Namhae road trip lunch at Song Giwon, a Jinju naengmyeon restaurant
In short
Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon Main Branch is a Blue Ribbon–listed restaurant on Modeok-ro in Jinju, Gyeongnam, serving Jinju naengmyeon: buckwheat noodles in a seafood broth topped with yukjeon (pan-fried beef). Stopping in at noon on the way to a Namhae day trip, the writer ordered Sunjo 1800 (mul-naengmyeon, chilled broth) for 13,000 won, Song Giwon 1997 (seokkeum-naengmyeon, mixed style) for 14,000 won and yukjeon for 25,000 won, and the self-serve kimchi bar was the most memorable part. A clean, mild broth and deeply buckwheat-scented noodles make Song Giwon worth a special drive even from Busan.
Good to know
- Address
- 1-2 Modeok-ro 47beon-gil, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
- Hours
- Daily 10:30–20:00
- Break time
- 16:00–17:00
- Last order
- 15:40 / 19:40
- Parking
- Parking in front of the restaurant, with signs to additional spaces
- Sunjo 1800 (mul-naengmyeon)
- 13,000 won
- Song Giwon 1997 (seokkeum-naengmyeon)
- 14,000 won
- Yukjeon (pan-fried beef)
- 25,000 won
- Seasonal menu
- Galbitang (beef short rib soup) sold September–March only
- Event
- Leave a receipt review and choose a soft drink, beer or yukjeon topping
as written by the visitor on Sep 6, 2026
Yay~~~~ I went on a day trip to Namhae, and since I didn't want to eat at a rest stop, I stopped by Jinju on the way and had the famous Jinju naengmyeon.
What is Jinju naengmyeon? Seafood broth with a yukjeon topping
Huh? Not pyongyang naengmyeon, not hamhung naengmyeon, but Jinju naengmyeon? You might be wondering. There's a stylish Jinju-only version of naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodle soup) made with seafood broth and buckwheat noodles, topped with yukjeon (pan-fried beef).
Song Giwon Jinju Naengmyeon location, hours and the noon wait
Honestly I'd only heard the name and my boyfriend's bragging about how good it was, so I figured this was my chance and visited Song Giwon, well known as a Jinju naengmyeon restaurant. A proud Blue Ribbon mark greeted us at the door.
- Address: 1-2 Modeok-ro 47beon-gil, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
- Hours: Daily 10:30 – 20:00
- Break time: 16:00 – 17:00
- Last order: 15:40 / 19:40
- Parking: Parking available in front of the restaurant, with additional parking guidance
We arrived right at noon lunchtime so there was a bit of a wait, but since the menu is naengmyeon the turnover is fast — we got in in under 10 minutes.
The restaurant was full so I couldn't get a photo — this is the mustard, vinegar, and menu that were at our table. They were running a receipt review event where you get a drink, beer, or a topping yukjeon. In the meantime, that Gimcheon Baegeumcho vinegar looked really good...
The menu: Sunjo 1800, Song Giwon 1997 and yukjeon
The menu has three types of naengmyeon (bibim, mul, seokkeum), yukjeon, and galbitang which is only available from September to March. I heard that keeping the menu this compact is the mark of a true local favorite. We ordered the Sunjo 1800 (mul), Song Giwon 1997 (seokkeum), and yukjeon. For reference, Song Giwon 1997 is the signature menu!
Yukjeon for 25,000 won: 2++ grade Korean beef
After ordering, the warm beef yukjeon came out first. Price: 25,000 won! It was made with two-plus grade Korean beef and domestic buckwheat flour — soft and nutty, really delicious, and a generous portion too. My boyfriend loves yukjeon and eats it often, and he said it was the best yukjeon he's ever had hahahaha. I loved it too.
Mul-naengmyeon vs seokkeum-naengmyeon: which to order
The naengmyeon came out quickly too. On the left is Sunjo 1800 (mul-naengmyeon) and on the right is Song Giwon 1997 (seokkeum-naengmyeon), priced at 13,000 won and 14,000 won respectively. Seokkeum seemed to be a bibim-naengmyeon with a bit of broth added, like a wet-bibim style. Both came piled high with toppings — egg garnish, pear, egg, pork yukjeon — and looked really appetizing. Apparently this is another feature of Jinju naengmyeon.
A hand deftly cutting the noodles to go with them...
For reference, what we ordered was beef yukjeon, while the naengmyeon topping was pork yukjeon, so it was fun comparing the two while eating — both were delicious.
The self-serve kimchi bar that stole the meal
And do you see that kimchi next to the yukjeon? It was reeeally delicious. It went well with the naengmyeon too, and since it was at the self-serve bar I went back for seconds — salty and savory with great umami, I'm still thinking about it. Truly a certified Jinju naengmyeon restaurant...
We split everything a little at a time, but I liked the mul-naengmyeon better. My boyfriend said the mul-bibim (Song Giwon 1997) was tastier. We added vinegar and mustard partway through and it got even better. Once the noodles loosened up, the portion turned out to be much bigger than expected, so we left a bit of the yukjeon — but they packed it up for us to take home haha.
Is Song Giwon worth the drive from Busan?
Yes, but I finished the naengmyeon completely hahaha. Jinju isn't far from Busan, but it's not super close either, you know? Still, I think I'll go back to Jinju just for this naengmyeon. It's a bit savory like pyeongyang-style naengmyeon, the noodles are chewy, and the buckwheat aroma was really strong — totally my taste hahahaha. If you're looking for a great naengmyeon restaurant in Jinju, I recommend Song Giwon. Woohoo~!
Where it is
1-2 Modeok-ro 47beon-gil, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea경상남도 진주시 모덕로47번길 1-2 송기원진주냉면 본점
