Photo Credit: tvN Asia
Korean celebrity chef Paik Jong-won was in town last month together with idols SHINEE’s Onew and Chaeyeon from I.O.I and DIA to film the finale of "Go Go With Mr. Paik", a travel variety program from tvN Asia .
During the last day of their filming here in our sunny island, the trio took some time out to speak with the media about their culinary adventures in Singapore.
Chef and owner to many popular restaurant and cafe chains in Singapore including Paik’s Bibim, Bornga and Paik’s Coffee, chef Paik shared he enjoyed exploring the local culinary scene the most.
“Singapore has plentiful of spices! I was looking forward to trying the local dishes here and looking out for the different kind ingredients and spices for my dishes,” he said, adding: “I loved the chilli crab!”
Photo Credit: tvN Asia
“The most interesting thing is I enjoyed about Singapore’s food scene is the hawker centres because the food is cheap and its culture is interesting. I enjoyed Bak Kut Teh, Char Kway Teow and Laksa from the hawker centres as well.”
Local delicacies like chilli crab and bak kut teh have always been a well-known and well-loved dish amongst many overseas celebrities and tourists alike. Even Onew and Chaeyeon cited crabs as their favourite Singapore dish.
The 19-year-old DIA and I.O.I member shared:“I like the chilli crab in Singapore as they are very big and delicious. It’s very different from what you will see in Korea. Joining the programme had allowed me to learn more about cooking from Chef Paik and resolved some of the problems I previously had.”
Photo Credit: tvN Asia
Billed as the niece and nephew to Chef Paik Jong Won on the show, Onew revealed that his cooking skills had improved since joining the cooking programme. “My cooking skills has improved… I will rate myself 100 points,” he quipped.
His best dish? Seaweed soup - a dish he may most probably cook for his loved ones this Christmas.
[About Go Go With Mr. Paik in Singapore]
Viewers will get an authentic visual experience of Singapore home cooking as Chef Paik, Onew and Jung Chae-yeon explore the local markets in Little India and Chinatown for ingredients to whip up some local delicacies, such as kaya toast, laksa, bak kut teh and chicken rice. The trio will also spend some “play time” at Singapore’s top attractions in Sentosa such as Universal Studio Singapore and S.E.A. Aquarium.
The episode of "Go Go With Mr. Paik" filmed in Singapore will premiere on 19 December (Monday) at 10:30pm on tvN (StarHub TV Channel 824 and Singtel TV Channel 518)!