12.187 Mul Naeng Myeon

Cycle 12 – Item 187

11 (Sun) July 2021

Mul Naeng Myeon

3.0

by me

at home

-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-

with the Family

As everyone in the universe should be aware, Pyongyang-style mul naeng myeon is my all-time favorite dish.  Alas, it’s not amenable to home preparation, primarily because of the noodles, secondarily because of the broth – both difficult to make from scratch, unavailable for purchase.

The noodles, 100% buckwheat, by Choungsu.

Apgujeong Myeonok, a restaurant that I was very pleased to discover recently (see generally 12.177 Pyongyang Naeng Myeon – Premium), not only serves an excellent mul naeng myeon in house but also offers broth in cans for takeout.  The manager assured me that the cans contain the same broth as served in the restaurant.  6,500 apiece.

Each can is enough for 1 full serving.
Dongchimi from my aunt’s farm.
Yeolmu (radish stems) kimchi by Jonggajib.
Oiji (pickled cucumbers) from my aunt’s farm.

It worked, sort of.  The broth was dry and beefy, as a proper Pyongyang-style broth should be, not exactly as I remembered from the restaurant’s in-house MNM, aggressively salty, but good.  The toppings were excellent.  The noodles were bitter and gritty, in a good way, though perhaps a bit too much.  The closest to homemade Pyongyang-style mul naeng myeon that I’ve achieved yet (see for comparison 11.158 Pyongyang Mul Naeng Myeon).  I look forward to getting closer to the real deal next time with better noodles.

Another coincidence (see also 12.166 An Entire Medium-Rare Juicy Delicious Sirloin Steak), the 4th episode of CNN’s Searching For Italy aired tonight, which featured host Stanley Tucci making pizzoccheri, a dish featuring pasta made from buckwheat.

(See also MNM)

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)

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