FatManSeoul

It was Fatman’s recent pleasure to join esteemed professor Charles Montgomery of Korean Modern Literature in Translation and his lovely wife Yvonne to try out a bowl of buckwheat at 메밀꽃필무렵 (maemilggotpilmuryeop), a restaurant specializing in buckwheat cuisine.
Why, pray tell, is Fatman dragging a literature professor along for the eating?  The name of the restaurant is taken from one of the most famous lines of modern Korean literature  and an astoundingly difficult story to translate, The Buckwheat Season.   It’s one of the stories that seems to make it into just about every book of translated stories, but can also be a bit hard to love if you’re not nostalgic for a particular Korean past.  Prof. Montgomery shares the particular vexations of trying to deal with this work on his write-up of our expedition. Go read all about it (and the story) here~!

But now, on to the food!
Buckwheat isn’t actually wheat . . . or even a cereal or grass, for that matter. Its seeds, however, have been a historically important crop in Korea, helping to supplement or even replace the more prized crop of rice. Thanks to its hardy nature, it can be cultivated all over the peninsula, and was probably much more widely used than wheat flour for making noodles and other flour-based dishes in Korea until the modern era. And, as an extra bonus, it’s glueten free.
In the story for which the restaurant is named, the main characters are walking by a field of blooming buckwheat in the warmth of a summer night, comparing the small white blossoms to scattered salt. You can see why these delicate flowers merit the comparison by glancing at the specimens being cultivated right in front of the restaurant.

The restaurant has a limited, seasonal menu, with summer and the buckwheat season bringing delicious chilled noodle soups, like their extraordinary 콩국수 (kongguksu).

The chewy, thick, nutty buckwheat noodles form a toothsome match for a rich, almost decadently creamy soy broth. Very simply garnished with shredded cucumber, it makes for an unusual balance between the heartiness of the noodles and broth with the refreshing temperature of the dish overall, making it both filling and restorative in the oppressive heat of a Korean summer.   Season it with your own sprinkling of salt, and even if you find yourself with a suppressed appetite due to the weather, it’s easy to scarf down a huge bowl of these noodles.

But if you’re looking for something lighter, there’s still more maemil options for you to explore, like their excellent 비빔국수 (bibimguksu). Bright, light, and simple, this is an honest rendition of the summer favorite.

Packing just the right level of heat to balance but not overwhelm the delicate nuttiness of the noodles, and dressed with egg, tomato, radish and cucumber strips, this dish offers a wealth of tastes and textures. There’s the chewy noodles, the crispy radish and cucumber, the bright acid and sweetness of the tomato, the sweet and spicy sauce, and finally a little richness from the egg.

The seeming simplicity of the dish is totally belied by the complex flavors that issue forth, with the wonderful noodles shining through. Many a mixed naengmyeon gets overwhelmed by the sauces and toppings, hiding the bland taste of inferior noodles. Here though, the wonderful delicate nuttiness of the buckwheat is evident in every bite, and the homemade noodles have a silkier texture with a pleasant but not overwhelming toothiness to them. These noodles are marvels, with a level of chew that provides resistance to the bite, but not turning into the typical overwhelming mass you have to use a chainsaw to get through. They’re just right.
Speaking of just right, the restaurants’ signature dish is an amazing, gut busting bowl of goodness and warmth, whatever the season.

Behold, the 메밀국수! This bowl holds a mighty mountain of buckwheat noodles, with a bounty of zucchini, onions, and potatoes. It is more than enough to feed a small army – which you may need, since the minimum order is for two and comes in a bowl that will easily serve four. Of all the dishes on the menu, this is the one that best highlights the unique flavor of the buckwheat flour, making the noodles the absolute star of the dish. The mild flavor of the potatos, green onions, and squash lend a bit of texture and color, but know their role as supporting characters.

If you’ve never enjoyed buckwheat before, this is the place to start appreciating it for its gentle, savory flavor. You’ll never get this much satisfaction out of wheat-noodles, which don’t have enough assertiveness in either flavor or texture to stand out in such a gentle soup.

But don’t fill up too soon! There’s more to explore in the non-noodle menu . . . like the delicious 메밀부침 (maemil buchim). This panfried savory pancake of buckwheat flour, green onions, and zuchinni is not to be missed.

This treat fries up with a crispy exterior and edges, but yields and becomes soft, almost melting in the interior, again with the distinctive nutty flavor of the buckwheat. It’s a distinctive and delicious variation on the more popular 파전 (pajeon) that you find around town. And it’s recommended by Prof. Montgomery! What more could a diner ask?
Well, maybe for a bit of refreshing 묵 (muk) and some makgeolli to wash it all down with?

One of the only forays into non-buckwheat based food, and the only option for the unlucky few with a buckwheat allergy. Crunchy, fresh lettuce, green onion, and cucumber provide contrast with the silky smooth acorn jelly and the slightly sweet, slightly nutty, slighly spicy sauce. This is a dry, restrained version compared to many, but like many a wallflower, its charms slowly apparent to the person kind enough to draw them out. As with all the dishes here, there’s a deep honesty in the preparation and flavors that really help them stand out.
To get to 메밀꽃필무렵, take exit 4 from 경복궁역/Gyeongbokgung Station, line 3. Turn to your left, and take the road that runs directly back to the Blue House, along the stone wall of Gyeongbok Palace. The restaurant will be on your left.
All the dishes here run between 6,000-8,000 won, and there is the standard collection of Korean alcohols, including soju and makgeolli.  Also note that except for the 국수 broth, most of the items on the menu are vegetarian and vegan friendly.

Fatman would like to extend a special thanks to Prof. Montgomery for taking both the time to join us for lunch, and for a fascinating conversation about the difficulties of translation.