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Home ยป K-foodie Meets J-foodie: The Joy of Food & Friendship [+ Restaurant List]

K-foodie Meets J-foodie: The Joy of Food & Friendship [+ Restaurant List]

J-dramas + K-dramas + Reviews + Reviews + TV

Matsushige Yutaka and Sung Si-Kyung in K-foodie Meets J-foodie

In January 2012, TV Tokyo aired Yakitori and fried rice in Monzen-nakacho, Koto, which is the title of the very first episode of The Solitary Gourmet.

Starring Matsushige Yutaka as Inogashira Goro, a merchant who loves eating, The Solitary Gourmet is an adaptation of Kusumi Masayuki and Taniguchi Jiro’s manga of the same name. Goro’s adventures, as he travels around the country discovering the local flavours and dishes, became a huge hit in Japan. So much so that, 13 years after that premiere episode, in January 2025, Japan saw the release of The Solitary Gourmet The Movie, which Matsushige stars in, directs, and co-writes. The show has 9 seasons, 10 specials, 12 original episodes and legions of fans, including Korean ballad singer Sung Si-kyung.

Sung isn’t just a singer, though. He’s a “foodie,” one of many inspired by Goro to discover their local eateries and share videos on YouTube of their experiences. Matsushige isn’t a YouTuber, but he certainly is a proud foodie himself โ€” on and off screen.

What would happen if we brought these two together?

That’s the premise of Netflix’s new reality series, K-foodie Meets J-foodie, directed by Kim In-sik of Studio Modak. The first episode came out on February 27th, with new episodes coming out every Thursday. Organised in three seasons (A Tasty Exchange, The Ultimate Taste-off, and The Taste-off Tour), the series offers us 50 different culinary adventures around Korea and Japan. In mere 20 minutes, we witness Sung and Matsushige visiting all kinds of restaurants, introducing each other to different dishes and exploring each other’s culture and language.

I know that I don’t really review ongoing shows but I believe that we should spread the word about K-foodie Meets J-foodie. We’re all aware of how moody Netflix can be so it’s important to show our favourite shows support. And I think K-foodie Meets J-foodie stands for a lot of positive ideas that the world we’re currently living in needs to hear.

K-foodie Meets J-foodie celebrates food and the ritual of eating. It also celebrates cultural differences โ€” it illustrates the beauty of exchanging cultures and creating connections beyond nationality and language. And that’s exactly why we should all be watching it.

No time for the entire review? Then, pin our summary at the bottom!

Exploring the Emotional, Cultural, and Social Roles of Food

Matsushige Yutaka and Sung Si-kyung in Netflix's latest Korean food show
In the first episode of K-foodie Meets J-foodie, Sung Si-kyung and Matsushige Yutaka go to a Chinese restaurant in Ikebukuro. (Credit: Netflix)

Despite all the factors that might make us different, every single human being around the earth needs to eat. But eating isn’t just about nourishing our bodies. Food plays a huge emotional, cultural, and social role in our lives. Emotionally, it can warm our bodies but also our souls. It’s comforting and encouraging. Your favourite dish can make even the worst of days a bit better.

The act of cooking and feeding others can also carry a lot of meaning. We all have nostalgic dishes that remind us of our childhood, a special moment, or a loved one who might not be around anymore. To my mother, my grandparents’ cooking meant everything. She’ll tell you that no one roasted ham better than my grandfather โ€” “People could smell it from miles around, Karen!” โ€” or no one made lasagne like my grandmother. For me, no one can beat my mother’s eggplant parmigiana. Their cooking is a token of their love and care for us โ€” and the flavours become a nostalgic symbol of it.

We all have examples like those. In the third episode of K-foodie Meets J-foodie, Sung explains to Matsushige the “ssam culture in Korea.” Ssam is when “you wrap the meat with leafy greens” and he says that feeding your friends and family the ssam you made is their “way of showing affection.” After all, food carries intention and emotion.

It’s also curious to see how the first few episodes constantly compare their experiences to Goro’s experiences in The Solitary Gourmet โ€” which makes K-foodie Meets J-foodie a must-watch for The Solitary Gourmet fans. This is where the line between reality and fiction becomes blurred: Goro and Matsushige seem to become one when in front of food. They react to the dish in front of them, exploring the emotions it evokes in similar ways. And, for The Solitary Gourmet fanboy Sung, it’s like bringing the television show to reality, making it play out right in front of his amazed eyes.

Culturally, food can represent the traditions and history of an entire group of people. In the first episode of K-foodie Meets J-foodie, Matsushige and Sung go to a Chinese restaurant in Ikebukuro. There, they meet Mama, the Chinese chef who owns the eatery they go to. They order a portion of tantanmen, a spicy kind of noodle originally from China. As she’s from Sichuan, she explains that “work can be tough there” because “there are a lot of mountains. (โ€ฆ) You need to carry loads and climb up the mountains. “Tan” means to carry. That’s why it’s called tantanmen.”

Not only are the ingredients from a particular area (for instance, Sichuan peppercorns have been used for culinary and medicinal purposes in China for centuries), but the way they are harvested, transported, and prepared reflects an entire culture. In this case, a single dish represents the hard work of millions of people throughout time and generations.

And of course, food offers us an opportunity for socialisation. Over a meal, people get to know each other. They laugh and cry, sharing their memories, fears and hopes. Food offers an excuse to put different people around the same table, savouring the same things. In episode two, it’s quite cute to see Matsushige and Sung talk about how the cafรฉ they go to is the perfect place for a date. Matsushige shares that he sometimes stops by the cafรฉ with his wife, as the view from the table, the coffee and the cheesecake (the most expensive one in Japan, it seems!) create a delightful experience he likes sharing with her.

