Restaurant Review: Cheongwon Momil

By Gabriel Ward

A previous version of this article ran in the October 2011 print edition of Gwangju News.

I recently noticed a new branch of Cheongwon Momil, a noodle place that has been around since 1960, downtown on Wedding Street.

Upon entering the restaurant, I was a little disheartened to see that no one else was there, even if it was a weeknight. The feel of the place was like most of the ubiquitous Kimbap Nara restaurants, with tables, fluorescent lighting and stainless steel cups next to a self-serve water cooler.

I ordered naeng momil, another traditional Korean noodle dish that the restaurant specializes in, but then saw they had naengmyeon. I asked the woman who served me if it was ok to change my order. I was impressed with her enthusiasm and customer service when she came back with a smile on her face to tell me that my order was altered.

While back home this summer, I found myself on numerous occasions defending the concept of cold noodles to friends and family. I’ve found the dish of naengmyeon delightfully refreshing since I tried it for the first time during my initial spring in Korea.

There are two main varieties of naengmyeon: mul and bibim. Both are usually buckwheat noodles. Mul naengmyeon consists of noodles served in an icy vinegar broth with a tangy taste to it. If you have not already tried it, I can appreciate that it does not sound that good. But, as I told all my friends and family, “don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.” Bibim naengmyeon is comprised of noodles served with a spicy sauce primarily made of chili paste (gochujang), sesame oil and soy sauce.

After a five minute wait, my naengmyeon was ready. It was garnished with julienned cucumber, as usual, as well as radish and a boiled egg. I was a little disappointed to see that the noodles were white kuksu style instead of buckwheat. I was also served a side of kimchi and the obligatory scissors with which to cut the noodles.

After mixing the dish, it was impressive to see that the broth contained nice large chunks of ice, so I knew that this was going to be a particularly refreshing bowl of noodles. I don’t usually add any mustard, a bottle of which was at every table in the restaurant, but many Koreans do.

After cutting and mixing, I chowed down and was pretty happy with the taste of the broth. It had a nice vinegar tang and the noodles were great.

I must say, though, that it wasn’t the best bowl of naengmyeon noodles that I’ve ever had. Cheongwon Momil just doesn’t hold a candle to the mighty Geumseong Naengmyeon found in Bongseon-dong (reviewed this time last year in Gwangju News). So despite the great customer service, I’d recommend going to the original Cheongwon Momil found on the other side of downtown, which usually has customers (a good sign).

As the name suggests, Cheongwon Momil specializes in momil, and it’s always good. I’d recommend ordering that noodle dish instead of naengmyeon, at least at this restaurant chain.

Prices for the noodle dishes are around 5,000 won, depending on your order. For naengmyeon, I’d recommend heading to Geumseong Naengmyeon or one of the Korean barbecue restaurants downtown such as Minsokcheon, as they also serve delicious noodles.

The original branch is near First Alleyway and Underground Grocers. On the main road just to the west, walk towards the river and you will see Cheongwon Momil on your left.