Sangdae-dong cold noodle restaurant on a Sunday evening: Song Giwon

I somehow ended up on a trip to Jinju, Gyeongnam, so I visited Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch, a naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodle) spot that locals mostly go to. There are two Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon locations in Jinju — I visited the main branch in Sangdae-dong. There's also a directly-run branch in Juyak-dong.

Parking and opening hours at Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch

There's parking space right across from the building. I visited on a Sunday evening and luckily there was exactly one spot left. It seems like it could fill up completely during peak dinner hours.

Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon felt like a proper local favorite from the entrance. A Hundred-Year Store certification plaque, a Blue Ribbon certification sticker, and a Jinju Safe Restaurant plaque provided by the city of Jinju were all hanging at the entrance, which felt reassuring.

The Blue Ribbon sticker has been awarded three years running, from 2024 through this year — a genuinely well-established Jinju naengmyeon spot. Inside, there were autographs from celebrities and entertainers who had visited.

Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch hours 10:30 ~ 20:00 (Break time 16:00 ~ 17:00) (Last order 15:40, 19:40)

Broth simmered 24 hours and noodles made in-house from Jeju buckwheat

Apparently food-savvy celebrities like Jeon Hyun-moo, Shin Sung-rok, and Ock Joo-hyun have all visited here. Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon uses a base made by boiling domestic hanwoo (Korean beef) bones into a rich broth, adding seafood from the clean waters of the South Sea, and simmering it all together with various medicinal herbs for over 24 hours.

They also make the noodles using Jeju buckwheat. Roasting the buckwheat adds a nutty, deep flavor, and aging it produces the chewy noodles. It's a Jinju naengmyeon spot known for its aged, self-made noodles.

Still full of Jinju locals on a Sunday evening

Looking around inside, there were a lot of local customers. Watching what they mostly ordered, it was naengmyeon and galbitang (short rib soup).

You'd think naengmyeon is more of a lunch dish than a dinner one, but surprisingly the restaurant was packed even in the evening.

The three naengmyeon: Sunjo 1800, Nongae 1593 and Song Giwon 1997

Since this is a place locals actually go to for naengmyeon, I ordered some. The naengmyeon names were unusual — Sunjo 1800, Nongae 1593, Song Giwon 1997. They're the mul-naengmyeon (cold broth noodles), bibim-naengmyeon (mixed noodles), and signature naengmyeon respectively.

We ordered one mul-naengmyeon, one bibim-naengmyeon, and yukjeon from the side menu. Yukjeon uses domestic hanwoo, coated in domestic buckwheat flour and egg, and pan-fried to a golden brown — it pairs really well with naengmyeon.

The menu even had detailed instructions on how to enjoy Jinju naengmyeon properly — add vinegar and mustard to taste, and savor the depth of the broth and the texture of the buckwheat noodles.

Side dishes and the self-serve hot broth corner

The basic side dishes at Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch were very simple — napa cabbage kimchi and tangy seasoned radish, and since we ordered yukjeon, soy sauce came out too.

Ordering bibim-naengmyeon comes with warm broth on the side. If you order mul-naengmyeon, the staff won't bring it separately, but you can grab as much warm broth as you like from the self-serve corner.

If you ordered mul-naengmyeon, you can use the Gimcheon baegeumcho (a regional vinegar) and mustard on the table to season it to your taste.

Toppings: yukjeon, Naju pear and boiled egg

Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon stood out from the toppings alone — yukjeon, Naju pear, and boiled egg. It was simple, but each ingredient felt carefully chosen, which I liked. The mul-naengmyeon comes with refreshing shaved ice.

I thought the bibim-naengmyeon was delicious, while my husband said the mul-naengmyeon was better. The yukjeon we ordered as a side had an incredible presentation.

It's really delicious eaten right away while warm. The portion was more generous than I expected. Staff brought scissors and tongs for cutting the yukjeon.

Mild but deep: how the Jinju naengmyeon tasted

Looking at the counter, there were so many award plaques. This really does seem like a genuine Jinju naengmyeon favorite. The naengmyeon had a slightly subtle flavor, and I could tell they used good ingredients. Having gotten used to sharp, intense-flavored naengmyeon, tasting the broth and aged self-made noodles at Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon revealed a deeper flavor beyond that.