She may now be one of Korea’s biggest stars, but former 2NE1 member Sandara Park, now known as Dara, is still Filipino at heart.
The South Korean star brought other personalities with her to two of her favorite Filipino food establishments during a trip to the country: Jollibee and Gerry’s Grill.
“Long time no see, my friend,” she wrote of Jollibee. “Why do you think you gain [three kilograms] when you enter the Philippines?! There is so much delicious food!” She wrote in Korean.
Dara posed beside a Jollibee statue, and posted a photo of her order: the classic Spicy Chickenjoy and Jolly Spaghetti combo.
She also posted photos of Gerry’s Grill, a popular homegrown establishment known for local favorites such as sizzling pork sisig, crispy pata, adobo shreds, and stuffed grilled squid.
“Ate, what did they like most from Gerry’s Grill?” A fan asked, calling Dara the Filipino term for older sister.
“Garlic rice!!!!! Haha and what else I ordered so much we almost finished everything! They said it was so delicious,” the star wrote in Filipino.
“What about Jollibee, what did they enjoy most?” Another follower inquired.
“Everything but they liked the burger and peach mango pie because it’s so unique!!! They said it was different [from] Korea,” she replied.
“Another successful Dara tour,” she added.
Dara was reportedly in the country to shoot a show by Korean network SBS called Idol Truck Project, an upcoming program that highlights small and medium-sized businesses.
Before rising to fame as part of K-Pop’s most popular groups, Dara grew up in the Philippines after moving to the country when she was nine. She later embarked on a successful showbiz career after joining the local talent search Star Circle Quest on ABS-CBN in 2004, before moving back to South Korea in 2007.
She was named one of K-Pop’s wealthiest female idols in 2021, with an estimated net worth of US$30 million.
