Korean actor Ji Chang Wook tastes Filipino snacks in food travel show ‘Kumusta’

The cast of  the Korean-Filipino food travel show “Kumusta” gave Korean actor Ji Chang Wook a Filipino snack-tasting challenge where he had to decide if a bite was a “Chef’s Kiss” (approved) or a “Pass” (not approved).

Before the tasting began, the “Colony” actor introduces himself to the group: “Hello everyone, my name is Ji Chang Wook. My role in Kumusta is the server.” 

The cast also greeted him and shared their roles, with Janella Salvador as the sous chef, Arci Muñoz as the all-around member who does everything, Jodi Sta. Maria as the hall manager, Francine Diaz as the server, and JP Anglo as the chef of the show.

The first snack was polvoron, a crumbly Filipino shortbread. After trying it, Ji immediately gave it a “Chef’s Kiss.” The rest of the cast also joined in tasting the snack.

Next, Francine served dried mango. Ji immediately recognized it and said he had already tried it before. Francine noted that it came from Cebu while the actor shared that it was also popular among Koreans. When asked if he had been to Cebu, he confirmed that he has. Ji enjoyed the dried mango and also rated it a “Chef’s Kiss.”

The group then presented sampaloc, a sweet-and-sour tamarind candy. Chef JP explained that it had a seed inside and should not be swallowed. Ji compared it to Korean jelly but noted the difference because of the seed. 

The cast also explained that tamarind is used in Filipino cooking, especially in sinigang, which Ji recognized after hearing it. He commented that the candy tasted slightly salty, while Jodi added that it was coated in sugar. In the end, he gave it a “Pass.”

After that, Jodi introduced garlic cornick, a snack made of dried corn kernels flavored with garlic. She explained that it is a popular pulutan snack often enjoyed with beer. Ji said he had eaten something similar in Korea and liked it, so he gave it another “Chef’s Kiss.”

For the final snack, Janella introduced piaya, a flaky flat pastry filled with sweet yam. Ji enjoyed it and said it was very sweet, though the texture felt a bit heavy for him. He suggested it would pair well with coffee, but still rated it a “Chef’s Kiss.”

Throughout the tasting, the actor often laughed and appeared very comfortable with the cast, even though he was the only non-Filipino member of the group.

Ji Chang Wook, 38, is a Korean actor who frequently visits the Philippines for fan meets, brand ambassador roles, and endorsement projects. 

He recently visited the country ahead of the "Kumusta" premiere together with the cast to promote the show. "Kumusta" is a Korean-Filipino culinary travel series filmed in Korea where they serve food to Korean locals. It is produced by TV5 and the streaming platform Viu.