Hi, it’s Solyn. This time we went to Chuncheon Samidae Mat.
After an overnight nearby, we spent the next morning looping around Baegun Lake on foot. By the time we finished, the sun was fully out and everyone was ready for something cold.
If you want Korean cold noodles outside the usual Seoul tourist spots, the Baegun Lake area in Uiwang is a quieter alternative to the crowded naengmyeon places in the city.
Getting there
The restaurant sits on Baegunhoso-ro 5-gil in Uiwang, Gyeonggi — about 40 minutes from Gangnam by car, and a flat 5-minute walk from Baegun Lake itself.
The name references Chuncheon, the city in Gangwon Province famous for dak-galbi and buckwheat noodles, but the actual restaurant is here in Uiwang, just outside Seoul.
Walk the lake loop first, eat after — that’s the order that makes this stop worth it.
The vibe
Inside, it’s a few plain tables and clean walls, that’s it. Each table has a built-in grill plate for the dak-galbi, and the room reads like a proper local lunch spot — no English signage, no performance for tourists.
What you hear is the low hiss from the kitchen, chopsticks on ceramic, quiet conversation. It felt honest and unhurried — the kind of place regulars come back to.
What I ordered
The menu is short and focused. I went with mul makguksu (물막국수 — cold buckwheat noodles in broth) at 10,000 KRW (~$7).
A few reference prices from the menu:
- Mul makguksu (cold broth buckwheat noodles) — 10,000 KRW (~$7)
- Deulgireum makguksu (perilla oil noodles) — 10,000 KRW (~$7)
- Yangnyeomjang makguksu (spicy mixed noodles) — 10,000 KRW (~$7)
- Dak-galbi, per person (min. 2) — 16,000 KRW (~$12)
- Nokdujeon (mung bean pancake, 2 pcs) — 15,000 KRW (~$11)
- Suyuk bossam — 23,000 / 35,000 / 45,000 KRW (small / medium / large)
The bowl arrived clean and minimal — pale buckwheat noodles in a clear broth, topped with a soft-boiled egg, shredded seaweed, and a scatter of sesame, nothing extra.
The broth carried a faint scent of dried anchovy and kelp, quiet and deep. The noodles were firm and slightly rough between the teeth — that’s what buckwheat does, different from the smooth slide of regular naengmyeon.
The broth is the reason to order the makguksu. It’s cool and clean — the kind of soup that brings you back after a sweaty morning outside.
On the table there’s gyeoja (mustard) and sikcho (vinegar). A few drops of vinegar sharpened the whole bowl into something brighter, while the mustard added a thin layer of heat.
Try both and find your preference. The buckwheat noodles hold up well even as they sit in the cold broth — dense, slightly earthy, with a chew that rice noodles don’t have.
Parking is the real obstacle here. The restaurant has almost no dedicated space, so you’ll use the Bricks Baegun parking building behind it — you get one hour free with your meal, but on a busy afternoon it takes a bit of patience to sort out.
This isn’t a destination meal either. The food is honest but nothing special on its own — it earns its place as part of a lake day, not as a standalone reason to drive out.
- Hours: Open daily, 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM (last order 8:30 PM).
- Payment: Cards accepted.
- Parking: Bricks Baegun parking building behind the restaurant — one hour free when you eat here. Give the staff your plate number to register it.
- English menu: None — it’s worth having a translation app open to order.
- Nearby: Baegun Lake is a 5-minute walk with a flat, easy loop around the water. There’s also a department store nearby if you want to extend the afternoon.
Would I come back?
Yes — but with the same conditions: a morning at the lake, friends, midday hunger. As the landing spot after Baegun Lake, it does exactly what it should.
The broth settles your stomach, the price doesn’t sting, and the day keeps going. That’s all I want from a stop like this.
— Solyn