Jinju naengmyeon restaurant a local picked for galbitang: Song Giwon

Hours) 10:30 - 20:00 Break time) 16:00 - 17:00 Last order) 15:40, 19:40

I went to Jinju to see my sister with my mom, and my sister recommended this naengmyeon (cold noodle) restaurant, Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch. It was on Jeon Hyeon-moo's Plan 2, and my sister says it's pretty famous in Jinju — a real locals' spot :>

I'd heard there was a lot of waiting, and sure enough, a line formed not long after I got in. Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon is also famous for the 1997 'broth theft incident,' where someone actually stole their broth — I went in wondering just how good broth has to be for someone to steal it :>

Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon has apparently been keeping Jinju naengmyeon tradition alive for a long time, staying true to the traditional taste while also offering some distinctive menu items — which got me even more excited ☺️

Where Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch is, and where to park

Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch is located near Yeonam Library in Sangdae-dong, and there's a parking area in front, but when we arrived it was already packed with cars, making parking a bit tricky. Luckily there was staff directing parking, so we got guided in okay..!

Still, if you want easier parking, it's probably best to use the Yeonam Library public parking lot near the restaurant. The Donggwang Church parking lot next door is also usable during meal times, but apparently it's hard to use on Sundays.

Blue Ribbon too 💙

Inside Song Giwon: a large shared table in the middle

(There were so many people I edited them out with AI..the feel of the middle table is a bit different but this is my best effort..) The inside of Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch had tables on both sides with a big table in the middle — a slightly unusual layout. The large center table looked great for groups, and I did see quite a few families there. Overall a clean, tidy vibe ✨️

There were lots of celebrity autographs and displays scattered around too, which gave the place a nice atmosphere..

Why the menu names carry years like 1800 and 1997

Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon's menu names were a little unusual from the start — each naengmyeon dish has a year attached to it.

• Sunjo 1800 — the basic Jinju mul-naengmyeon (cold water noodles), where you can taste Song Giwon's deep, clean flavor
• Nongae 1593 — Jinju bibim-naengmyeon (spicy mixed noodles) topped with a special seafood soy sauce
• Song Giwon 1997 — Jinju seokkeum-naengmyeon (mixed noodles) topped with two special sauces and seafood broth

There was also a yukjeon (pan-fried beef) dish called ujeon, which caught my eye since it's made with 1++(9) grade hanwoo beef. And my sister strongly recommended the galbitang (short rib soup) too, saying it's genuinely delicious, so we ordered that as well :)

So we ordered: • Mul-naengmyeon x1 • Seokkeum-naengmyeon x1 • Galbitang x1 • Yukjeon x1 And that was it-!

How to eat Jinju naengmyeon, and what comes with the meal

Checking out the guide on how to eat Jinju naengmyeon properly :>

Mustard and vinegar ready too-! Side dishes and sauces came out first

Yukjeon and naengmyeon all set up!

Sunjo 1800 mul-naengmyeon: the seafood and beef bone broth

✔️ Sunjo 1800 mul-naengmyeon. I started with the basic mul-naengmyeon first, and having yukjeon on top of the noodles instantly gave it that proper Jinju naengmyeon feel. Above all, the noodles were genuinely delicious — the buckwheat noodles had that distinctive nutty flavor and a chewy texture that made for a great bite.

This was the very broth from the theft incident — brewed with 12 kinds of seafood along with beef bones, so it wasn't overpowering and had a nice depth of flavor that went well with the noodles 🙂 If it's your first time visiting a Jinju naengmyeon restaurant, starting with the basic mul-naengmyeon isn't a bad idea-!

Song Giwon 1997 seokkeum (mixed) naengmyeon

✔️ Song Giwon 1997 seokkeum-naengmyeon. If you're torn between mul-naengmyeon and bibim-naengmyeon, I recommend the seokkeum-naengmyeon-! It combines the sweet-spicy flavor of bibim-naengmyeon with the refreshing broth of mul-naengmyeon, so it felt like eating both at once.

The seasoning wasn't too strong, and eating it together with the broth gave a good balance of flavors. The noodles themselves are so good that you'll basically enjoy whichever naengmyeon you pick.

The galbitang all three of us raved about

✔️ Galbitang. The dish the three of us praised as the tastiest of all — galbitang..! My sister recommended it saying it was delicious, and the moment I took a sip of the broth, I completely understood why..🥰

The broth had genuinely great savory depth — rich yet clean at the same time — and above all, the meat was insanely tender. The short rib meat pulled apart easily, and with glass noodles in there too, it went perfectly with rice. The three of us kept saying it was delicious and basically finished the whole bowl. Personally, I completely fell for this galbitang..

Hanwoo yukjeon (ujeon), Jinju's pan-fried beef

✔️ Yukjeon. What can I say about the yukjeon~~ needless to say~~ there's yukjeon on top of the naengmyeon too, but ordering it separately let us enjoy it in a much more generous portion.

The yukjeon was soft and clean-tasting, delicious on its own, and it took on a whole different flavor eaten together with the naengmyeon. Wrapping the naengmyeon noodles around a piece of yukjeon in particular made for a taste that couldn't possibly be bad. Highly recommend getting the yukjeon if you come for the naengmyeon..!

Is Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch worth a visit?

True to its reputation as a great naengmyeon restaurant, Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch had solid fundamentals with both the noodles and the broth, and the mul-naengmyeon and seokkeum-naengmyeon each had their own charm, so it was easy to pick according to preference. If you're looking for a place to eat naengmyeon in Jinju, this is worth a visit at least once ✨️ A great Jinju naengmyeon restaurant, recommended by locals — I recommend Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch :)