Wide knife-shaved noodles & soup dumplings in Gangnam: Sinbok

When I have plans near Gangnam Station, figuring out what to eat is always a bit of a puzzle. This time, instead of my usual Chinese food order, I was craving chewy dosakmyeon (knife-cut noodles) and dim sum, so I looked up Chinese restaurants near Gangnam Station and ended up at Sinbok Myeongwan.

I'd heard the beef dosakmyeon was their famous dish, so I gave it a try myself — and the noodle texture was way more fun than I expected, haha.

Where is Sinbok Myeongwan near Gangnam Station?

Sinbok Myeongwan is easy to get to since it's near Gangnam Station Exit 1! It's on the basement level of the Central Avenue building, and once inside, the space was bigger than I expected.

The overall vibe was clean and tidy, and there were quite a lot of tables, so it looked fine for groups too. There's also a separate seating area further inside, which seemed good for meals with friends or a work dinner. You order using the tablet on the table.

There were also spacious single seats facing the window, where you can eat while looking outside!

With separated four-tops, two-tops, and more, Sinbok Myeongwan is a Gangnam Station Chinese spot that works comfortably whether you're eating solo or with a group.

What's on the menu at Sinbok Myeongwan in Gangnam?

The Sinbok Myeongwan Gangnam menu ranges from the most popular beef dosakmyeon to dim sum and shumai.

There are rice dishes too, like eggplant over rice or beef fried rice, plus a range of fried dishes.

They also have Tsingtao beer and gaoliang liquor on hand!

The basic side dishes come out like this. The peanuts you get at Chinese restaurants are always so good, haha.

How do the beef dosakmyeon broth and wide noodles taste?

Sinbok Myeongwan's beef dosakmyeon was the dish I was most looking forward to that day. With a red broth topped with big chunks of meat, it looked pretty appetizing just from the visual alone.

I took a sip of the broth first, and it had more of a tingly, numbing kick than I expected. It wasn't just spicy though — the rich flavor of the meat broth hit first, followed by that tingling sensation. I love this kind of tingly broth, so I kept spooning it up, haha.

And of course, the real point of beef dosakmyeon is the noodles. Being dosakmyeon, the noodles are clearly different from your typical noodle — thick and flat, chewy yet soft when you bite into them. Instead of slurping them down like thin noodles, the texture of the noodle itself was just... so good!!

The broth clung well to the noodles too, so every bite brought that tingly broth flavor along with it. The meat was in big chunks too, so eating the noodles and meat together made for a pretty filling meal.

How juicy are the xiaolongbao at Sinbok Myeongwan?

It felt like a waste to only have the beef dosakmyeon, so I also ordered Sinbok Myeongwan's dim sum — specifically, xiaolongbao!

They came out in a steamer with steam still rising, and the round little shapes were cute from the start, haha. You know you have to be careful eating xiaolongbao, right? I put one on a spoon, poked a small hole, and drank the juices inside first. There was quite a lot of broth packed in, so the first bite gave me a warm gush of soup.

The skin wasn't too thick and had a nice chew, and the meat filling inside was packed full. If the beef dosakmyeon was tingly and rich, the xiaolongbao was soft and moist — eating them together, the contrast was great. Especially having a bite of dosakmyeon and then a xiaolongbao right after softened up my tingly mouth a bit, haha.

Is Sinbok Myeongwan worth it for Chinese food in Gangnam?

Sinbok Myeongwan's beef dosakmyeon had a fun quality that regular noodle dishes just don't have, thanks to the texture. The thick, chewy noodles paired really well with the tingly broth, and the xiaolongbao was great to eat alongside it thanks to that warm, juicy filling.

If you're looking for Chinese food near Gangnam Station and you like dosakmyeon or dim sum, I'd totally recommend Sinbok Myeongwan! The place is clean and the seating is roomy enough that it works well for meals with friends or a group dinner — Sinbok Myeongwan, a Gangnam Station Chinese restaurant worth a visit.