KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — He conquered the streets of Seoul with his awkwardly charming catchphrases and exaggerated pick-up lines, but it only took a steaming bowl of herbal broth in Klang to transform Sean Solo, the viral sensation known as the “Hongdae Guy,” into a local.
In a delightful collision of meme culture and Malaysian culinary heritage, the Korean-Canadian influencer was shown on a Japanese-Malaysian influencer couple’s Instagram reel learning how to eat bak kut teh the “Malaysian way.”
He of course had what is considered the gold standard in bak kut teh — Klang’s dark souped version, along with a healthy side of youtiao.
The couple, Joshua Lim and Arisa Yamanaka, demonstrated how Malaysians will nearly submerge the rice in the broth and even encouraged Sean to eat as much as he wanted.
Sean Solo, who skyrocketed to global fame through his sharp-witted parodies of overconfident young men in Seoul’s trendy Hongdae district, recently touched down in Malaysia, bringing his signature comedic energy with him .
“That’s delicious” he declared, remarkably powering through more than two plates of rice while mastering the traditional art of dipping youtiao into the flavourful soup.
When asked which version of bak kut teh between Malaysia and Singapore was better, Sean answered, “Malaysia” with no hesitation.
Local fans, already thrilled by Sean’s arrival in the country, flooded the comments section with excitement and amusement at the cultural crossover.
“Omg so cool! Didn’t expect the Hongdae Guy to end up in Klang!!” exclaimed user @elilauindahaus, capturing the surreal delight of seeing an international internet personality embrace local culture so wholeheartedly .
Another fan, @gracepang, humorously noted the transformation: “So Hongdae Guy becomes Klang Guy? It makes me want to try it too!”
What impressed fans most, however, was how naturally Sean adapted to local dining customs. User @papermoonz_0719 observed approvingly, “He’s eating it so Malaysian style,” while @fathinsn jokingly admitted, “Wow, he’s more Malaysian than I am. I can’t stand the spiciness of cili padi” .
