Evening naengmyeon before last order, bibim vs seokkeum: Song Giwon

Today I visited Jinju's naengmyeon spot, Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch. It shows up on my blog all the time, haha... my mom and I come here whenever we're craving naengmyeon, but this was my first time going in the evening. We got there around 7:30pm and there were just enough customers, no wait at all — very comfortable. We woke up from a nap and went, like, let's go get naengmyeon!! and headed out.

If you're going in the evening, check the last order time

See the Blue Ribbon mark? That's how good Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch is!! Genuinely delicious. The yukjeon (beef pancake) is the best.

They open at 10:30am and close at 8pm, but according to Naver, last order is 7:40pm!! You really need to time your visit around that. We left home around 7pm and cut it kind of close.

Group seating and waiting

There's this huge round table right in the center — when we went in the evening there was a big group sitting there. Since it's round and large, it seems great for group visits!! We didn't make a reservation, but if there's a wait, registering ahead through Tabling makes things easier.

Menu and prices at Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch

Naengmyeon

• Sunjo 1800 — ₩13,000 — The most basic Jinju mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth), where you can savor Song Giwon's deep, clean flavor.
• Nongae 1593 — ₩13,000 — Jinju bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles) topped with Song Giwon's own sauce, made from seafood soy sauce simmered over 12 hours using ingredients from clean regions.
• ★ Song Giwon 1997 ★ — ₩14,000 — Jinju seokkeum naengmyeon (mixed-style cold noodles), developed by head chef Song Giwon himself in 1997, combining two special sauces with a seafood topping.
• Large size add-on — ₩3,000

Side dish

• ★ Ujeon (牛煎, beef pancake) ★ — ₩25,000 (portion for 2–3 people) — Specially selected domestic Korean beef, trimmed and aged, coated in 100% domestic buckwheat flour and finely strained egg, pan-fried golden — Song Giwon's signature yukjeon.

Meals

• ★ Seasonal menu ★ Dongilgaae [Sep–Mar only] — ₩16,000 — Song Giwon's galbitang (short rib soup), simmered long with domestic herbal medicine ingredients, carrying the warmth of winter to keep you cozy all year round.
• Rice — ₩1,000

Drinks

• ★ Jinju Jangsaeng Doraji ★ — 1 bottle, ₩13,000 — A jewel-like Jinju liquor made from 21-year-old bellflower root, time crafted by the earth itself.
• Soju — ₩5,000
• Beer — ₩5,000
• Soft drinks — ₩2,000

For two people, there's leftover yukjeon

Here's the menu board of the Jinju naengmyeon spot Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch! We always order seokkeum naengmyeon and yukjeon — the yukjeon portion is generous enough that you can pack up leftovers. If three people come and each order one naengmyeon plus yukjeon to share, it's just right, but for two women ordering one naengmyeon each plus yukjeon, there's a bit left over. So we packed about half the yukjeon to take home. If it's two guys with bigger appetites, I think they could finish one order of yukjeon between them easily.

And here's the vinegar my parents love, haha. They say eating it with the noodles helps digestion and tastes great. But I still have a kid's palate... I just prefer the naengmyeon on its own.

Why yukjeon goes on top of Jinju naengmyeon

While waiting for our order, I read up on the history of Jinju naengmyeon. Apparently it spread during the Joseon Dynasty!!! It was a high-end dish enjoyed by the nobility and the royal court, and was famous enough that a Joseon-era saying went, 'The finest naengmyeon are Pyongyang naengmyeon and Jinju naengmyeon.' Honestly, it's so delicious, it couldn't not be famous..........haha.

Jinju naengmyeon is known for topping the noodles with beef yukjeon. Growing up in Jinju, I just assumed all naengmyeon came with yukjeon on top — turns out that's not the case at all, haha.

The warm broth you drink first

The first thing you get at Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon is the broth... it's genuinely so good. It is a bit salty though — I got really thirsty on the way home after drinking it. But it's warm and so, so delicious.....

If you want more side dishes, refills are available. And look how big the yukjeon is....... you cut it with scissors to eat. Seriously huge and seriously delicious.

Bibim naengmyeon vs. seokkeum naengmyeon

This time we ordered both bibim naengmyeon and seokkeum naengmyeon so we could compare — can you see the difference??? Seokkeum naengmyeon literally feels like a mix of mul naengmyeon and bibim naengmyeon. Instead of being intensely bold, it's mildly bold, while the bibim version has a strong sauce flavor that makes it much more intense. Both are delicious, haha.

Dipping the yukjeon into the sauce that comes with it is genuinely amazing~~~~~ so, so delicious.