Lee Seung-gi, the new groom who married Lee Da-in, told how he struggled to capture the tastes of foreigners.
'Brothers Ramen', which will be aired for the first time on the 22nd, features Kang Ho-dong, Lee Seung-gi, and Bae In-hyuk opening a 'ramen shop' in a famous tourist destination in Japan, offering various variations of ramen containing the taste of Korea, and introducing K-ramen to Japan, which is accustomed to ramen. A program that aims to inform the public.
In relation to this, Lee Seung-gi, who plays the strong second brother in 'Brother Ramen', gave a 10-question, 10-answer interview in which he revealed his love and pride for K-Ramen.
Q1. Is there a reason why you decided to appear in ‘If Brothers’?
Above all, I was very excited to reunite with Hodong. Isn’t one of the great things about my brother being ‘Teacher Yukbong’? I decided to join because I thought I could do a lot of fighting. In fact, my knowledge of cooking and understanding of ramen are not top tier, so I had a lot of concerns about whether to view this as an entertainment show or a documentary, but I decided that with the direction of Kang Ho-dong, anything would work if I do it with Ho-dong.
Q2. So far, he has shown a variety of charms in entertainment. However, I don't think you've ever appeared in a taste show. Was there a particular reason why you didn't do a taste show?
I am quite sincere about taste and food. So I couldn't make up my mind easily. Because food is the domain of professionals, I was worried that I might ruin the food in the midst of all the confusion. However, this time, I took on the challenge with the mindset that I could have fun cooking as it was based on the theme of bag ramen, which is the most familiar to all of our people and is something that even people who can't cook can cook as long as they know how to turn on the gas stove.
Q3. It was your first time appearing on the taste variety show 'Brother Ramen'. Unlike previous programs, what were some of the difficulties you faced? Also, do you enjoy eating ramen on a daily basis, and do you have any thoughts on ramen in particular?
First of all, the schedule was tight. In particular, since we were dealing with people who were actually paying, everything from preparing ingredients to thinking about recipes was done in real life, so the pressure was a bit strong. As we raised the slogan, ‘A bowl of irresistible food,’ we worked hard to keep it. Although I can't eat ramen often due to maintenance, my theory is that 'perilla leaves should be added to ramen.'
Q4. The concept of ‘Brothers Ramen’ is that three brothers run a ramen shop. What positions did you mainly play, and secondly, what efforts did you make to strengthen the brotherhood among the brothers?
I did both cooking and serving customers. Since Hodong was in charge of the kitchen and Inhyeok was in charge of the hall, I mainly played the role of staying alert, understanding the situation, and conveying the message. Also, in order to strengthen the friendship between the three brothers, the role of the second brother is important. Every night, they set up a neat place to drink a glass of labor liquor, and checked the accommodation to see if anything was lacking, and looked after the two.
Q5. How was your chemistry with the ‘Brother Ramen’ members?
Although this is our first program together in 7 years, the chemistry with Hodong hyung is still so much that it hurts to talk about it. This time, Inhyuk’s discovery was really fun and fresh. He's such a funny friend. I don’t know how many times I laughed out loud because of Inhyuk. He is sincere, full of sense, and has a charm that does not reveal himself, but his talent shines through.
Q6. ‘Brother Ramen’ is a program that is meaningful in spreading Korean ramen in Japan, the home of ramen. K-Ramen has already become a representative Korean food that is receiving a lot of attention overseas. What was the local reaction like in Japan?
The response was really better than I expected. Everyone enjoyed it except for the opinion that it was a bit spicy. In particular, Jjajang Ramen (Chapagetti) received a shockingly good response.
Q7. As an original Korean Wave star, he once showed off his Japanese skills on ‘All The Butlers.’ As 'Brother Ramen' was filmed in Japan, did you demonstrate your Japanese skills this time as well? What episode was there?
I know how to speak Japanese, but since I'm a beginner, I couldn't explain everything in detail. But I think that's why I smiled more and actively communicated with customers in a more friendly manner. For the broadcast, we did it in Korean, and then immediately followed it up with an on-site version in Japanese, but while we were doing it, we were like, 'Is this right?' It was so unnatural that I felt like I was missing something. As it was completely realistic, it was a choice I had no choice since there was no interpreter in the restaurant, but I was proud of it.
Q8. How did you spend your time or on your days off after running the 'Brother Ramen' store?
It was a sweet time for us to end the day with the three brothers having a drink after work. Other than that, I set out to promote Korean ramen without any days off. They even sold lunch on the day of departure. We worked so hard, so I hope you enjoy watching it.
Q9. What are the highlights of ‘Brother Ramen’ that viewers can look forward to?
I also don't know how it will turn out with Hodong, whom I haven't seen in a long time, but I hope many people will be happy to see it as it is a reunion after 7 years. And be sure to hold on during the live broadcast! I recommend that you endure it with a strong will and eat ramen the next day.
Q10. Lastly, what are your aspirations for ‘Brother Ramen’?
I saw the greatness of Korea’s bag ramen. I was so used to it that I didn't feel anything special, but I was surprised by the ability of bag ramen to completely transform depending on what ingredients it was combined with. If nothing else, I worked really hard. Of all the broadcasts I've done so far, I think this is the one with the most humor. I hope you can relieve your Monday sickness a little bit through the ramen story of the three sweaty, confused brothers.
The production team said, “As this is Lee Seung-gi’s first attempt at a cooking show, he worked really hard and did his best more than anyone else.” They added, “We ask for your interest in ‘Brother Ramen,’ where you can fully feel the process of Lee Seung-gi’s passionate passion and effort in cooking ramen.” “I give it to you,” he said.
‘Brother Ramen’ will premiere at 10 PM on the 22nd.
Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr