Hwaseong Korean restaurant for bibim kudzu noodles: Naengmyeon Gajun

Naengmyeon after a walk around Dongtan Lake Park

I was looking for somewhere to have lunch near Dongtan Lake Park, and ended up heading to Naengmyeon Gajun Dongtan Main Branch (냉면가준 동탄본점).

As the weather was gradually starting to warm up, I naturally found myself craving a cool noodle dish.

Since I was already out for a walk around the lake park, I searched for good nearby restaurants. Naengmyeon Gajun caught my eye, so I went right in without hesitation.

First, here is the location of Naengmyeon Gajun Dongtan Main Branch: Suite 208, 32 Dongtandaero 5-gil, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, South Korea.

What did the bibim chik naengmyeon taste like?

As soon as I sat down, I looked through the menu, but there were more varieties of naengmyeon than I expected, so it took some thinking~~~~~!!

In the end, I chose bibim chik naengmyeon (spicy mixed kudzu noodles). The bowl arrived heaped with the characteristically dark noodles of chik naengmyeon, and just looking at it got my appetite going~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!

I mixed in the sauce and took a bite. The spicy-sweet flavor came through strongly, but the finish was clean rather than heavy or murky~~~~~~~~!!!

Maybe because they were kudzu noodles, they felt even chewier than regular naengmyeon, and the more I chewed, the more I could notice their subtle aroma. I just kept reaching for them with my chopsticks. On a sweltering day, a bowl of naengmyeon like this feels as though it melts all the stress away~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!

Lunch with octopus and jjukkumi dumplings

Naengmyeon alone felt like it might be a little lacking, so I added two kinds of mandu (Korean dumplings): octopus dumplings and jjukkumi dumplings. They were both combinations I was trying for the first time, so I was half excited and half worried~~~~~~~~!!

The moment I took a bite, those worries disappeared. The octopus dumplings were full of chewy octopus inside the wrappers, giving each bite a springy texture, while their distinctive savory flavor spread right through~~~~~!!

The jjukkumi dumplings also had a light coating of spicy seasoning, making them hard to stop reaching for. Both kinds were generously filled, so even one or two felt satisfying~~~~~~~~~~~!!!

The cool naengmyeon and chewy dumplings alternated across my palate, so there was never a dull moment throughout the meal. Adding Coke Zero made the combination perfect~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!

While eating the spicy bibim naengmyeon and dumplings, the fizzy carbonation cleared my throat so refreshingly—there really is no better pairing~~~~!!!!!!!!!!

These days, I seem to always look for Coke Zero when eating out, since I can enjoy the refreshment without worrying about calories.

A stop on a Dongtan Lake Park outing

Even after eating until I was full, I was able to finish the meal feeling refreshed rather than weighed down.

Add Naengmyeon Gajun Dongtan Main Branch to your Dongtan Lake Park outing, and the route works out perfectly: a walk and a meal in one go.

After walking one lap around the park, filling up on a bowl of spicy, cool bibim chik naengmyeon makes the day feel nicely complete.

I would strongly recommend the octopus dumplings and jjukkumi dumplings as sides when one order of naengmyeon does not quite feel like enough.

The next time I visit the lake park, I think I will try the mul naengmyeon (cold noodle soup) version too.