Tzuyang effortlessly leads the first Jeju visit relay with the expertise of seven years of mukbang experience, hard-carrying the show.
ENA, NXT, and Comedy TV co-produced variety show Taste Relay: Where One Host Leads to Another (hereinafter "Taste Relay") is a no-list, no preplanned-course, no-scouting life-of-delicious-relay that seeks out truly reliable 100% real restaurants recommended directly by the best restaurant owners. On the ninth episode, which aired on the 16th (Sun), Tzuyang completed a successful nationwide variety restaurant relay that started in Cheongju, where the visited restaurant is located, and continued to Seoul and Jeju with her distinctive mukbang know-how.
That day, "MatTwiJoo" members Kim Dae-ho, Ahn Jae-hyun, Tzuyang, and Jonathan opened the first restaurant relay at a tteokbokki restaurant, Tzuyang's favorite menu and her first appearance on Taste Relay. Tzuyang confidently said, "I know this place, so I'll lead. Today is 100% success," and upon arrival immediately succeeded in securing the booking, showing unstoppable momentum from the start.
The first stop was a tteokbokki restaurant in Cheongju, a certified popular spot so well known that any Cheongju resident would be familiar with it. MatTwiJoo fell deeply for the nostalgic yet distinctively deep flavors, from tteokbokki made with custom-made wheat rice cakes to fish cake, fried foods, and slushies. As a repeat visitor, Tzuyang shared tips for enjoying the food that heightened the flavors. They added fun by sharing memories from their childhoods. Tzuyang recalled her "elementary school Tzuyang" days, saying, "I was so shy in elementary school that I would go to school at lunchtime. Even then I ate well, so after the school meal I would buy 10 snacks," surprising everyone with how different she was even back then.
At that moment, the tteokbokki restaurant owner surprised everyone by introducing a Galbi restaurant in Jeju, a precious memory he discovered by chance while honeymooning in Jeju during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, "Since then I always go whenever I visit Jeju." Previously, MatTwiJoo had once been recommended a Jeju restaurant, but they had to change course because the flight times didn't match. Jonathan marveled at the spontaneous relay scale of Taste Relay, saying in real time, "Taste Relay is complete today," as they moved from the Cheongju restaurant to Seoul Gimpo Airport and then to a Jeju restaurant.
MatTwiJoo was given just about an hour and a half. To reduce any potential waiting time, Tzuyang displayed quick thinking by putting their name on the app waiting list, and Kim Dae-ho gave a thumbs-up, saying, "Tzuyang is our brain." With an hour secured for feasting, MatTwiJoo announced upon entering the restaurant, "Give us the entire menu," surprising the owner. The table filled with numerous dishes, from various pork cuts that underwent low-temperature, dry aging to salted mackerel sauce stew, doenjang rice, naengmyeon, and salted mackerel sauce fried rice. Kim Dae-ho kept moving his chopsticks, saying, "It tastes like beef, not pork. The texture is amazing," and Ahn Jae-hyun admired, "The meat has a hay-fire grilled flavor. The sides are also umami at their best." Even while grilling, Tzuyang earnestly asked the owner, "I like it less cooked — is it okay to eat?" Then, with just 10 minutes left, she ordered seasoned ribs as an additional dish and, moved to tears, said, "Coming to Jeju was the right decision," which drew laughter.
Finally, the galbi restaurant owner selected a braised cutlassfish restaurant in Jeju that he had visited with his parents since childhood as his life restaurant, saying, "You came to Jeju and introduced a Jeju restaurant," leaving everyone wondering how far MatTwiJoo's Jeju restaurant relay, which was not yet over, would continue and sharply raising expectations for Taste Relay's next spontaneous restaurant relay, which exceeds expectations each episode.
After the broadcast, social media was flooded with enthusiastic reactions such as, "It was so fun today. I couldn't take my eyes off it," "I'm so happy to see the tteokbokki place. This is delicious and full of memories," "Ahn Jae-hyun and Jonathan are so funny," "Nice to see someone from Kim Dae-ho's generation. Who knows 'galtan' here?", "Curious about the Jeju restaurants. The reactions are real," "Today's schedule was truly dynamic. Looking forward to next week's Jeju opening," "Tzuyang's timing on the waiting list was insane. As expected, a tier 1 is different," and "I love how warm and easygoing Taste Relay is to watch."
Meanwhile, the ENA, NXT, and Comedy TV co-produced restaurant relay Taste Relay: Where One Host Leads to Another airs every Sunday at 7:50 p.m.
[Photo] broadcast capture
[OSEN]