Cheonan cold noodle spot: perilla oil bibim naengmyeon, Geuni Sikdang

I went to a local favorite in Dujeong-dong that anyone in Cheonan who's serious about pyeongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodle soup) already knows about!

What kind of restaurant is Geuni Sikdang? A Cheonan city-designated spot

This is 'Geuni Sikdang' — and get this, it's officially designated as a 'Cheonan City Recommended Restaurant,' and it even proudly displays a plaque from being selected as one of the 'Top 10 Tastes of Cheonan, Chungnam' on E-Channel's <Saturday Is Good for Rice>!

Inside Geuni Sikdang: atmosphere and seating

The interior has a calm feel thanks to clean wooden tables. They've laid things out well with a group room, a space for solo dining, and 4-person seats, so it seems designed so all kinds of groups can eat comfortably!

The broth: 20kg of 1++ Korean beef a day

Once seated, I checked out the Cheonan restaurant designation certificate and the Saturday Is Good for Rice plaque, haha. Do you see the origin label? Korean beef!! The real secret to this place's flavor is the 'overwhelming quality of the meat.' They apparently simmer a whopping 20kg of 1++ Korean beef every single day on average to make the rich broth. On top of that, this place was also selected by Dongwon as a 'Good Meat Usage Restaurant for 2025 and 2026,' so there's really no need to question the quality of the meat, right?

What we ordered at Geuni Sikdang and what it cost

Sitting down, I ordered without hesitation the signature menus here — pyeongyang naengmyeon (₩12,000) and bibim naengmyeon (₩12,000) — plus 3 mandu (dumplings, ₩2,000 each). Everyone, here's why you need to come to Geuni Sikdang for lunch in Cheonan!

Pyeongyang naengmyeon, 12,000 won and only 50 bowls a day

This pyeongyang naengmyeon uses broth simmered from a whopping 20kg of meat, and it's only sold in a 'limited 50 bowls a day' batch! I picked up the bowl and took a long sip of the broth, which looked like it would be clean and full of umami — and it was mild yet had this heavy, rich beef aroma from the 1++ Korean beef spreading through my whole mouth, absolutely artful! With the deep, rich umami of top-grade two-plus beef as the base, there's no way the broth could taste anything less than amazing.

The noodles were also really special. Made with a golden ratio of 7 parts buckwheat to 3 parts sweet potato starch, the distinctive nutty aroma of buckwheat really came through. And I liked that they weren't so lacking in chewiness that they'd just snap apart!!!!

Bibim naengmyeon with perilla oil and whole perilla seeds

The bibim naengmyeon loaded with perilla oil and whole perilla seeds is also a work of art... looking at the photo again, I want to eat this again. The sauce is generously mixed with fragrant perilla oil, and it's topped off with a hearty amount of whole perilla seeds, so the nuttiness was on a whole different level. On top of that, the big chunks of pear garnish were a stroke of genius! The pear was genuinely crisp and really sweet, so wrapping it up together with the spicy, nutty bibim noodles was such a joy in the mouth.

Why you should add the king mandu

As for the mandu (dumplings) at this Cheonan lunch spot Geuni Sikdang? You absolutely must eat them. They're not just a side dish.

You can order them individually at ₩2,000 each, which is nice, and steaming apparently takes about 5–6 minutes. That's why they came out last. The mandu were genuinely large in size and packed full of filling, so they had a satisfying heartiness to them. Taking a bite of pyeongyang naengmyeon, then biting into a warm, juicy king mandu — pure happiness.

With one sip of the two-plus Korean beef broth, simmered with care every single day using generous amounts of good ingredients, I felt all the fatigue of the day melt away. There's clearly a reason both the city and TV shows have recognized this place! Whether you're new to pyeongyang naengmyeon or a picky enthusiast, if you're trying to decide on a delicious Cheonan lunch spot, hurry and go try the pyeongyang naengmyeon limited to 50 bowls a day.

Geuni Sikdang hours, closing days and how to join the wait list

• Hours: Thu–Sat 11:00 – 21:00
• Break time: 15:00 – 16:30
• Last order: 13:55 (lunch last order)
• Regular closing day: every Sunday
• Temporary closure: 09/21 – 09/30 (temporarily closed through the end of September due to the owner's ankle surgery)

If you're planning to visit, please check this schedule carefully so you don't make a wasted trip! 🙏 For waiting, it's easiest to use CatchTable in front of the restaurant!