Pyongyang Myeonok — Restaurant in Seoul

Meal budget per person (without drinks) Category 1 (under 60000 KRW, 50 USD)

The restaurant specializes cold noodles through 3 generation according to the North Korean (Pyeongyang) style and has been listed onto Michelin Guide since 2020 upto 2023.

Honestly, it is hard to specify that it is particularly delicious, but it is a restaurant with a strange charm that makes me to visit again for its light and clean taste.

Bulgogi (불고기, 37K KRW) is delectable. The meats are well seasoned and tender. It is recommended to mix the meat in broth with rice. Noodles can also be added on the broth. Grilling service is provided.

Handmade Wonton (접시만두, 14K) is filled with meat tofu and vegetable. Compared to the same dish in Gangnam, this one is a little blander, so older people will like it.

Pyongyang Naengmyeon (평양냉면, 14K) is cold noodles and identified by its broth, so you have to taste it first. The noodles are made of 100% buckwheat, so it is not tough. Vinegar is recommended to be added onto noodles (not to the broth, as the broth should be tasted as it is) Pyongyang Naengmyeon of this restaurant is characterized by a clear broth that is salty and savory.

There is a long queue at the peak lunch and dinner time. Valet parking...

Wasn’t the biggest fan of this style of naengmyeon so do take this review with a pinch of salt!

Their naengmyeon is a lot more savoury than the one you would be used to in South Korea. It tastes a bit like wanton/ dumpling soup (?), with spring onions in them. Very very different from the South’s radish based soup. The noodles are also different from the buckwheat noodles we were used to and had a hint of yellow noodle (???)/ alkaline taste. I found that their flavours mildly resembled Chinese food. You may like this if u prefer a more savoury broth!!

Their dumplings were PACKED. They were brimming with meat & tasted SO good!!! They were juicy and the meat was fresh and well seasoned& sweet! Do give this a try. It goes well with their kimchi. The dumpling’s skin was not too thick as well, texture was soft and slightly chewy. Did not fall apart easily.

Saw a lot of locals getting the steamboat— you may want to try that if you come in a group. Lots of locals here!!

In general, we found the food here on the pricier side. My local friend felt it was too expensive for a bowl of naengmyeon… It cost us 15,000 KRW for the noodles and another 15,000 KRW for...

I wasn’t always a fan of 평양냉면, but after plenty of trial and error with different styles, I’ve come to appreciate—not quite love, but genuinely enjoy—its simplicity and depth. Now that summer is officially here and temperatures are climbing past 27°C, it feels like the perfect time for cold noodles.

A long wait is almost guaranteed. There are no tablets or kiosks to take your number or your order—everything is done the old-fashioned way: simple and manual. Don’t expect to be handed water after finally sitting down either. It’s self-serve, though you’ll only realize that once you see customers bring water to their own tables.

Busy places like this aren’t known for exceptional service, but that’s just part of the experience. The 냉면 and 만두 are excellent, and that’s more than enough for me. After having 평양냉면, I usually don’t think about it again for another month or two....