Pocheon noodle restaurant serving both makguksu styles: Myeongimong

A hearty, healthy meal found in Pocheon A great lunch stop before Pocheon Art Valley Hanwoo pork tteokgalbi and makguksu are such a good pair! Pocheon restaurant recommendation: Myeongimong

• Myeongimong / 235 Sinpyeong-ro, Sinbuk-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• 11:00 - 20:00 (last order 19:20)
• Closed every Tuesday
• Takeout / Parking available

Lunch at Myeongimong before Pocheon Art Valley

Myeongimong is a restaurant on Sinpyeong-ro in Sinbuk-myeon, Pocheon, specializing in charcoal-grilled Hanwoo pork tteokgalbi and buckwheat makguksu. With the weather cooling down lately, it's the perfect season for a fall trip~ It felt like such a waste to just stay home, so I went on a fall trip to Pocheon haha. Pocheon has great drives and places to visit like Pocheon Art Valley, so it's perfect for a day trip!

Before exploring Pocheon Art Valley, I decided to fill up on lunch first. While wondering what to eat, I spotted the big 'Myeongimong' sign! Charcoal-grilled Hanwoo pork tteokgalbi and house-pulled buckwheat makguksu — I can't resist that combo. I was already looking for a lunch spot, so I went right in.

To cut to the chase, the tteokgalbi + makguksu set combo was a total success ✨️ It wasn't overly strong-flavored and felt clean, making it a great healthy meal while traveling.

Is there parking at Myeongimong?

Myeongimong had a spacious parking lot, making it easy to visit by car. The surroundings felt quiet and relaxed, but honestly, the convenient parking mattered most to me. I'm the type who checks for parking first when looking for restaurants near travel spots, so this was a plus. When we visited, there were quite a few customers who looked like locals, not just tourists. Oh! Maybe Myeongimong is a lunch favorite among Pocheon locals too.

Inside Myeongimong and its outdoor terrace

Walking into Myeongimong, the interior was also spacious. Wood-toned tables and warm lighting gave it a cozy, comfortable overall feel! The tables weren't cramped together, and there were tables big enough for groups, so it looked great for families traveling to Pocheon together. Several baby chairs were also ready, so families with kids could visit comfortably~

And what I liked most was the outdoor spot! There was terrace seating available too. You could see trees and greenery right in front, so on a cool day, sitting here to eat makguksu would be amazing! There's a roof that blocks some sunlight, and several tables are set up, so you can enjoy a different vibe from the indoor dining. It had that quiet Pocheon feel that I loved :)

What is buckwheat makguksu and charcoal-grilled pork tteokgalbi?

On one side of the restaurant there was information about the benefits of buckwheat and about the charcoal-grilled Hanwoo pork tteokgalbi :) Buckwheat is rich in rutin, amino acids, and vitamins, which can help with blood vessel health and fatigue recovery, and it's high in fiber while being relatively low in calories. As for the tteokgalbi, it's made with 100% domestic pork mixed with fresh vegetables and fruit, aged, then grilled over charcoal — giving it a subtle smoky aroma and juicy texture! Paired with their homemade special sauce, it's even more delicious haha.

Self-service bar and facilities at Myeongimong

In the middle of Myeongimong, there's a self-service bar. Small plates, tongs, scissors, and kids' tableware were all set up there. Staff bring the first table setting, but you could grab more yourself if you needed extras.

And I noticed hair ties and dental floss at the counter! For women with long hair, it's annoying when hair keeps falling forward while eating makguksu. I liked that they thoughtfully provided hair ties for free use. It's these small details that made me feel like they really think about their customers :)

There were separate men's and women's restrooms inside the building. It was convenient not having to step outside while eating. There was also a big mirror by the entrance, great for checking your appearance before leaving. After eating well, I tidied up my messed-up hair and even snapped a mirror selfie ✨

Myeongimong menu and prices

Myeongimong's signature dishes are the buckwheat makguksu and the tteokgalbi. Individual items are ₩13,000 for tteokgalbi and ₩10,000 each for spicy or water makguksu. Ordering was easy via the tablet at each table. You can order items separately, but there are also set menus if you're visiting with a group.

• Myeongimong Tteokgalbi ₩13,000
• Spicy Buckwheat Makguksu ₩10,000
• Water Buckwheat Makguksu ₩10,000
• Buckwheat Dumplings ₩7,000 / Buckwheat Pancake Roll ₩7,000
• Extra buckwheat pancake ₩2,000
• Rice ₩1,000

Besides makguksu and tteokgalbi, there are side dishes too, so it's great to add on if you're visiting with a group. With buckwheat makguksu, tteokgalbi, buckwheat dumplings, and pancake rolls all available, Myeongimong is a healthy lunch spot in Pocheon that fills you up with proper Korean food :)

What comes in each set, and the add-on options

• Set 1: 1 tteokgalbi + 2 makguksu = ₩32,000
• Set 2: 2 tteokgalbi + 1 makguksu = ₩35,000

We ordered Set 1 and picked one water makguksu and one spicy makguksu so we could try both. With a set order, you can also choose a mini bread roll instead of rice — and with that bread, you can make your own mini tteokgalbi burger! If you want to add cheese to the tteokgalbi, it's ₩2,000, and an extra mini bread is ₩1,000. Extra-large portions are +₩2,000 for both water and spicy makguksu!

