“I’ve Been on My Own Since High School”—Bae In-hyuk Opens Up About Part-Time Hustles

JTBC’s brand-new variety show Street Food Biker (길바닥 밥장사) kicked off its culinary journey with a press conference held on April 7 at Stanford Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Cast members Ryu Soo-young, Bae In-hyuk, Michelin-starred chef Fabri, model Shin Hyun-ji, singer Hwang Kwang-hee, and producing team Kim Soo-young PD and Kim Min-seok CP attended the event, offering a glimpse into the exciting cross-cultural food adventure that awaits.

The show officially premiered on April 8, and centers around a unique concept: bringing Korean cuisine to the streets of Spain—on two wheels.

A Food Bike in Spain? Yes, Really.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of southern Spain, Street Food Biker introduces a quirky yet heartwarming premise. With nothing but a bicycle-turned-food cart, the cast embarks on a mission to serve authentic Korean dishes to locals in a country famous for its rich food culture but largely unfamiliar with Korean cuisine.

“Food paradise! Land of gastronomy! And now, a food bike rolls into the heart of the Spanish streets,” reads the show’s official description. Helmed by Korea’s beloved home-cooking guru Ryu Soo-young and Michelin-trained chef Fabri, the team faces the challenge of crafting new Korean menus every day—all from a mobile kitchen.

They aim to introduce Korean flavors in an area with virtually no Korean restaurants, sparking curiosity and breaking new ground in the “food continent.”

Bae In-hyuk: A Hidden Culinary Asset

Among the cast, actor Bae In-hyuk stands out for his real-world survival experience. “I’ve been living on my own since the winter of my first year in high school—it’s been 11 years now,” he revealed in a pre-show interview. His cooking skills, he says, stem from necessity: “I cook to survive. When friends from Jeonju visited, I’d make meals for them—that’s about my level.”

When meeting the other cast members for the first time, Bae also proudly mentioned his extensive part-time job history. “I’ve worked a lot of part-time jobs—at a Korean barbecue place, and I even ran a café alone in Rodeo for over a year.” This drew admiration from Hwang Kwang-hee, who quipped, “That’s not an easy place to do business!”

Anticipation Builds for Korean Food Diplomacy

Joining Ryu Soo-young, Bae In-hyuk, and Fabri are a dynamic team: fashion model Shin Hyun-ji, bubbly singer Jeon So-mi, and entertainer Hwang Kwang-hee. Together, they travel across Spain on their food bike, confronting language barriers, cultural differences, and the chaos of cooking outdoors—all while representing Korea’s culinary identity.

Can this mismatched yet passionate crew succeed in planting the seeds of Korean cuisine in unfamiliar territory?

With heartfelt moments, kitchen mishaps, and Spanish street magic, Street Food Biker promises to deliver not just meals, but stories.

📺 JTBC’s ‘Street Food Biker’ airs every Monday and Tuesday evening.

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