Pyongyang Reimenya (Ganso Heijo Reimenya Honten / 元祖 平壌冷麺屋 本店)’s founder is said to be the first to serve North Korean cold noodles (平壌冷麺 / Pyongyang reimen) in Japan. Since 1939, Pyongyang Reimenya has been serving reimen (冷麺 / cold noodles) in Kobe in Hyogo.
The storefront of Pyongyang Reimenya. The sign board says “The Original Pyongyang Reimenya (元祖 平壌冷麺屋)” in Japanese.
Pyongyang Reimenya looks like a down to earth yakiniku (Korean Japanese BBQ) restaurant. The signboard also says “yakiniku (焼肉) reimen (冷麺)” in Japanese. Although yakiniku dishes are available at Pyongyang Reimenya, their North Korean-inspired reimen seems to be the most popular item: all the tables I saw had at least one bowl of the reimen. The restaurant almost looked like a ramen shop.
Pyongyang Reimenya’s reimen: bibimbap-flavored, plain, and “special.”
Pyongyang Reimenya’s menu.
Pyongyang Reimenya offers three kinds of reimen: bibimbap-flavored, plain, and “special.” I picked the special. On top of the noodles in a kimchi soup were seven ingredients: chicken, beef, boiled egg, cucumber, Chinese cabbage, and daikon. It already looked special to me. Then an extra dish of beef loin yakiniku slices arrived: they were phenomenal.
Pyongyang Reimenya’s raimen (special). 1300 yen ($10).
Pleasantly chewy handmade noodles.
Beef loin yakiniku slices.
The kimchi soup was pleasantly sour and slightly sweet. The noodles were authentically chewy. The cucumber, Chinese cabbage, and daikon tasted like Japanese asazuke (浅漬け), which functioned as a good contrast to the kimchi soup. The boiled egg was plain and right. All in all, everything was nice and chilled.
A free pamphlet at Pyongyang Reimenya (元祖 平壌冷麺屋 本店).
Pyongyang Reimenya (元祖 平壌冷麺屋 本店) | 6-1-14 Hosodacho, Nagata Ward, Kobe, Hyogo, 〒653-0835, Japan
