As a Korean native who’s been living in Singapore for over 20 years, there was a time when Korean restaurants were a bore to me. My cuisine has so much to offer, and yet the restaurants I came across were limited to K-BBQ, jjajangmyeon, and tteokbokki—not that any of these dishes are terrible, but I wanted something novel. 2025 feels a little different, though, with new openings such as samgyetang specialty restaurant MODU and grilled chicken spot Song Gye Ok sprouting up. Joining the list is Gwanghwamun Mijin, a Michelin-approved restaurant known for its fresh buckwheat noodles AKA Korean soba. Intrigued, I set out to Chinatown with eager anticipation.
For context, Gwanghwamun Mijin has been around for over 70 years, with several franchise outlets across Korea. The OG branch is in Gwanghwamun, a central hub for historical and cultural activities in Seoul.
With this in mind, I had relatively high expectations for the buckwheat noodles. Even if it didn’t taste as good as the one in Korea, it surely had to be better than what a typical Korean restaurant could offer.
And so, I had to try the Signature Buckwheat Noodles ($15++) first, which come with two trays of house-made buckwheat noodles, freshly brewed broth chilled to a slush in a kettle, and crispy seasoned laver.
At the side of every table, there’s a tray of grated daikon, light wasabi, and chopped green onions—all three ingredients are meant to be eaten with the Signature Buckwheat Noodles. Grab a bowl and add as much grated daikon as you like, fill it with some chilled broth, and top it off with a squeeze of wasabi and a spoonful of chopped green onions. Finally, add some noodles and enjoy them with the broth.
This dish isn’t about the first bite, but about finishing it till the very last. It’s not the most impressive at first, but it grows on you the more you eat it.
If buckwheat noodles are new to you, they are typically less springy than most noodles and are more delicate, prone to breaking. I love buckwheat noodles, and the ones at Gwanghwamun Mijin were delicious: nutty and earthy, and cooked just right to achieve a firm and slightly chewy bite.
The chilled broth was perfect for the sultry weather, striking a balance between sweet and savoury flavours from the dried anchovies, ginger, and bonito flakes.
The Bibim Buckwheat Noodles ($16++), on the other hand, were subpar in my book. A huge bowl comes with buckwheat noodles, house-made spicy sauce, and a colourful medley of bean sprouts, lettuce, radish kimchi, cucumber, cabbage, and a half-boiled egg.
Typically, bibim noodles are spicy and punchy, with sweetness taking a backseat, but this was the opposite. It was a tad too sweet for my liking, possibly because the sauce is made with fresh fruits. The sauce could have used more spice as it was barely spicy.
The last noodle dish I had was the Singapore-exclusive Perilla Buckwheat Noodles with Marinated Salmon ($20++), the most expensive dish I tried.
This is another dry version that features buckwheat noodles tossed in a generous drizzle of perilla oil, perilla powder, and shredded seaweed. If you don’t want the salmon sashimi, you can enjoy the noodles on their own for $16++ instead.
Perilla oil is not for everyone, as the intense aroma can be polarising. It’s richer and nuttier than, say, sesame oil, and the aftertaste lingers longer on the palate. With this in mind, try this only if you enjoy a slippery, mildly greasy mouthfeel with an underlying herbaceous flavour.
Buckwheat isn’t just used to make noodles at Gwanghwamun Mijin; it also comes in the form of Buckwheat Spring Onion Seafood Pancake ($19++). Don’t expect a crispy pancake, though, as buckwheat flour is different from regular wheat flour. It has less elasticity, which means the fried pancake is on the soft and crumbly side.
No Korean restaurant is complete without meat—especially pork. I had mixed feelings about their Bossam (from $15++), AKA boiled pork belly, which was tender with a well-balanced meat-to-fat ratio.
But the meat was sliced too thin, so I had to grab at least two or three pieces to get a proper taste in my veggie wrap. The radish salad could also be spicier, tangier, or even slightly briny with more salted fermented shrimp.
If you’re getting buckwheat noodles as your main dish, I recommend the Steam Korean Dumpling ($7++) instead, as this was a better pairing. Each plate comes with three handmade pieces, each packed to the brim with minced pork and chopped spring onions.
Gwanghwamun Mijin was still undergoing renovation when I visited, and the space wasn’t fully done up. I was told that the indoor and outdoor dining areas can seat more than 80 diners combined, which means the restaurant is spacious enough to accommodate lunch and dinner crowds, thankfully. I liked that the space was decked in neutral shades of green and brown, giving the restaurant a modern vibe with a casual feel.
For those wondering, it’s a quick six-minute walk from Chinatown MRT Station. We recommend making reservations in advance to avoid a wasted trip.
Simply put, some dishes were great, while others weren’t memorable. Will I return to Gwanghwamun Mijin? Maybe—if I were craving a cold, refreshing bowl of buckwheat noodles on a particularly hot day, but that’s as far as it goes.
For more good eats in the area, read our Chinatown food guide. We also have a guide to the best Korean restaurants in Singapore for K-BBQ, tteokbokki buffets and more.
Address: 47-49 Pekin Street, #01-01, Far East Square, Singapore 048779
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9:30pm
Website
Gwanghwamun Mijin is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Jordan Ong.
This was a media tasting at Gwanghwamun Mijin.
Summary
Pros:
– Refreshing buckwheat noodles
– Prices are generally reasonable, especially for such a central location
Cons:
– Bossam was sliced too thin
– Pancake texture was a tad iffy, hovering between crispy and doughy
Recommended dish: Signature Buckwheat Noodles ($15++), Steam Korean Dumpling ($7++) for three
Address: 47-49 Pekin Street, #01-01, Far East Square, Singapore 048779