Cheongju noodle restaurant for summer: chogye cold soba, Myeonsikdang

Myeonsikdang at Jiwel City in Cheongju: where I went hunting for cold soba on a hot day

This is Myeonsikdang (면식당), a well-loved spot at Jiwel City in Cheongju. On a hot day like today, it has to be noodles, right?! I'd been to the zoo in Cheongju with my nephews and sweat was literally dripping off my face!! T_T I was craving a cold bowl of soba so badly!

So I went on a search frenzy and found this budget-friendly Cheongju favorite, Myeonsikdang. The biggest plus is that you can get everything in one place, from ramen to mazesoba (mixed noodles with sauce), tonkatsu (pork cutlet) and rice bowls, so everyone can pick what they like!!! With the family along, it's nice to get a bit of everything, right~~ :) So shall we head to Myeonsikdang and its big menu? Let's goooo 😘

Myeonsikdang (면식당) 📍Location: 39 Daenong-ro, Building A, Unit 101, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk ⏰️Hours: 10:30-21:30 (last order 20:50) 🚘Parking: Underground parking of the shopping complex available

Myeonsikdang Jiwel City: the atmosphere and the solo bar seats

Come up to the first floor from the underground parking, follow the path around the corner, and you'll see Myeonsikdang right away! It has a white-toned exterior and a clean interior, and there were lots of people eating alone inside!

The whole place is tidy and the tables are nicely spaced, so it's no pressure to come alone, and it also felt comfortable for family or friends. Maybe that's why so many solo diners come and eat in comfort 🙃

There are also bar-style seats where you eat facing forward ☺️ The inside isn't very big, though!

Myeonsikdang menu: noodles, tonkatsu and rice bowls

So many tasty things, right? 😊

I love how varied the menu is :) True to the name (Myeonsikdang means "noodle restaurant"), there are lots of noodle types! Many set meals (jeongsik) come with extra sides, so if a single dish feels a little light, those are perfect for you 😊 I ordered the cold soba I'd been craving so much :)

I heard the butadon (grilled pork rice bowl) here is good too~~! 😊 Suddenly I'm so hungry.. 🥺 And then our order arrived!!

Shabu rice noodles ₩8,900, with gluten-free fresh rice noodles

Shabu rice noodles - ₩8,900. I ordered it because they said it's made with gluten-free fresh rice noodles. It looked good, smelled good, and was loaded with beef 😉

Chogye soba (cold soba topped with shredded chicken)

Cold soba - ₩8,500 (seasonal menu)

Handmade pork loin katsu set. My partner wanted loin katsu, so this is the set they ordered!

Wow, do you see that thick cut of meat? Crispy outside, juicy and moist inside! The portion of soba isn't small either 🥰 I'll definitely admit the katsu is good 💜

The rice noodles are gluten-free fresh noodles, so they were definitely easy on the stomach. Lots of meat, and the crunchy bean sprouts were even better ❣️ My little rascals ate so well that it was gone in a flash! The broth was well seasoned, super clean and refreshing. It felt like a proper rice noodle specialist 🙃

Cold soba and chogye soba: how was the soba broth seasoning?

My beloved egg~ it comes in the basic cold soba! The soba broth with ice slush floating in it is so cold and refreshing 😊 Sometimes soba broth is so salty that I have to dilute it with water, but Myeonsikdang seasons everything just right 🤗

And this is the chogye soba I ordered~~ Loaded with chicken breast on top~~ I've had chogye naengmyeon (cold noodles with shredded chicken) and chogye guksu, but chogye soba is a first 😉 The base is the same tsuyu (soy-based noodle sauce), but all that shredded lean meat was so good 👍 This is totally my style~~~ :)

The broth tastes great, so cold and rich~~ Looking at it now, I want to slurp down another bowl, so refreshing~~~ 🤤🤤

The hire katsu in the set: a kid ate four pieces alone

This is the hire katsu (pork tenderloin cutlet) that came with my set! Wow.. this is seriously tender and so good 😘 My little rascal, who doesn't even like tonkatsu much, ate four pieces all by herself 🤣 She said it was so delicious she couldn't stop, haha! She said it's number one of all the katsu she's ever had.. hehe. She even said it was better than the loin. It was that tender and moist 👍 If you come, try it as a set~~ 😍

Katsu packed with meat is the best 👍

Side dish: mini kimchi butadon ₩4,300

Mini kimchi butadon - ₩4,300. This butadon I ordered as a side was unexpectedly great 👍 My partner said it was super delicious. Mix the smoky, fire-grilled meat with kimchi and rice and it's full of umami ❤️ I ate until I was stuffed.

I meant to order a wider variety, but.. everyone said they wanted soba and rice noodles, haha.. Next visit I'll try the popular ramen, mazesoba and butadon here 🙃 Thank you for such a delicious meal today 🙏 As always, we cleaned it out!!!!!!!

Myeonsikdang Jiwel City: who should you go with?

Myeonsikdang at Jiwel City is great value with prices that aren't a burden, and the food comes out fast, so it's popular with office workers at lunchtime! The side menu is varied too, so it pairs nicely with a main dish.

It's in the Jiwel City commercial area so it's easy to reach, and if you use the shopping complex's underground parking, free parking is available, so it's convenient by car too. If you're looking for a noodle or tonkatsu place in Cheongju, I recommend Myeonsikdang Jiwel City for its easy prices and clean flavors 😄 Solo meal, date or family dinner, satisfaction is high whoever you go with!!