K-foodie meets J-foodie - A Tastier Exchange (2025)

Drinking culture is explored at length in this tasty tour of local flavors. Sapporo calls for parfaits after drinking, while Korea has morning soup.

In Hokkaido, a ramen dish has a hold on Matsushige. The foodies can’t get enough of its gingery broth! But this may be their last time to enjoy it.

Just minutes from North Korea, in the Demilitarized Zone, is Jangdan Soybeans village. Its delicious, savory dishes cause tension between the foodies.

In Asahikawa, a renowned sumo family runs a Chanko Nabe restaurant that serves a tower of ingredients — the likes of which Matsushige has never seen.

Matsushige is taken by the culinary treasures that this luxurious Korean restaurant has to offer: sinseollo, yukjeon, bulgogi and buckwheat noodles.

All the taxi drivers in Busan rave about this secret spot. Si-kyung can’t stop himself from gorging on its hairtail dishes, be it grilled or stewed.

Today’s gamjatang is enough to impress Si-kyung. He offers a bite to Matsushige, who gets a full-course meal of meat, fried rice and vegetables.

At Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market, the foodies scout for fresh hoe. Matsushige tries bone-in hoe for the first time. A special dish follows.

The foodies visit Namhansanseong to savor baeksuk. Between sips of savory, restorative broth, Matsushige learns about three kinds of chicken soups.

Foodies delight over famous cold desserts from Korea and Japan, such as Hokkaido soft ice cream and snowflake patbingsu drizzled in condensed milk.

The foodies meet in Busan to savor pork soup and handmade sundae. CEOs are known to sup at this delectable spot! Matsushige and Si-kyung are besotted.

In Asahikawa, the foodies discuss the joys of sharing good food over grilled morsels of shinkoyaki. For once, Matsushige joins Si-kyung with a drink.