seoul. Like medicine, he is feeling healthier already. Tae Hyun says the meat is so tender after being boiled for two hours and does not have a gamey odor at all. Byung Hyun smiles proudly seeing the two enjoying the food so much. The famous cuisine in Gwangju does not disappoint!
Jin Young's next tip recommendation is to fill a bowl about a third full with the soup and mix in some rice. Enjoy the first spoonful as is, but add on a piece of ripe kimchi to the next spoonful for an incredible combination. Yunho tells everyone to quickly eat up to recover their strength so that they can move on to the next schedule. Feeling drained by Yunho's perpetual energy, Tae Hyun jokingly tells Yunho to just go home.
Now that everyone has washed away the fatigue of the day with a hearty dinner, it is time to get moving to the next location. Feeling thankful, Yunho personally treats and pays for the meal. Friends are more valuable than anything to him. Before goodbyes, the friends each express a few words of gratitude for this chance to reunite again. Today felt like a big gift that brought back a lot of happy memories from their youth. Yunho feels grateful to the production team for making this happen and promises to fill up new pages of memories with his friends going forward.
Hong Jin Young's Local Food: Fried Chicken at YANGDONG TONGDAK 양동통닭
More food? Tae Hyun is shocked that they are now heading to Yangdong Market. He cannot possibly eat anymore as he is already so full from the oritang. After arriving at the market, Tae Hyun walks slowly lagging behind. Yunho pulls Tae Hyun along and promises the fried chicken will make his eyes go wide open once he tries it.
The owner happily greets Jin Young with a hug and thanks her for bringing Seung Gi along since she is a huge fan who has watched all of his dramas. Jin Young has known the owner for a long time as she has been coming to eat here since she was a child. This is a famous fried chicken place that everyone in Gwangju knows about!
They stay out front to watch the chicken get fried. Jin Young pulls off a small piece of the batter and tells Tae Hyun to just try a little bit. Surprised by the taste, his eyes do go wide open saying there is something different within the batter. Seung Gi bites into a piece too and quickly admits the fried chicken is indeed delicious!
They head inside the restaurant and find a blown up copy of Jin Young's former school records. While her parents wished for her to have a career in a professional field, Jin Young's dream since 9th grade was to become a singer. She practiced hard to learn Seoul accent through phone chatting in order to become a celebrity.
The fried chicken arrives and they begin to eat again like this was their first meal of the day, automatically reaching for the addictive taste. Seung Gi immediately apologizes for doubting the locals earlier, and says this chicken is on "another level!" Tae Hyun also quickly admits saying sorry. The dish is officially recognized!
Back to the conversation, Jin Young mentions how she never got the chance to receive proper lessons. She would always go to a coin karaoke near her house to practice singing on her own. There was a song that the girls liked to challenge, “Truth and Technique” by Kim Hyun Jung. An incredibly difficult song to sing but she practiced the song until she mastered all the crazy high notes. Jin Young challenges the song once again and everyone is amazed by her late-night performance. Not easy after a long day of continuously talking.
BK Singing Contest: Team Seoul vs Team Gwangju
Next up, a sign for the "BK Singing Contest" is unveiled. BK is the nickname of Byung Hyun who will be the MC of the event. The Seoul bumpkins will compete 1-on-1 with the Gwangju locals. The score will be decided by the app after the first verse of each song. The prize? The lucky winners can avoid the painful forehead flick punishment by Byung Hyun. The MC kicks off the event with a performance channeling rock legend Jeon In Kwon vibes.
Jin Young is the first participant choosing the fun and upbeat trot song "Amor Fati" by Kim Yeon Ja. She receives a high score of 84 points. Seung Gi is the challenger performing a powerful rock ballad "You Can Do It" by Kang San Eh. Despite singing flawlessly, he sadly receives a score of only 60 points from the app. Team Seoul lose Round 1 and each person will receive the forehead flick punishment from BK.
