Seoul
Guided tour · 2 hours
Seoul Street Food Market Tour
This experience goes beyond delicious food; it's a cultural journey where you'll connect with friendly hosts, engage with local vendors, and bond...
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History
When northern refugees in wartime Busan could not find buckwheat for naengmyeon, they spun the American relief wheat flour instead, and milmyeon was born. The medicinal-herb broth and chewier noodle became the city's own summer ritual, eaten at busy halls like Halmae Gaya Milmyeon on Gwangbok-ro and at Choryang Milmyeon by the station. Seoul never adopted it, which is exactly why Busan keeps it close.
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Busan
Guided tour · 2.5 - 4.5 hours
Busan: Hiking and Tasting Rice Wine in the Hidden Village
Hiking in Busan with a local. Tasting Korean rice wine(Makgeolli) with side dishes(banchan) in a village hidden in an 800m high mountain.
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Common allergens: Wheat (gluten)
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 300g fresh milmyeon or chewy wheat somyeon noodles
- 600ml beef brisket stock, chilled to slushy ice
- 1 tsp each soy sauce, sugar and rice vinegar for the broth
- For bibim seasoning: 2 tbsp gochujang, 1 tbsp gochugaru, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, grated apple
- Toppings: julienned cucumber, half a boiled egg, thin brisket slices, roasted peanut powder
Method
- Simmer brisket for stock a day ahead; season lightly, strain and freeze until slushy.
- Mix the bibim paste and rest it at least 30 minutes so the sugar and chilli settle together.
- Boil noodles 2 to 3 minutes until springy, rinse hard in iced water and drain into tight nests.
- For mul milmyeon, set noodles in bowls and pour over the icy broth; for bibim, coat the noodles in paste instead.
- Top with cucumber, brisket and egg. Dust the bibim version with peanut powder the Choryang way. Serve with mustard and vinegar on the side.
Tip from the editors. Do not skip the hard iced rinse; warm noodles slacken and lose the bounce that separates milmyeon from plain somyeon.
Where to eat milmyeon
Milmyeon in Busan
Halmae Gaya Milmyeon ★ 4.4
Halmae Gaya Milmyeon sells Busan's signature cold wheat noodles on Gwangbok-ro, bowls around 8,000 won in the arcade behind the Nampo-dong shopping streets.
TryMilmyeon
TipSit anywhere and order fast; the kitchen turns bowls around in minutes even at peak.
Choryang Milmyeon ★ 4.3
Choryang Milmyeon ladles the old Choryang style near Busan Station, milmyeon at 7,000 won with the peanut-dusted bibim bowl as the house call.
TryMilmyeon
TipIt sits an easy walk from Busan Station; go before noon to beat the office queue.
More cities are in research. Want milmyeon covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.