Nunnamu-jip

Kimchimari noodles (noodles in chilled kimchi juice) is the food of fond childhood memories, something that recalls days gathered on a heated floor with your cousins at the country house of your grandmother. It's the kind of restaurant you might seek out on late nights, when you miss the grandmother that, with magic in her fingertips, would deftly prepare bowls of such noodles for her hungry grandchildren. That restaurant is Nunnamu-jip in Samcheongdong. The name, meaning “house of snowy trees,” goes well with kimchimari, which is a winter delicacy. Spelled out in Chinese characters, the name reads “seolmokheon,” a beautiful name created by the obscure poet that founded this restaurant. Much later, after the mother of the current owner took over, the restaurant is still run by the same family two generations later. This restaurant has been famed for its delicious kimchimari noodles and ddeokgalbi (short rib patties) since the days of a more tranquil Samcheongdong. The chewy kimchimari noodles, which taste sweet and tangy without need of any synthetic flavorings, are certainly a delicacy, but the ddeokgalbi gives the kimchimari noodles a run for its money. The moment you bite into the crispy crust of the grilled meat, the meat inside, soaked in juices and seasonings, tenderly gives way in your mouth. With a bite of the noodles, a bite of the meat, and a sip of the kimchimari broth, you’ll experience a taste that leaves you wanting nothing more in the world.