Chuncheon buckwheat noodle restaurant with sous vide pork: Hyeondae Memil

I wanted sous vide whole pork belly and sprout soy sauce makguksu, so off to Hyeondae Memil I go, haha.

Buckwheat noodles on a chilly day

The weather turned chilly, so I meant to have buckwheat jang-sujebi instead of spicy mixed makguksu, but I think it somehow changed from sujebi to buckwheat noodles. Well, I was going to eat something with warm broth anyway, so it is fine, hahahaha.

Or maybe I read the order wrong, haha. Lately I make so many mistakes that this sort of thing happens all the time, hohoho. As long as it is delicious, that is what matters, hahahaha.

Ah, yes, I guess spicy food is still not for me yet, haha. Back to my usual sprout soy sauce makguksu—slurp, yum yum.

Soy sauce makguksu piled high with sprouts

I even asked for lots of sprouts when ordering, and they gave me a generous pile, haha.

Then I asked again for a refill. Soy sauce makguksu is not even that expensive, and here I am asking for more sprouts again! Sorry, haha.

I mixed the soy sauce makguksu with the sprouts again and ate it healthily and deliciously 🤭

Main benefits of sprout vegetables

• Rich in antioxidants: Sprouts such as red cabbage, radish, and broccoli contain antioxidants including sulforaphane, anthocyanins, and flavonoids at concentrations several to dozens of times higher than mature vegetables, helping prevent cell damage and ease inflammation.
• Vitamins and minerals: As seeds germinate, retention of nutrients such as vitamins C and K, folate, and potassium is maximized, helping support immunity and relieve fatigue.
• Improved digestion and dietary fiber: They are rich in activated enzymes and soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, which improve the gut environment and aid digestion.
• Blood-sugar management: They are very low in carbohydrates and high in dietary fiber, helping prevent a sharp rise in post-meal blood sugar.

The fun of pairing sous vide whole pork belly

Finally, my true favorite: sous vide whole pork belly. Tender whole pork belly cooked sous vide at a low temperature, eaten with Korean barbecue sauce and all sorts of other sauces.

I do not eat meat, but at Hyeondae Memil, the part of my brain that remembers the tenderness of sous vide and the savory richness of whole pork belly very occasionally forces me to have it, haha. Just say you want to eat it, haha.

The food pairing of eating each piece of sous vide whole pork belly with white kimchi, salted shrimp, wasabi, and shishito peppers is so fun. Especially the wasabi and shishito pepper combination—I think I only have it at Hyeondae Memil. It tastes deliciously clean.

The reason keto-style sous vide whole pork belly works so well with white kimchi, salted shrimp, wasabi, and stir-fried shishito peppers is the complete interplay of flavors and components: it brings the fat's flavor to its peak while precisely cutting through the richness.

Sous vide whole pork belly and its accompaniments

• The appeal of sous vide whole pork belly: Low-temperature cooking perfectly preserves its juices and fat, making it very tender and savory, though its high fat content can easily leave the mouth feeling heavy.
• White kimchi (acidity and crunch): Unlike red kimchi, it adds clean lactic-fermentation acidity without the strong heat of chili flakes. Its cold crunch contrasts with the warm, tender meat and refreshes the palate.
• Salted shrimp (umami and digestive enzymes): More than simple salt, it is rich in protease and lipase, enzymes that break down protein and fat, helping digest pork and maximizing fermented umami.
• Wasabi (pungent allyl isothiocyanate): When it meets the meat's rich fat, wasabi's sharply piercing heat softens, leaving only fragrant, clean sweetness that perfectly controls the greasiness.
• Stir-fried shishito peppers (pungency, wok aroma, and dietary fiber): They contain a small amount of capsaicin for a gentle kick, while their pungent wok aroma pairs with pork's flavor. Their dietary fiber also slows fat absorption.
• These five ingredients—savory richness from whole pork belly, acidity from white kimchi, umami from salted shrimp, clean heat from wasabi, and fragrant pungency from shishito peppers—create a perfectly balanced, keto-friendly combination that stays enjoyable through the last bite.

A cozy little space still open for late lunch

I am glad this cozy little space was still available, haha.

Even at late lunchtime, there were still people at Hyeondae Memil. It really is a fusion buckwheat makguksu restaurant in Chuncheon, hahahaha.