NCT’s DOYOUNG Set: How a Street Cart Became a Seoul Hot Place Overnight
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A Street Cart with a Celebrity Menu
Near Norunsan Market in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, there is a TTEOKBOKKI (떡볶이) cart that now has its own signature set menu. It is called the DOYOUNG SET, named after NCT's DOYOUNG, who is a regular. The combination -- TTEOKBOKKI, TWIGIM (튀김), and SOONDAE (순대) -- is exactly what he orders every time he visits. After DOYOUNG introduced the cart on MBC's popular variety show "I Live Alone," the stall became famous enough to be featured on MUK2U (먹2U), one of Korea's most-watched mukbang channels. Fans kept arriving and ordering the same thing he always gets. Eventually, the vendor made it official and put it on the menu. A neighborhood cart that locals had quietly loved for years had found a whole new audience.
From Neighborhood Staple to Mukbang Star
What makes the Norunsan tteokbokki story particularly interesting is the chain reaction it set off. A celebrity appearance on a variety show led to fan visits, which led to a mukbang feature, which brought in a second wave of food-curious viewers who had no connection to K-pop at all. The cart's appeal -- cheap, good, open 24 hours -- speaks for itself once people actually show up. DOYOUNG did not advertise it. He just ate there, on camera, because it is genuinely good. That is exactly the kind of honest recommendation that travels well, and Seoul's street food scene is full of places waiting for that moment.
One Photo, One Table, One Reservation
The same pattern shows up at SIMMANI, a restaurant near Konkuk University. BTS's JUNGKOOK, ASTRO's CHA EUN WOO, and SEVENTEEN's MINGYU -- all born in 1997 and close friends, known to fans as the "97-liners" -- shared a photo from their dinner there. The restaurant now displays the dishes they ordered that night. Fans visit from overseas specifically to sit at that table and eat the same meal. What draws them is not just fandom -- it is the reliable logic that if three people with very good taste in food chose this place on a night out, the food is probably worth trying.
The Effect Goes Beyond Korea
BLACKPINK's LISA, who is Thai, mentioned in an interview that the first thing she wants whenever she returns home to Buri Ram is the grilled meatballs at stalls near the local railway station. After the interview circulated, the stalls -- which had been selling skewers for five to ten baht -- saw daily sales jump dramatically. Fans traveled from other provinces to try them. What LISA described was simple: a food she grew up with, sold by vendors she has known for years. Her recommendation pointed people toward something genuinely local and genuinely good. The vendors did not change a thing. They did not need to.
A New Way to Discover Seoul's Food Scene
For visitors to Seoul, following what K-pop idols eat has quietly become one of the more reliable ways to find food that is actually worth eating. These are not sponsored posts or brand deals. They are personal favorites -- neighborhood spots, late-night carts, and family restaurants that idols return to because the food is good and the atmosphere is comfortable. The DOYOUNG SET exists because fans kept ordering what he ordered, because it turned out to be delicious. That is, ultimately, the best possible reason for a menu item to exist.