In ‘The Jeon Hyun-moo Plan 2’, Lee Bong-won showcased a delightful eating trip with Jeon Hyun-moo and Kwak Tube, featuring a lively mukbang and unfiltered talk.
In the 13th episode of the full-fledged real street food documentary ‘The Jeon Hyun-moo Plan 2’ (co-produced by MBN and Channel S), ‘Mukbro’ Jeon Hyun-moo and Kwak Tube (Kwak Jun-bin) embarked on a food trip to find delicious restaurants in Cheonan and Gongju with ‘taste expert’ comedian Lee Bong-won, who is the CEO of a jjambbong restaurant.
They visited the famous Cheonan delicacies, including Byeongcheon Sundae and walnut cookies, as well as discovering the original place of ‘MZ food’ Kimpi-tang in Gongju and welcoming a special soup chosen by Park Chan-ho, completing their premium ‘taste map’. Lee Bong-won candidly shared behind-the-scenes stories of his ‘sixth attempt, seventh failure’ business ventures and his love story with his wife Park Mi-sun.
Jeon Hyun-moo and Kwak Tube began their real local restaurant discovery not in the famous ‘Byeongcheon Sundae Alley’ of Cheonan, but in ‘Mokcheon’ with the help of a local citizen. After quickly securing a restaurant suggested by the citizen, the two first enjoyed a mixed platter filled with sundae and osori gamtu (a type of pig's head) and expressed their happiness, saying, “It doesn’t smell at all and is so tender.”
When the ‘pure’ sundae soup, which was not seasoned at all, was served, Jeon Hyun-moo tasted it as it was, showcasing his true ‘purist’ side. After finishing the deep-flavored sundae soup, the two headed to Lee Bong-won’s jjambbong restaurant in Cheonan to meet that day’s ‘food guest’. After a warm greeting, the three headed to a walnut cookie shop with an 88-year tradition that Lee Bong-won highly recommended. In the car, Kwak Tube suggested, “Let’s have a recognition contest over the walnut cookies,” and a subtle rivalry began. The owner of the walnut cookie shop recognized Lee Bong-won first. After ringing the ‘golden bell’ with 10 boxes of walnut cookies, Lee Bong-won confidently headed to the next restaurant.
When the topic of business came up, Lee Bong-won said, “While others say seven attempts and eight failures, I say six attempts and seven failures.” He revealed, “My first business was a karaoke bar before I got married. After that, I opened a coffee shop in a department store, but I closed it because the daily sales were only 20,000 won. Then I sold samgyetang (chicken soup) in a department store, but the department store went bankrupt.” Lee Bong-won continued, “Next, I opened a meat restaurant, but it failed after a year, and my fifth business was in entertainment. I signed contracts with friends like Kim Gu-ra, Hyun Jin-young, and Park Jun-kyu, but it failed after two years. I also opened an acting academy, but there were eight teachers and only six students,” adding a touch of bitterness to his story.
A little later, the three arrived at their destination, the original ‘Kimpi-tang (Kimchi + Pizza + Sweet and Sour Pork)’ restaurant. Here, for the first time in their lives, Jeon Hyun-moo and Lee Bong-won were introduced to ‘Kimpi-tang’ and exclaimed, “It’s so delicious!” The owner proudly stated, “We are the original. The Kimpi-tang trademark is registered.”
While they were enjoying their meal, Kwak Tube asked, “How did you meet your wife (Park Mi-sun)?” Lee Bong-won recalled, “At that time, I was at KBS, and (my wife) Park Mi-sun was at MBC. But when SBS opened, I moved to SBS along with Shin Hyung-rae, Choi Yang-rak, and Kim Mi-hwa from KBS, and Park Mi-sun came from MBC. That’s when I first met my wife.” Jeon Hyun-moo sharply pointed out, “Sister Park Mi-sun was the most popular among all three broadcasting companies. It must have been a fierce competition,” to which Lee Bong-won replied, “Well, I was confident~,” showcasing his self-assuredness and lightening the atmosphere.
After conquering the ‘MZ food’ Kimpi-tang, the three headed to a special soup restaurant that has been in business since 1953. Jeon Hyun-moo explained about the restaurant, “This is a place that my brother Park Chan-ho took me to before he went to America. It’s a place I’ve always visited.” Shortly after entering the soup restaurant, the three were served delicious chestnut jelly salad and boiled pork salad, triggering their appetites. When the long-awaited soup appeared, they guessed, “The main ingredient seems to be kimchi.” However, the owner revealed that the main ingredient was ‘green onion’, surprising everyone. The sensational ‘twist soup’ made with the unexpected main ingredient received applause from all.
As the meal was coming to an end, Jeon Hyun-moo cautiously asked Lee Bong-won, “You speak confidently now, but it must have been tough when you failed in business.”
Lee Bong-won replied, “It was tough. I borrowed a lot from loan sharks. I paid 6 million won in interest every month. (After the business failed) I couldn’t find a way out, and I had some bad thoughts. I went to Banpo Bridge and just cried. My wife probably learned about this through the broadcast. I didn’t ask for help.” He added, “After going to Banpo Bridge, I thought I had to earn money again to pay it back, so I didn’t do business and performed at events and nightclubs for 10 years to pay off my debts,” revealing his sense of responsibility and perseverance in clearing 700 million won in debt.
Lee Bong-won suddenly brought up the topic of marriage, asking Jeon Hyun-moo, “Aren’t you going to get married?” Jeon Hyun-moo hesitated, saying, “I’m half not doing it and half can’t do it,” and Lee Bong-won responded, “I think it’s worth trying marriage at least once. These days, no one says anything about divorce. Legally, you just split what you have in half. Since my wife has much more (assets), she probably wouldn’t want to (get divorced), right?” showcasing his comedic instincts until the end with a self-deprecating joke.
