Forget Seoul Best Naengmyeon (Cold Noodle). This is a Real Naengmyeon.

It is getting to start crowded at most famous and well-known Naengmyeon (cold noodle) restaurant in summer which you should bear in your mind waiting for sometimes on long queue before you move, despite you go there early at 11:30, about half an hour earlier than opening time at noon. Myeonplainer (nickname as Noodle Explainer) usually said “If you take cold Naengmyeon in winter sitting at warm floor heating room under clod outside, you could take an opportunity to appreciate real Naengmyeon’s mental and physical taste as well as going well with particular mood or atmosphere, taking cold noodle under cold weather. While if you take Naengmyeon at hot summer, you could not appreciate such a real unique Naengmyeon taste and atmosphere and only enjoy physical taste, making mouth and tongue happy, I could say these people are foolish and spend money for nothing”. But it is realistic situation that owner of Naengmyeon restaurant have been unusually making money in summer rather than cold winter since most people naturally feel thirsty for clod foods, Naengmyeon whenever they are tired of hot weather in summer.

There are two type of Naengmyeon, the one Pyeongyang Naengmyeon the other Hamheung Naengmyeon which is widely and generally known to many people. Pyeongyang Naengmyeon is made with well reached beef flavor broth, almost iced and topping with almost plain laddish Kimchi or cucumber Kimchi and half piece of boiled egg and one of two piece of sliced boiled beef. While Hamheung Naengmyeon is Bibim Naengmyeon mixing with boiled and cooled Naengmyeon noodles with seasoned hot spicy ingredients without broth and topping with the same as Naengmyeon as above. They will separately serving warm or cold broth depend on individual hobby. Meanwhile when they prepare Naengmyeon both, they would normally good quality of beef. But they could use other meat like pheasant or chicken or pork depending on local conditions. We are introducing best four Naengmyeon Restaurant in Korea which are more than 30 years old and still running by old seniors. Its price per bowl is less than KRW 10,000- which we could say reasonable price.

1.    Seoul Buwon Myeonok Restaurant– Boiled and Sliced Pork with Unique Season

There is old Naengmyeon Restaurant running more than 60 years at middle of Namdaemun Market where you could readily see many cloth shops around. They are selling Naengmyeon KRW 7.5000 per bowl which looks comparably lower at well-known Naengmyeon social restaurant than other specialized Naengmyeon Restaurant. It is the most important points that owner of Buwon Myeonok Restaurant is not only extending to next generation but also regular customers also extending to their next generation. There are some misunderstanding rumor Buwon Myeonok is making broth with pork. It is not correct. They prepare broth with high quality beep and leg born and topping with boiled and sliced pork when they are serving. They add some park when they boil which would give particular mixed broth taste. They will use this pork for topping with seasons. They are selling other particular side menu as Bindaedoek (mung bean pan cake) which cooked with pork fat and will give you mung bean flavor rich. Price is KRW 3,000 per piece. There is special menu, calling as special Naengmyeon adding some more seasoned sliced pork piece against paying extra KRW 1,500.

2.  2. Gyeonggi Yangju Pyeongyang Myeonok : Richness of Pheasant Broth

There is Pyeongyang Myeonok at Songchu Valley where meets with Gongneungcheon Stream at North West of Bukhansan Mountain. There are other Pyeongyang Myeonok in Seoul Jangchung Dong and Uijeongbu City. They used to call Songchu Pyeongyang Myeonok different from others. If we talk about transportation to this restaurant, they are located at suburb which is somewhat inconvenience. But there is an enough reason why people like to come to visit this restaurant since they this restaurant is using unique pheasant broth. It is quite seldom we could find Naengmyeon Restaurant using pheasant. Therefore many missing hometown people escaping from North Korea and settling at South Korea are visiting this restaurant for taking care of homesick with North Korean style Naengmyeon with pheasant.

This restaurant has been founded by North Korean, Mr. Kim in 1980 and presently running by their son. They are also making hard effort to prepare excellent broth firstly boiling with cow front leg and brisket and later adding pheasant born and meat and secondly boiling again. They sometimes serve with mixed broth with Kimchi liquid in summer in order to upgrade the broth taste. They also very carefully take care of Naengmyeon noodle which makes with buckwheat just one day before serving in order to maximize buckwheat flavor at the noodle, less flavor losing according to times. When you drink one full mouth of the broth, you could readily feel deeper broth taste than ordinary broth at other Naengmyeon Restaurants, especially particular and enriched a bit sour pheasant taste. Other menus are available like North Korean Style Chicken Soup KRW 28,000, Nokdujigim (mung bean pancake) KRW 8,000 and handmade dumpling KRW 8,000.

3.  Gunsan Pbopai Naengmyeon : secrete dark black Color Broth

There are some well-known restaurants in Gunsan City to Seoul like Chinese Restaurants, bread shop and old story telling Naengmyeon restaurants. This Naengmyeon Restaurant is    the Pbopai Naengmyeon Restaurant many running more than 63 years which was founded in 1954 at Gunsan Bus Terminal as “Wonjo Pyeongyang Naengmyeon Restaurant” and was changed its name as Pbopai Naengmyeon Restaurant in referent to very widely known Pbopai at TV cartoon program in 1960^th . There is unique and particular of Naengmyeon broth at this restaurant as dark black color which is making soya source, mineral enriched natural salt and other secrete ingredients. When they serve, they will topping with boiled few chicken breast and 2 or 3 pieces of sliced pork which they used for making special and unique broth. It is key point how to make their broth; first sufficiently boiled cow leg born, secondly boiling with chicken breast for about 3 hours, lastly boiling with pork. They said each home is making Naengmyeon broth with each style in North Korea. But the founder was stick to this style and confidentially transferring this method to next generation. These are menu as Naengmyeon KRW 7,000 and Wongmandu (Big Dumpling) KRW 4,000.

4.  Jinju Iehyenodong Hayeonok Naengmyeon : Unique Add Seafood Looks likes Memil Soba (Japanese Cold Noodle)

There is no Naengmyeon Restaurant competing with unique and special broth at this Jinju Hayeonok Restaurant since they use not only cow front leg but also many kinds of seafood for making unique broth. There are several other Naengmyeon Restaurants in Jinju City But this Jinju Iehyenodong Naengmyeon Restaurant is an original and best Naengmyeon Restaurant in Jinju which was founded in 1945 as “Pusan Sikyook Sikdang”. This restaurant has been nowadays running by the Founder’s last son in law. Typical menu is Mulnaengmyeon (Pyeongyang Style) KRW 8,000and Yookjeon (beef pancake) KRW 19,500 and Bibim Naengmyeon (Hamheung Style) KRW 9,000. Please note they use the same topping between Pyeongyang Naengmyeon and Hamheung Naengmyeon. 

Jeonbuk Gunsan Pbopai Naengmyeon

Gyeonggi Yangju Pyeongyang Myeonok Naemyeon

Gyeongnam Jinju Iehyeondong Naengmyeon

Seoul Buwonmyeonok Naenmyeon