Cheongju noodle shop: icy cold soba & half-half katsu at Myeonsikdang

Cold soba and tonkatsu in one meal near Chungbuk National University

Myeonsikdang Chungbuk National University Branch (면식당 충북대점) is a Japanese restaurant in Sachang-dong, Cheongju, where you can get refreshing cold soba (buckwheat noodles) and crispy tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) in one go. The weather suddenly got so hot lately that I was craving cold soba, so I went to Myeonsikdang, a Sachang-dong favorite near Chungbuk National University 😎

⏰ Opening hours are 10:00–20:20, with a break time from 16:00 to 17:00.

Myeonsikdang is easy to reach from the middle and main gates of Chungbuk National University, so lots of students come, and it's perfect for a quick lunch too! Whenever it's hot I always think of soba and end up here, so I finally came back after a while! Oh, and Myeonsikdang does both delivery and takeout, by the way ~~😜

Inside Myeonsikdang: okay for eating solo?

The restaurant has a fairly generous number of tables for 2 and 4, so eating alone is comfortable. The interior is well put together. The tables are close together, but because there are 2-person tables, solo diners can eat in peace haha. That shows how popular it is with students !!!

They're running a review event! Just by joining you get a can of soft drink, so definitely do it ! 😎😎

Tablet ordering and the self-serve bar

Every table has a tablet, so ordering is easy. The menu has ramen, tonkatsu, soba, curry and more, a really wide variety, so it's ideal for ordering a few dishes and sharing! Pick whatever you want ~~

For basics like water, kimchi and pickled radish, you just help yourself at the self-serve bar, as much as you want! It's kept clean and tidy, which I liked.

<What we ordered> Half-and-half katsu · Cold soba · Karaage curry

We wanted to taste a bit of everything, so we ordered with no overlap: cold soba, curry and tonkatsu, three dishes !!!

How cold is Myeonsikdang's cold soba?

The broth of the cold soba has ice slush floating in it, and the noodles are springy and chewy. It was the first thing I wanted because of the heat! One bite and my whole body cooled down ~~~ The broth is pure icy refreshment...! Maybe because it's so hot lately, tons of people at other tables were ordering soba too haha

Karaage curry: the garlic flakes are the kicker

The karaage curry (Japanese-style fried chicken curry) is a rich curry sauce topped with crispy garlic flakes and karaage. Personally, the curry sauce itself was rich and so delicious. And the garlic flakes sprinkled on top add a crunchy bite that's totally the 'kicker' !!!!!! 🥹 The seasoning of the curry sauce is just right,,, my style 🤭

And the karaage on top is textbook crispy outside, juicy inside!! Crunchy on the outside and super tender within, the kind you keep wanting more of !!!! haha A mouthful of rice + curry + flakes + karaage is just so, so good!! ㅠㅠㅠ😎

Half-and-half katsu: cheese katsu plus spicy katsu

The half-and-half katsu comes with half cheese katsu and half spicy katsu. When you can't decide, half-and-half is the answer ~~! It's the cheese katsu and spicy katsu combo, and it's a stroke of genius,,😎

Spicy katsu with green onion

The spicy katsu has a sneaky, addictive heat, and the crunchy green onion piled on top cuts the spice and adds depth !!! There's a reason it's piled high with green onion ~~~ The sauce is spicy, so you have to eat it with the green onion haha

Thick cheese katsu, three ways to dip

And this is the cheese katsu! The cheese isn't just a thin token layer, it's really thickly packed in, so it's insanely rich and nutty,,, One bite of the spicy one, then one bite of the rich cheese katsu, and the spicy-sweet-salty balance is amazing.. I highly recommend this combo!!!😜

It's tasty as is, but it also comes with salt, wasabi and the regular tonkatsu sauce for dipping, which makes it even better. So many ways to eat it, so delicious ^___^

When to go to Myeonsikdang

Myeonsikdang, by the middle gate of Chungbuk National University, has ramen, tonkatsu, curry and soba, so it's great for trying several dishes at once, and the value and portions are really generous ~~! When you're craving cold soba with crispy tonkatsu near the university, or can't decide what to eat, I totally recommend Myeonsikdang in Sachang-dong!!! 💘