Ethnic Eats: Chuncheon Makguksu

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Whenever I'm up in Duluth, the siren call of Korean food calls out to me. This usually means tofu stews, or steaming noodle soups, or fragrant barbecue; but in the grips of this summer's oppressive mid-day heat, it's exciting to find a cold dish that strikes the ever-exciting Korean chords. Such a dish can be found at a little spot on Pleasant Hill Road called Chuncheon Makguksu: the house special Chuncheon jaengban makguksu. 

First, let's break down the name (thanks to some Korean-speaking friends and the wonders of the internet). Chuncheon is the capital of Gangwon Province in South Korea, situated in the far north of the country. It's not quite Atlanta-hot, but August in Chuncheon means highs in the upper-80's, so you know they appreciate food to help cool things down. Buckwheat noodles (makguksu) are a specialty of the region, as is a spicy chicken dish known as dakgalbi. In fact, if you happen to be in Chuncheon in a few weeks, you can attend their Dakgalbi & Makguksu Festival (August 7-12). 

So, we now know Chuncheon and makguksu, but what of jaengban? It basically means "large tray" or "party tray" - which is what this dish comes served on, as opposed to being in a typical soup or noodle bowl meant for one.

At Chuncheon Makguksu in Duluth, jaengban makguksu means a large plate of cold, thin buckwheat noodles for two people ($22), piled with crisp slivers of Asian pear and watermelon, shredded lettuce, pickled daikon, and hardboiled egg, all soaked in a sesame oil-scented sauce that hits every single taste area on the tongue. It's sweet, salty, spicy, umami-rich (did I mention the presence of dried seaweed?), and entirely addictive - especially if you're trying to cool down from the heat outside. They even throw ice cubes onto the dish (likely the ones that cooled down the noodles after they were boiled) that slowly melt and leave you with several sips of what is basically a spicy, cold watermelon soup once you've cleared the noodles off.  

On the side, Chuncheon Makguksu simply provides a few lovely kimchi - both radish and cabbage - as well as more of the sweet pickled slices of daikon that can be found in the dish.

While my family enjoyed the cold noodles, every other table in the joint - small and packed at lunchtime - seemed to be slurping hot bowls of noodle soups. Once the weather cools down, I'll be sure to head back to try out the seafood-broth kalguksu or spinach dough sujebi, or maybe even the Korean-style boiled pigs feet. 

I must give thanks to Christiane Lauterbach's Knife & Fork for bringing this unassuming spot to my attention. Chuncheon Makguksu's cuisine is unique among the Korean restaurants of Duluth, and it's not the type of place that will jump out at you - packed in among the endless strip malls of Pleasant Hill Road. The signage (other than the words "Korean Restaurant") is only in Korean. The staff is friendly but not great with English. Luckily, there's enough English on the brief menu to help you get the lay of the land. 

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