Uijeongbu Pyongyang Myeonok (Sinsa): Seoul's Most Underrated Pyongyang Naengmyeon Lineage
If you're looking for authentic Pyongyang Naengmyeon in Gangnam without the crowds of Pildong Myeonok, this may be one of Seoul's best-kept secrets.
Quick Verdict π Best for: Gangnam and Sinsa-area travellers π Style: Uijeongbu-style Pyongyang Naengmyeon ⏱ Wait time: Usually shorter than Pildong Myeonok π₯© Must order: Pyeongyuk (νΈμ‘) π Access: 5 min walk from Sinsa Station, Line 3 ⭐ Flora's rating: 4.0 / 5
If you've been following this series, you already know that I have a favourite.
Pildong Myeonok (νλλ©΄μ₯) in Chungmuro.
I've been eating there for years. The broth is the kind that stays with you long after the bowl is empty — clean, quietly complex, deepening with every sip. When people ask me where to go for Pyongyang Naengmyeon in Seoul, Pildong is always the first name out of my mouth.
But there's something I haven't told you yet.
Pildong didn't appear out of nowhere. It was born from a family. And that family started somewhere else entirely.
π If you're new to the story — start with How Seoul's Best Pyongyang Naengmyeon Restaurants Are Connected
The Family Behind the Bowl
The Hong family came from Daedong County in Pyongan Province, a region closely associated with the traditions that shaped modern Pyongyang Naengmyeon.
After the division of Korea, they settled as close to the border as they could. Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. A town that sits right at the edge of the DMZ.
They opened their restaurant there in 1969, waiting for the day they might cross back. That day never came. But their naengmyeon stayed, and spread — first to Uijeongbu in 1987, then through the hands of their children to every corner of Seoul.
Four children. Four restaurants.
- The eldest son → runs the original Uijeongbu location to this day
- First daughter Hong Sun-ja → opened Pildong Myeonok (νλλ©΄μ₯) in 1985
- Second daughter Hong Jeong-suk → opened Euljimyeonok (μμ§λ©΄μ₯) in 1985
- Third daughter → runs the Sinsa branch (μ μ¬μ ) in Jamwon-dong, Seocho-gu
When I realised that my beloved Pildong and this Sinsa location share the same recipe lineage — the same mother's kitchen — I had to go.
Why I Went to the Sinsa Branch
The answer is simple: curiosity.
I've eaten at Pildong more times than I can count. I know what that bowl tastes like in every season.
But I had never visited this branch — the one the third daughter built in Gangnam, far from the original town near the northern border, far from the narrow Chungmuro alley where her older sister has been serving bowls since 1985.
I wanted to taste the same lineage through different hands. And I wanted to see what, if anything, had changed.
What I Ordered: Pyeongyuk (νΈμ‘), Not Jeyuk (μ μ‘)
At most Uijeongbu-lineage restaurants, you'll find two options for the meat side dish: jeyuk (μ μ‘) and pyeongyuk (νΈμ‘).
Most people order jeyuk without thinking much about it. I always order pyeongyuk.
Jeyuk (μ μ‘) comes from the hanja μ μ‘ (ηͺθ), meaning pork — typically belly or shoulder, slowly boiled and sliced. Satisfying, slightly fatty, and a little richer.
Pyeongyuk (νΈμ‘) is beef — specifically brisket (μμ§) or shank (μ¬ν), slow-simmered for hours, then pressed under weight while still warm, chilled, and cut into clean slices. The texture is firm but not tough. Dense, with a quiet depth of flavour that comes from hours of slow heat.
That same beef broth goes directly into the naengmyeon stock. So when you order pyeongyuk, you're tasting the kitchen's craft twice over — in the meat and in the bowl.
That's why serious naengmyeon eaters almost always order it. It tells you more about the kitchen than almost anything else on the menu.
The Meal
I visited on a quieter afternoon — not a peak lunch hour, not a weekend rush.
The space was calm. At Pildong Myeonok and Euljimyeonok, there's always a certain energy — the constant movement of a restaurant running at full speed, the sound of a room that's been packed since opening. I love that too, in its own way. But this was different.
Here, the dining room felt unhurried. The kind of place where you actually settle in, rather than eat quickly and make room for the next person.
