Yun Byun Restaurant

I really don’t want to do this because I REALLY wanted to fall in love with this place. But sadly, 2 stars is the best I can do.
Yun Byun typically refers to a Korean person residing in China, and according to my mother, this is a type of cuisine from people living in China closest to North Korea. When these two cultures collide, it becomes a mishmash of all things Korean and Chinese and thus peope speak both languages and eventually the cuisine evolves as well…
Maybe I shouldn’t have been too excited, but I was looking forward to a bowl of Naengmyun (North Korean specialty) Yun byun style. What I received was pure disappointment, one of the worst yet. Instead of a beefy broth, it tasted more like a bland vinegar/​soy sauce mixture, and the noodles were quite awful, overcooked & too soft. Also, I asked for some kyuja (hot mustard) and the lady looked at me with confusion. Needless to say, she brought me back some wasabi. I then looked at her in confusion… then turned it away.
We also ordered a sogogi oee moochim (beef cucumber salad/​marinade). It really could have been good but it just tasted spicy and sweet. There was no flavor.
The saving grace of our lunch was kongbiji, which is unseasoned soybean stew. You add a soysauce mixture to flavor it yourself. The soybeans were grinded to a thick texture and it tasted fresh, healthy, and hearty.
Lastly, the banchan consisted of potato, sweet potato stems, kimchee, and soybean sprouts. They didn’t taste as good as they looked.
I left this place with mixed feelings, but mainly disappointment. The lady was nice and was checking up on us knowing it was our first time. The restaurant was also unkempt and could have been alot cleaner.
Keep in mind though that they do have a chinese menu which we didn’t get to try. But, I don’t think I’ll be back anytime soon. Sorry!