The painter and singer Solbi shined on 'Sikgaek: Heo Young-man's Baekban Journey.'
On the 19th, TV CHOSUN's 'Sikgaek: Heo Young-man's Baekban Journey' (hereafter 'Baekban Journey') aired a meeting between master Heo Young-man and Solbi at Upo Wetland in Changnyeong. Seeing Heo Young-man already on the boat, Solbi sweetly asked, "Shall I row?" and made Heo Young-man chuckle.
Admiring the beautiful scenery of Upo Wetland in Changnyeong, Solbi praised it, saying "It looks like a Monet painting." Heo Young-man complimented Solbi, saying, "Among guests, there hasn't been one this high-level."
They visited Sugure gukbap, which has been running for 48 years, as their first restaurant. Citizens recognized Solbi at once. People greeted her, saying, "Isn't that Solbi? It's my first time seeing Solbi," and Solbi returned the greetings naturally. Suddenly Heo Young-man asked about Solbi's stage name. Solbi said, "I use Solbi when I perform as a singer and my real name Kwon Ji-an when I work as a painter." As a painter, she won an art award in Barcelona in 2021.
Heo Young-man explained about sugure gukbap, saying, "Sugure can't be eaten just anywhere." Sugure is a subcutaneous tissue attached between a cow's skin and flesh and is characterized by a chewy texture.
When sugure gukbap and sugure charcoal-grilled meat were served, Solbi exclaimed, "It's chewy rather than fatty, and when you chew it, it tastes like makchang. It's so delicious." Heo Young-man agreed, saying, "When you chew it, the elasticity should break, but there's nothing to come between. It doesn't break." The two had slightly different opinions about the refreshing broth generously filled with sugure and seonji. Heo Young-man said, "There is a bit of an offal smell," but Solbi said, "I don't find an offal smell. My taste is a bit different."
The second restaurant was Odongjeongchan, a Korean restaurant where a master showing exceptional skill with ingredients presented a combination of stir-fried squid and dongtae-jeon. Solbi said, "I also want to try mulhoe. It looks like you're enjoying it so much," licking her lips.
Dolsot rice made with Changnyeong onions, various dishes full of Changnyeong onions and garlic, and stir-fried squid were served. Solbi praised them, saying, "It's really tender. There's meat. The dongtae-jeon I ate always had bones. The dongtae-jeon my mother made was like that," and marveled at the stir-fried squid, saying, "The savory flavor keeps rising."
Heo Young-man asked, "How have you been these days?" Solbi said, "I'm preparing an exhibition. I plan to exhibit in Portugal. And I plan to hold an exhibition in Daegu on Oct. 14," noting that she is still active as painter Kwon Ji-an. Solbi was a professional painter whose highest-priced work reached 23 million won.
Solbi also said, "I tried challenging myself as a screenplay writer. I have entered short drama production this time," surprising Heo Young-man. Heo Young-man joked, "I'm envious. Aren't you going to draw comics?" then quipped, "Don't draw them. My position will be threatened."
[Photo credit] TV CHOSUN 'Sikgaek: Heo Young-man's Baekban Journey'
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