It's summer time, so I don't really want to cook. Actually, since I work all the time around food I almost never want to cook at home. That's why I was so happy to find a quick meal that was somewhat healthy that could easily be prepared at home. Ottoggi Naengmyeon can be found at most supermarkets and you get two packs for bag for about 4,500 won. To make one serving, you get a bag of buckwheat noodles, some turnip kimchi stock and some vinegared mustard. It's easy enough to make. Boil the noodles for 40 seconds rinse and cool off and then pour in the chilled broth and season with mustard. It literally took 1 minute. Ok, maybe 2. And the taste? Very good. I mean it would have been better with some slivered cucumbers and some pear and a hard boiled egg, but...my refrigerator doesn't have that sort of stuff.  Plain was just fine.

Naengmyeon at Pyeongga Oak (평가옥) So how deep does Korean nationalism go? Since the South Korean Navy Boat, sinking, I haven't had trouble getting at seat at my favorite cold noodle house.  Maybe this is a coincidence, but even on the hottest day of summer during peak lunchtime (12-1:30pm). I'm not worried, it's all about taste and this place has amazing food. The name of the restaurant is Pyeongga Oak (평가옥) which is unpronounceable because of the Chinese characters. North Korean Naengmyeon is different from its saltier, chewier, robustier South Korean counterpart; and on a hot humid summer day it tastes so much better. Mountainous North Korea doesn't have the taste for sweet or spicy. The flavors are more subtle with a bit of sour. The vegetables aren't as fermented so they have a fresher crunch and the noodles give when you bite them instead of stretching like taffy (requiring the help of scissors to cut them. These noodles have give and slurping them are e...

So while living in New York my friend Sarah and I were constantly looking for the Naengmyeon with the best broth. The simple reason being, there isn't much in a Naengmyeon, it's made of beef broth, noodles and a hard boiled egg. The simpler something is it's harder to get it right, you can't hide behind all the fuss. Being in the homeland of Naengmyeon ( actually Naengmyeon's OG homeland is the North ), I've started a collection of a few good spots... for this post it's just a comparison between two old timers. #1 Buwon myeon oak (부원면옥) 5,500 won for a bowl of Naengmyeon This is located in the hustle and bustle of the Namdaemun Market. My dad has been coming here since his college days and not much has changed, including the taste of the broth. It's cloudier and denser than most and the noodles chewier. The best thing about this place is the mung bean pancakes (녹두전) there's something about the crispy exterior and the piping hot interior that melds pe...

Naengymeon Street in Incheon Dongincheon Station, Line #1 Continue reading more about Incheon... -Cheri

Hamhung Naengmyun - traditional North Korean mulnaengmyun in Yeongdeongpo-gu by Lily www.lunalil.com I am slightly obsessed with naengmyun (냉면) . It's one of my favorite Korean dishes. In fact I've been collecting information and pictures to write a giant post on this topic for over a year and a half. It's becoming more of a Wikipedia article than a blog entry. There are several types of naengmyun , my favorite and one of the more common types is mulnaengmyun (물냉면). Briefly, naengmyun is a cold noodle dish that originated in North Korea. There are two main varieties; bibimnaengmyun (비빔냉면) and mulnaengmyun. Personally I prefer mulnaengmyun over bibimnaengmyun. Most of my coworkers know how much I like naengmyun. A few months ago one of them suggested that go to Hamhung Naengmyeun (함흥냉면) in Yeongdeungpo (영등포). This restaurant is known for its authentic North Korean style of noodles, from the city of Hamhung (함흥시) . It was opened more than than 50 years ago by a former residen...