Jinju restaurant for solo naengmyeon and yukjeon: Song Giwon

When I’m craving naengmyeon and yukjeon in Jinju

I was in Jinju for an errand, and I felt like I’d regret leaving without eating naengmyeon and yukjeon, so I visited Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch.

It had received the Blue Ribbon Survey, said to be awarded only to good restaurants, for three years in a row, so I was even more excited. Hours are 10:30–20:00, with a break from 16:00–17:00.

Celebrity signatures—the kind you only see at famous restaurants. It was fun looking around the restaurant while waiting for my order.

I didn’t know this, but apparently it was also featured on Jeon Hyun-moo Plan. I already love Jinju naengmyeon, so I was excited enough that I couldn’t even guess how good it would be.

Solo-dining tables and hot broth

The interior of Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon was decorated so beautifully that it almost felt like a museum.

A long table runs through the middle of the restaurant, and it’s ideal for people dining alone. I visited around 3 p.m., after the lunch rush, but I heard that lots of older guests come alone at lunchtime. A place with lots of older guests = a good restaurant.

There was hot broth by the kitchen, too. Isn’t waiting with a bowl of hot broth at a naengmyeon restaurant basically the rule?! Even though it was hot out, the broth’s deep flavor made me feel refreshed inside.

On the table were a menu, an explanation of Jinju naengmyeon, an explanation of Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon’s special names, and tips for enjoying it. There were vinegar and mustard sauce too, but I personally prefer naengmyeon without either, so I ate it as it was.

There were only chopsticks on the table, but it seemed they would give you a spoon if you asked. You don’t really need a spoon for naengmyeon anyway, so that was fine!

Sunjo 1800 mul-naengmyeon and ujeon

When you order, they bring kimchi and pickled radish. That kimchi was completely my style, so I ate a ton of it.

The Sunjo 1800 (mul-naengmyeon, cold noodle soup) Jinju naengmyeon I ordered has noodles made from a dough of buckwheat flour and sweet-potato starch, plus a seafood-based soup and beef broth for a deep flavor.

It is topped with a variety of garnishes, including beef yukjeon (egg-battered beef pancake). It has a different kind of appeal from the Pyongyang and Hamheung naengmyeon people commonly eat.

The chewy noodles, fresh from their cold-water shower, kept my chopsticks moving. I came with my child, but my child fell asleep, so I really did eat alone—and it was so good that I wondered whether I should have ordered a large portion.

But the reason I didn’t order a large portion was that I ordered ujeon (beef yukjeon). Ujeon is made by aging Korean beef, coating it in buckwheat flour and egg, and pan-frying it until golden. They say the ujeon serves two to three people, but it was so delicious that I couldn’t stop my chopsticks and ate it all by myself ^_^

If yukjeon is cooked badly, the meat and egg separate, but the yukjeon at Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon was perfectly stuck together. It was neither too thin nor too thick, tender, and good for little children to eat too.

Other naengmyeon dishes next time

This time I tried Sunjo 1800 (mul-naengmyeon), and I enjoyed it so much that next time I visit, I want to try Nongae 1593 (bibim-naengmyeon, spicy mixed cold noodles) and Song Giwon 1997 (Jinju mixed naengmyeon) too. They also sell galbitang (beef short-rib soup), so there are still plenty of dishes to try besides naengmyeon. I should come back soon with my husband and children.