IU appeared on the YouTube channel 'Chef An Seongjae' and showcased a late-night snack recipe they made themselves. In the video released on the 15th, IU was seen cooking while wearing an apron made from hanbok fabric. They said, "It's an apron made from hanbok fabric, but it's so pretty that I wore it out," and Chef An Seongjae, seeing this, admired, "In my 25 years of cooking, this is the prettiest apron I've ever seen. I thought it was a piece of clothing."

The menu IU introduced that day was 'Soft Tofu Cheese Pancake.' IU explained, "After work, I often get hungry at night. I like high-calorie foods, but when I have a schedule ahead, I can't always eat those. So I found this recipe on YouTube." They added, "I like soft textures. Since it contains soft tofu, it's low in calories, tasty, and doesn't make you gain much weight. I've tried it a few times, and it's good." It was also reported that IU maintains a body weight of 44kg despite a busy schedule.

After tasting the soft tofu cheese pancake made by IU, Chef An Seongjae evaluated, "I imagined coming home tired from work, quickly making this, and taking a bite, and now I understand why people say it's delicious." He added, "Using simple ingredients, it created a very comfortable taste, with a mild and perfectly absorbed seasoning. There was no strange feeling when eating it, and I really enjoyed it."

The soft tofu cheese pancake uses 200g of soft tofu, 4 tablespoons of potato starch or corn starch, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, and a sauce made from water, allulose, and soy sauce. The soft tofu is drained in a sieve to remove moisture, then mashed and mixed with starch to make a batter. Olive oil is heated in a pan, the batter is spread, cheese is placed on top, and then covered with the remaining batter and cooked over medium heat. Finally, the sauce is poured over and simmered on low heat for 2-3 minutes to finish. The estimated calorie count per serving is about 250-350 kcal, containing 15-20g of protein, 10-15g of fat, and 20-30g of carbohydrates.

It is recommended to use an appropriate amount of olive oil and wipe off any excess oil during cooking, as excessive oil can increase calories. Since the sauce has a strong sweet and salty flavor using soy sauce and allulose, substituting with low-sodium soy sauce or reducing the sauce can lower sodium intake. On that day, Chef An Seongjae advised that pairing it with vegetable side dishes like cucumber and pollock roe salad helps with nutritional balance.

Meanwhile, IU is playing the role of Seong Hee-ju, the representative of Castle Beauty with a commoner status, in MBC's Friday-Saturday drama '21st Century Grand Lady,' acting alongside Byun Woo-seok. The drama is set in a 21st-century constitutional monarchy Korea and depicts a romance that breaks social status barriers. Episode 3 will air on the 17th at 9:50 PM.