Hometown Flex: Episode 07 in Daejeon Recap
The fourth city on Hometown Flex is Daejeon, the key transportation hub for the entire nation. Daejeon is also the center of science and technology nicknamed the "Silicon Valley of Korea." But is Daejeon really known as a boring city? The Seoul bumpkins, Cha Tae Hyun and Lee Seung Gi, will be surprised as they discover the hidden charms of this unique city. The local representatives, comedian Kim Jun Ho, actress Han Da Gam, and golfing legend Pak Se Ri will bring all the energy and excitement. The fun train to Daejeon will depart on this episode!
The 4th Hometown: Daejeon
The meeting place for the opening is at EXPO Hanbit Tower, the observation deck and focal point of Taejon Expo '93. A world class star and pride of Daejeon, Pak Se Ri, is the first to arrive. Han Da Gam arrives shortly after and Kim Jun Ho swiftly runs over to greet the other locals with a 90-degree bow as he is the last to arrive. As they are chatting away, the Seoul bumpkins finally arrive. Jun Ho is happy to see his old friend Tae Hyun as they greet one another with the "nice to meet you" handshake from a popular 80s comedy skit (referenced in drama Reply 1988). A historical moment as the two are seen together in one shot after a year and a half since 2 Days & 1 Night.
Seung Gi mentions how the EXPO '93 was such big news that he visited as a kid with his family. 108 nations and 33 international organizations participated in the 3-month long expo attracting over 14 millions visitors to the city of Daejeon. This was the site where all the latest cutting-edge science projects were gathered at the time. The site is now known as the Daejeon Expo Park for the citizens to enjoy.
The members sit down and discuss how to address one another. Jun Ho says he is two years older than Se Ri but would like to casually refer to one another as "oppa and dongsaeng" like hometown friends. Se Ri quickly draws a line and rejects the idea of calling him "oppa" saying she will refer to him as Jun Ho-nim (with honorifics). Da Gam decides on calling Jun Ho "sunbaenim" with respect too instead of using "oppa." Jun Ho is flustered and wishes for them to be friendlier to him. Se Ri mentions how difficult it is to become friends with people from Daejeon. Da Gam agrees saying people do not easily open up here so it will take a long time to get close.
Seung Gi brings up the topic on how Daejeon has the impression of being "nojaem" (not fun). It even shows up as a keyword search string when you look up Daejeon online. Se Ri says Daejeon people rarely express feelings and tend to not exaggerate. Da Gam adds that the locals dislike those who act overdramatic. Jun Ho agrees while they look at him with confusion as if the screen was on pause. As a comedian, he is the most over the top person there but still says he dislikes those who are that style. Even he laughs about the irony.
Time to move to the next destination. Se Ri is in charge with the breakfast pick and replies with "health food" when asked if meat is on the menu. Se Ri takes the driver's seat and speeds off to the restaurant without waiting for the production crew.
Pak Se Ri's Local Food: Duck Suyuk at DOANDONG GAMNAMU JIP 도안동감나무집 유성본점
Se Ri tells everyone that this restaurant is really popular, famous for the boiled duck (ori suyuk 오리수육) and boiled chicken porridge (nurungji baeksuk 누룽지백숙). Jun Ho jokes that the menu sounds "very heavy" for breakfast. But it is 10:30am already so Se Ri rebuts saying it is lunch. The members enter the restaurant and sit down before the camera crew finishes setting up to film them.
After the camera crew finishes adjusting the white balance, the Seoul bumpkins asks about the game they will be playing for the food. The three guests look shocked. Tae Hyun jokingly asks if they have not watched the show as they should know by now. Se Ri is displeased and tells production to not joke around like that. Even though this is her restaurant recommendation, she may not be able to eat. Se Ri replies saying she will not allow that to happen.
A game is prepared to help people from Daejeon express emotions better: Expression Commandos. It is basically a game of relay charades with three players on each team. The Seoul bumpkins select a teammate from the crew and will compete against the Daejeon celebs. Rules of the game: The 1st player will see the phrase and act it out silently to the next. The 2nd player can talk and act it out for the 3rd player to guess the correct answer. The team with the most correct answers within 3 minutes wins the round. First team to win 2 rounds gets the duck suyuk.
Round 1 begins and each team randomly picks a set of phrases. Team Seoul goes first and luckily gets "sports" as the category. The other team thinks it will be too easy for them. As expected, Team Seoul shows perfect teamwork and easily breeze through the category getting 10 answers before the time is up.
