P1 Harmony Tells Us Their Favorite Foods And Predicts The Next Crossover Korean Food Craze

Three years in and the bilingual K-Pop group P1 Harmony has perfected their r&b/rap vocal balance with simmering pop production and earworm hooks. This is in evidence on their latest album, the 10-track Killin’ It. The “killing” is done by a six-member mega-high-energy choreo-performing crew consisting of Keeho (lead vocalist), Theo (vocalist), Jiung (vocalist/rapper), Intak (rapper), Jongseob (rapper and songwriter) and Soul (rapper).

Despite being independent, P1 Harmony hit US top 40 radio in 2023 with their single “Fall In Love Again” and charted on Billboard and Spotify, which led to a world tour that took them through the US, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America. They’ve also achieved all of the major US music industry success signifiers – major artist co-signs, national TV performances, and top-tier press hype. P1 Harmony is on the cusp of pop culture breakthrough and there is a palpable excitement amongst their team with the compounding traction.

To mark the release their latest single “Sad Song,” we caught up with the group following their Gov Ball debut and North American tour to talk about all the great food they’ve eaten during the ascendancy. We got the scoop on Keeho’s Miami restaurant incident, Intak’s go-to Chicago Italian spot, Theo’s hotel and plane must-haves, and Jongseob’s favorite soda. We also had P1 Harmony predict the next Korean food craze to take off abroad, share the Korean dishes they miss most on tour and had Keeho explain why Costco fries are the best.

What is on your rider when it comes to food and drinks?

Keeho: We don’t really have a list. When we have shows and we arrive at the venue, they are so nice to have set up drinks, different sodas, different Gatorades. Theo loves to have chocolate in the waiting room because he loves chocolate. They usually just have snacks for us; chips and stuff. Apparently, we do have a rider but I don’t know about it. We didn’t have a say.

So when you guys are moving around the United States or from city to city, you guys have a Sprinter or tour bus. What type of food and drinks do you have there?

Keeho: Well right now on our tour, we travel by plane. Whenever we’re in a city, we are always trying to have whatever food represents that city. We were in Boston and we heard lobster tails are super popular. So Intak and I went out and had some lobster.

When you guys are traveling, if you’re at the airport, is there a snack that you get to have on the plane, or what do you pick up at the airport?

Theo: A Chicken wrap.

Keeho: Theo says he loves to get a nice chicken burrito wrap.

Jiung: I usually have the croissant sandwich.

When you guys get to your hotel, do you ever take anything out of the mini bar? Are you guys going to get snacks at a local convenience store?

Keeho: Theo finds a local convenience store and he always stocks up on chocolate.

Jiung: Chocolate guy.

Keeho: I’m learning about that today. I didn’t even know he was that big on chocolate. What kind of chocolate?

Theo: I like milk.

Keeho: Huh? Milk chocolate. He likes milk chocolate.

Anybody else? Or is Theo’s the resident snacker?

Jiung: I always have the, what was it?

Keeho: Ah, oh, taquito.

Jiung: Taquito.

Intak: Taquito!

Keeho: Also, in our hotel rooms, we also have a lot of different types of ramen and whenever we want ramen, they have it ready for us. So, we always have ramen on demand.

Is there a specific brand of ramen that’s your favorite?

Jongseob: Kimchi ramen.

Keeho: Theo says ramen that’s not too spicy. This is the most I’ve heard Theo talk today. I think he just really likes talking about food. But he said he likes non-spicy ramen.

I read that Soul really likes kimchi stew, is that similar to kimchi ramen?

Keeho: Soul hasn’t been able to eat kimchi stew recently, so he is super into the kimchi ramen because he thinks that the kimchi ramen tastes better now. Because we could only really get authentic kimchi stew back in South Korea. So when he’s out here in America, he loves to have the kimchi ramen.

When you guys are recording in the studio, are there any snacks or foods or drinks that you guys need to get creative?

Jongseob: Always I must have a soda.

Keeho: You need to have soda?

Jongseob: Any soda.

Keeho: You also love chicken. You always have chicken.

Any type of soda or chicken that’s your favorite?

Jongseob: My favorite? Oh, that’s hard. My favorite is also Cider.

Keeho: Oh, it’s like the Korean version of Sprite.

What’s your favorite type of chicken? Is it like a fried chicken or a specific dish that you really like?

