vN 'House on Wheels - Beyond the Ocean' featured Jang Nara drawing laughs as a new-concept mukbanger who insists she's a light eater while eating nonstop.
On April 2 (Sunday) broadcast, tvN 'House on Wheels - Beyond the Ocean: Hokkaido' (directed by Shin Chan-yang, Kim Ah-rim / hereafter 'House on Wheels - Beyond the Ocean') episode 4 showed the "three siblings" Sung Dong-il, Kim Hee-won and Jang Nara and guest Gong Myoung finishing their first day with a bountiful dinner made from ingredients procured at the source, and enjoying a second-day trip to the romantic port city of Otaru. At the same time, 'House on Wheels - Beyond the Ocean' episode 4 recorded an average household rating of 2.2% in the Seoul metropolitan area and a peak of 3.9%, maintaining first place among cable and general programming channels in the same time slot. In particular, the tvN target demographic of adults 20-49 topped cable and general programming ratings both in the Seoul metropolitan area and nationwide. (Ratings based on paid platforms integrating cable, IPTV and satellite / provided by Nielsen Korea)
That day the cast made dinner from fresh ingredients they had brought directly from Hokkaido, known as Japan's premier food pantry. While Sung Dong-il prepared wagyu dishes on an iron plate and a mini stone plate, Kim Hee-won also took on a special challenge in cooking. Under Sung Dong-il's intense guidance, Kim Hee-won presented three types of sushi, from Hokkaido tuna to scallops and aged kimchi wagyu, and the cast members who tasted his sushi were full of admiration, declaring the birth of a new sushi king.
After filling up on the Hokkaido feast, Jang Nara surprised viewers the next morning by snacking the moment she opened her eyes. When Sung Dong-il, who saw her after a morning jog, expressed wonder, Jang Nara deflected, "I do eat without resting, but looking at the total amount, it's not that much," then confessed, "I really do eat a lot when I'm here," which drew laughter. When Sung Dong-il marveled, "How do you not gain weight eating like that?" Jang Nara choked up and had everyone laughing, saying, "You make delicious food and make others gain weight, then you alone exercise — that's so unfair."
Afterwards, under Sung Dong-il's leadership the 'House on Wheels - Beyond the Ocean' cast toured the Otaru area. The first course of the so-called 'one-hit pinpoint tour' was Tengu Mountain Observatory, and after taking the cable car to Otaru's highest point the cast soaked in romance as they looked down at the blue sea and the quaint Otaru town all at once. They also visited the squirrel park next to the observatory. Jang Nara held up sunflower seeds purchased to feed the squirrels and nonchalantly tasted them, showing both her quirky side and unstoppable appetite. In contrast, Gong Myoung, smitten with the cute squirrels, repeatedly said "I want to be chosen," and couldn't hide his envious gaze toward the tourists feeding the squirrels, adding to the laughs.
The second course was a ramen shop personally recommended to Sung Dong-il by a local. Successfully making the open-run, the cast happily ate the signature soy sauce ramen. Sung Dong-il admitted, "This place is the best ramen I've eaten across both Korean and Japanese ramen shops," and Gong Myoung drew laughter by complaining of a blood sugar spike after overeating ramen. Meanwhile, after finishing the meal and waiting outside the restaurant, Sung Dong-il was unexpectedly targeted by a crow but elicited laughs with a cheerful quip.
Sung Dong-il then led the cast to Otaru's center and recommended a relay of foods that show the true face of Otaru, the "dessert heaven," stirring appetites. The first stop was ice cream made from Hokkaido's fresh milk, and Jang Nara, who had decided to appear on 'House on Wheels - Beyond the Ocean' because of that ice cream, finally met it in person and did a joyous two-step, causing laughter. The second stop was a melon shaved ice that took SNS by storm with its visual impact, and the cast wiped out two whole melons at their seats. The third stop was a souvenir shop gathering famous Otaru desserts in one place, where Jang Nara took a proof shot in front of a large ice cream model and sent it immediately to her husband, saying "My husband likes things like this," attracting attention as an unabashed romantic. Jang Nara married in 2022 to someone six years younger who works in the broadcasting industry.
Though the endless food tour had the cast beginning to complain of fullness, the guide kept recommending more. After finishing the fourth tasting with warm sweet potato rice cakes with red bean paste that melted in their mouths, the cast visited a cafe known as the ultimate cheesecake as the final dessert stop before Gong Myoung left. Their fullness reached the chin, but they once again surrendered before the sweet, smooth cheesecake, and Gong Myoung humorously conceded, "It's delicious, but I'm full," provoking laughter.
Later, Sung Dong-il led the cast to the steam clock tower, saying he wanted to show it to Gong Myoung before he left, and planned to send him off to the clock sound that rings every 15 minutes. Suddenly turned 'Gong-derella,' Gong Myoung waited for the clock sound with mixed regret and anticipation. But contrary to expectations, the clock performance ended very quickly, and they said farewell to Gong Myoung with deepened regret. Afterwards the "three siblings" ended the day by enjoying Hokkaido lamb dishes in a tranquil tavern alley and viewing the beautiful Otaru canal, soothing their hollow feelings after sending off their former youngest member.
tvN 'House on Wheels - Beyond the Ocean: Hokkaido' takes the concept of traveling with your own home and follows 'House On Wheels,' which spent the four seasons across Korea, as it embarks on a new adventure overseas. It airs every Sunday at 7:40 p.m.
[Photo] 'House on Wheels - Beyond the Ocean: Hokkaido'
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