One honest note: during summer lunch hours there can be a wait. I'd recommend coming slightly before noon or after the 3pm break if you prefer to walk straight in.
Before the naengmyeon, they bring the table together. Three side dishes: kimchi (fresh, lightly fermented, still carrying some brightness), mujjanji (λ¬΄μ§ μ§) — thin, translucent slices of salted radish in brine — and a small bowl of pyeongyuk dipping sauce, a gochujang paste with garlic and spring onion, chunky and deeply red.
Then the pyeongyuk arrived. Not a single trace of gaminess — completely clean. Thick, substantial cuts piled on a wide white plate. Firm, springy, with a satisfying resistance that gave way cleanly with each bite. The kind of chew that tells you the meat was handled with patience.
I found myself eating it slowly. That's always the sign.
And somewhere between the first piece and the last, I thought: next time, I want to try the jeyuk too.
The Bowl
The naengmyeon arrived cold, almost still in the bowl.
The first sip surprised me — not because it tasted dramatically different from Pildong. But because it didn't.
The same restrained beef-and-pork stock. The same slow-building umami that doesn't announce itself but accumulates quietly from the first sip to the last. It felt instantly familiar. Like visiting a sibling's home and recognising the smell of the kitchen before you've even sat down.
A Word About the Broth Service
I always order extra broth (yuksu chuga, μ‘μμΆκ°) when I eat naengmyeon. It's one of my non-negotiables.
Some restaurants charge for the extra. Others limit you to one refill. Here, they brought out a large stainless steel pitcher of cold broth — condensation beading on the outside — and left it at the table.
No charge. No limit. Just a full pitcher.
That kind of generosity, given quietly and without being asked, says something about how this kitchen thinks about hospitality.
Pildong Is the Broth Speaking. This Branch Is the Noodle Answering Back.
They share the same blood. The same family recipe. The same understanding of what this dish should feel like.
But they are not identical.
At Pildong Myeonok, the broth is where everything lives. It is deeper, more layered — almost assertive in the way it builds quietly from the first sip to the last. The noodles are an excellent supporting character, but the liquid is the point.
Here at the Sinsa branch, the balance shifts slightly. The noodles take on more presence — soft but with an elasticity that holds through the entire bowl. The broth is similarly restrained and clean, but the relationship between noodle and broth feels more equal. Neither dominates.
Neither is better. They simply tell the same story with different emphasis.
If I had to place them side by side — I still reach for Pildong on days when I want to be moved. But on days when I want a reliable, complete bowl of naengmyeon without the long trek to Chungmuro, this is exactly where I'd go.
Why This Works for Travellers in Gangnam
Pildong Myeonok sits in one of Seoul's older commercial districts — the kind of neighbourhood that requires a little intention to reach.
This branch does not.
Sinsa Station (Line 3) is one of the most accessible points in Gangnam. Five minutes on foot from the exit, and you're in Jamwon-dong — a quiet residential area close to the tree-lined streets of Garosu-gil.
If you're based in Gangnam, staying near COEX, or simply spending an afternoon in this part of the city, you no longer need to reroute your entire day to eat well.
The same lineage. The same family recipe. A much shorter detour.
Who Should Visit?
- Staying in Gangnam
- Want authentic Pyongyang Naengmyeon
- Don't want Pildong's queues
- Interested in Seoul food history
A Note on the Name
One small thing worth mentioning before you search for this place.
The restaurant recently registered a new official name: μνμ₯ (Uipyeongok) — a shortened form of Uijeongbu Pyongyang Myeonok. The sign outside has changed. But the kitchen hasn't.
Search for either name and you'll find it.
Practical Info
| π Address | 28 Gangnam-daero 93-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul (μμΈ μμ΄κ΅¬ κ°λ¨λλ‘93κΈΈ 28) |
| π Subway | Sinsa Station (μ μ¬μ), Line 3 — Exit 8, approx. 5 min walk |
| π Hours | Mon–Sat 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| ☕ Break time | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM daily |
| π Closed | Every Sunday |
| π Ώ️ Parking | Valet parking available |
π Read next: [Pildong Myeonok — The Daughter Who Defined a Lineage] (Coming Soon)
π Or start from the beginning: What Is Pyongyang Naengmyeon?
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