Round 2 begins and Tae Hyun pours everything out with the classic rock song "Lonely Night" by Boohwal. He gets the highest score of the night so far with 91 points! Yunho is the final participant choosing to perform his own song "Mirotic" by TVXQ. Team Seoul complains equating this to cheating. In the end, Yunho only receives a score of 85 points and Team Gwangju are the losers for this round.
Yunho decides to take both of the finger flick punishments for himself and for Jin Young. Yunho gets flustered as it is way more painful than he had anticipated. Tae Hyun teases him saying how fortunate he is to have BK's golden finger marks imprinted on his forehead now. A victory! The "BK Singing Contest" comes to an end with a tie.
A Good Night's Rest at Mudeung Park Hotel
The eventful day is finally coming to an end and they get moving to their accommodations for the night. In the car, Yunho continues to talk and wants to review the day while everyone else wants some peace and quiet to rest. Jin Young jokingly asks who will be sharing a room with Yunho and Seung Gi is the first to answer "not me!"
They arrive at the beautiful hotel on Mount Mudeung where you can see all of Gwangju. Jin Young will get her own suite while the guys will have to share twin rooms. It is announced that Yunho and Seung Gi will be roommates for the night and Tae Hyun gets up to thank the PD for the best decision of the day. Good night!
The second morning in Gwangju arrives and they begin the day with the positive energy from Mount Mudeung. As Yunho says, "let's have an even more meaningful day today!"
Kim Byung Hyun's Local Food: Jeollanam-do 12-Dish Meal at YOON YOUNG 윤영식당
Starting the mornings with a solid Korean meal is a must when in Gwangju. The breakfast choice is a local favorite where you get one delicious side dish after another, 12 dishes in total! Not much at all as the locals would say. The three main dishes on the menu are spicy stir-fried pork, braised silver pomfret, and cod soup.
But first the members will play the "First Come, First Served Morning Singing Contest" to win a taste of the food. A 3-on-3 match between Team Seoul versus Team Gwangju. Team Seoul picks a third teammate among the camera crew. The object of the game is to race to grab a spoon on the table after hearing the category given out by the PD and then singing lines from a song that matches. The entire team has to sing a correct song before the other team finishes to win the round. After each round, the winning team picks one of the three main dishes.
The category given for Round 1 is "animals" and Team Gwangju finishes first and picks the braised silver pomfret. For Round 2, the keyword is "summer" and Team Seoul wins, picking the cod soup. The final round is "color" and Team Gwangju wins the last dish of spicy stir-fried pork. Along with the 12 side dishes, there is more than enough for each team to enjoy a delicious and filling breakfast to start off the day.
History to Remember: 5.18 Gwangju Democratization Movement
The cast arrive at the Jeonil Building 245, located across the plaza from the former provincial government building. This is where history took place back in 1980, one that holds memories of a painful struggle. During the protests of the 5.18 Gwangju Uprising, this building was shot at from above heartlessly by a machine gun-mounted helicopter. A total of 245 bullet holes were later found during renovations marking the events of the past that have occurred. It is now designated as a historical site of the movement serving as a memorial hall and cultural center.
A special guest, Dr. Ihn Yo Han (John Linton) is invited on the show to share a personal account of the events that happened here. The great grandfather of Dr. Ihn was a missionary who came to Korea so the Linton family stayed and settled down in South Jeolla Province. Dr. Ihn was in his first year of medical school nearby when he got word of what was happening here from other students. The city was already barricaded by the military and he had to tell the biggest lie of his life claiming to be an employee of the US embassy in order to get in. He arrived at this site on May 25th, 1980 during the heart of the movement.
Dr. Ihn describe what he remembers of the scene where people filled up the entire plaza. A mother was on a stage to the right holding a mic, sobbing loudly and speaking of her son who was shot and killed. An American journalist, Andrew Nagorski, noticed he spoke Korean and asked if he can help translate. He agreed to help and within 20-30 minutes, an official press conference was held at the provincial government office. He translated for nearly 3 hours to the foreign press representing the voices of the citizens who were protesting.
