Icy dongchimi broth on a hot night at a Seocho restaurant: Seonbawi

It's been so hot lately that I've had zero energy.. I was really craving something cold, and I heard there's a place in Yangjae famous for makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles) made with pure buckwheat, so I went ☺️ Apparently the place people line up for in Gwacheon now has a branch in Yangjae, and after eating there myself, I totally get why it's so popular! Let's get into the review ✨

Where is Seonbawi Memil Jangteo, and what are its hours and parking?

Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae Branch is located at 15-11 Gangnam-daero 18-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 278m from Exit 2 of Yangjae Citizens' Forest Station. Hours are daily 09:00–21:00.

• Amenities and services: separate men's/women's restrooms, group-friendly, wifi, waiting area
• Parking: free in front of the store (4 spots, often congested)
• Yangjae Neighborhood Park Public Parking Lot (311 Yangjae-dong) - 150m (2-minute walk) from the store, indoor parking, ₩300/10 min, 180 spaces, EV charging available
• Maeheon Citizens' Forest Public Parking Lot (237 Yangjae-dong) - 120m (2-minute walk) across the main road crosswalk, outdoor parking, ₩500/10 min, 224 spaces, EV charging available

Quick summary of the visit

• ✅ Yangjae branch carries on the queue-worthy tradition and know-how of the original Seonbawi branch in Gwacheon
• ✅ 2nd floor with 50-seat group seating and private rooms, perfect for gatherings and family meals
• ✅ 100% pure buckwheat noodles with a soft, easily-breaking texture
• ✅ A perfect trio of moist boiled pork and sweet-spicy pollack sashimi
• ✅ Great stop near Yangjae Citizens' Forest Station, Yangjae Stream, or the flower market
• ✅ Opens at 9am, so it works for an early lunch or brunch
• ❗ Only 4 dedicated parking spots at the store — use the nearby public lots if full

The restaurant sits in an alley near Yangjae Citizens' Forest Station, about a 2-minute walk away, so it's extremely accessible by public transit 👍🏻

Being a well-known spot near Yangjae Citizens' Forest, the parking spaces in front were already full, but by pure luck a car pulled out just as we arrived and we got a spot 🍀 lucky (I took the parking lot photo after we finished eating). But since only 4 spots are available, parking here can be tough during busy hours 🥲 Still, the public parking lots nearby are close by!

This place has already appeared on so many broadcasts, so my expectations were high!

What are the 1st-floor hall and 2nd-floor group room like?

Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae Branch is a standalone 2-story building. Walking inside, a bright and pleasant atmosphere greeted us ✨

Regular customers dine on the 1st floor, while the 2nd floor accommodates group customers via the stairs ✨ The 2nd floor has 50-seat group seating and a private room, but since I went in the evening, only the 1st floor was operating when I visited! With a reservation, groups or families can dine on the 2nd floor 💡

The restrooms inside the 1st floor are separated by gender and kept spotlessly clean!

Menu and prices at Seonbawi Memil Jangteo

We sat at a table in the back of the 1st floor and slowly looked over the menu 👀 As you'd expect from a buckwheat specialty restaurant, makguksu and buckwheat soba were the signature dishes 💡 They also serve siraegi dak spicy stew, shabu shabu, and seafood braised chicken, so if you visit with several people, ordering a variety of dishes to share sounds like a great idea. On the day I went, it was so hot that I ordered makguksu without a second thought!!!

• [100% pure buckwheat] Perilla oil makguksu ₩12,000
• [100% pure buckwheat] Dongchimi makguksu ₩11,000
• Pollack sashimi suyuk ₩23,000

You get a free canned drink if you participate in the review event, so give it a try~!

Water comes hygienically in a bottled water bottle. Kimchi is served as a basic side dish.

Once we ordered, an ice-flaked dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth was neatly set on the table. The dishes came out even faster than expected 👍🏻

Ah~ it looks so delicious just from the visuals ❤️

Dongchimi makguksu, 11,000 won: how does the icy broth taste?

Craving something cold, I ordered the 100% pure buckwheat dongchimi makguksu, and it was a real treat that instantly blew away the heat 👍🏻 I poured the dongchimi broth, dotted with ice flakes, generously over the noodles and took a big sip!

The tangy, refreshing dongchimi broth, as if freshly pulled from an earthenware jar, met the clean-tasting pure buckwheat noodles, and together they had a clean yet deep flavor. This is clearly a well-known restaurant near Yangjae Citizens' Forest that puts real care into its food — the crisp refreshment of the broth was incredible 💕

Unlike regular noodles you'd find elsewhere, since these are pure buckwheat with no mixed-in flour, my stomach felt very comfortable and clean even after finishing the meal 👍🏻

Perilla oil makguksu, 12,000 won: the texture of pure buckwheat noodles

The 100% pure buckwheat perilla oil makguksu had a nose-tingling perilla oil aroma beyond imagination. I mixed the noodles together with perilla oil freshly pressed at a mill and generously sprinkled perilla seed powder!

Being 100% pure buckwheat noodles, the soft, easily-breaking texture was impressive, and the nutty buckwheat aroma that rose up with each chew was almost intoxicating ☺️

It wasn't a punchy sweet-and-salty flavor but a taste that wins purely through luxurious nuttiness — wrapping the pollack sashimi suyuk in the noodles made for an amazing pairing ❤️

Pollack sashimi suyuk, 23,000 won: how to eat the three-part bite

The pollack sashimi suyuk (boiled pork with pollack sashimi) was a work of art with its glossy meat and vivid red pollack sashimi visuals ✨

I took a bite with tender boiled pork, cooked moist and free of gamey smell, topped with seasoned pollack sashimi and dried radish strips. The meat was so tender and soft, and the crunchy radish salad combined with the savory pollack sashimi made for a taste that brought an automatic smile ☺️

The nuttiness of the boiled pork and the sweet-spicy kick of the pollack sashimi formed a perfect trio — it made total sense why this is such a famous restaurant near Yangjae Citizens' Forest 👍🏻

Who should eat at Seonbawi Memil Jangteo?

I instantly understood why people line up for the Gwacheon Seonbawi branch ❤️ It's great for lunch or dinner for office workers nearby, and a perfect stop after a weekend outing! If you're tired of overly seasoned food and looking for a proper, stomach-friendly meal, I'd recommend visiting Seonbawi Memil Jangteo, a well-known restaurant near Yangjae Citizens' Forest 👍🏻