Goldong Naengmyeon is Seogwanmyeonog's mixed naengmyeon, buckwheat noodles topped with mushrooms and whole perilla seeds and tossed with cold-pressed perilla oil and soy sauce.

In place of a red, spicy sauce, the nutty aroma of cold-pressed perilla oil and the savour of soy sauce carry the bowl, so it is a mixed naengmyeon in which the aroma and taste of the buckwheat still come through. We took the idea for this dish from goldongmyeon, which appears in Dongguksesigi (A Record of the Seasonal Customs of Korea), a record of seasonal customs from the late Joseon era.

What Is Goldongmyeon?

Goldong is a word long used to mean several things mixed together. Rice mixed with various ingredients was called goldongban, and noodles tossed with added ingredients were called goldongmyeon. Dongguksesigi carries a record of goldongmyeon, buckwheat noodles tossed with several ingredients. Seogwanmyeonog's Goldong Naengmyeon takes that old noodle dish as its starting point and brings Jeju buckwheat, mushrooms, whole perilla seeds, cold-pressed perilla oil and soy sauce into one bowl in the form of today.

Why Cold-Pressed Perilla Oil?

Noodles made from 100% Jeju buckwheat carry the quiet aroma particular to buckwheat.

Rather than covering that taste with a strong sauce, Goldong Naengmyeon adds the nutty aroma and savour of perilla oil pressed at low temperature, so that the buckwheat and the garnishes come together on their own terms. With the flavor of shiitake mushrooms and whole perilla seeds that pop between the teeth, you meet Jeju buckwheat in a way that differs from Pyeongyang Naengmyeon.

We Season Goldong Naengmyeon at Your Table

When Goldong Naengmyeon arrives, a member of our staff pours the cold-pressed perilla oil and soy sauce over it at the table and seasons it for you.

We do not finish the seasoning in the kitchen. Adding the last of the seasoning in front of you is part of how we serve Goldong Naengmyeon. Once it has been seasoned, toss the bowl right through and taste it first as it is. If you would then like it nuttier, or seasoned a little further, add as much of the cold-pressed perilla oil and soy sauce set out on the table as suits you. Sipping the Pyeongyang Naengmyeon broth that comes with it along the way is good too.

Who We Recommend It To

We recommend Goldong Naengmyeon to those who like the buckwheat aroma of Pyeongyang Naengmyeon but would like to eat buckwheat noodles in some way other than in broth, and to those who prefer a nutty, mild taste to a spicy mixed naengmyeon.