Gunja Station cold noodle house: mul vs bibim + bossam, Sosa Myeonok

On a summer day like this, it's so hot that you lose your appetite... and the first food that comes to mind is naengmyeon (cold noodles).

Let's go eat naengmyeon!

A sip of icy broth, chewy noodles, and a piece of well-boiled bossam (steamed pork wraps) on the side, and you forget the heat for a moment. Anyone who knows their food has a favorite naengmyeon place or two, and today I'm introducing Sosa Myeonok (소사면옥), a Hamheung naengmyeon spot that has been loved in the Gunja Station area for a long time. I went just for the naengmyeon, but even the bossam beat my expectations. A popular neighborhood place really does have its reasons.

Where is Sosa Myeonok near Gunja Station, and what's the atmosphere like?

Sosa Myeonok is a Hamheung naengmyeon restaurant on Neungdong-ro in Gwangjin, about a 5-minute walk from Gunja Station. At lunchtime it's packed with office workers, and in the evening lots of families and groups come.

The inside is quite large, with a comfortable, clean feel. The tables are spaced generously, so eating there was easy.

Sosa Myeonok menu and what we ordered

The menu has mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth), bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles), hoe naengmyeon, mandu (dumplings), bossam and more, and most customers seemed to pair naengmyeon with bossam. Following them, I naturally ordered mul naengmyeon, bibim naengmyeon and bossam too.

How does the mul naengmyeon broth taste at Sosa Myeonok?

The mul naengmyeon had a clean, Hamheung-style broth that wasn't too sweet or harsh. It was the first dish to arrive.

The broth looked cooling just by sight, topped neatly with pickled radish and a boiled egg. My first sip left one impression: clean. Not too sweet or harsh, with a faint beefy aroma and a refreshing finish. It's less austere than Pyongyang-style naengmyeon; it's the Hamheung style that anyone can enjoy without effort. The savory depth of the broth was seriously great, the kind of cold that goes right down to your bones.

The noodles kept that chewy texture Hamheung naengmyeon is known for. They weren't just tough; the more I chewed, the nuttier they tasted, which went well with the broth. Drinking that icy broth in the hot weather cooled me from the inside, and I never got tired of it until the bowl was empty. If you like clean naengmyeon over harsh, spicy ones, you'll like Sosa Myeonok's mul naengmyeon.

Is the bibim naengmyeon at Sosa Myeonok very spicy?

It looks spicy, but the sweet-sour flavor hits first and a gentle heat follows. The bibim naengmyeon, which came next, was personally my best dish of the day.

The sauce wasn't too strong, so it didn't overpower the texture of the noodles, and the savory depth made it hard to put my chopsticks down. Sipping the warm broth served alongside cleaned up my palate mid-meal so I could enjoy the bibim naengmyeon again.

If you usually like Hamheung naengmyeon, I'd recommend the bibim naengmyeon over the mul naengmyeon.

Is the bossam at Sosa Myeonok more than just a side?

Yes, the bossam was moist and tender with no gamey smell, so it was more than a side. Honestly, the bossam was the best dish of the day. I'd thought of bossam at a naengmyeon place as just an accompaniment, but it completely changed my expectations.

The meat had no gamey smell at all and stayed moist and tender. Sliced to a good thickness, it tasted even more mild and savory with a light dip in saeujeot (salted shrimp), and with the radish kimchi and bossam kimchi served alongside, I could enjoy it to the end without feeling greasy.

Recommended combo: one piece of bossam + one bite of bibim naengmyeon

The combination I'd most recommend at Sosa Myeonok is a piece of bossam followed right away by a bite of bibim naengmyeon. The mild bossam and the sweet-sour bibim sauce blend wonderfully, and I immediately understood why so many people order this pairing. The bossam is so well made that it would be a shame to leave after only naengmyeon.

For naengmyeon near Gunja Station, go to Sosa Myeonok!

Overall, Sosa Myeonok struck me as a Hamheung naengmyeon place that sticks to the basics. It doesn't win with flashy or harsh flavors; you can feel why it's been steadily loved.

In summer the icy mul naengmyeon is great, but personally I most recommend ordering the deeply savory bibim naengmyeon together with the tender bossam. If you're looking for a good naengmyeon spot near Gunja Station, Sosa Myeonok should be a satisfying choice.

Sosa Myeonok parking and visiting tips

You can park in front of Sosa Myeonok, so you can visit without worrying about parking.

Sosa Myeonok serves skillfully made naengmyeon and bossam by a master chef (음식명장, a government-recognized food master), and it's a Blue Ribbon restaurant too. Go and you'll feel it right away.

They use suhyangmi rice and squid-ink noodles. Hamheung naengmyeon and bossam are ordinary dishes, but this place makes a difference in the details. 100% would visit again.