Busan Chinese restaurant in Gupo: mushroom fried rice, Gupo Jjambbong

For the weekend, we went for a drive out to Buk-gu, Busan with the family. We had errands near Gupo Market and wanted to fill up on some solid Chinese food, so after some searching we landed on Gupo Jjambbong — a famous Gupo Market restaurant in Busan that's been featured on TV shows like Live Information more than once, and known around here as a go-to spot for Busan-style Chinese course food.

It's already popular for its special, healthy jjambbong ingredients and affordable Chinese menu, so I went in with high expectations — and honestly, we came away even more satisfied than expected. Here's the full review!

Where is Gupo Jjambbong Gupo Main Branch, and how do you get there?

Gupo Jjambbong Gupo Main Branch is on the 1st floor at 48 Sirang-ro, Buk-gu, Busan. The nearest subway is Gumyeong Station, Line 2, Exit 4, about an 8-minute walk (702m) away.

By public transit: from the Deokcheon Intersection stop in front of Exit 1 of Deokcheon Station, take bus 160, 46, or village bus 6 — and the bus routes coming from the Gupo Station direction are convenient too. As for parking, there's no dedicated lot, so I'd recommend parking along the nearby alley curb!

There's also a cluster of attractions within a 5–10 minute walk — Gupo Children's Traffic Park, Busan Solomon Law Park, Busan Metropolitan Office of Education Student Culture & Arts Center, the Gupo barrier-free forest trail, and the famous Gupo Market (about 800m on foot) — which makes this the perfect spot to build a weekend outing around. It's also just a 10-minute drive from Daejeo Eco Park, so it's ideal for a meal after a day out there.

Opening hours and the phellinus mushroom tea served on arrival

Gupo Jjambbong's hours are Tuesday–Saturday 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:30) and Sunday 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:30). It's closed every Monday.

As soon as we sat down, they brought out warm phellinus mushroom tea for each of us as drinking water — a nice surprise. There's a record in old texts describing this mushroom as an 'elixir that can revive even the dead,' so drinking it before the meal warmed us up and made us feel genuinely well taken care of.

What we ordered at Gupo Jjambbong and what it cost

Since we wanted to try a bit of everything, we ordered generously: the signature sweet potato vine octopus and abalone jjambbong (₩15,000), small tangsuyuk (₩18,000), jjajang (₩6,500), and fried rice (₩8,500).

1. Sweet potato vine, octopus and abalone jjambbong, 15,000 won

This place is famous for being the first in Korea to add sweet potato vine to jjambbong, and it's overwhelming from the very first look. The noodles come with a phellinus mushroom herbal broth, so the soup color alone is deep and rich, packed with that health-tonic feel.

On top were generous amounts of whole fresh octopus and abalone, so just looking at it made me feel healthier. The crunchy texture of the sweet potato vine, the chewy noodles, and the deep savoriness of the seafood all blended with the rich herbal broth for a depth of flavor unlike any jjambbong I've had before. My stomach felt comfortable and never bloated, even after finishing every last noodle — it really felt like I was nourishing myself.

2. Tangsuyuk (small), 18,000 won, with fresh vegetables and real wasabi

You can't skip tangsuyuk at a Chinese restaurant. What was surprising here was that even with the sauce poured generously over the top, the batter stayed crisp instead of going soggy. The house move here is to top the freshly fried tangsuyuk with a bit of fresh vegetables and fresh wasabi — the sharp, clean kick of the wasabi perfectly cut through the greasiness of the fried pork, and it's a flavor that anyone, young or old, would like. No off odor from the meat at all, and the juices stayed locked in — a dish I kept reaching for.

3. Jjajang 6,500 won and shrimp-and-mushroom fried rice 8,500 won

The jjajang stuck to the traditional style, faithful to the basics — the sauce soaked well into the noodles for a flavor that was both clean and deeply savory. Nothing overpowering here, just an old-school depth of flavor that kids and grandparents alike would love.

The fried rice we ordered alongside was fluffy and well-fried, topped with a colorful mix of fresh shrimp, broccoli, shiitake and oyster mushrooms — fun to chew through, and when eaten with the jjajang sauce it made for a satisfying full meal.

This was honestly the best fried rice I've had at a Chinese restaurant in a long while, so it's a dish I highly recommend!

Who should eat at Gupo Jjambbong in Busan?

If you're looking for a Gupo Market restaurant in Busan, want to try a hearty, health-tonic style jjambbong, or are after generous, affordable Busan-style Chinese course food, Gupo Jjambbong won't disappoint. Highly recommend giving it a visit!