Namchuncheon Station soju snacks and potato pancake: Hyeondae Memil

Why go back to Hyeondae Memil for dinner?

Hi everyone, it's Myeong! 😆 I'd eaten mak guksu (buckwheat noodles) and potato pancake here before and totally fell for the fusion Korean vibe, so I decided to come back. Last time I visited for lunch and was a little sad I couldn't drink, so this time I went in the evening. Turns out the menu here is basically made for drinking.

29-1 Namchun-ro 5beon-gil, 1st floor, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea *Hours Mon–Sun 11:00~20:30 (break time 15:00~17:00) (last order 20:00) *Parking available

It's also apparently a certified "good shop" that participates in donation/sharing programs.

Inside Hyeondae Memil: a retro room full of old knick-knacks

Even the exterior gives off a strong old-school vibe. The little props scattered around look genuinely antique haha!?

There's even a giant pencil out front — though it looks like it doesn't actually have any lead in it.

Once you step inside there's an old-fashioned TV and a rotary phone. Did you spot the tiny chairs??? There are lanterns too, and a good lineup of makgeolli (Korean rice wine).

There's a traditional hat, a fan, and other little props scattered around that make the atmosphere even better.

The interior is done in wood tones too, so the old-school feel really comes through.

Hyeondae Memil menu, from mala buckwheat noodles to cream sujebi

Beyond the standard mak guksu, they also have warm noodles, soy sauce buckwheat noodles, and even mala (numbing spicy) buckwheat noodles. The usual soy sauce, spicy mixed, and octopus jeotgal (fermented seafood) versions are all here too, in plenty of variety. There's also sujebi (hand-torn dough soup) in mala, cream, and mala cream versions — the cream sujebi with a bit of mala spice makes for a pretty unique dish!?? Anyone who likes mala will probably love this menu.

They also have the spring potato pancake I fell for last time, plus the sous vide beef tenderloin — the ultimate drinking snack — and whole pork belly. Truffle potato pancake is technically their best menu item, but I personally loved the spring version loaded with vegetables too. If you love truffle aroma, though, go for the best-menu one.

On the side there are king dumplings and jeonbyeong (thin savory pancakes), with kimchi or gondre (mountain vegetable) versions. There's also buckwheat jjongbap-style ongsimi and drinks.

Makgeolli, soju and the rest of the drinks list

To go with the Korean food they've got three types of makgeolli — buckwheat, Soyanggang, and Gombaeryeong corn. There's lemon and grapefruit soju too, which apparently can be packed to take away, plus regular soju and beer.

Heads up: they give out 2 pieces of king dumplings if you leave a Naver review.

The complimentary water is a nutty roasted tea!! So much better than plain water, right?

Sous vide tenderloin suyuk, 20,600 won: the soju pairing

What I ordered: sous vide beef tenderloin ₩20,600, spring potato pancake ₩16,600, and soju ₩5,000.

The tenderloin, cooked sous vide at a low temperature, comes plated with minari (water celery) ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), yuzu syrup, truffle salt, kkwarigochu (shishito-style peppers), musaengchae (spicy radish salad), and wasabi.

The staff recommended dipping it in the yuzu syrup sauce, and honestly it worked way better than I expected.

With a snack this good...??? There's no resisting soju..!!

It goes great with the musaengchae, and it goes just as well with kimchi!!

The meat is tender and chewy, and the minari ssamjang is a real treat. There was chives underneath too!! Eating them together worked really well.

The kkwarigochu peppers were a bit of a gamble — some were spicy, some weren't. A few were hot, a few weren't at all.

Spring potato pancake, 16,600 won: looks like a pizza

My favorite dish, the spring potato pancake, is a crispy shredded-potato pancake topped with six-plus sauces and vegetables, sous vide beef tenderloin, bacon, roasted buckwheat, sun-dried tomato, Grana Padano cheese, and basil cheese. It's piled so high with sauce it genuinely looks like a pizza!???

Because it's shredded rather than grated, the texture is extra crispy, and with all those sauces and vegetables on top, there's no way it could taste bad!

Juicy tenderloin, tomato, and two kinds of cheese on top!

Below the little "monnani" doll figure sitting there,

there's a little stress-ball toy, mouthwash, and mint candies all set out for guests. Between the old-school atmosphere and the unique menu, this is a place I'd happily visit again and leave satisfied!