Korea is a great place full of many wonderful places to visit and new experiences to enjoy. It has cultural points of interest, museums, as well as interactive experiences that allow you to take part in the encounter. One of my favorite ways to explore and get to know Korea is through its food. As foreigners we sometimes get wrapped up in finding our own foods in foreign countries and find it amazing that in a place as far away as Korea, they have a restaurant that makes food from our home country. That sounds like fun!
However, I challenge each of you to get out of your comfort zone when it comes to food and take a chance with some good Korean food. Yes, Korean BBQ is amazing; the sides are delicious, the service is impeccable, and who could ever say no to some soju and beer! But there is a very popular dish that Koreans love, and I believe not many foreigners know, understand, or are willing to try: Naengmyeon, A.K.A. Korean Cold Noodles.
A few days ago my friend Heejin and I decided to get some lunch together at a restaurant near Pyeongtaek Station, close to the Five Fingers intersection. So, we went to Yeongcheon Naengmyeon, a small cold noodles restaurant just a short walk from the station. As soon as you walk into the restaurant you will notice the ingenuousness of the place: small tables set one right behind the other with a glass divider between them (for COVID reasons). The menu can be easily found on the wall with a variety of items for sale and reasonable prices right next to them.
Heejin mentioned to me that we should order two bowls of cold noodles, with some beef, and a side of delicious steamed dumplings. The waitress came by as we sat down and took down our orders as well as bringing some water, cups, and condiments. While we waited for our food to arrive (which was not long), Heejin explained to me that Naengmyeon comes in a cold steel bowl with some very long noodles made from Kudzu, a boiled egg, sesame seeds, cucumber, and radishes in a cold beef broth. You can add mustard sauce and vinegar to add a little more flavor, and if you are feeling extra adventurous, add some spicy sauce to your bowl.
I having a sensitivity to spicy things, decided to play it safe and ordered my Naengmyeon with no spicy sauce while Heejin ordered his bowl with spicy sauce. Our two bowls arrived in no time along with a side of cooked beef followed by our beautifully shaped and steamed dumplings. Curiously, our food order came with a scissor. I asked Heejin “What am I supposed to do with this?” But before I could finish my question, the waitress mentioned to us that we needed to use the chopsticks to hold down the noodles and use the scissors to cut the noodles to smaller sizes in the bowl. This would make it easier for you to eat.
Once the noodles were cut, and a small amount of mustard sauce and vinegar was added to the bowl I went to work on that boiled egg. It was delicious. Next was a mouthful of noodles followed by a sip of the cold beef broth. The noodles were very chewy but flavorsome nonetheless and the cold vinegary broth added a tangy taste to the meal that is hard to find in foods back home. Truly a luscious experience that was amplified by adding a slice of the savory beef with my noodles. I had to pace myself with the Naengmyeon so that I could take a bite out of the beautiful steamed dumplings.
I have had dumplings before both steamed and fried. The steamed dumplings are usually small and watery, while the fried dumplings were usually too hard to bite. But the steamed dumplings Heejin ordered were on point: they came in a group of five and were a little smaller than a fist. They held their shape nicely even after I took a bite out of them. They were moist and steamy on the inside and barely humid on the outside. Quite possibly the best dumplings I have had in my life so far.
After devouring the Naengmyeon and eating two dumplings I had to call it quits. The food was very delicious and had done its job of taking away my hunger. The cold beef broth was not just tangy and tasty but was also cool and imbued me with a refreshing feeling as if I had just quenched my thirst in the Pyeongtaek heat. After eating, Heejin and I hung out in the restaurant and talked at length about Korea and about other places to see and experience in this beautiful country that is Korea.
This article is written by Nicolas a PIEF Foreign Reporter
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