Behind the scenes on a Korean reality TV show—in Marina.

Occasionally, while doing the job of reporting a news story, one ends up in an unusual situation. This is one of the main things that makes the job fun—every day is different, and every story requires learning, and perhaps doing, something new.

David Schmalz here and I’ve had many such experiences—but perhaps none stand out more than in this past week, when I reported on a popular Korean reality TV show, Unexpected Business, that has been filming its third season at Asian Market in Marina in an unassuming strip mall on Del Monte Boulevard. 

For the story in this week’s issue, I delved into how that came to be, and what the show is about—essentially, two famous Korean actors, Cha Tae-hyun and Jo In-sung, take over a rural market and restaurant for a week-plus, with cameos by other Korean celebs who help in the task of running a small business. The plot still doesn’t entirely make sense to me, though I did get a close-up look. 

Allow me to describe the scene: There are small, somewhat hidden cameras and microphones placed throughout the store, and in the first two days I visited (Thursday and Friday, Aug. 10 and 11) the market was humming with activity. It’s a place I’ve shopped at frequently over the years, but I’ve not once seen it busy like this. Yet all of a sudden, there was a production crew of dozens of people all around, and more customers than I’ve ever seen there. 

On Sunday, Aug. 13, I was able to eat at the market’s makeshift restaurant, which was created by knocking down the wall to the adjacent El Salvadoreño Pupuseria. I tried to eat there when I first visited, but learned reservations were required, as there were only two tables and not a lot of turnover—part of the show’s concept is the celebrities making and serving the food come and talk to the diners about their dishes. 

The production was very hush-hush, as the producers didn’t want word getting out to greater metro areas because that could risk turning the store into a mob scene of fans, which would ruin the show’s simulation of reality. Personally, I had never before heard of any of the celebrities or seen them in anything, but it was nonetheless surreal to be served dinner by them because I knew they were famous and were used to being treated as such.

There was no designated server for my friend and I, and after we were seated it was confusing—we were not given a menu, and it was a few minutes before we had to call attention to ourselves to order some food and beer, even though the restaurant only had four customers. We ordered the only two things on offer: a spicy ramen soup with snow crab and a cold soy milk and noodle soup that was not like anything I’ve ever tried. I’d be lying if I said I liked it—I found it bland—but I did enjoy tasting it, as I’ve never seen anything like it on a menu. 

When I tried to season it with salt, I discovered a tray on the table with salt and pepper shakers was fake, and instead housed a microphone.

The kitchen that night was being helmed by In-sung, and watching over both tables was actress Kim Ah-jung. At one point while I was eating my soup with chopsticks, she took the initiative to place a fork on the table next to me. I smiled, because in the two years I lived in Japan (many years ago), I was told repeatedly that I had good chopsticks skills. I asked her, “Am I not good at using chopsticks?” She didn’t say anything, but looked me in the eyes and slightly cocked her head to the side, as if to say, “meh.” 

But the funniest moment for me was when In-sung, Tae-hyun and Ah-jung were gathered around the tables, asking questions and getting feedback, and they suddenly got word (I assume from the producers) that I was a journalist. I confirmed that when they asked me, and then they huddled up for a minute, talking in Korean among themselves. A few seconds later, In-sung held out the screen of his phone for me to see. The words on it read: “Please write a good article.” 

I laughed out loud. 

Season 3 of the show won’t come out until late this year at the earliest, I’m told. I hope it’s good, because I think it’s exciting for Marina—one of the most multicultural cities in the area code. And I agree with what City Councilmember Kathy Biala told me while reporting the story: That diversity is something to celebrate.