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.
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.
"So, hopefully, Mr President can enjoy Pyongyang naengmyeon from afar, though I suppose I mustn't say 'afar' now," Kim said with a chuckle.
Pyongyang Naengmyeon is on the #interkoreansummit menu so of course that's what S Koreans are having for lunch https://t.co/Fnev417FEk pic.twitter.com/6JOadzBYv6
— Joseph Kim (@josungkim) April 27, 2018
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.
North Korean officials were happy to oblige, the South's presidential office said, adding that North Korea had even sent a chef from the restaurant to prepare the dish.
[2018 Inter-Korean summit] Pyongyang Naengmyeon! https://t.co/5mF60LoELx pic.twitter.com/nxtmKjEyHd
— HaB Korea.net (@HaB_Korea) April 27, 2018
Hungry South Koreans were clearly impressed and by midday #Pyongyang Naengmyeon was one of the top trending topics on Korean-language Twitter while the lines at restaurants specializing in the dish, like the Eulmildae in a run-down part of Seoul, grew.
"This is the longest queue I've ever seen," Kim Won-seok, a regular customer at the restaurant, said of the customers lined up 40 metres just before noon.
Major retailer E-land Mall was offering a 2kg bag of "Inter-Korea summit special Pyongyang naengmyeon" for $6.40.
