Cycle 12 – Cycle 219

12 (Thu) August 2021

Sunmyeon Mul Naeng Myeon

2.5

at Geumwang Pyongyang Myeonok

-Bangi, Songpa, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

solo

Geumwang Pyongyang Myeonok is a Korean restaurant.  Specializes in northern-style cuisine, especially mul naeng myeon.

Yet another restaurant contributing to the mainstreaming of Pyongyang-style MNM, which was a fringe dish up until a few years ago.

Applying my MNM tasting framework (see SSPYSP):

TOPPINGS.  Sliced beef + pickled cucumber + julienned pear + boiled egg (half).  The pear tends to a Hamheung thing, but forgivable.

BROTH.  Dry.  A hint of beefiness.  Kinda salty.

NOODLES.  100% buckwheat – “pure (sun) noodle (myeon).”  Nutty.  Dense.

CONCLUSION.  A solid representation of Pyongyang-style MNM.  The noodles were fine but not enough flavor in the broth.

The restaurant has a slight edge with its two excellent side dishes: the standard pickled radish, which is curiously not included as a topping in the MNM; and a non-standard pickled winter cabbage, sweet and sour, a bit like ponzu.

(See also MUL NAENG MYEON)

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)