Mian Pian in Seoul

There are dozens of convenience stores within walking distance of our apartment in Myeong-dong, but only one store that I know of (Lotte Market 999) that sells fresh mian pian (麵片). I was surprised to find this in Korea, never having seen it in Shanghai or Beijing. To judge from the picture on the package, Koreans seem to prepare it the same way as my grandmother taught me. I knew I had to buy it.

We used to sit at the dining room table, which was large enough for my grandmother to roll out fresh noodles. Occasionally she would make mian pian with scraps of leftover dough. To a young girl, this was genius! I had no idea you could do that. I thought that there was only one type of noodle, the long stringy kind.

In Korea, mian pian (麵片) is called sujebi (수제비). It is most often eaten in soup with any type of vegetables and protein. What’s not often done is to eat it “dry” in a savory sauce. I like my noodles with a lot of bite, so the thought of them sitting in a pool of hot broth gives me anxiety. I hate soggy noodles.

The sauce needn’t be complicated. In the dish below I’ve used only soy sauce, minced garlic, freshly chopped Cheongyang pepper, and some sesame oil.

It’s even better than I remember it. The noodles are perfect. I wish I could buy this stuff in America, but making it at home isn’t hard. If you do, make sure you use “00” flour for pizza dough to get that extra chewiness.