And you can't skip the Naver receipt review event! Write a receipt review after your meal, show it to staff, and you can choose one of: a drink / 2 mini breads / 1 buckwheat pancake!

Eating the 32,000 won set: 1 tteokgalbi + 2 makguksu

What we ordered at Myeongimong was Set 1, 1 tteokgalbi + 2 makguksu, for ₩32,000. The basic side dishes came out quickly :) Crunchy white kimchi, tangy pickles, spicy-seasoned radish, fresh vegetable geotjeori (fresh kimchi salad), and a cabbage salad topped generously with pink sauce.

The cabbage salad with the sweet-and-tangy strawberry dressing was especially great to pair between bites of tteokgalbi, and the geotjeori had that fresh, crunchy vegetable texture that really got my appetite going. Picking at the side dishes while waiting~

Buckwheat pancake taster and doenjang soup

While waiting for the main dishes, a small buckwheat pancake sampler appeared! The thin, pan-fried buckwheat pancake had a moist, chewy texture that I loved. That distinctive nutty, clean buckwheat flavor was excellent!

It was the perfect appetizer to whet the appetite before the makguksu — gone in no time hahaha. The warm doenjang (soybean paste) soup from the self-service bar was also nice to sip on in between. It had a clean broth with dried radish greens, comfortable and not overpowering at all.

Ta-da~ our ordered dishes finally arrived, filling the whole table. Two bowls of makguksu, hot tteokgalbi, mini bread, and side dishes — it looked really generous!

Myeongimong's handmade tteokgalbi

The piping hot Myeongimong tteokgalbi came sizzling in a hot pan, and just seeing it steaming got my appetite going instantly +_+ The thick, hand-shaped tteokgalbi was browned nicely on the outside, and pulling a bite apart with chopsticks showed a moist inside. The sweet sauce pooled under the pan soaked into the meat, adding a sweet-savory depth to the meaty flavor.

It wasn't the crumbly, dry type — it was moist and tender, great eaten on its own or paired with the makguksu! One bite of tteokgalbi followed by a slurp of makguksu made the perfect sweet-savory + tangy + cool combo :)

Making a tteokgalbi burger with the mini bread rolls

Splitting open the mini bread, tucking in a piece of tteokgalbi, then piling on the side salad and cucumber made my own mini tteokgalbi burger! The soft bread with the sweet tteokgalbi inside, plus the cucumber and vegetables, wasn't greasy at all and had a nice crunchy texture — I really enjoyed it! It felt like a healthy mini burger — kids would probably love it too!

Spicy bibim makguksu, with the broth served on the side

The spicy makguksu that gets your appetite going with a tangy, spicy kick! The red seasoning coated the buckwheat noodles thoroughly, and it was topped generously with cucumber, radish, seaweed flakes, and sesame seeds — looked delicious even before mixing. Myeongimong, a well-known spot near Pocheon Art Valley, uses house-pulled makguksu noodles, so my expectations were high.

When you order the spicy makguksu, they give you the broth separately so you can add it to your taste. At first I enjoyed it spicy and tangy as-is, then poured in a bit of broth midway for a more moist mix — also delicious! You can control the amount of broth to suit your own taste~

Mixing it well and taking a bite, the tangy-spicy seasoning coated the noodles completely and really woke up my appetite! It wasn't overly spicy or harsh, more sweet-and-tangy with nutty sesame and seaweed flavors, making it easy to keep eating without feeling weighed down!! I wrapped it with the buckwheat pancake — such a great pairing.

How refreshing is the broth in the mul makguksu?

My favorite, the cool water makguksu!!!!! A big bowl generously filled with buckwheat noodles, topped with julienned cucumber, radish, seaweed flakes, sesame seeds, seasoning sauce, and even sliced meat — so hearty! I took a spoonful of the broth first — refreshing and clean! It had that tangy-sweet flavor like dongchimi (radish water kimchi) broth. The buckwheat noodles had that chewy yet soft bite, perfect for slurping loudly!!

The sliced boiled pork on top was also nice and thick, and eating it together with the makguksu noodles added a clean meaty richness that made it even more filling. Ah,, that cool broth is exactly my style! The water makguksu's broth is seriously refreshing! One slurp and it was cold enough to make my head tingle — the perfect thing to cool you down completely on a hot day! I loved it so much I wanted to just pick up the bowl and drink it 💕

I finished it off properly with the cola I got from participating in the receipt review event! The cold, fizzy soda cleaned up my palate refreshingly for a perfect lunch.

Is Myeongimong worth a lunch stop on a Pocheon trip?

Myeongimong, which I went into after spotting the big sign before Pocheon Art Valley. Being able to eat house-pulled buckwheat makguksu together with charcoal-grilled Hanwoo pork tteokgalbi made for a great, hearty meal before the trip! Rather than feeling like I just filled up on heavy food, eating the buckwheat noodles, vegetables, and tteokgalbi in balance made me feel like I had a genuinely healthy meal. With spacious parking and a relaxed dining space, I'd recommend it if you're looking for a lunch spot with family during a Pocheon trip, or a hearty meal before Pocheon Art Valley :)