Busan Station noodles and pork soup, three bowls for two: Yeongdong

Last week I went to pick up Al-i, who'd just arrived in Busan, and when she said she was craving milmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles), we headed straight to Yeongdong Milmyeon & Dwaeji Gukbap, famous for its milmyeon and pork soup right by Busan Station.

Yeongdong Milmyeon in front of Busan Station, packed even at an early lunch

As if to prove how popular this place is, the restaurant was already full even though we showed up a little before the usual lunch rush. Being a longtime Busan Station institution, there were travelers with rolling suitcases, foreign visitors, and Busan locals all mixed together. I thought, isn't this what a real local favorite looks like? The moment I sat down I was already excited.

Two of us, three bowls — here's what we ordered

Yeongdong's menu and prices are shown above. We agonized between mul milmyeon, bibim milmyeon, and dwaeji gukbap, and in the end just the two of us ordered all three. (Bonus: you can choose small or large portions!)

The side dishes arrived first — fresh kimchi and diced radish kimchi that go well with pork soup, dried radish, lettuce wraps, chives, and more. Just thinking about tasting Korea's soul food got me excited.

And then the table filled up completely. Happiness level: up! Excitement level: up! Normally two people would order two dishes, but since we'd come all this way, we didn't want to miss out on any of them, so we ordered mul milmyeon, bibim milmyeon, and dwaeji gukbap all together — and that was absolutely the right call!

Is the pork soup broth rich without any gamey smell?

First up: dwaeji gukbap! The moment I saw the milky broth topped with finely chopped green onion, I thought, this is clearly going to be good.

The freshly boiled suyuk (boiled pork slices) were still warm, thick-cut and tender — really tasty.

Oh wait, before eating a single bite of meat I had to take the obligatory photo!! So I snapped one real quick — on days when I'm not wearing makeup, angling my gaze downward is the move, haha ><

Putting a piece of meat on top of the milky broth, I could really feel that 'fight heat with heat' sensation. No gamey smell at all, and the broth was rich enough to be perfect for mixing with rice.

Pairing the suyuk with raw onion made it taste even better.

I was in the middle of the Switch-On diet when these photos were taken, so I did my best to eat plenty of the lettuce wraps too. Apparently eating in the order of vegetables, then meat (protein), then carbs is good for your health. Mixing the neat little pile of chive salad that came as a side into the hot soup made the broth's savory depth pop even more — an even more perfect combination.

What does the mul milmyeon broth taste like?

Next up: mul milmyeon! With ice floating in the broth, it looks refreshing from the start. I took a sip of the broth first, and a tangy, cool flavor hit right away. The noodles were springy too, so my chopsticks kept moving.

The broth's flavor and aroma weren't strong, more on the mild side, so it seemed like a flavor that tourists or foreign visitors unfamiliar with milmyeon could enjoy without any resistance. It's exactly the clean, cool broth you want in summer.

Is the bibim milmyeon too spicy?

Next was the bibim milmyeon Al-i ordered. The sauce was slightly spicy but also sweet. It wasn't too spicy or intense, so it seemed like something everyone — young and old — could enjoy without much disagreement. The chewy noodles were well coated in sauce, and wrapping a piece of meat with it gave a perfect spicy-sweet balance that kept me reaching for more.

Mul milmyeon or bibim milmyeon — if I had to pick just one

If I had to choose between mul milmyeon and bibim milmyeon, I'd vote for mul milmyeon! In the heat of summer, isn't icy mul milmyeon just the unwritten rule? Haha >< Being right in front of Busan Station makes it easy to find, and with fast table turnover, you can drop in and slurp down a bowl without stress even when a train departure is approaching.

Will definitely come back again~!