Cold buckwheat noodles in icy broth — naengmyeon — is the dish most associated with Yanbian Korean cooking and the thing to eat in Yanji. The noodles are made from buckwheat and have a darker, earthier character than wheat noodles; the broth is chilled, lightly seasoned, and sometimes sour from fermentation. The dish arrived here with the Hamgyong migrants who brought northern Korean food culture across the Tumen River, and the Yanji version is arguably closer to the original Hamgyong style than anything now served in South Korea.
Naengmyeon restaurants are widespread throughout the city. Look for the places with a lunchtime queue of local workers — the food is cheap, served fast, and the quality difference between a good naengmyeon shop and a mediocre one is immediately apparent in the broth. Order extra beef slices and a side of kimchi; the combination is complete.