Double-portion cold makguksu at Myeongimong, a Pocheon restaurant

Myeongimong • Pocheon restaurant • makguksu & Korean pork tteokgalbi

Hello!!🌱 Today I want to introduce Myeongimong, a place my husband, my sibling and I went to on a weekday back in August. The weather's been so hot lately that I kept craving cold makguksu and hearty tteokgalbi!! There happened to be a word-of-mouth Pocheon favorite for exactly that, so we headed over in good spirits🤭

Where is Myeongimong, and what are the hours and parking?

Myeongimong is at 235 Sinpyeong-ro, Sinbuk-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. It's open daily 11:00–20:00, last order at 19:30, and closed every Tuesday. There's a dedicated lot for parking.

Myeongimong is near Pocheon Art Valley and Herb Island, so it's a really convenient stop on a drive or outing!!🍃

There's a spacious dedicated lot right in front of the restaurant, so we didn't have to worry about parking at all!!🅿️

After we parked and got out, we spotted a man-made pond right next to the lot, full of green lotus leaves — perfect for a moment of nature-watching and de-stressing.

Lush greenery and trees around the building's exterior gave off a really nature-friendly, relaxed atmosphere🌿

Inside Myeongimong: baby chairs and terrace seating

By the entrance of Myeongimong hangs a large banner reading 'house-made noodles and handmade Korean pork,' which got me excited before I even stepped inside😁 Outside the restaurant, there were also neatly arranged terrace seats for dining outdoors!!

Once inside, a pleasant, cozy wood-tone interior greeted us🪑 The tables were spaced generously and the ceilings were high, so we could eat without feeling cramped, and there were plenty of baby chairs too — it would make a great spot for a family meal out!!👍

What three of us ordered at Myeongimong, and the add-on prices

After sitting down and looking over the menu, we ordered one cold bowl of mul-makguksu and one generous doubled portion of mul-makguksu (+₩2,000), plus two orders of Myeongimong's signature charcoal pork tteokgalbi🥢 When you order tteokgalbi, you can choose either rice or mini bread as a side!! We picked one of each so we could try both😊 We added an extra mini bread (+₩1,000) and added cheese to one of the tteokgalbi (+₩2,000).

Side dishes, the buckwheat pancake starter, and the self-serve bar

Once we ordered, they neatly set out basic side dishes — seasoned lettuce, salad, white kimchi, radish salad, and pickles.

They also brought out a buckwheat pancake for us to try before the main dishes arrived, which was a great way to whet the appetite before diving into the real meal😋

If any side dish runs low during the meal, you can just help yourself from the self-serve bar!! The bar area was clean and well stocked with scissors and tongs🍴

Before long, everything we'd ordered was laid out on the table in a generous spread✨️ The combination of makguksu with floating bits of ice and golden-grilled tteokgalbi looked so appetizing!!

How Myeongimong's house-made mul-makguksu tasted

Myeongimong's mul-makguksu is house-made, kneaded and cut fresh right when it's ordered — with a high buckwheat content, the noodles weren't chewy but had that satisfying snap and a nutty aroma🥢 The broth wasn't sharp or heavy but mild and clean, so it was refreshing without leaving any heaviness in the mouth!!

Eating the crisp cucumber, julienned radish, and thin-sliced meat garnish together with the noodles worked beautifully with the clean, plain texture of the buckwheat noodles — I couldn't put my chopsticks down🤤

Charcoal pork tteokgalbi and the cheese version at Myeongimong

The charcoal pork tteokgalbi that came out on the hot plate is made with 100% domestic pork ground with fresh vegetables and fruit, then aged, they said!!🥩 Grilled carefully over charcoal, it had a subtle smoky aroma, and biting in released juicy, tender bites👏

The cheese tteokgalbi, topped with savory cheese, was especially good — the rich house sauce plus the cheese doubled up the savoriness🧀

Eating Myeongimong's tteokgalbi in mini bread, burger style

The tteokgalbi tasted great on its own on top of the rice, but there was extra fun in splitting a mini bread in half and stuffing it with vegetables and tteokgalbi to eat like a burger😙

The thick tteokgalbi made a fantastic patty, giving us both a hearty texture and a really filling meal!! The owner was kind too, so we could relax and enjoy our time there the whole visit🙏 The pairing of juicy tteokgalbi and cool makguksu really suited this hot weather👍

If you're planning an outing or a drive out to Pocheon, I'd definitely recommend Myeongimong for a healthy, delicious meal without any fuss!!