Team Daejeon is up next but the category is "food" which will be difficult to act out. They discuss and come up with gestures in advance on how to describe food that will be spicy, hot, or cold. The first word is "gimbap" but Se Ri as the 2nd player blurts out the answer instead of passing it on to Da Gam to guess. Embarrassed by the mistake, Se Ri wants to start over but the round continues. Team Seoul is dying from laughter as they watch Jun Ho act out the phrases like a true comedian. Despite the effort, Team Daejeon only gets 3 right. Team Seoul leads 1:0.
Round 2 starts and the new category for Team Seoul is "people." They also come up with a strategy in advance to point downward if Korean and upward if foreigner. The first clue is "Lee Hyori" and Seung Gi does the dance move to "10 Minutes" while holding up 10 fingers as a hint. But their teammate did not figure it out and proceeds to pass on wrong information saying the name is 10 syllables. A difficult round as they finish with only 3 correct.
The category for Team Daejeon is "movies" and they are off to a rough start once again. Da Gam is the 2nd player this time but commits the exact same mistake as Se Ri did. Instead of describing the movie E.T. to the next player, she blurts out the answer. Jun Ho jokes that the audience will think people from Daejeon are all idiots and reminds her to please pass it on. He proceeds to act out Joker and Train to Busan bringing much laughter, proving he is the king of expressions. Too bad it was not enough to overtake Team Seoul who takes the final win.
The main dishes, duck suyuk and nurungji baeksuk, arrive! Team Seoul starts to enjoy the meal with a taste of the boiled chicken. They then proceed to make delicious wraps with the duck suyuk. Se Ri feels hungry from laughing so much. Luckily, the losing team is allowed to eat the nurungji porridge which is enough food to fill their stomachs. Se Ri advises them the best way to eat the duck is to add all of the vegetables together to make a wrap. Seung Gi and Tae Hyun follow her instructions despite feelings of doubt. The wrap ends up enormous! They stuff it into their mouths in one big bite. Da Gam is curious about the taste but Se Ri laughs saying they cannot taste anything. The guys have been fooled and Tae Hyun complains that all he can taste is grass.
For the Daejeon locals, the PD allows them a chance to get a taste of the duck suyuk with a first come, first served quiz. Those who give a correct answer wins a wrap. Jun Ho almost gets the answer to the first question. Close but wrong. Se Ri rides off of his guess and gets the correct answer. The two starts bickering as Jun Ho accuses her of stealing his answer. Se Ri quickly defends herself saying she had won fair and square as she proceeds to make a wrap. Da Gam gets the answer to the next question and wins a taste. As she describes the flavor, Jun Ho sneakily reaches over to steal a piece but Tae Hyun catches him in the act. In the end, Jun Ho gets to try the duck and they all share the meal together.
The Good Energy of Gyeryongsan
After lunch, the PD asks if the Daejeon locals have visited Gyeryongsan that is currently seen in the background. Not only is Gyeryongsan loved for its beauty, it is also regarded as a spiritual mountain that contains a lot of good "qi" where famous shamans will go to study the energy flow. People often say good things happen after they visit the mountain. A shaman who hikes Gyeryongsan to study energy makes a guest appearance today. He is able to read fate and will answer any questions the members may be curious about.
Jun Ho goes first and gives the shaman his birthdate as he nervously looks on. The shaman says Jun Ho is like a bonfire in the winter where his energy is low. His fate changes in the 6th year of every decade. At 46, his luck has changed and is now on an expressway without obstacles. However, he is warned to be careful of his actions as a celebrity and to stay away from anything legally, socially, or morally wrong. Mountains or places with a lot of trees will be beneficial to him. Jun Ho laments that he just moved to a new place with a river view.
Seung Gi then asks the shaman about the compatibility of Jun Ho and Se Ri who are always bickering. It turns out the two are perfectly compatible as Se Ri is like a big mountain. Se Ri smiles brightly as she hears that she has at least 25 more years of good fortune on the way. She can get married if she chooses to.
As for Da Gam, the shaman advises her to have a baby soon as she has great fortune with children. She is like a tree in the fall, like firewood so the three guests actually have really good chemistry together. After the fate telling, the members thank the shaman for his time as he bids goodbye.
Han Da Gam's Local Attraction: Expo Core 엑스포코아
Da Gam introduces this spot as somewhere they can stay at all day long. The mothers of Daejeon would come to experience what they cannot at other department stores. Expo Core is an retro style shopping center that is rarely found nowadays. Each stall is individually owned and operated. One can find everything from the latest fashion to miscellaneous household items to imported snacks. This place is still very popular with the locals. Se Ri's favorite is the downstairs basement restaurant area. The food is delicious and still maintains the vibe of the old days.
