Tablo Visits BTS RM's 'Pilgrimage Spot' at His Alma Mater, Stanford University

Hip-hop trio Epik High went to Harvard and Stanford to find out which campus has the better student food. Members Tablo, Mithra Jin and Tukutz visited restaurants near both universities in a new video.

The group posted the video, titled "Did You Eat Before Studying?" (Babeun Meokgo Gongbuhani?), on its official YouTube channel, "EPIKASE," on the 12th.

The idea came from Tablo's social media. Commenters there had disagreed over which school had better food nearby, so the members decided to check for themselves. They skipped fancy restaurants. Instead, they picked places where students grab a quick meal between classes or study sessions.

The first stop was Boston, home to Harvard. The members teased Tukutz about his interest in top schools. "Every time we come to Boston for a show, Tukutz says we have to go see Harvard and MIT," they joked. "I've never seen anyone more obsessed with elite schools than the people who actually go there."

They started at a taco shop near Harvard, where customers choose their own ingredients. "If you don't know the right combinations, you could end up with a pretty ordinary taste," the members said.

While they ate, Mithra Jin cut his burrito wrapper into a shape that made it easier to eat. The others were impressed. "When it comes to eating, his IQ is 200," they said. "Forget IQ and EQ. He seems to have a separate 'Eat-Q.'"

Next came a long-running pizza place. The group ordered three kinds of square pizza to compare. Tablo was surprised to hear that the most popular item was not pepperoni but a vegetable pizza. "You can feel how much more college students care about their health these days," he said.

The trio then headed west to Stanford. At a spot that sells burgers and tacos, they ordered a mushroom burger, a kimchi burger and a poke sashimi tuna taco, among other items.

The food led to a comparison with dining in South Korea. One member said a dish tasted "like bibimbap," the Korean mixed rice bowl. "Over the last 20 years or so, Korea has gotten a lot of great handmade burger, taco and pizza places," the members said. "So even when we come to popular local spots in the U.S., we end up thinking, 'Why is this so popular?'"

The next stop was personal. Tablo took the group to a sandwich shop where he worked part-time as a Stanford student, making sandwiches himself. He joked that he would have a word with the younger staff if the food did not hold up. His plan to sit in his old favorite seat fell through, though. Other students had already taken it, so the group had to move.

After one bite, Tablo admitted the shop had improved. "Honestly, I think they make it better now than when I made it," he said. "The proportions are better too." Mithra Jin and Tukutz said the sandwich was cheaper than the burger they had earlier and just salty enough, which made it a good fit for students.

With the food tour done, the group visited the Crying Tree, a well-known spot on the Stanford campus. Tablo played a ticket booth worker in a short skit. He also gave nearby tourists an impromptu tour, telling them that BTS member RM "came and sat here."

Mithra Jin hugged the tree and made a wish that his son would one day get into Stanford. The three wrapped up the trip by sharing stories about Tablo's student days and the campus.

Epik High regularly shares original content on its YouTube channel. The group will also hold a solo concert from Jan. 22 to 24 next year at KSPO DOME in Olympic Park, in Seoul's Songpa district.

For Epik High, a simple debate in the comments turned into a trip back to where Tablo's story started. Along the way, it showed how much Korea's own food scene has grown since he left.