How To Become A K-Pop Idol: Life As A Foreign Trainee

Droves of Korean teenagers sign up with K-pop academies with dreams of becoming the next BTS, BlackPink, TWICE, or Red Velvet. At 24, Yanagi Mizuho was not just a late starter, but a foreigner - a Japanese graduate in linguistics. Making it through the auditions with entertainment agency Star Road Entertainment was just the beginning, though, of a tough road filled with sweat, tears, diets, and grueling training. And no guarantee of a debut… CNA Insider

ZHU at Hakuba Iwatake in Nagano, Japan for Cercle

Shrimp Scampi Udon With Doenjang Butter Sauce

At Italian American restaurants, my family always ordered pastas heartened with garlicky seafood broth. Both linguine alla vongole and shrimp scampi were favorites among my clan, as they weren’t too far off from all of the full-flavored Korean ways we’d enjoy the fruits of the sea. This riff uses chubby udon noodles, soy sauce, and a dab of assertive Korean doenjang in the butter sauce. If you can’t find doenjang (fermented soybean paste), double up on a light miso instead. My very favorite udon to cook with are the frozen Sanuki udon blocks (such as from the Shirakiku brand); do not overcook them or forget to reserve some udon cooking water for the sauce to ensure the glossiest results… bon apetit

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