Naeng Myun, which literally means cold noodles in Korean, is an extremely popular dish throughout Korea during the summer. There are two varieties of naeng myun: mul (물 냉면), and bibim (비빔 냉면). Mul naeng myun is served with noodles contained in a cold broth, while bibim is served dry with gochujang (red chili paste) over the noodles. I’ve had both many times in Korean restaurants and absolutely love the taste, so when I came across an instant naeng myun at the local H-Mart, I had to give it a try.

I bought the Pulmuone brand Hamhung naeng myun. It’s bibim style and comes with two servings for $5USD. In the package there are two bags of fresh buckwheat noodles and gochujang. It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, you begin by cooking the noodles for about 30-40 seconds in boiling water. Next, you immediately rinse the cooked noodles in cold water. This is important, if you don’t rinse it immediately, you risk the noodles dissolving into a pile of goo. Once the noodles have chilled, transfer the noodles into a bowl, mix in the package of gochujang, add a boil egg to make it more authentic and you’ve got a bowl of delicious naeng myn at your disposal.

The Pulmuone brand Hamhung naeng myun is acceptable, but not comparable to what you can get at the restaurant. The buckwheat noodles is chewy and flavorless. The gochujang taste is over powering and is the only flavor I can make out of the entire dish. Overall, this a good instant hunger fix on a hot summer day, but is not a solution for a refreshing authentic neang myun craving.

Contents of the package

Making it cold

The finished product – it tastes better than it looks

Sapporo is a “has been” in the ramen market, they’re no longer what they use to be. I came here last saturday hoping to have some decent ramen, but instead I was greeted with watery ill flavored broth, overcooked noodles that taste like cardboard and toppings that were bland. The waiter also forgot to put in my order of gyoza, but I’m glad she forgot. It saved me $5 on flavorless dumplings that I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed anyway, this coming from my friend who previously ate at Sapporo and had the dumplings. In addition to their tasteless ramen, they also enforce a 18.4% service charge on your bill regardless of party size. I can understand enforcing a service charge on large parties, but for a party of two where the waiter does not take my order properly they’re not deserving of a 18.4% tip regardless of the actual amount. Now I’m a fair tipper and I tend to leave a larger than average percentage, but this is just wrong. One can only image why Sapporo started enforcing a service charge, perhaps many left low or no tip because their food/service is so awful. Needless to say, I won’t be dining here again.

Menma Ramen – $7.50

Shio Ramen – $7.50

Baoguette Cafe is a small Vietnamese sandwich and noodle house that looks like your average modern Southeast Asian street cafe. Their store front is retractable and on nice days they leave the complete front wall open. The majority of their customers takeout but they do have seats, either at the bar or on communal tables. Customers also have the option to order online and either pickup or have it delivered. They don’t accept credit cards, CASH only.

In terms of food, their sandwiches are decent, but everything else is very disappointing. Their bread is moderately fresh and they’re generous with the ingredients, but you can get a better Vietnamese sandwich at Paris Bakery or Bahn Mi Saigon for a fraction of the cost. Their Noodles and Rice dishes are to be avoided at all cost. They over season their meats leaving it extremely salty and unbearable to eat. If you want some real Vietnamese noodles (Pho or B’UN) or rices dishes head over to Pho Bang on Mott Street where it’s more authentic and cost effective.

37 St. Mark’s Place (between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10003
(347) 892-2614
www.baoguette.com
Subway: 6 to Astor Place; R, W to 8th St-Broadway; L to 3rd Ave
Price Range: $
Rating: **

Baoguette (Classic Banh Mi) – $5

B’UN BO – $9