Goyang Chinese restaurant after an evening drive: 4 signature dishes

The Seooreung area, sitting right on the border between Paju and Goyang, is always busy with food lovers come weekends or evenings. Against the quiet backdrop of the royal tomb ridgelines, this Chinese restaurant offers something more than just a meal — a burst of fiery wok flavor and lively energy. As darkness fell one evening, I followed the glow of red lanterns to Jjamppong Jijeon, Seooreung's famous Chinese restaurant, and here's how it went.

Why Jjamppong Jijeon Seooreung Branch for an evening drive dinner?

There were a few solid reasons I picked Jjamppong Jijeon Seooreung Branch for a special evening out.

First, it's the go-to place when you're craving a spicy soup. It was one of those evenings when only a deep, fiery broth would do. I'd been missing the punch of 'Jjamppong Jijeon,' known for its intensely spicy jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), and the Seooreung branch — spacious, comfortable, with easy parking — seemed like the perfect fit.

Second, it fits perfectly into an evening drive route. The roads around Seooreung are well maintained and the scenery is charming, making it ideal for a light evening drive. You get a change of scenery and a great dinner in one trip — two birds, one stone.

Third, adjustable spice levels and a menu everyone can agree on. It's a great spot for groups, since everyone can order to their own taste. Jjamppong Jijeon's system, plus sides like sticky rice tangsuyuk and mandu, work well together — a big reason it satisfies every palate at the table.

What is on the self-serve bar at Jjamppong Jijeon?

Last but not least, the self-serve bar and a range of extras.

There's pickled radish, kkakdugi (spicy radish kimchi), onion, and rice, along with plum tea, omija tea, and coffee slushies — a good spread of side dishes and drinks.

Signature dishes and prices at Jjamppong Jijeon Seooreung Branch

Let me introduce five signature dishes that keep visitors coming back to Jjamppong Jijeon Seooreung Branch.

• Jijeon Jjamppong: ₩13,000 (spice level adjustable)
• Soondubu Myeon: ₩14,000 (soft with fluffy soondubu/silken tofu)
• Rice Noodle Jjamppong: ₩13,000 (a unique jjamppong made with rice noodles)
• Sticky Rice Tangsuyuk: ₩19,000 (sweet and sour fried pork with a chewy sticky rice batter and white color)
• Jijeon Jjamjjamyeon: ₩14,000 (jjamppong and jjajangmyeon in one dish)

My friend and I each picked a dish we wanted, and ordered the sticky rice tangsuyuk to share. Here's the detailed tasting report.

Sticky rice tangsuyuk, 19,000 won: chewy white batter

Sticky Rice Tangsuyuk, ₩19,000. The moment it hit the table, what stood out was the batter's almost translucent, clean color — the tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) looked white and fluffy, fried to a neat finish.

On the first bite, the outside was crisp while the sticky rice batter clung chewily inside my mouth — light and crackly on the outside, soft and rice-cake-like on the inside. Really appealing texture.

Unlike tangsuyuk where the batter is thick but the meat is thin, this had thick chunks of meat that stayed clean and lean with no gamey smell, even after dunking generously in the sweet and sour sauce.

Eaten with raw shredded onion, it cut through the richness nicely, and dipping it in their secret soy sauce mix brought out even more umami — I stayed fresh and never got tired of it, right down to the last piece.

The sweet fried sweet potato that came alongside was a real treat.

Jijeon Jjamppong, 13,000 won: spicy broth with rice stirred in

Jijeon Jjamppong, ₩13,000. The intense red broth, the bowl piled high with squid, clams, and green chives as garnish — the visual alone got my appetite going before I even took a bite.

The first sip of broth wrapped my whole mouth in deep umami, and the refreshing seafood flavor blended perfectly — just one spoonful felt like it cleared everything out.

The noodles, soaked in the rich broth, were springy and chewy.

They clung to the broth rather than floating apart, and each slurp brought up rich seasoning and smoky wok flavor together.

The shell-free clams, crunchy cabbage and onion, and springy squid gave a different texture and flavor with every bite.

When I mixed rice into the broth and took a big spoonful, the spicy, rich flavor of the broth had soaked all the way through the rice grains for an even deeper, more filling taste.

The spicy umami mixed with the rice made it addictive — I kept going back for more spoonfuls.

Jijeon Jjajang, 9,500 won: smoky wok flavor and big chunks of pork

Jijeon Jjajang, ₩9,500. The glossy, dark, thick chunjang (black bean sauce) covered the noodles densely — a visual that got my mouth watering just looking at it.

Mixing the noodles with the sauce and taking a bite, it wasn't overly sweet — the chunjang's savory, salty flavor spread through my mouth, along with a subtle smoky note from being stir-fried on high heat, giving it a refined taste.

The thick chunks of pork burst with savory juices,

and the softness of the well-cooked potato balanced with the subtle sweetness of the onion — an appealing combination that had me scraping the sauce off with my spoon.

Free jjamppong pan-fried mandu vs fried mandu, 4,500 won

Jjamppong pan-fried mandu (complimentary) vs. a taste of fried mandu (₩4,500). Perfectly golden fried mandu and jjamppong pan-fried mandu.

First, I tried the unique side dish you can only find at Jjamppong Jijeon — jjamppong pan-fried mandu.

The filling was packed with spicy, sharp jjamppong seasoning, pork, and vegetables, so it was crisp on the outside and full of spicy flavor on the inside.

The spicy juices that burst out from the crispiness were exciting, and dipping it in soy sauce added a salty umami that brought out even more of the spicy flavor.

Next, the fried mandu — crispy like a cracker on the outside and packed full on the inside, satisfying to chew.

The savory dumpling skin and the clean, lean meat filling worked together for plenty of depth.

A light dip in soy sauce added a salty umami that let the mandu's own clean flavor really come through.

Instead of an ordinary mandu, the distinctive, sharp jjamppong mandu and the savory classic fried mandu each have their own clear appeal — it's fun to choose based on your mood.

Jjamppong Jijeon Seooreung Branch: location, parking and hours

Address: 424 Seooreung-ro, 1st & 2nd floor, Deokyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Directions. It's a 4-minute walk from the Seooreung-gil intersection bus stop. Coming from Deokyang-gu along Seooreung-ro toward the Seooreung entrance intersection, you'll find it easily right along the road.

Parking. Over 30 cars can park in the dedicated lot in front of the restaurant.

Hours. Daily 07:00–22:00, last order 21:30.