Jin's Janchi Guksu Recipe (BTS): The Warm Noodle Soup He Cooked With V & Jimin
๐น Official video: BTS Cook Dinner Together | Now Serving — Vogue (YouTube)
On March 27, Vogue posted a video called Now Serving that was just three members of BTS — Jin, Jimin, and V — standing in a kitchen making noodles. Jin ran the whole thing. V and Jimin, let's say, provided moral support. V kept flinging the drained noodles into the air and cheering, and Jimin got distracted pouring an alarming amount of sugar into his drink.
The dish they pulled off was janchi guksu — warm Korean banquet noodles in a clean anchovy broth. And here's the good news: it's one of the easiest real Korean meals you can make at home. Thirty minutes, a handful of ingredients, zero special skills. Here's exactly how Jin does it.
Jin is BTS's actual resident cook
This isn't a one-off. Jin has been cooking on camera for years — on JTBC's Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, in his own cooking vlog, and in HYBE's education clips. In the Vogue kitchen he was handed the head-chef apron for a simple reason: he's the most experienced cook of the three, and it showed.
Why janchi guksu, of all dishes? Because it's the kind of thing you actually make on a random Tuesday. HYBE's own cooking content once pointed out that the members often make janchi guksu themselves — it's quick, forgiving, and you can throw in whatever vegetables you have. That's the whole appeal. And in the video, Jin paired it with misugaru, a roasted-grain drink. When Jimin dumped in extra sugar, Jin tried it and admitted it was good. "This is the Busan style," Jimin said. "More sugar than you think you need."
What "janchi guksu" actually means
Janchi guksu (์จ์น๊ตญ์) translates to "banquet noodles" or "feast noodles." Traditionally it's served at weddings, birthdays, and big family gatherings — because long noodles symbolize a long life. In Korea there's even an old way of asking someone when they're getting married: "๊ตญ์ ์ธ์ ๋จน์ฌ ์ค ๊ฑฐ์ผ?" — literally, "when are you going to feed me noodles?" At home, though, nobody's being ceremonial about it. It's just a light, warm, cheap bowl of comfort.
Ingredients (serves 4)
The real trick for overseas fans is the swaps. Here's what to grab if your local store isn't stocked with a Korean aisle:
| Ingredient | Amount | No Korean store? Swap it |
|---|---|---|
| Somyeon (thin wheat noodles) | 8 oz / 220g | Japanese somen, or any thin wheat noodle |
| Dried anchovies (gutted) | 15–18 | Anchovy stock packets, dashi packets, or a good veg/chicken stock |
| Dried kelp (dashima) | 1 piece (~3×4 in) | Kombu — it's the same thing |
| Onion + a few slices radish | 1/2 onion | Daikon for the radish |
| Egg / zucchini / carrot | 2 / 1½ / 1 | Any summer squash for zucchini |
| Roasted gim (seaweed) | 1–2 sheets | Sushi nori, shredded |
| Sauce: soy sauce, gochugaru, garlic, scallion, sesame oil + seeds, pinch sugar | see steps | Gochugaru → Korean chili flakes (regular chili powder is hotter, use half) |
Step-by-step
- Make the broth. In a pot, combine ~6 cups water, the anchovies, kelp, onion, and radish. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered about 10 minutes. Pull the kelp out around the 5-minute mark so it doesn't turn the broth bitter. Strain everything out.
- Season it light. Add just a splash of soy sauce and a little salt. Keep it almost too mild — the sauce at the end does the heavy lifting.
- Prep the toppings. Beat the eggs into thin sheets, cool, and slice into strips. Stir-fry the zucchini and carrot separately with a pinch of salt. If you're using kimchi, give it a quick fry with a couple drops of sesame oil.
- Mix the sauce. Stir together 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp gochugaru, 1 tsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp chopped scallion, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp sesame seeds, and a pinch of sugar.
- Boil the noodles. Somyeon cooks fast — 3 to 4 minutes. When the water foams up, splash in a little cold water; repeat once. Drain and rinse hard under cold water until the noodles squeak.
- Assemble. Noodles in a bowl, pour the hot broth over, pile the toppings on top, sprinkle the gim. Serve the sauce on the side so everyone spoons in as much punch as they want.
๐ฐ๐ท How Koreans actually eat it
Here's the cultural bit fans always ask about. In Korea, janchi guksu is celebration food — the long noodles are a wish for a long, smooth life, which is why it shows up at weddings. But day to day, it's the opposite of fancy. It's the bowl you make when you're tired and want something warm and clean, not heavy. Fast, cheap, gentle on the stomach.
And that misugaru drink from the video? It's a roasted multigrain powder mixed with water or milk — a genuinely common Korean breakfast or snack drink. Jimin's "Busan style, more sugar" line got fans laughing because it's such a real regional-taste thing to say.
Jamie's Tips (where people mess it up)
- Don't over-salt the broth. This is the #1 mistake. The sauce is salty, so if your broth already tastes seasoned, the finished bowl will be too much. Aim for "hmm, a little bland" on its own.
- Rinse the noodles like you mean it. Warm, starchy somyeon turns to mush in hot broth within minutes. Rinse cold, drain well, and only combine right before you eat.
- Pull the kelp early. Boiled too long, kelp makes the broth slimy and slightly bitter. Five minutes, then out.
Want it in Seoul?
You don't need a fancy restaurant for this one. Head to Gwangjang Market (Jongno-gu, Seoul), where the covered food alley is lined with noodle stalls run by ajummas who've been ladling broth for decades. Grab a stool, point, and eat. It's about as authentic and un-touristy as a warm bowl of guksu gets.
| Prep + cook time | ~30 minutes |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
| Spice level | Mild (you control it with the sauce) |
FAQ
Is janchi guksu spicy?
Not really. The broth is clean and mild — the heat only comes from the optional sauce, and you decide how much goes in. Skip the gochugaru and it's basically non-spicy.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Yes, easily. Swap the anchovy-kelp broth for a dried-shiitake-and-kelp stock and skip the fish toppings. It's surprisingly deep and savory.
What if I can't find somyeon?
Japanese somen is the closest match. Any thin wheat noodle works in a pinch — just don't reach for ramen or udon, the texture's all wrong.
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