Michelle and her mother were nothing alike. Now the lead singer of Japanese Breakfast, Michelle Zauner grew up as a little punk kid running around the Pacific Northwest wearing Daniel Johnston T-shirts and patched overalls. Her mother was glamorous, refined, and secretly homesick for her hometown of Seoul, Korea. The bridge between them, however, was their shared love of adventurous eating and Korean food. Although Michelle only realized how significant this connection was once she had to learn to cook for herself.

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