Keeho: So Jongseob says it varies by the time, but he loves to always experiment and try whatever flavor seems the most unique.

Before you guys started on your US tour, were there any cities where you were excited to get to try the food?

Intak: I got one thing, Chicago carbonara?

Keeho: So last time, Intak and I, when we were in Chicago, we had fettuccine alfredo pasta with shrimp. And he loved that pasta so much that every time we come back to the states, he’s just waiting to go back to Chicago to have the fettuccine alfredo pasta again.

Where was the carbonara?

Keeho: I think the restaurant we had it was Rose something. It was Rosebud in Chicago.

I saw that you guys went on a tour and you went to Asia, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America. Are there any foods that you tried while you were traveling that you could share that were really good or really weird or just something that was a surprise?

Keeho: When we went to Beijing, we had Peking Duck, but they had the whole head on it and Jongseob tried the head of the duck.

How was it?

Keeho: There was not a lot of meat on the head so you can’t even say if it tasted good or bad, but it was very much a new experience.

Anything on any of the other continents, like in Latin America, New Zealand, or Australia that you all tried that was kind of interesting?

Jiung: For me, when we went to Philly for the collab with Pink Sweats we got Philly Cheesesteak. It was really good.

Keeho: For me, when we were in Europe, I think we were in Germany, but they had Schnitzel. I remember when I was in ninth grade of high school, we went to Germany and the Czech Republic and Austria for a school trip and I remember having schnitzel every dinner and then it reminded me of that and it was like, “Oh, I miss this taste of schnitzel.” It was good.

Let’s talk about Korean food. So what do you guys think about Korean food outside of Korea? Have you tried any that’s good or is none of it as good as at home?

Jiung: L.A. and New York have very good Korean food.

So you would say the Korean food in L.A. and New York is worth trying, but maybe not in other states?

Keeho: So Theo says it’s only fair judgment if you are able to go and eat at the restaurant itself. He didn’t get to do that for a lot of other stops in other cities except L.A. and New York so he can’t really make a fair judgment. But he does feel like L.A. And New York have really, really good Korean good and even sometimes it tastes better than actual Korean food in Korea. He really, really likes the Korean food in New York and L.A.

What is each of your favorite Korean dishes from home? If each of you could name one dish that you miss while you’re traveling?

Jiung: It’s a noodle… In Korea, called Kal-guksu.

Keeho: Kal-guksu.

Jiung: I miss that a lot. That’s my favorite.

Theo: Yukke.

Keeho: Yukke. Beef tartar.

Intak: Pork belly.

Jiung: Chicken stew.

Intak: Chicken stew. Original Korean-style chicken soup dish.

Keeho: Pork stir-fry.

Keeho, I saw a review you did online of the best french fries. You talked about how you love the french fries at Costco. Do they have Costco in Korea or was that in another country?

Keeho: They do have Costco in Korea, but I’m referring to the Costco back in my hometown in Toronto. So when I had french fries in Toronto at Costco, Costco fries are nice and big and also really crispy, but soft on the inside with the perfect amount of saltiness, they never go wrong.

And what about Shake Shack? Do you get the cheese sauce at Shake Shack or no?

Keeho: Yeah, of course. I love the cheese sauce.

Can you share what happened with the restaurant incident in Miami? I heard you didn’t get into a restaurant because of how you were dressed.

Keeho: I took myself out on a date and I was looking up super nice restaurants in Miami. I had walked 30 minutes to get to a restaurant and as soon as they tried to go in, they stopped me and said, “You’re not allowed in.” I was like, “Why?” And they’re like, “You’re wearing shorts and you have a hat on.” And I was like, “Oh shoot.”

Did you go back after you changed or you went to a different restaurant?

Keeho: Our hotel was pretty far from that restaurant. I went to another restaurant that was close, and they had the same restrictions, but I had already changed by then, so it was fine. It was MILA that I got rejected from. And then the one I went to was called, it was like an Asian fusion restaurant. I forget what the restaurant that I did end up going to though.

Oh, it was called Sexy Fish!

What do you think the next Korean food should be that gets really popular outside of Korea?

Keeho: Okay, this is kind of a craze. I think it’s slowly starting to happen. Intak says definitely rice cake, hot rice cake, spicy rice cake.

Is that a cooked item or is that a dried rice cake?

Keeho: It’s like a soft rice cake. It’s just the rice cake itself in spicy red gochujang sauce.

Jongseob: It tastes so good.