Top Japanese actor Yutaka Matsushige talked about Korea’s dining culture during a visit to Seoul on Monday to attend the 2018 Seoul Drama Awards.
The 55-year-old actor gained popularity in Korea for his role in the Japanese TV drama “Kodoku no Gurume (The Solitary Gourmet).” The show depicts the journey of salesman Goro, who visits eateries across Japan to try out local cuisine.
Yutaka Matsushige (Yonhap)
Appetizing footage of him relishing the dishes has swept social media platforms in Korea as well.
In May, the actor came to Seoul to film episodes of Goro experiencing Korean food.
“I was surprised by the Korean dining culture that people enjoy a large portion of food while they talk to each other,” Matsushige was quoted as saying by the local media.
“But I heard such culture has been turning into the solo dining trend recently. I think that’s why Korean people are interested in the ‘Kodoku no Gurume’ series.”
Yutaka Matsushige (Yonhap)
The actor also talked about his recent experience with traditional Korean dishes, such as “cheonggukjang,” a fermented soybean stew.
“The taste of cheonggukjang changes as it gets mixed with rice. It certainly has some rich and deep flavor,” Matsushige said.
By Park Ju-young (jupark@heraldcorp.com)
