Busan's wheat-flour remake of naengmyeon: chewy noodles in iced beef-and-herb broth or slicked with chilli paste, born of wartime rations and never gone.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
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.
Common allergens: Wheat (gluten)
Tip from the editors. Do not skip the hard iced rinse; warm noodles slacken and lose the bounce that separates milmyeon from plain somyeon.
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.
Try: Milmyeon
Tip: Sit anywhere and order fast; the kitchen turns bowls around in minutes even at peak.
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.
Try: Milmyeon
Tip: It 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.