After the press conference, he remembers telling the university student who was protecting him to please leave as his life will be in danger. The student responded telling him to not say such words as the people who are still here protecting the government building are people who have already lost friends or family. People who will stay to hold their ground until the very end. That was when Dr. Ihn himself truly understood.
The PD asks if the Gwangju Uprising is a taboo subject to talk about and Byung Hyun says it was difficult to bring up in the past. Yunho says the subject has become easier to discuss now as a result of films about the movement. The general public now understands more of what happened. It is an important piece of history to know about.
After learning about the roots of Gwangju, the locals bring the members to explore center of youth culture. It is the main street of downtown, Chungjang-ro Street.
Hong Jin Young's Local Food: GUNGJEON BAKERY 궁전제과 충장점
The main branch of Gungjeon Bakery first opened in 1973 and is considered to be one of the top 5 bakeries within the entire nation. It is a must-visit destination for those on a bread pilgrimage!
Yunho immediately looks for the signature "dinosaur eggs" bread, a hollowed-out baguette filled with crab and egg salad. Another popular item is the "butterfly pie," a sugary and flaky pastry. Dr. Ihn is old-school and requests for a "kkwabaegi," a twisted donut. After scanning the bakery, the members quickly fill up three trays full of pastries.
While enjoying the bread and pastries, the PD suggests a "Gwangju Nonsense Quiz" game. The loser will have to pay for the Hometown Flex coupons for this bakery to be given away to select viewers. Everyone is game!
Byung Hyun quickly gets the first question correct and exempts himself from paying. Jin Young is on the right path with the second question but Tae Hyun swoops in for a steal causing her to riot with the unfairness. Meanwhile, Dr. Ihn jokes about getting his credit card ready to pay as he has no clue. Seung Gi and Yunho gets the next two right so it comes down to Dr. Ihn vs Jin Young for the final quiz question. In the end, Jin Young loses! They wrap up and thank Dr. Ihn for his time today as he says goodbye.
For lunch, the PD asks the Gwangju locals if there is a particular restaurant that they all love nearby. They answer together on the count of three and simultaneously say “Yusaengchon!"
Gwangju Local Food: Old-Fashioned Tonkatsu at YUSAENGCHON 유생촌 본점
The locals all have very fond memories of this tonkatsu restaurant as it is a place that everyone in Gwangju knows about. This is where families go to celebrate special occasions like birthdays or graduations. Upon arriving, Byung Hyun says the atmosphere has completely changed and Jin Young agrees saying it was more like a western-style restaurant in the past. The restaurant has been moved to a new location and operates as an all-you-can-eat buffet now but the old menu is prepared for them by the staff.
The mushroom soup arrives first and Jin Young excitedly talks about how she would eat four bowls as you can get free refills even back in the day. Yunho and Byung Hyun both say this is exactly how they remember the smell and the taste. The old-fashioned tonkatsu arrives next and the Seoul bumpkins are amazed with the portion and all the side dishes. Jin Young says it looks almost exactly the same, very similar to how it was in the past.
Byung Hyun feels nostalgic as this place was a very special treat as a kid. He is smiling from ear to ear feeling like he has succeeded in life. The others ask why. It is because he feels happy to be back here at this restaurant again eating and filming with famous celebrities. Tae Hyun laughs at Byung Hyun for being silly as he is the most famous person here as a former Major League baseball star.
As this was a special place they only came to occasionally in the past, the PD tells the guests to please enjoy their meal. The Gwangju locals each takes a bite, savoring the taste from childhood they all remember so vividly. This is the success that they have worked so hard to earn and return to.
After the PD says they will be picking up the tab here for the Hometown Flex coupon giveaway, Tae Hyun says the members can play a simple game to pay for it. He suggests the "nunchi" game and quickly starts off standing up to call out 1. Byung Hyun and Jin Young catches on right away and calls out 2 and 3 respectively. Meanwhile, Seung Gi and Yunho are both caught off guard looking around. They both hesitate to call out 4 in order to not overlap and lose. Seung Gi finally stands to call out 4 and Yunho is the last person to remain seated.
