The Side Dish

What makes something cool? Subversiveness? Ironic detachment? Chain-link wallets and nautical tattoos? In this week’s episode, we unpack the aesthetics of cool and rate things ranging from virginity and Russian literature, to pilates and Elon Musk. We also touch on indie rock and hip hop, mainstream skateboard trends, those people who always have cracked phone screens, and debate whether Californi...

Korea has changed a lot over the last 21 years. In other respects, it’s stayed exactly the same. Join us as we compare our childhood impressions of Seoul (either visiting or living here) to what it’s become today: a pretty awesome place to call home! Topics include: hiking culture and horny grandmas, the dark side of hailing a taxi after 12AM, Seline’s sexy (“I like to dress like a slut”) fashion...

As opposed to parents or friends, your siblings are typically the people who have known (and will know) you for the longest time. And yet, there’s a neglected discourse surrounding the impact siblings have on each other, whether through the power of birth order, gender dynamics, or serving as role models or rivals. Join our conversation with Elaine Shin as we reminisce about shared living quarters...

It’s only natural to ponder the “what ifs” of life. But as we break down in this week’s episode, such ruminations are actually “low energy” thoughts that lead—at worst—to self-pity and regret. So instead, the podcast celebrates decisive moments that, for better or worse, led us all to the present. Topics include: Jay choosing to break up with a long-term girlfriend, the moment Aaron decided to esc...

Once a social work major at NYU, Katie Kim is now a filmmaker finishing her last year at Columbia University’s MFA program. As a highly empathetic and perceptive person, Katie details how her creative process hinges on the simple--yet powerful--premise that beauty and humor can heal both viewers and creators alike. She also talks about what she learned about directing and writing from her two shor...

The 26-year-old intern originally pitched this “food draft” idea in a drunken stupor. It sounded pretty low-commitment and fun, plus we were too lazy/drunk to suggest anything better.  Well, thanks to the intern’s initiative and panache, this dish came out great! We touch on how modernization influenced Korea’s food culture, the utilitarian vs artistic aspects of cooking, whether we ought to eat a...

This week, Seline, Jay, Chris and Aaron celebrate their podcast friendship by drinking tequila and dishing about--wait for it... friendship! The conversation jumps around from synced up menstrual cycles, our friends not inviting us to karaoke (you know who you are), middle school crushes, and NOT Seline’s love life. We also talk about friendship breakups, that one insufferable guy/girl your friend...

In this episode we sit down to discuss the senseless attacks against Asians in the United States, talking openly about the complicated internal and external reckonings so many Asian Americans are forced to experience under the domain of white supremacy. We especially take time to focus on misogyny against Asian women, and how that comes in the form of sexual abuse and fetishization. What does it m...

Conspiracy theories have long captured our collective imaginations and, in some cases, even turned out to be true. If you’ve ever wondered where conspiracy thinking stems from, or just want to hear us debate their veracity, then allow us to enter your minds. Dropping buzz words like “magical thinking”, “intuition”, “malicious intent” and “Ted Bundy’s pajamas”, we come to learn that while some beli...

Insecurities, selfish impulses, and mean streaks. From childhood, we are taught to repress these Jungian “shadow” traits, conditioned instead to be prosocial in all aspects of life. The problem is, these traits tend to leak out as we get older.  That’s right, this episode’s all about leakage.  What triggers our shadow traits and how can we channel them in healthy ways? Join us as we also discuss t...

What the hell is a third culture kid (TCK)? Our friend Elena Kim joins us in this episode to discuss her life growing up in many different cultures and eventually ending up in her mother country (Korea). We cover her journey from birth in London, adolescence in Singapore, prep school in Connecticut, college in the American South, and finally, life as a Korean American in Korea.  Join us as we dish...

Friend of the podcast Sol Lee revisits the studio to share the fascinating science of Motivational Interviewing. First developed to rehabilitate unwilling drug addicts, MI has incredible applications to our everyday lives, if we allow maestros like Sol to hypnotize and fix us. Listen to this episode because it will literally change your life! (Or put you to sleep.) Disclaimer: The demonstration at...

The podcast finally gets that coveted interview with Justin Kim, a bro of many talents. From finance consulting to the startup space, and now embarking on a new phase of his career, he shares what it takes to grow from a finance "bro" to a finance MAN. We also talk about wiping our asses at the end. Enjoy!  Follow us @_thesidedish 02/09/21

Are millennials really the “burnout generation”? Join us as we discuss the stages, symptoms, and our personal manifestations of chronic, unresolved work stress. We talk about traumatic stress-related fainting spells, how we can’t afford spouses (lol), choosing how we want to live, feeling embarrassed about our jobs, and much more related to the nature of being approximately 26 to 35 years old unde...