Jjamppong and glutinous sweet-and-sour pork at Gyodong Jjamppong, Cheongju

On one of those days when I was craving a spicy, piping-hot broth... I was wondering what to eat with my dad, so we went to Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch in Yongjeong-dong - !!

It felt like jjamppong alone would be just a little lacking, so Dad and I properly ordered jajangmyeon + jjamppong + glutinous sweet-and-sour pork too ✦‿✦

• Location: 1F, 44 Yeonguncheon-ro 133beon-gil, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do
• Hours: Daily 10:20–20:20 / break time 15:00–16:00
• Parking: Available in front of and around the restaurant

Inside Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch and the self-serve bar

When we went inside, the restaurant was cleaner than I expected!! ◔.̮◔ ✧

Maybe because it was dinner time, there were quite a few people dining alone, and I also saw plenty having a casual drink with friends .ᐟ.ᐟ ‧₊˚

Customers kept coming in, too haha (Did I discover a hidden gem..? ˚୨୧₊) It felt like the kind of neighborhood Chinese restaurant where you can drop in comfortably and have a filling meal ◡̈

Self-serve bar

The self-serve bar had kimchi, danmuji (pickled radish), and onions, so it was easy to grab more without feeling self-conscious!!!

What should you have alongside jjamppong?

As you would expect from Gyodong Jjamppong, jjamppong seemed to be the main event!! ✦ »

Along with classic jjamppong, jajangmyeon, and sweet-and-sour pork, they also had shareable dishes like woosamgyeop jjamppong hot pot, fried squid, and menbosha (shrimp toast). :) They unusually had extra-mini sweet-and-sour pork, too!! (I recommend it for solo diners as well.)

Smoky jjamppong and glutinous sweet-and-sour pork

Dad and I wanted to share the jajangmyeon and jjamppong, so we got one jajang + one jjamppong + sweet-and-sour pork :) First up, the jjamppong!!

As soon as it landed on the table, with bean sprouts and seafood piled over that red broth, I could tell just by looking, “Ah, we chose well today...” .ᐟ.ᐟ

I tried a spoonful of the broth first, and it had a seriously smoky wok flavor 🔥 Then the spicy warmth came through, but it was not just blindly hot!!! Dad said he really wanted to come here when he needed a hangover cure...

The noodles were bouncy and chewy.. ˚ ୨୧ ⊹ I just kept slurping them up ㅜㅜ

There was seafood like squid, shrimp, and mussels inside, plus meat, so I liked that it was not a jjamppong with only lots of noodles!! The bean sprouts were especially crisp, doubling the texture when eaten with the noodles ⸝⸝ㆍ♩

Then the jajangmyeon came out right away!!

And you know jajangmyeon absolutely needs chili powder, right??? ◞♡°

The jajangmyeon was mild enough for children to eat, and I liked that the flavor was not too strong!! ‧₊˚✧ Dad and I thought the jjamppong was tastier.

The glutinous sweet-and-sour pork... absolutely order it. The meat was not the thin kind either, so you could really feel that meaty texture when you bit into it ꔫ

It came freshly fried, crispy and generously filled.. (The meat is seriously thick ㅜㅜ) A bite of jjamppong, a piece of sweet-and-sour pork... then another sip of broth, and you want the pork all over again—what a combo hahaha

It was good on its own, but dipping it in the sweet-and-tangy sauce made it perfect to alternate with the spicy jjamppong. The sauce had vegetables in it too, so it was not only sweet; there were little crisp bites throughout. Personally, I prefer dipping rather than having the sauce poured over it, so I loved that it came separately. I could repeat jjamppong and sweet-and-sour pork forever... ദ്ദി •̀ ᴗ - ˵ )

And they gave us fried dumplings on the house too.. Why are these so tasty??

I totally want to come back haha. I came because I was craving spicy jjamppong, and I was satisfied from the smoky broth to the chewy noodles!! It seems like a good choice for anyone wanting a hearty Chinese meal in Yongjeong-dong or jjamppong for a hangover cure!! I recommend the jjamppong even more!! And absolutely order the sweet-and-sour pork haha