Naengmyeon restaurant in Jinju comparing yukjeon: Song Giwon main

Today I'm bringing you a hot-off-the-press, honest review of Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch — a food you absolutely cannot skip if you're talking about Jinju! 🍜✨ It's one of the naengmyeon (cold noodle) restaurants every local knows, and this time I went with my boyfriend, who's not from Jinju, so I could share a more objective taste review.

Basic info on Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch

• 📍 Location: 1-2 Modeok-ro 47beon-gil, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 10:30–20:00 (last order 15:40, 19:40)
• 🗓️ Break time 16:00–17:00
• 🚗 Parking: Lot in front of the restaurant

My honest rating: 3.8/5

• A long-famous naengmyeon restaurant that's also earned a Blue Ribbon.
• Worth trying at least once if you're visiting Jinju.
• There's always a wait during meal times.
• Personally, I thought the yukjeon at the company-run branch was tastier.

What are parking and the wait like at lunchtime?

Song Giwon Main Branch, a well-known naengmyeon restaurant, sits near Jinju City Hall in Sangdae-dong. There's a lot out front, but when I visited at lunchtime I barely found a spot. If you arrive after noon, the place is already packed — waiting is basically guaranteed!!

Still, you can put your name on the Tabling app and wait comfortably elsewhere. When it's your turn, they call your number over a mic.

A Blue Ribbon-rated restaurant in Jinju..!!

Interior vibe and facilities

There's a big central table with regular tables around it. I arrived just before noon and there were already quite a few people, so I quickly snapped photos when the crowd thinned out a bit.

Extra side dishes and hot broth are self-serve.

Self-serve hot broth comes first

The first place I ran to after ordering was the self-serve hot broth corner! I personally love Song Giwon's hot broth — the deep, savory flavor warms you up like it's clearing a hangover, and it just hits right. 👍 My boyfriend, visiting Song Giwon for the first time since he's not from Jinju, took one sip and said it was delicious, then went back for a refill. 🤣

Menu and prices

• Song Giwon 1997 (mixed naengmyeon): ₩14,000
• Nongae 1593 (bibim naengmyeon): ₩13,000
• Ujeon (yukjeon, beef pancake): ₩25,000

Food review at Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch

These are the basic side dishes.

Ujeon (Jinju beef yukjeon)

The first dish to arrive was the yukjeon! It goes perfectly with a cup of the hot broth.

The yukjeon at Song Giwon Main Branch, a well-known Jinju naengmyeon restaurant, had a light, clean flavor with a classic, chewy bite! Honestly, though, the yukjeon I had last time with my family at the newly opened Song Giwon company-run branch in Juyak-dong was juicier and softer. (Personally, I feel like each branch has a slightly different charm.)

They serve it with scissors to cut it into easy-to-eat pieces.

Dip it in the soy sauce that comes alongside and eat it while it's still warm!!!

Nongae 1593 (Jinju bibim naengmyeon)

While you're eating the yukjeon, the naengmyeon dishes come out one by one. The photo below is the bibim naengmyeon.

Add mustard and vinegar from the table to taste~!

When you top the noodles with a piece of yukjeon and pop it all in one bite, the spicy seasoning and the savory flavor of the yukjeon go together perfectly.

Song Giwon 1997 (Jinju mixed naengmyeon)

I always order the mixed naengmyeon, which lets you enjoy the charm of both mul naengmyeon and bibim naengmyeon at once.

The extra yukjeon we ordered had a clean, light flavor that got even better the more you chewed it, and it paired really well as a topping on the naengmyeon.

If you're traveling in Jinju or want to taste the deep flavor of Jinju's signature naengmyeon, it might be worth visiting Song Giwon, one of the city's famous naengmyeon restaurants.