Uijeongbu cold noodle restaurant's dumpling hot pot: Daedae Myeonok

Today I came to Daedae Myeonok, a famous spot in Minrak-dong, Uijeongbu, to eat naengmyeon (cold noodles). It's still warm enough for cold noodles, but mornings and evenings have gotten a bit chilly, so I was torn between naengmyeon and mandu jeongol (dumpling hot pot). In the end I wanted something hot, and since my leg's been keeping me cooped up at home, I figured a drive out to Uijeongbu would do me good too.

Daedae Myeonok hours, last order and free parking

Here's the info on Daedae Myeonok, the famous Minrak-dong, Uijeongbu spot (also a well-known Uijeongbu naengmyeon restaurant).

• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30, last order 20:40
• Parking: Free (the person who guides you to a spot is super friendly)
• Featured on Saengsaeng Jeongbo and Oneul Achim TV, visited by many celebrities

There were photos and autographs from all the celebrity visits. They also sell raw seasoned pork to take home and grill yourself, whether camping or at home — 500g for ₩20,000 or 1kg for ₩38,000, currently discounted. I should remember to grab a pack next time I go camping.

Why order the aromsatae mandu jeongol instead of naengmyeon?

Daedae Myeonok in Minrak-dong, Uijeongbu is actually famous as a naengmyeon restaurant. The whole drive over I kept debating whether I should just get naengmyeon after all. But like I said, I wanted something hot. So — yes — I resisted the naengmyeon temptation and ordered the newly launched aromsatae mandu jeongol.

Daedae Myeonok menu and prices

• Aromsatae mandu jeongol: ₩32,000
• Aromsatae suyuk (boiled beef): half plate ₩15,000 / full plate ₩29,000
• Naengmyeon / bibim naengmyeon: ₩11,000 each / cheongyang bibim naengmyeon ₩12,000 / kodari naengmyeon ₩13,000
• Grilled seasoned meat: half tray ₩12,000 / full tray ₩23,000
• Meat mandu (6 pieces): ₩8,000

Fresh-cut kimchi and how the mandu jeongol table is set

The kimchi here is honestly so good. Restaurants usually set the side dishes down before the food arrives, and normally I'd wait, but today it looked so good I grabbed a piece of kimchi before the meal even came out. Wow — the geotjeori (fresh-cut kimchi) was really delicious. That's when I knew the aromsatae mandu jeongol was going to be great.

When you order the new aromsatae mandu jeongol, it arrives beautifully arranged like this. It's generously packed with dumplings, aromsatae (beef shank) meat and vegetables, plus a dipping sauce — the staff explained that adding mustard to it makes it even tastier.

The best order to eat aromsatae mandu jeongol in

• Once the dumplings are cooked, take them out first (leaving them in too long can make them burst)
• Once it's at a rolling boil, lightly blanch the meat and dip it in the soy sauce with vegetables (add mustard and cheongyang chili if you like it spicy)
• After finishing everything, add the noodle sarl, wait 3 minutes, and eat it together with the delicious geotjeori

I was reading the instructions when a staff member came over and explained it all in person.

I pulled the dumplings out first, then took out the aromsatae and dipped it in the mustard-soy sauce — the meat just melts in your mouth. I think this is a dish everyone can enjoy, from grandparents to young adults to kids. Kids would probably love it plain, while adults can go for the soy sauce or the mustard version.

The hot pot that comes with fish cake skewers

They give you individual bowls ahead of time so you can portion out whatever you like. There was also this super cute fish cake skewer in the pot, and it's clearly good-quality fish cake, not the cheap stuff — you can tell they put thought into it. Daedae Myeonok, the famous Minrak-dong spot, adds fish cake to its jeongol, and that alone shows they're doing things differently. Dipping it in soy sauce was great too — the sauce itself is delicious.

There were two kinds of mandu (dumplings): meat and kimchi. They were packed full of filling, so filling and tasty at the same time. Once the meat, dumplings and vegetables are mostly gone, it's time to add the noodle sarl. You can ask for it, but our server actually came by and asked first whether we wanted noodles, so we didn't even have to ask. They kept checking the table to see if we needed anything.

Kalguksu noodle refill in the hwangtae broth

They set a 3-minute timer for the kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), and they cooked quickly so we didn't have to wait long. The chewy noodles taste even better eaten with the kimchi. And the broth of the aromsatae mandu jeongol is rich and delicious — made from deeply simmered hwangtae (dried pollack), I couldn't put my spoon down. This place is actually a famous Uijeongbu naengmyeon spot, but after eating something else today and loving it, I'm even more curious about the naengmyeon now.

Self-serve side dishes and the fish cake broth served with naengmyeon

There's a self-serve side dish corner, and right next to it, fish cake hwangtae broth was set out too. Apparently if you order naengmyeon, they give you a fish cake skewer and the broth as a basic side. This really is a famous Uijeongbu naengmyeon place.

I've never seen a place that serves fish cake with naengmyeon before. Adding fish cake to the mandu jeongol too — this place really has its own charm. I'll have to try the naengmyeon next time. After eating the aromsatae mandu jeongol, I'm now curious the naengmyeon must be delicious too. I'll be back to this famous Uijeongbu naengmyeon spot for the noodles next time.

Free coffee and ice cream after the meal

On my way out, I noticed you can also get coffee and ice cream. I had an ice cream as dessert. Out by the outdoor tables next to the entrance, everyone had an ice cream cone in hand, haha — couldn't resist that either. I had a great meal here.