[Sportschosun Cho Yoon-sun] Expectant father Namkoong Min shared his happy married life while praising his wife Jin Ah-reum for taking care of him.
On the July 2 episode of KBS 2TV's 'Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant,' the new segment 'Lee Yeon-bok's Real Estate Office,' personally prepared by head judge Lee Yeon-bok, was unveiled. The first guest for the segment was award-winning actor Namkoong Min. Thanks to the show's impressive booking power, viewers were surprised by Namkoong Min's charm as an actor who is not only a strong performer but also surprisingly good at variety shows, even if he is not skilled in cooking. Kim Won-hoon, who appeared as a supporting MC, also drew laughs with his variety-show instincts.
Lee Yeon-bok, a master of Chinese cuisine with 55 years of experience, announced the launch of Korea's only cooking brokerage service, saying, "If we can't find you a house, we'll find you a meal." With Kim Won-hoon, a rising variety star with more than 3 million subscribers, by his side, Namkoong Min arrived carrying a bouquet of flowers. After briefly being surprised that no one else was there, he spotted the mission and began cooking with the ingredients in the refrigerator.
Known for his strict self-management, Namkoong Min made chicken breast fried rice. After watching him cook, Lee Yeon-bok shook his head and called it "a mess." A little later, Lee Yeon-bok and Kim Won-hoon appeared in front of Namkoong Min. Kim Won-hoon, who said he was a fan and usually watches Namkoong Min's projects, burst out laughing after seeing him in person and exclaimed, "He's really so handsome."
Lee Yeon-bok then stepped in to improve Namkoong Min's chicken breast fried rice. With a few small tips, he created golden fried rice that kept the calories low while making it irresistibly appetizing. Watching closely, Namkoong Min said he wanted to learn from the process. After tasting it himself, he said, "It's completely different from what I made. It feels upgraded into a real dish."
Namkoong Min also faced off against Kim Won-hoon in an impromptu cooking battle. He said he had once played a chef role before and showed confidence in wok handling, drawing laughter. The two men, both fiercely competitive in the kitchen, displayed chemistry that was hard to believe for people meeting for the first time. They also learned directly from Lee Yeon-bok how to make pollack roe mentaiko shrimp toast for the staff.
Namkoong Min's wit also stood out. He spoke humorously about his usual self-care routine, the intense effort he puts into improving his acting, and the promotion of his lead drama, KBS 2TV's Saturday-Sunday mini-series 'The Complete Marriage,' which premieres on July 4. He also said he was moved by Kim Won-hoon's widely discussed disappointed expression after losing an award, adding, "I couldn't do that," which sent the set into laughter.
He also shared stories about his married life. Namkoong Min, who recently received many congratulations after announcing the news of his first child, praised his wife Jin Ah-reum, who is known for her cooking skills, saying she usually packs lunchboxes for him.
KBS 2TV's 'Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant' airs every Thursday at 8:30 p.m.