Reaching Across the Table: Friendship & Cultural Exchange

Matsushige Yutaka and Sung Si-Kyung in Netflix's K-foodie Meets J-foodie
The cultural exchange between Sung Si-kyung and Matsushige Yutaka is the show’s most interesting aspect. (Credit: Netflix)

The most interesting aspect of K-foodie Meets J-foodie isn’t the exploration of the different facets of food, however. It’s the cultural exchange between Matsushige and Sung, whose friendship is slowly blossoming in front of our eyes.

Initially, their rapport is marked by Asian ideas of politeness and hierarchy. Sung sees Matsushige as an elder and his senior in the arts and you can clearly see that Sung behaves in a very polite, extremely respectful, and kind of reserved way. Matsushige, on the other hand, isn’t scared of blurting things out loud and engaging in conversation freely.

In the first episode, it’s funny how Matsushige encourages Sung to try the dish first, as it’s his very first time at that restaurant (one that Matsushige goes to “all the time“). Sung feels awfully uncomfortable about it and explains that, in Korea, the elder always eats first. Matsushige laughs, understanding where he’s coming from. He then quickly has the first bite, which allows Sung to start eating too. You can see that Matsushige is eager to see Sung’s reactions, whether he’ll enjoy the food in front of him as much as he does himself. We are all like that, aren’t we? Introducing others to the food we love is fun and helps people bond over a meal.

Slowly, they become more and more comfortable in each other’s company. Their friendship starts taking shape and their conversations flow naturally. But the respect for age and experience still bubbles underneath. In episode two, Sung shares that he doesn’t know “how to take a day off.” Matsushige immediately responds with “Are you okay? You’re going to die young at this rate. You shouldn’t work too hard.” Beyond respect, there’s a sense of care that starts spreading through the very fabric of the series, bringing these two people โ€” of completely different generations, backgrounds, and cultures โ€” closer and closer together. And that makes for such a lovely, heartwarming watch.

And so, their mutual love for food and the ritual of eating a good meal creates a compelling synergy, which gives the show a warm and welcoming spirit. They are honestly having fun and it’s contagious. Both Sung and Matsushige are very charismatic and they can naturally create funny situations that you can’t help but laugh along.

But, even with the formality and politeness of the first instalment, their cultural exchange is constant. They are continually asking each other questions about their country and their cuisine, about their traditions in the kitchen and at the table. The differences aren’t frightening or threatening: their cultural differences are a door to a new world, one that is full of curiosity, beautiful discoveries, and brand-new flavours they have never experienced before. The first episode illustrates this scenario perfectly: around the table, you have a Korean, a Chinese, and a Japanese. They enthusiastically share stories about cooking in their own countries, joke and laugh together, and teach each other expressions from their own mother tongues. Food has brought them together and allowed them to look at the world around them from a different perspective.

Technical Notes: The Visual Aspect

Matsushige Yutaka and Sung Si-Kyung in Netflix's latest Korean food show
Two-shots are very important in K-foodie Meets J-foodie. Above, Sung Si-kyung and Matsushige Yutaka. (Credit: Netflix)

If you’re familiar with Asian variety shows, the visual presentation of K-foodie Meets J-foodie won’t surprise you at all. If you aren’t, this is a good introduction. K-foodie Meets J-foodie, just like most variety shows in Japan and Korea, counts on dynamic editing and camera movement, lots of text on screen, and visual comedy.

Of course, the show also counts on tons of mouth-watering close-ups of food. But, most importantly, a considerable chunk of the episodes are composed of two-shots (that is, a shot with two subjects; in this case, Matsushige and Sung) or three-shots (a shot with three subjects: Matsushige, Sung, and the chef or waiter from the restaurant). This kind of framing is vital to the series to highlight the development of their relationship. But it also emphasises how sharing a meal can be a bonding experience, one that can bring two (or more) people โ€” of any background, nationality, or age โ€” together.

(We’ve already talked about the visual presentation of reality shows in Asia when we reviewed Lighthouse a few months ago. You can click here to read that review!)

Should You Watch K-foodie Meets J-foodie?

If you’re interested in Korean and Japanese culture, K-foodie Meets J-foodie is exactly what you need. More than just food, Matsushige Yutaka and Sung Si-kyung introduce us to their culture and traditions through a charming series that is so easy to watch you might be slightly surprised when the credits roll. There’s something profoundly optimistic, open-hearted, and captivating about Matsushige and Sung’s journey together, as they explore the flavours they come across, each other’s lives and experiences and develop a lovely bond of camaraderie.

New episodes of K-foodie Meets J-foodie are released every Thursday on:

Source: JustWatch
Pin with summarised review of Netflix's K-foodie Meets J-foodie

Episode Guide: K-foodie Meets J-foodie Restaurant List!

If you’re looking for the restaurants featured on Netflix’s K-foodie Meets J-foodie, you’ve come to the right place. Every week, we update our episode guide with all the K-foodie Meets J-foodie restaurants!

Japan

Korea

The Solitary Gourmet not only sparked the “eating solo” craze in Asia but also inspired a range of culinary dramas. We’ve talked about Netflix’s Samurai Gourmet here before, but if you like food-centric dramas, you can also check out Midnight Diner (which also stars Matsushige Yutaka) and A Table. Of course, remember to give Little Forest and The Zen Diary a shot too!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Avatar for GaryGary says

    Thank you so much for listing the places and their addresses! It’s very helpful. I’m planning to visit most of them during my upcoming trips to Korea and Japan!

    Reply

    • Avatar for Karen MansoldoKaren Mansoldo says

      Oh goodness me, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy I can be of help! I hope you have a fantastic time — and that you get to try (and enjoy) a lot of good food! ๐Ÿฅฐ

      Reply

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