Actor Jang Dong-yoon visits Pohang restaurant from his 600-entry gourmet map

Actor Jang Dong-yoon visited a Pohang pork soup restaurant to test it against his personal gourmet map of approximately 600 saved locations. During the visit, he sampled Cheonggomtang, which features meat sliced to 1.2mm, and a spicy Honggukbap dish.

Jang Dong-yoon, an actor who has recently established himself as a leading star through his roles in dramas, visited a soup restaurant in Pohang. A dedicated gourmet, he maintains a personal "gourmet map" containing approximately 600 saved restaurants nationwide. Jang utilizes his own rating criteria, which comprehensively evaluates not only taste but also service, price, and accessibility.

Clear pork broth and precise 1.2mm meat texture

The establishment visited by Jang Dong-yoon is a pork soup specialty restaurant supported by the citizens of Pohang. Its signature menu, 'Cheonggomtang,' is characterized by a clear and clean broth similar to beef radish soup, despite using pork as the main ingredient. Instead of using bones, which can result in a heavy flavor, the broth is made using only meat, harmonizing the meaty aroma of front leg meat with the clean taste of hind leg meat. The lack of sweetness is supplemented with burdock and licorice, and a consistent flavor is achieved by using a medicinal pot at 140 degrees Celsius for 2 hours and 40 minutes.

The core of Cheonggomtang lies in the thickness of the meat. The meat is sliced to a thickness of 1.2mm to provide the softest texture without compromising the flavor of the broth. Jang Dong-yoon ate the thinly sliced meat paired with melon pickles and chaminam (chamnamul) pickles, experiencing a harmony where the sweet and sour flavors of the seasonings neutralized the taste of the pork. The rice is cooked to be firm so that it does not easily become soggy when mixed into the broth.

Spicy 'Honggukbap' capturing the handmade taste of a Gyeongsang-do mother-in-law

While Cheonggomtang offers a clear and light feel reminiscent of a "noble lady," the accompanying 'Honggukbap' evokes a rustic and spicy "commoner's wife." Honggukbap is a dish prepared exactly as a mother-in-law from Gyeongsang-do would cook at home, boiling pork with dried radish greens (siraegi), soybean paste, and red chili powder. Despite its bright red appearance, it delivers a nostalgic taste like market soup and is characterized by an abundance of dried radish greens.

Jang Dong-yoon enjoyed the spicy charm of Honggukbap, which differs from the clear taste of Cheonggomtang. Although the two menus share a broth base, they compose the table with completely different characters depending on the cooking method and additional ingredients.

The pain of long-distance romance in a film and obsession with gourmet food

During the meal, Jang Dong-yoon shared news regarding his recently released film. He revealed that he appeared in a romantic comedy film depicting the stories of youths in a long-distance relationship. The film adopts a unique method of being composed through mobile phone and laptop screens. After sharing his recent activities as an actor, he maintained his serious attitude toward gourmet food, expressing anticipation for how the restaurant in Pohang will be evaluated by his saved data of approximately 600 restaurants.

Source: TVCHOSUN JOY (YouTube)