Haeundae Chinese restaurant, pink kids' plates & sofa seats: Bueokgan

Is Bueokgan Chinese in Haeundae okay with kids?

Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch (부엌간 차이니즈 해운대점) is a spacious, comfortable 50-pyeong Chinese restaurant in Haeundae, good for kids, family or a date. I already knew it was a well-loved spot, so I decided to try it with my daughter!! I'd been once before with my husband at lunch and remembered loving the food, so this was a return visit with my little one.

Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae: location, hours and parking

Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch is at 200 Dalmaji-gil 117beon-na-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan (1st floor), and it's open every day from 11:00 to 21:00. It isn't tucked inside the busy Dalmaji commercial strip; as you drive along, it appears as a standalone building, so the area feels quiet and uncrowded!

• Hours: daily 11:00–21:00 (open year-round, so lunch or dinner both work)
• Break time: 15:00–16:30 / last order 20:30
• Parking: the building has its own lot and roadside parking is possible too, which made getting around by car with a child easy

What are Bueokgan's signature dishes?

The signature dish is the poached-egg pork belly ganjjajang (noodles in a rich fried black bean sauce), topped with smoky grilled pork belly and a soft poached egg. The beef-belly jjamppong (spicy noodle soup) and the black vinegar sirloin tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), made with black vinegar imported from China, are popular too. There are also dishes like coriander jjamppong, ganpung monkfish, garlic yuringi (fried chicken in soy-vinegar sauce), jalapeño cream shrimp and eoihyang gaji (eggplant in spicy garlic sauce). Fried dishes are cooked to order so they're crispy, and the seasoning isn't harsh, so it's not much of a burden to eat with a child.

Are there sofa seats that are comfortable for kids?

The restaurant is a roomy, comfortable 50 pyeong, and I loved that there were lots of sofa seats, my favorite :) When she was younger I hunted around for high chairs, but now she finds them uncomfortable, so a sofa to sit back on is the best.. haha. Since I'd already tried the other dishes last time, I ordered ones I hadn't had: poached-egg pork belly jjajangmyeon, black vinegar sirloin tangsuyuk and eoihyang gaji.

Kids' tableware: a pink plate and cup

After we ordered, the staff brought a plate and tableware for my daughter, and it was a pink plate and cup, exactly her taste!!! Since turning 4 she's dropped her beloved blue and gone all in on pink, dresses, princesses and dolls, so now I have a reason I can never go to another restaurant, haha.

How is the double-size poached-egg pork belly ganjjajang?

I ordered the poached-egg pork belly ganjjajang in the double size, and I loved how full of ingredients it was. Yum yum. The presentation got slightly wrecked because I served my daughter first, but still. Pop the poached egg!

I love lots of chunky bits, so this ganjjajang packed with them was great. (I ordered the double portion.)

Can kids eat the eoihyang gaji?

Bueokgan's eoihyang gaji is spicy and punchy, so a 4-year-old can't eat it ㅠ My daughter likes eggplant and I wanted to give her some, but I tasted it first and that was that.

That said, it's a perfect dish to go with beer. Haha. Crispy outside, tender inside! My husband liked it so much he asked, "Can you make this with the eggplant at home?" and I was like.. whaaat

Black vinegar sirloin tangsuyuk: my daughter ate it well

The black vinegar sirloin tangsuyuk was tender, and my daughter ate it well. They say Bueokgan cooks its fried dishes to order! So the tangsuyuk had a lovely crispy texture, and she loved it too!

Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae: overall verdict

Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch isn't a loud, bustling Chinese restaurant; maybe thanks to the European furniture, it felt calm, like a classy café, so we could eat comfortably :) The best part was that my daughter loved it! Since I came with her, they brought a pink plate and tableware, and she was so happy and excited through the whole meal that I still remember it, which made this such a great place to eat!

The eggplant was too spicy for her, but she enjoyed the meaty ganjjajang, and the tangsuyuk was tender and crispy so the plate emptied fast!! In the past I often had to order separate dishes for her or leave food behind, but this time she ate well and I got a relaxed meal for the first time in a while. haha.

What to order when you go with a child

If you're looking for a Haeundae meal with a child, I'd recommend the poached-egg pork belly ganjjajang and black vinegar sirloin tangsuyuk for the kids, and eoihyang gaji, jjamppong or rice bowls for the adults :) Bueokgan also takes group reservations and offers free corkage for up to 3 bottles, so it works for family or friend get-togethers too!!