Myeongdong Kyoja (명동교자)
Myeongdong Kyoja is one of those places that many people hype up, and yet is still frequented by locals. They are even known by some as the birthplace of the original knife-cut noodle dish (칼국수), establishing itself in 1966. The restaurant stays true to simplicity and tradition, only carrying four items on the menu: knife-cut noodle soup, steamed dumplings, spicy buckwheat noodles, and cold bean noodles.
Though there are two locations in Seoul’s Myeongdong shopping district, they are only about a block or two away from each other and, for all intents and purposes, are virtually the same. Either one is recommended, as you will get the exact same service and quality of food. Even the interior is designed to look exactly the same at both branches. Both have been on the Michelin Guide countless times, and both offer large portions at affordable prices.
At peak lunch and dinner times, lines will be stretching out the door at each location. However, we found that the smaller your party is, the more likely that the staff will move you to the front of the line as single or double tables open up. Even at its longest, our group of two only ended up waiting about twenty-five minutes as the staff does an excellent job at ushering people in and getting tables ready ASAP.
Since the menu consists of only four items, it is easy to try them all in one go. The only banchan, or side dish, that is offered is kimchi in a tin cup. This is not your regular kind of kimchi however. This type of kimchi is known as geotjeori (겉절이) and is not fermented. Instead, it is freshly prepared with the sauces lathered directly on top without any fermentation process to let it soak in. The resulting product is a delicious kimchi that is more flavorful and crunchy, but also leaves a stronger garlic smell on your breath afterwards.
The knife cut noodles (칼국수) are the most popular noodle dish for most customers. It is cooked in a beef-based broth and comes with dumplings and a healthy topping of ground beef. The soup is excellently balanced and, while you taste the notes of beef, the vegetables round it out into a more complex flavor. It is neither too salty nor too bland, and it is simple but perfect the way it is. The dumplings are a nice touch to the soup and give the dish more substance. The noodles themselves are high quality and are perfectly cooked, allowing the broth to really shine through them.
*As a note, more noodles can be requested for free here, and you can eat to your heart’s content, assuming you still have soup left in your bowl.
The dumplings, known as mandu (만두) in Korea, come in a set of ten per order in a plastic pot used for steaming. Each mandu is large and filled to the brim with meat and vegetable filling, so this is a great dish to either eat by itself or to share with friends. When dipped into the soy sauce and paired with the kimchi, the mandu brings an amazing flavor in conjunction with its texture, and I really cannot do its description justice other than that it is simply delicious. While it is prepared in the traditional Korean mandu style, Myeongdong Kyoja’s version uses the highest quality ingredients, and you can taste the difference when compared to other restaurants.
Lastly, the spicy buckwheat noodles (비빔국수) are a noodle dish that does not come with soup. Rather, it is tossed in a spicy Korean chili paste and topped with fresh cucumbers. The noodles are smoother than similar dishes elsewhere, making the texture more enjoyable with each bite. The sauce is spicy and flavorful, but still retains the restaurant’s attention to detail and balance. The cucumbers were our favorite, as they cut through with a refreshing crunch with each bite, helping to make the dish lighter and more pleasant overall.
While we saw few customers eating the cold bean noodles (콩국수), it is not our personal favorites and so we decided not to get them. It has a very specific flavor that some like, but can be “unusual” to others. I personally would never eat this even as a child, so I decided to skip it altogether.
Myeongdong Kyoja was so good that we ended up coming here three separate times during our stay in Seoul, and each time delivered on quality and taste. While the service won’t be anything to write home about, this is typical of Korean restaurants that prioritize their food, so don’t be too alarmed when the staff might seem aloof or blunt at times. But, well worth the wait and reputation, Myeongdong Kyoja still stands as one of Seoul’s best noodle restaurants.
