The Side Dish

We’re back! In celebration of Father’s Day, Luke Black gives a Nardwuar-style interview to our newly minted dad, Aaron Shin. Major props to our Canadian sleuth: Luke unearthed artifacts from Aaron’s stints in theater, filmmaking, and short story writing, managing to find the most embarrassing remnants imaginable. James Chung also joins to talk about his professor getting arrested, favorite Jeju Island eateries, the magic of Daejeon, and much more. Enjoy! 06/16/25

For our 120th episode, Aaron “Airbear” Choe jumps on the microphone to emcee a dope conversation! Having worked with the likes of Hyundai and Yaeji, Aaron reflects on what it meant to grow up in the Bay Area’s rave scene, how he found esoteric jams, and the influences that guided—and continue to guide—his filmmaking and music career. Other topics include: San Jose’s underrated food scene, the pressure to learn Korean, and what a freelancer’s schedule really looks like. Enjoy! 03/27/25

The podcast is honored to host Rob “Dubudaddy” Joe: an icon of the Itaewon F&B/art/activism scene and all around dope human being. Aside from being a part-time filmmaker and full-time “internet guy”, Rob is perhaps most well-known for siring Dubu, Reddit’s most famous Samoyed. Check out the Korean version of Marley and Me in this very special, sometimes deep episode. Other topics include: running marathons, brain rot, and Aaron’s thoughts on Nicole Kidman’s jugs. 03/20/25

In this very special episode, we sit with Robert Jung to talk about Singles Inferno, Korean Disneyland, and what it takes to survive brain cancer. Enjoy! 02/06/25

Steve Hanson is—among many things—a Korean adoptee, dedicated teacher, and distant relative of Bob Dylan. Tune into our conversation about being “Minnesota Nice”, The Mighty Ducks’ Rotten Tomato score, why boys are dumber than girls, and what it’s like being super buff. 01/27/25

Y’all! This episode’s got our Alabaman/Texan friends Crystal and Kelly talking about the new season of Singles Inferno, bribing South African TSA agents, extreme pogo-sticking, and teabags. Other topics include: pickleball vs badminton, our favorite emo songs, and getting scrubbed down by old Asian men. Enjoy! 01/15/25

Three middle-aged dudes talk about really important stuff: Jesus, Bob Dylan, and Dyson vacuums. 01/10/24

It’s been a crazy EOY for everyone at The Side Dish, but we’re happy to bring you an epic New Year’s episode! Join us for deep reflections on our favorite Christmas presents, unforgettable 2024 moments, and an “exit interview” where we talk (at length) about the kinds of energy we want to surround ourselves with in 2025. Enjoy! 01/04/25

@julseytooshoes is more than your average content creator. She's a board game designer, former model and actress, trilingual doctorate of Linguistics, and maybe Korean! Tune in for stories about rural Pennsylvania, Super Junior, and going viral on her first post. Be sure to check out and follow her socials, too!12/11/24

Baby names, body changes, tiger mom trauma, and what to do if your kid’s a serial killer: the pod talks parenting. 11/28/24

Friend of the podcast Delilah Wells graces us from France to talk about (1) translation and the sociology of language, (2) London's "vibes" or lack thereof, (3) why making fun of French people can only be classified as "punching up”, (4) what makes Seoul an S-Tier fashion city, and (5) Donald Trump fellating a microphone. Enjoy!11/10/24

If you’re a foreigner in Korea, you’ve likely heard of Restaurant Buzz Seoul—a foodie Facebook group that helped launch the Itaewon food scene. And if you’re a member of RBS, then you’ve probably seen Sean Yi trolling the comments. Has he reformed his ways? What other hot takes does he have? Tune in to find out! Other topics include: the Dodgers winning the World Series, Uncle Jay’s audit, and much more! 10/31/24

What started out as a "men's group" therapy session devolved into a possibly cancelable conversation about Shrek, cadavers, and Aaron Hernandez. You be the judge. 10/27/24

Sylvia Kim joins the podcast to talk about being a "Freak Korean"--someone who only found racial acceptance among other church misfits. Other topics include: Culinary Class Wars, James' recent travels to Belgium, the best subway stations in New York City, mixing friend groups, and the poetry of Ocean Vuong. Enjoy! 10/09/24

The podcast hasn’t seen Jenny in months(!), so before we caught up over a family meal, we caught up over the mic. Topics include: Hong Kong diarrhea, LA’s haunted houses, P Diddy’s possible accomplices, and much more.10/03/24

If you've ever seen the K-Drama "Queen of Tears", then get ready to meet the REAL Queen of Tears, Cyndi Song! Cyndi joins us to talk about being the daughter of a famous actress, building a social media following, and how being a nepo-baby has affected her life. Other topics include: Seline hates Jay Shetty, Aaron's AI-generated headshots, and much more! 09/28/24

Chris "The Intern" Cho returns to the mic after a 2-year hiatus! Tune into hear how he's liking his new job in Austin, the awkward social interactions he's had, and how he's keeping himself occupied with a VR headset (watching "nature" videos). Other topics include: Seline's sanitation habits, Aaron's thoughts on Alien: Romulus, Jay's trip to Incheon's new casino, and what the heck is going on with inflation. 08/21/24

It's a silly goose episode with our friend Phil "Soy Boi" Choi! Topics include: racist Atlantan schoolteachers, pissing yourself on the bus, reading Ocean Vuong while wasted, Aaron getting terrorized by a child, cars we'd like to fuck, and whether being a virgin at 36-years-old is a reg flag. 08/16/24

We interview our resident ajusshi--affectionately known as Uncle Jay--to talk about his 30+ year career, his tips on achieving success, and how he turned from an LA beach bum to a loving father of two (daughters and Porsches). Other topics include: our most expensive purchases, investment "tips", and a guest appearance by George Clooney. Enjoy!07/28/24

Khloe Kim graces the podcast to talk about skincare routines, BPOATs (Biggest Pimples of All Time), and what’s going on with Zac Effron’s face. Other topics include: Khloe’s bedbug fiasco, Jay’s favorite skincare influencers, Seline’s thoughts on “good” lip filler, and Aaron’s embarrassing years of adolescent acne. 07/15/24