Cycle 14 – Item 156
10 (Sat) February 2023
Mandu
4.0
at Jinmi Pyeongyang Naeng Myeon
-Nonhyeon, Gangnam, Seoul, Republic of Korea-
w W and IZ
Before today, 25 prior posts on GMTD have referenced this restaurant. It’s “my favorite restaurant in the world” by virtue of serving the world’s best rendition of mul naeng myeon, my favorite dish of all time (see most recently 14.065 Mul Naeng Myeon (with a Medium-Boiled Egg).
At long last, this 26th post highlights the mandu. Every visit to the restaurant involves a plate of the dumplings, though previously they’ve only been mentioned in passing, starting with the very 1st post on the restaurant, where the mandu are described as “legit” (see 8.296 Mul Naeng Myeon).
The dumplings represent the world’s best rendition of northern-style mandu. The skins are hand-rolled, luxuriously thick and delightfully uneven. The composition of the filling is relatively minimal, consisting of minced pork + tofu + mung bean sprouts + scallions, very delicately seasoned; the flavors are subtle yet perfectly balanced, deeply satisfying, like Pyongyang-style MNM. The dumplings are steamed, then served either on a plate, or in a soup. They are my favorite mandu of all time.
Other restaurants serving comparable northern-style mandu, though all falling a tad shy of Jinmi, include Pil-Dong Myeonok (see for example 2.201 Mandu Guk), Pyongyang Myeonok (see for example 7.198 The Best MNM in the World), Neungla (see for example 8.198 Pyeong Yang Naeng Myeon).
(See also HANSIK)
(See also MUL NAENG MYEON)
(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)