Now that they are well-fed with a full stomach, Tae Hyun is feeling anxious as Yunho begins to bring up the subject of the finale. Will they be heading toward the mountains? Yes!
Yunho's Memorable Place: Mount Mudeung
The rain suddenly stops as they arrive at Mount Mudeung. When asked how long it will take, Yunho says less than 2 hours which really means a 4-5 hour journey round trip. The members are dumbfounded thinking Yunho is crazy but he is feeling really proud to see them all united as a team with the same kind of energy. Production cannot say no to Yunho who is so passionate about going but the weather conditions is a bit unfavorable today. The members have a glimmer of hope...
The game is to beat Yunho! It will be a 1-on-1 match to earn an exemption from the mountain hike. Those who can win against Yunho may immediately leave. Their vehicles are already here waiting to bring them back to Seoul.
Each team gets to choose and write down two games they are good at. The production team will come up with two more for a total of 6 games to pick from. Yunho writes down "gonggi" and "long jump" while the staff writes "ddakji" and "staring contest." The four sneakily conspire and writes down quiz questions as a game where they can come up with the answer in advance. Each person will randomly select a game to play against Yunho.
Seung Gi goes first and smiles as the question is read out to name 5 movies in 5 seconds that have received over 10 million admissions. It is his game! He quickly lists out the movie titles that were memorized. Correct! Yunho did not even have time to think. Seung Gi celebrates his successful escape from the mountain with a victory lap!
He may now get in his car to leave but wants to stay a bit longer to watch the results...
Jin Young is up next and asks Seung Gi to help pick one for her. It happens to be their game again! She is ecstatic and jumps around dying with laughter. The other guys accuse Seung Gi of secretly marking up the papers to cheat but swears he did not pull any tricks. The question is to calculate the total number of members TVXQ + BTS - SES + TWICE. Jin Young quickly answers with the pre-calculated number of 15. Correct!
Despite the games not being fair, Yunho quickly acknowledges his defeat and accepts the results.
Byung Hyun is next and picks the "ddakji" game. The rules are simple. Simply throw your folded ddakji tile and flip over your opponent's tile to win. BK wins rock paper scissors and gets to throw first. Despite his shoulder pain, he uses and sacrifices his right arm in an attempt to not go hiking but the tile does not flip. Yunho charges up with the energy from Mount Mudeung but completely misses his throw. Round 2 starts and BK hits the tile accurately but it does not flip over again. Yunho flips BK's tile on his next throw and wins! BK will be joining Yunho on the hike!
Tae Hyun is final person and slaps himself to prepare for the competition. He picks out the game "gonggi" which is what Yunho wrote down. The object of the game is to toss and catch the most stones. Yunho easily wins the game thanks to Tae Hyun's untimely hand cramp at a crucial moment!
Seung Gi and Jin Young say goodbye to the losing members telling them to enjoy the hike. Yunho feels honored to be going hiking with his two hyungs. Let's get going!
Mount Mudeung is completely shrouded in fog as they slowly make their way up the mountain. Tae Hyun begins to complain asking what they are suppose to look at as there are no views anywhere. It is quite a shame the weather is so bad today as the view is spectacular on a clear day. Yunho's original intention is to reach the viewpoint at the peak where you can see the entire city and shout out their goals for the rest of 2020.
Not giving up halfway, the guys eventually reach Jungbong Peak that is at 915m above sea level. One by one, the guys share their mid-year goals and wishes for the rest of 2020. Byung Hyun is living the second chapter of his life as an entertainer and hopes that everything will work out smoothly going forward. Tae Hyun express good feelings regarding this new program, and has no doubt the viewers will enjoy it thanks to the wonderful guests. Yunho says he will take on upcoming new challenges as well but most importantly he wants to meet and do this again!
Tae Hyun wants Yunho to stop talking about another hike and quickly covers up his mouth. The episode ends with Yunho's signature pose channeling the good energy of Mount Mudeung! See you next week on Hometown Flex~
Comments
Post a Comment