Hoe-naengmyeon

Cold starch noodles topped with thin slices of raw marinated fish in a spicy, tangy gochujang sauce.

Hoe-naengmyeon is the most daring variation in Korea's cold noodle tradition — a Hamhung-style bibim-naengmyeon topped with thin, translucent slices of raw fish (usually skate, flatfish, or tilapia) that have been briefly marinated in vinegar, gochugaru, and garlic. The raw fish introduces a briny, oceanic element that transforms the familiar spicy-sweet sauce into something more complex and layered, with the fish's clean, firm texture contrasting beautifully with the elastic starch noodles. The dish originates from North Korea's eastern coastal city of Hamhung, where the proximity to the sea made raw fish a natural pairing with the local cold noodle tradition. In South Korea, it is most commonly associated with specialist naengmyeon restaurants in Seoul's Ojanggyo area and in coastal cities, and its following is passionate — regulars speak of becoming 'addicted' to the combination of cold noodles and raw fish in a way that is hard to understand until experienced. The skate variety has a particularly pungent ammonia edge from natural fermentation that is an acquired taste but fiercely beloved.