A while ago I heard a rumor that there was a great milmyeon place in Bangbae-dong. Since I rarely had reason to go to Busan, I’d never had a proper bowl of milmyeon, and the person who recommended it is quite the gourmet, so I went in with high expectations.

Front entrance

You get off at Naebang Station and then have to walk quite a way. The location doesn’t even show up properly on Daum Maps, so it wasn’t easy to find.

Menu

It’s a milmyeon specialist, but the menu is longer than I expected. Prices are cheap too, maybe because it’s a neighborhood joint. These days a bowl of naengmyeon runs over 10,000 won, so 6,000 won for a bowl of milmyeon is basically half price.

Side dishes

Instead of plain water, they serve broth. I suppose that means this place knows what it’s doing.

Don-o wanja

These are patties made with pork and squid. They tasted good, but the portion was quite generous too. Lately I’ve often been annoyed by skimpy portions, so this day I was a little relieved, let’s say. There was a hint of pepper, but it wasn’t really bothersome.

Meat mandu

The mandu were good too. I’ve often seen jumbo mandu served at naengmyeon places, but I didn’t know Heungnam Milmyeon served mandu as well.

Milmyeon

It looked refreshing just to look at. The toppings were good, and the sweet, spicy broth had an addictive flavor that’s quite different from naengmyeon.

The noodles

They’re made from wheat flour, but the texture is similar to naengmyeon. The flavor was also a bit like the jjolmyeon from a snack bar, or the hiyashi chuka I had in Japan. Pyongyang naengmyeon is delicious whenever you have it, but these days it seems to have become a full-on luxury food, so I’m really glad to have discovered a slightly junky noodle dish I can eat this casually.

Suyuk gukbap

I tried the gukbap too, and it was loaded with meat. It seemed to have about three times as much as your average seolleongtang place. The value for money is outstanding.

It’s cheap and tasty, but the fare and the effort it takes to get there are considerable, so I’m not sure there’s a reason to make a special trip. Still, it’s close to Seorae Village, so it would be nice to grab a bowl when you’re out and about in that neighborhood. Lee Boulanger isn’t far away, and neither is Bistro Polpo, so I have a feeling I’ll be visiting that area often this summer.

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