As they continue to walk around, Se Ri looks around to find her older sister's favorite store. The owner is so happy to see Se Ri and greets her with a warm hug. When Se Ri lived in America and could not buy Korean clothing, this is where her sister would get items to send to her. As this store brings back nice memories, production offers to gift Se Ri an item. However, she quickly picks out three items saying it is a set. In the end, they flex and agree to pay.
The members move upstairs and find a set up for another fan signing event. A popularity battle between the Seoul bumpkins vs Daejeon representatives. Se Ri asks if there is a prize and the PD agrees to buy the individual winner anything from this mall.
Citizens are randomly selected and enter one by one to introduce themselves. Team Seoul starts strong as Seung Gi works his charm. After the first 8 people, Seung Gi leads the individual battle with 4 requests. Meanwhile, Se Ri has 2, Tae Hyun and Da Gam each have 1, and Jun Ho is the only one still at 0. Seung Gi catches the next person looking at Jun Ho as she enters but she strongly denies it. After some push and pull, Jun Ho is her choice! He gets his first request and the two dramatically show fake tears as they meet bringing much laughter. The final score ties at 6:6 and Seung Gi is the individual MVP winner.
After picking out a prize gift, Seung Gi heads down to the basement floor with Se Ri to buy pumpkin sikhye (sweet rice drink) to share with everyone. While on the way to the next destination, they play Seung Gi's stunning cover of "Forbidden Love." Jun Ho amusingly lip syncs along and claims to feel out of breath trying to follow the high notes. It starts to rain outside as they put on a summer playlist of exciting songs to sing along with.
Han Da Gam's Pick: PUNGNYUGA 풍뉴가 at Soje-dong Cafe Street
Soje-dong was once a thriving railroad village during the 1920s-1930s where all the railway workers resided. In an effort to help revitalize the diminishing neighborhood, the area is currently undergoing redevelopment. The century old abandoned homes situated in the narrow alleys are being renovated into trendy cafes, restaurants, and shops. The frame and exteriors of the buildings are preserved to retain the retro sensibility. It has now become a hot place attracting many new visitors to this once forgotten neighborhood.
The members walk around to discover the hidden charms of the neighborhood. The cafe street is easy to miss but all you have to do is follow the aroma of the coffee beans. The pretty cafes will all show itself. Tucked away behind sweeping bamboo trees is Cafe Pungnyuga where the members will stop for a coffee break. Tae Hyun shows us a 360-degree view of the amazing ambience. Jun Ho did not know a place like this existed in Daejeon.
The cafe staff tells them the bamboo grove was originally here and not specially planted. Most of the building and the site is preserved for its nostalgic feels. The beautiful wooden beams holding up the roof frame is in its original form. It was a hidden gem that was revealed when the ceiling was removed and now serves as a main focal point of the interior design.
The members sit down and place their orders. Jun Ho asks for a sweet tea and Tae Hyun tells the staff to make it so sweet that it is undrinkable. Se Ri joins in on the teasing and says it needs to make his lips quiver. Jun Ho asks if there is bad blood between them. Their variety show chemistry is perfect as the two can bounce off one another taking jabs bringing a lot laughter.
Da Gam compares the passion fruit tea to a beautiful cocktail. After taking a photo, she tries the tea and thinks it is already pretty sweet. Jun Ho takes a sip of his extra sweet tea and jokes about feeling dizzy from the high amount of syrup. Meanwhile, Seung Gi and Se Ri go place the coffee orders according to their tastes. They are fascinated by the robot barista and watch as the coffee is brewed. Drawn by the scent of chocolate, they also place orders for a waffle and two cookies to enjoy along with their coffee. Arriving back at the table, they take a few group selfies to commemorate the special day.
The PD is keeping count and asks everyone their thoughts on whether or not Daejeon is indeed "nojaem" (boring) or "yujaem" (fun). Se Ri and Da Gam say it has been a lot of fun since the morning. Tae Hyun voices that it should be judged as a city and not only because of the people. While not at 100%, Seung Gi thinks Daejeon is about 50% fun so far but is really enjoying this place. Jun Ho then proceeds to kill the mood in the room with a bad pun about how they have peanut "jaem" on the table. He quickly apologizes as Tae Hyun blasts him for the bad joke. As Tae Hyun says, the people matter. Can Jun Ho redeem himself and will Daejeon be a fun place once again? The story in Daejeon continues on the next episode of Hometown Flex...
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