Long lines formed on Friday outside restaurants in South Korea’s capital serving Pyongyang-style cold noodles after the dish took on a starring role at a historic summit between the North and South Korean leaders, Reuters reported.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un brought a batch of the noodles for a dinner banquet on Friday, at the request of South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
“We’ve made efforts to bring Pyongyang naengmyeon all the way from Pyongyang,” Kim said in opening remarks at the summit, referring to the North Korean capital, according to Reuters.
“So, hopefully, Mr President can enjoy Pyongyang naengmyeon from afar, though I suppose I mustn’t say ‘afar’ now,” Kim said with a chuckle.
Naengmyeon is noodles in a chilled meat broth, topped with beef brisket, pickled radish, sliced cucumbers and half a boiled egg.
Moon had requested that the dish be on the menu at the banquet, and asked Kim if he could bring a takeaway batch from a famous Pyongyang restaurant, Okryu Gwan.
South’s presidential office said North Korean officials were happy to oblige and had even sent a chef from the restaurant to prepare the dish.
Reuters said the noodles were an unusually hit at a summit that many South Koreans are viewing with wary optimism. As many South Koreans held hopes that the first visit to the South by a leader from the North, would be a turning point for peace on the war-divided peninsula.
