Naengmyeon is an unusual noodle dish for foreigners. Especially Westerners. Most of my friends in America didn’t like it. I think it is because it’s a cold noodle which is a very different concept than what we think of noodles.
But it is a very common dish and you will see it almost every single time if you go to a BBQ restaurant. After you finish your galbi(best galbi restaurants in Seoul) or samgyupsal (Best Samgyupsal Restaurants in Seoul), the waiter will ask if you want rice/dwenjang jjigae or naengmyeon. You don’t have to choose either, but most people choose one of the dish, because you haven’t had any carb while eating BBQ.
If you are into noodles, you have to definitely try it! If you are into spicy food, go for BIBIM NAENGMYUN (비빔냉면). If not, go for MOOL NAENGMYUN (물 냉면). Basically bibim naengmyun has no cold soup but tons of spicy sauce and you mix it. Mool Naengmyun is in a cold soup and has a very refreshing taste.
So now where can we find the best Naengmyun in Seoul and what it’s like?
1. Gangnam Myunok (강남면옥)
Gangnam Myunok is a popular restaurant for their amazing rib. It is just making me drool while I’m typing. But after you eat the ribs, you get even better naengmyun. It is so thin and light you can just slurp on it all day.
My favorite way to eat it is to eat it with the rib. It balances the taste of oiliness and the freshness. Even if you are not diggining the cold noodle, definitely try Gangnam Myunok for their ribs! They also recently opened in Myeongdong which is a tourist area and you will probably go there at one point. So if you want to try Gangnam Myunok while visiting Myeongdong, please let us know below comment. We will help you find the location!
Gangnam Myeonok (강남면옥)
Tel: +82 2-3446-5539
Addy: 34 Nonhyeon-ro 152-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
2. Woolaeoak (우레옥)
This is probably the most famous naengmyeon restaurant in Korea. It was opened in 1946 right after the war. It is a bit of different style of naengmyeon which is called Pyeongyang naengmyeon. Pyeongyang is basically the capital of North Korea, and the naengmyun style is from North Korea. It is not my favorite style of noodle because it is slightly thicker than the normal one.
But it is really popular and always a huge line out the door. If I am traveling to Korea and will not be coming back anytime soon, I will try this restaurant. Also, if you are planning your trip in Korea and need to know the details, I wrote everything you need to know before traveling to Korea from where to stay, what to do, when to go and what to eat. Check it out!
It is in the basement of Galleria department store in the food court.
Woolaeoak (우레옥)
Tel: +82 2-2265-0151
Addy: 62-29 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jugyo-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
3. Galleria Department Store Basement
We all probably heard of Gangnam if you have heard of PSY, the singer. In Gangnam there is a department store that symbolize Gangnam which is call Galleria Department store. It is like the Barney’s in New York, or Harvey Nichols in London.
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You can shop all day (or more like eye shopping..). But the best part is their food court/supermarket. They have a great variety of food and you can choose from there.
And after a long cardio (walking in the department store is not easy), neangmyeon just tastes amazing. Their naengmyeon comes with sashimi and slightly more expensive, but it is sooooo good.
Galleria Department Store (겔러리아 백화점)
Tel: +82 2-2265-0151
Addy: 서울특별시 강남구 압구정로 343, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
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