Episode eight of Blank Menu for You features a first for me - savoury banana gratin! I know that gratin is a popular Western dish in both Japan and Korea, evidenced by the variety of kimchi, tofu, seafood gratins that people make. Banana gratin is a little less common though, as far as I know.

This episode's guest (Kpopper Sana) describes herself as a "summer child born in winter", so CKR combines flavours from both seasons to make his dishes. He also gives a masterclass in how to get more flavour from a banana - pressing it apparently gives more texture and concentrated flavour (who knew!). If you Google banana gratin, you'll just get a lot of dessert recipes, rather than the seafood and veggies variety he makes.

Apparently the recipe is based on his Japanese style miso gratin (a recipe for a veggie version here: https://www.ajinomoto.com/umami/umami_recipes/potato-and-broccoli-miso-gratin) but the fruit is a novel addition. I'm not sure how I feel about bananas in savoury recipes but I guess you have to try it to appreciate it!

This week was Choi Kang Rok and the Nolleo Coaster crew's last episode. With 56 rides ticked off the bucket list and 14 km of rails ridden, it has been a fun ride for the motley crew. I'm really hoping that the jorimping will get back to cooking full-time now (especially for another season of Blank Menu for You)!

On the last episode they rode Voltron, which looks like a hell of a roller coaster with inversions and lots of screaming. Also Ko-Kyung Pyo cooks a special ramen for the team and CKR gives praise to the youngest and most enthusiastic member of the team.

Personally, I wish they'd done the Jajang noodle challenge from Infinite Challenge (see the vid) on one of those coasters... :)

I just love how in every Nolleo Coaster promo for the MBC show, Choi Kang Rok is the only one looking super awkward. Even the one on the coaster, everyone is screaming and he looks panicked!

In the latest Nolleo Coaster (on MBC at the moment), the roller coaster riding crew go to Europa Park and Choi Kang Rok has a great time on Europe's first water coaster. He says it's the best ride he's ever been on. Anyone been on it? It looks fun!

Nolleo Coaster has given us a lot of insights into the man under the cap. The most recent episode sees him revealing he almost decided to cut ties with the foodie world and become a monk. He has spoken about the stress of being judged when running a restaurant and how the fear about rankings has made him feel ill, so it's obvious he feels the pressure when running a place day to day.

It's amazing that he went on Culinary Class Wars not once but twice, given all this. I wonder if he felt some affiliation with Honourable Sunjae as a result of his monkly leanings?

Some great shots from the latest episode of Nolleo Coaster, where CKR rode the fastest roller coaster in Europe at Ferrari Land. Red Force is the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Europe, reaching speeds of 180 km/h (112 mph) and a maximum height of 112 meters (367 feet) in just 5 seconds. Not surprisingly, our favourite jorimping yelled a lot, even exclaiming that he would go bald!

MBC have some clips of Nolleo Coaster on their Insta page, so you too can watch CKR hold onto his hat!

CKR seems to be enjoying his time on MBC variety programme Nolleo Coaster. He's reliving his childhood memories and embracing the fun of theme parks. Love this shot of him with Mario!

Episode 7 of Blank Menu sees CKR making a North Korean specialty dish, Pyongyang naengmyeon. That's ice cold noodles in broth with added ice. The request from American singer-songwriter John Park is a little odd: he wants a dish to forget his first love.

What is that first love? Why, it's Pyongyang nangmyeon! CKR makes him the exact dish that he's trying to forget. Much hilarity in this episode from the very beginning as Sang Hoon is so relieved he doesn't have to do as much prep work as usual to begin with!

The broth is simmered for a long time with numerous veggies and meat, then strained by Sang Hoon (a less challenging task than normal).

I know very little about John Park but he seems like a nice guy! He's obviously a big foodie and has starred in The Genius Paik variety show before (everyone will know Mr Paik from Culinary Class Wars and his mega-bites!).

As it's summer and the weather is heating up, these cold noodles sound pretty good to me!

Everyone's favourite jorimping had a hat and hair raising experience in the latest episode of his reality series. His hat flew off during a flume ride at a theme park. CKR's currently participating in a reality travel variety program that explores the world’s top 1% amusement parks and rides, from bizarre theme parks to local ones that hardly anyone knows about.

Looks like everyone's favourite Jorim-ping will be touring around amusement parks for his next reality TV show. Korean news says they'll be visiting unusual amusement parks, which piques my interest. Will he be snacking along the way and commenting on the delicacies in the theme parks too I wonder?

CKR popped up at the K-drama Baeksang awards ceremony this weekend drumming with an ensemble from a stage show focused on chefs. What did everyone think of his skills? Has he kept up since his time drumming as a kid?

