Cold noodle restaurant near Jinjuseong Fortress, Juyak-dong: Songgiwon

What to eat in Jinju after sightseeing? Jinju naengmyeon

After my brother and I finished touring Jinjuseong Fortress and the Jinju National Museum, we drove along the Namgang River, which was already gearing up for the lantern festival, and spent a while debating what to eat in Jinju. In the end we agreed: since we'd come all this way, we had to try Jinju naengmyeon, the city's signature dish!

They say if North Korea has Pyongyang naengmyeon, South Korea has Jinju naengmyeon — that's how representative this city is of Korean cold noodles. Jinju naengmyeon was apparently a luxurious dish once eaten by royalty and the nobility. Since summer wasn't quite over yet, we headed to Songgiwon Jinju Naengmyeon, a popular Jinju naengmyeon specialist.

Inside Songgiwon Jinju Naengmyeon Direct Store in Juyak-dong

Songgiwon Jinju Naengmyeon Direct Store

An exterior as beautiful as a garden.

A pamphlet explaining the origins of Jinju naengmyeon, efforts to revive it, and what it means.

The interior is full of beautiful objets and paintings. With such a clean, elegant space filled with lovely artwork, Songgiwon Jinju Naengmyeon Direct Store felt even more classic and upscale.

The self-service bar was also kept spotlessly clean.

And the bathroom was so pretty and immaculately maintained...

What was ordered at Songgiwon, and the side dishes served

Today's menu

Basic side dishes

Even the tableware is neat and so pretty, right?

The napa cabbage kimchi was seriously so delicious. Even from the kimchi alone, you could tell the hand behind the cooking was skilled. Haha.

Even the vinegar isn't an afterthought here.

Jinju jangsaeng doraji-ju: a 21-year bellflower root liquor

Jinju jangsaeng doraji-ju

Aren't the bottle and glasses gorgeous too? A beautiful bottle and cup painted with pretty fish.

The sweet Jinju jangsaeng doraji-ju had such a subtle, fragrant aroma. There was none of the bitterness you'd expect from doraji (bellflower root) — just a clear, refined, delicious drink. It paired beautifully with the naengmyeon too, and it's charming that you can enjoy this understated, lovely regional liquor at such a reasonable price.

Sunjo 1800 mul-naengmyeon: the broth and yukjeon topping

Sunjo 1800

My brother is a die-hard mul-naengmyeon fan, so he ordered the Sunjo 1800.

We tasted the broth plain first, without vinegar or mustard. Wow... it really does taste like seafood somehow. Rich yet clear! It's a different character from Pyongyang naengmyeon, maybe with a fuller flavor overall. But in terms of clarity and refinement, it did remind me of Pyongyang mul-naengmyeon broth too... Anyway, I understood right away why Jinju naengmyeon is considered South Korea's representative naengmyeon — just from the broth!!!

Having yukjeon (pan-fried beef) as a topping is a signature feature of Jinju naengmyeon. This particular topping is made with domestic pork. It's nutty and chewy, great to enjoy in between bites. The pear was fresh and sweet too... you could really feel the quality of the ingredients.

We drizzled on vinegar and mustard, mixed well, and tasted again. First off, the noodles have incredible chewiness and springiness! Haha, totally different from the way Pyongyang naengmyeon noodles snap apart cleanly. The harmony between the chewy noodles and deep broth was great, and the texture of the pickled radish and pear you bite into along the way was also solid. Harmonious and delicious. A bowl that really let me feel what Jinju naengmyeon is all about.

What does the Songgiwon 1997 mixed naengmyeon taste like?

Songgiwon 1997

I ordered the signature, most popular Songgiwon 1997 — the Jinju mixed naengmyeon. It's a middle ground between mul-naengmyeon and bibim-naengmyeon, haha. Nice to be able to taste both in one dish.

First off, the sauce is heavy, packed with umami, sweet and spicy — really delicious. It's the kind of umami that any Korean person would love. It seems like the base is seafood umami. Seafood lovers, rejoice, haha. I tried a small amount just for a drink pairing — I cut the noodles into tiny pieces and ate them off a spoon, which let me get plenty of the sauce in each bite, and that turned out to be its own delicacy too. >.< Slurping the noodles coated in that rich sauce was also great fun!

Eating the boiled egg dipped in the tasty mixed naengmyeon sauce was also a treat.

The highlight: Ujeon, 1++ grade-9 hanwoo yukjeon

Ujeon 牛煎

Today's highlight, ujeon! I think you absolutely must order this!!! The portion is genuinely huge, an insane amount. They bring out three enormous slabs... In Seoul, you'd pay the same price for just a few small pieces of yukjeon — here, for a third of the price, you get generous, carefully made yukjeon using 1++ grade-9 hanwoo. Such a steal!!!

My brother cut the yukjeon into easy bites, and we tried it plain and with the dipping sauce. Genuinely clean-tasting!!! It paired best of all with the napa cabbage kimchi. >.< It's also great placed on top of the naengmyeon as a topping. And the pairing with the Jinju jangsaeng doraji-ju was the best!

Best yukjeon I've had in a while, haha.

It was so nice being able to enjoy what's considered Korea's finest naengmyeon, along with yukjeon and a fine liquor, in such a pretty, upscale space. Thanks to this meal, our Jinju trip felt truly enjoyable and abundant, and it made me think Jinju really is a charming city!