Korean wheat, which grows persistently under winter snow and cold wind, is strong. Enduring the four seasons, it stores nutritional values one by one. Well-grown new wheat is sent to a restaurant even without going through a polishing process.

At Neoreun Madang in Wondang-dong, whole wheat harvested on our soil is directly pulverized and used as ingredients. It stems from the owner’s stubbornness to pulverize wheat on his own and, at the same time, cook quickly and with great taste and abundant nutrition.

As a bowl of noodle soup is placed in front of me, a delicious smell of wheat is felt immediately and a spoonful of the soup gives a refreshing, clean taste in my mouth. Then, I find the color of noodles to be different; as the noodles are made of whole wheat powder, it has a yellowish color. The easiness with which the noodles are cut has its own crude but savory charm. The rich flavor of whole wheat has pervaded in between the noodles as well as in the soup. If you have additional room in your stomach after a bowl of noodle soup, I recommend Whole Duck Wheat Wrap; you eat duck meat and vegetables by wrapping them with grilled wheat crepes. Ducks are cured for 24 hours, smoked for 3 hours and roasted by oak tree logs, which produces soft texture and simple taste.

After the meal, you may take a walk around the place surrounded by well-established restaurant building and landscaping. The main building, Bogyeongnu, has reproduced a traditional hanok with elegance while, in the front yard, two small ponds with traditional beauty are placed side by side with a bridge in the middle. Behind Bogyeongnu, there is another pond named Bogyeongji, which has produced the famous Anapji Pond in Gyeongju. During summer, white lotus flowers fill the pond and their sweet scent embraces Neoreun Madang.

Written and photos by Park Hee-eun

Website nrmadang.co.kr

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