Solo weekday lunch and parking stamp at Samsam Milmyeon in Ulsan

Now that Ipchu (the start of autumn) has passed, the wind's gotten cool and the weather's turned pleasant. Apparently today is Baengno, one of the 24 solar terms — when nighttime temperatures drop below the dew point and dew forms on things in the morning. They say this marks the true start of fall.

But here's the important thing: this whole summer, I didn't get to eat milmyeon (cold wheat noodles) even once. A few years ago I had milmyeon in Busan and honestly it wasn't as good as I expected haha (even though that place had a waiting line), so I kind of avoided it for a while. But lately my neighbors have been posting so much about milmyeon that I started craving it again. It's still hot during the day with strong sunlight, so before the weather turns cold, I quickly went to get a bowl!

Directions and parking from Ulsan Terminal

Pass Ulsan Intercity Bus Terminal, turn right at Obok Miyeok, and you'll immediately see a white sign! Before you reach the restaurant, look to the right — you can park at the Paldo paid parking lot.

The parking spaces are pretty spacious!

Make sure to grab your parking ticket~ after you finish eating, just get it stamped when you pay.

Inside Samsam Milmyeon Main Branch, a Dal-dong favorite

I went on a weekday at 11am. It was still before lunchtime so there weren't many people, but by 11:30 the nearby office workers started coming in and it filled up completely in no time.

I didn't know and walked up with my shoes on — you're supposed to take your shoes off before going up~

There are 4-person table seats as well as 1-person tables, so it's great for solo dining too.

Ulsan Pay is accepted. There are aprons available too, so grab one just in case the sauce splashes!

Samsam Milmyeon menu and prices

The menu is simple. Here's my pick~

• Mul-milmyeon (broth-based) 0.9
• Bibim-milmyeon (spicy mixed) 0.9
• Dumplings (8pcs) 0.6

25 years of tradition: mul-milmyeon, bibim-milmyeon, and dumplings

Mustard and vinegar are set out on the table.

The side dishes came out first.

Pickled radish, spicy radish salad, soy sauce, and warm broth arrived. They said the broth is made from Korean native cow bones — it was mild and not salty, and good for settling my stomach before the meal.

Freshly steamed meat dumplings

The dumplings finally arrived! Fresh out of the steamer, they were thin and elongated, with steam rising off them invitingly.

The wrapper was thin and chewy, letting the filling show through, and when I split one in half, meaty filling appeared inside.

Dipped in soy sauce, the wrapper was chewy with good bite, and the umami-rich meat and chive filling inside blended really well — delicious.

Bibim-milmyeon leans a bit spicy

The bibim-milmyeon (spicy mixed noodles) came out first. It looked tangy and sweet just from the appearance, which made my mouth water. I know some people would hate this, but I always cut my noodles ^^ I can't stand it when eating is inconvenient~

After mixing well and taking a bite, the sauce was a mix of spicy, tangy, and sweet — but leaning slightly more spicy than sweet! That said, it's not so spicy that you couldn't eat it.

The noodles weren't overcooked or mushy, boiled just right with good chew, and eating them with the cucumber and radish salad made everything go down smoothly!

Don't forget the vinegar with mul-milmyeon!

The mul-milmyeon (broth-based noodles) had icy slush in the broth, topped with cucumber, meat garnish, egg, and sauce. The noodle portion was huge! You all know to add vinegar to naengmyeon (cold noodles), right? Make sure to add vinegar!! I forgot and only added it near the end, but once I did, the umami of the broth really came through — so good!!

Mixed together and eaten with the meat garnish, it completely chases away the heat. The broth looked spicy and intense because of all the red sauce, but it actually wasn't that intense in flavor. I ended up really enjoying it..

I usually don't like heavily seasoned food because I get tired of it quickly, but alternating between the cold, umami-rich meat garnish and the warm, chewy meat dumplings — this isn't sweet-and-salty, it's cold-and-warm-and-cold-and-warm.

Final verdict

Since it had been a while since I'd eaten milmyeon, I was half excited and half worried, but unlike places with overly intense, MSG-heavy flavors, this one had just the right, clean seasoning and I really enjoyed it! If you're visiting Ulsan or looking for a good milmyeon spot in Samsan-dong, I think I'd recommend this place. Seriously, mul-milmyeon with dumplings is a must!!