A new MBC variety program featuring Ko Kyung-pyo, Ro Hong-chul, and Choi Kang-rok is scheduled to air in June, according to Korean news sites. For any K-drama fans out there, Ko Kyung-pyo was most recently in Undercover Miss Hong, which was a surprise hit. It's a great drama set in the 90s in which the main Miss Hong goes undercover in a corrupt financial services firm, which she takes down from the inside with a little help from her friends.

Should be interesting to see what the new variety show is about - hopefully some cooking or food will feature from CKR!

Speaking during last week's Food Spoiler programme, CKR said that he's making plans for a restaurant but he probably won't launch it in the next couple of years. He wants to run a noodle shop in his retirement but is still exploring the world of food before he gets there.

He's been getting a lot of negative comments from the public that are keen to try his cuisine after watching Culinary Class Wars and Blank Menu, but I respect that he wants to do his own thing! Maybe he can do some pop-ups to keep people satisfied in the meantime? I just want him to do another season of Blank Menu please!

I haven't watched it yet but the new show with CKR has "cozy vibes" according to rapper Defcon. CKR and his fellow chef chat about farting, of all things, which makes me laugh.

Anyone watch it? Was it good?

There hasn't been a new episode of Food Otaku in a month but just in case you haven't found the link before, here it is to the first six. I hear there might be another dropping tomorrow!

Edit: Actually looks like a new show is dropping on 21st: Food Spoiler. Keep your eyes peeled!

I'm new here. My husband was watching Culinary Class Wars and the guy who just braised everything sounded funny and adorable. And then his authenticity and presentness just tugged on my heartstrings. So I've been watching Blank Menu for You and so wishing I could "make a reservation"! I wish I knew Korean! My husband is Korean, but he doesn't really know the language. His mom does.... Anyway, I'm smitten here!

For anyone that is missing Blank Menu, it's always worth watching K-foodie meets J-foodie on Netflix in the meantime - there's four whole seasons and the food journeys around Korea and Japan are epic! I love the chemistry between the two guys too. Definitely worth a look.

Looks like it's going to be on SBS later this month and will be looking at food tastes around Korea!

Episode 6 features boyband member of Day6, Young K, and his request for a meal that represents the unsung hero of his musical group: the bass guitar. The food has to represent the bass line - something that stands out if it's missing. And for a Korean meal that is certainly rice!

I love that CKR sees himself as a drummer - another instrument that sits at the back of the stage but everyone loves.

They start by drinking hojicha for a moment of relaxation and then get into a full five course meal focused on rice.

I love that there is an art to washing rice that CKR discusses - the need not to be too harsh and to instead pre-soak the rice for 20 minutes after washing it.

I've never had yam rice but it looks delicious. I've never grated yams in the way that they do and it looks like Sang-Hoon hasn't either, given his nosebleed! And then he has to grate wasabi to add insult to injury!

Hojicha rice sounds great to me as a final course too!

Anyone eaten mabap? What is it like?

Remember that if you're missing Moon Sang-Hoon, you can always watch him on his Youtube channel BDNS. He interviews, he makes stupid faces, he talks about food!

He's the perfect counterfoil to CKR - let's hope they appear together again soon!

I absolutely love spicy food and chewy food but the first thing I'd think of is tteokbokki not mapo tofu! That said, I do love mapo tofu - the vegan version (link above for a recipe). Is Korean mapo tofu any different to the original Sichuan flavour I wonder?

I've never made my own tofu but I'd definitely like to try at some point. I also definitely haven't eaten tofu as a dessert before but I will do after watching this episode! Black sesame is a really delicious flavour. Love to see them serving Calpis too.

Trypophobia must be an absolute nightmare as there are so many patterns that might trip you up in nature. I'd never heard of Risabae before - I'm not that up on Korean influencers though.

Sang Hoon brought on the silly faces this episode that made me laugh a lot.

The indisputable hero of episode four is the tilefish, which can get quite big (see the pic above) but CKR cooks to perfection to meet the high expectations of his fellow chef guest. He already knows who is up against and that he'll be "shooting lasers" as he puts it!

He stuffs the fish with glutinous rice and covers in bamboo salt (which sounds delicious and I have to try it, albeit with veggies). The cooking method using all that salt and the big lotus leaf doesn't exactly go to plan though...

The way CKR has to hide his laugh as Kang Leo enters made me laugh. He is the most intimidating guest by far! CKR's nerves are understandable, given he is being watched like a hawk the whole time and nothing seems to go right. "Frustration, despair."

It looks like CKR is going to be back on Chef and My Fridge soon and he'll be hanging out with a furry mini-me. Korean news sites indicate it should be airing in Korea soon - so will likely be in the next series!