Jinju restaurant for spicy naengmyeon after work: Song Giwon

Just when the weather seemed to be cooling down, it got quietly warm again during the day, haha. Isn’t naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) exactly what comes to mind at times like this!! On the way home from work yesterday, my husband and I were debating dinner when we started craving spicy-sweet naengmyeon, so we slurped our way over to Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon, known as a great naengmyeon spot in Jinju!

We rushed over right after work, and the sign was easy to spot even from a distance, so it wasn’t hard to find, haha. By the time we arrived, the parking lot was already full. Luckily, though, we could eat right away without waiting. Apparently there can be a wait during lunch hours and on weekends, so keep that in mind before visiting.

Hours and space at Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch

Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch is a Jinju Safe Restaurant and has also been designated a Baeknyeon Gage, or “100-year store”! And it’s a Blue Ribbon-listed restaurant, too!!! It opens at 10:30 AM and closes at 8:00 PM. Break time is 4:00–5:00 PM.

It was a great space for one or two people, groups of four, family gatherings, or other larger get-togethers.

Ordering bibim-naengmyeon and mixed naengmyeon

As its name suggests, Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon is all about naengmyeon. There are three choices—mul-naengmyeon (noodles in cold broth), bibim-naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles), and mixed naengmyeon—and my husband ordered the mixed version while I went for bibim-naengmyeon.

One standout feature of Jinju naengmyeon is definitely the yukjeon (pan-fried battered beef) on top! The noodles already come with yukjeon as a garnish, but how could we resist freshly cooked, hot yukjeon on the side....👀 They also had Korean beef yukjeon that pairs beautifully with naengmyeon, so we ordered it without a second thought, haha.

As soon as we ordered, they set out the basic side dishes, soy sauce for dipping the yukjeon, and warm broth. Taking a sip of that warm broth while waiting for the noodles felt so comforting, haha. (Personally, this broth is why I came to love bibim-naengmyeon, haha.)

Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon’s story from the menu

On one side of the table were Song Giwon’s naengmyeon menu and a leaflet introducing the restaurant. There was even a cute cat making naengmyeon. Hehe.

While waiting for our naengmyeon, I took my time reading the menu. Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon apparently began in 1997! It says it is Jinju-style naengmyeon made with two house-developed sauces and seafood broth, and there must be a reason it has been loved for so long, right? Haha. The menu explained Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon’s story in detail, so it was fun to read while we waited :)

Hot, freshly cooked Korean beef yukjeon

A little later, the Korean beef yukjeon arrived!! The plate was more generous than I expected, and I almost wanted to slurp it all up before the naengmyeon even came out, haha. Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon says its yukjeon uses domestic Korean beef, coated in buckwheat flour and egg before being pan-fried. Since it had just come off the grill, it was of course delicious eaten piping hot 🤎

Delicious food just has to be seen big to be fully appreciated..! I was drooling the entire time I took photos, slurp slurp...

While we were admiring the yukjeon that arrived first, all our ordered dishes came out!! We had bibim-naengmyeon + mixed naengmyeon + Korean beef yukjeon. We came intending to eat only naengmyeon, then thoroughly went ahead and ordered the Korean beef yukjeon too, haha.

Generous toppings on mixed and bibim-naengmyeon

First, my husband’s mixed naengmyeon! Having eaten bibim-naengmyeon nonstop, I wondered what it was from the name alone. Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon’s mixed naengmyeon lets you enjoy half mul-naengmyeon and half bibim-naengmyeon. It was piled with toppings, with a shallow pour of broth around the noodles, and looked appetizing just sitting there, haha.

And then my bibim-naengmyeon! I almost always order bibim-naengmyeon at naengmyeon places, and that day I chose it without hesitation too, haha. On top of the spicy-looking sauce were generous toppings of pear, egg, and yukjeon. The yukjeon pieces in particular were bigger than expected, so I loved the look of it right away, haha.

Both noodle dishes had generous yukjeon toppings, but adding the freshly cooked hot Korean beef yukjeon made for such a satisfying-looking spread, haha. Now let’s mix it up and eat!!

Mixed naengmyeon between mul-naengmyeon and bibim-naengmyeon

First bite of my husband’s mixed naengmyeon! It felt like a middle ground between mul-naengmyeon and bibim-naengmyeon: you could taste the spicy-sweet seasoning, but the little bit of broth made it moister and more refreshing. If you always struggle to choose between mul-naengmyeon and bibim-naengmyeon, this mixed naengmyeon could be worth trying, haha.

Then I mixed my bibim-naengmyeon thoroughly so every noodle was coated in sauce and took a bite! The tangy, sweet, spicy sauce clung to the chewy noodles so well that I kept reaching for my chopsticks, haha. Picking up crunchy pear and yukjeon toppings here and there gave it even more texture, so it was extra delicious :)

And the hot yukjeon dipped in salty soy sauce—how delicious is that? This really has to be eaten before it cools down, haha.

Wrapping naengmyeon in Korean beef yukjeon

When you alternate between naengmyeon and yukjeon, this is when that warm broth comes to mind again, haha. Sipping warm broth in between bites of cold naengmyeon is just so nice. It was warm, nutty, and deeply beefy, with a lightly spicy, clean finish... I think this broth might be Song Giwon’s real secret weapon.

The yukjeon was still nice and hot... hehe. It was so tender and nutty that anyone who loves Korean pancakes might have their eyes pop open, haha. It wasn’t just thin beef; the egg coating was fluffy too, and you could really feel the texture of the Korean beef, which made it even better!

And the combination I really wanted to show you today!! Roll naengmyeon up in Korean beef yukjeon and take a bite 👀 The hot, nutty yukjeon with spicy-sweet naengmyeon was such a perfect match, haha. I loved the texture of chewy noodles between the soft yukjeon, and the naengmyeon seasoning blended with the nutty beef so well that I kept wrapping it this way...🤎 If you visit Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon, you absolutely have to try the Korean beef yukjeon with naengmyeon, haha. (I genuinely highly recommend this combination.)

And of course, yukjeon has to be eaten with kimchi too...👀 Putting a crisp piece of kimchi on the nutty, tender yukjeon made it easy to eat cleanly without feeling heavy, haha. It was delicious with naengmyeon and delicious with kimchi... what would we have done if we hadn’t added the yukjeon? Haha.

Autographs and an apron on the way out

After our delicious meal, I noticed a wall full of autographs as we came out to pay, haha. Near the counter, there were also various certification plaques and awards on display! I had missed them on the way in because I was so focused on eating naengmyeon, but it was fun to look at them one by one on the way out, haha.

Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon was also apparently visited for filming of Jeon Hyun-moo Plan! On one side of the counter was a Jeon Hyun-moo Plan apron that they said they received as a gift during filming, haha. Things like this somehow make me happy to see, so I took another photo 👀ㅎㅎ

It had been a while since I’d craved naengmyeon, and we enjoyed the noodles plus the unexpected Korean beef yukjeon properly, haha. The combination I remember most is definitely the warm broth and wrapping naengmyeon in Korean beef yukjeon! That combination suits fall and winter too, so I’m saying it’s a highly recommended menu for all four seasons... haha. If you’re looking for a great naengmyeon restaurant in Jinju, Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon could be worth a visit :) Next time, we’re ordering the yukjeon again too, haha.