Changwon Chinese restaurant solo set with ganjjajang: Hwaryong Banjeom

Where is Hwaryong Banjeom Changwon Sangnam, and is there parking?

I wanted proper jjajangmyeon and sweet and sour pork in Changwon's Sangnam-dong, so I went to Hwaryong Restaurant Changwon-Sangnam branch. It's right in the heart of Sangnam-dong so it was easy to get to, and parking in front of the restaurant was listed as available.

If there's no space, you can also use the Sangnam public parking lot across the street, so it's worth knowing if you're driving. The exterior already looked clean, and the moment I stepped in it had that crisp feel of a newly opened Chinese restaurant.

The interior was bright and tidy too, so it felt totally fine to visit solo. There are actually solo seats set up, so it looked like a good spot to come alone for jjajangmyeon or jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup).

What comes in the one-person set at Hwaryong Banjeom

Looking at the Hwaryong menu, they had a full lineup of basic Chinese dishes, from jjajangmyeon to jjamppong to sweet and sour pork. There was ganjajangmyeon (thick black bean noodles) too, and jjamppong loaded with seafood, so I was a little torn on what to get. I was craving jjajangmyeon that day so I ordered the solo set, plus fried dumplings and a beer. I liked that even solo, I could enjoy sweet and sour pork alongside the noodles instead of just noodles alone.

After ordering, kimchi and danmuji came out first. Danmuji is truly essential when eating jjajangmyeon at a Chinese restaurant. It's great to nibble on whenever things get too rich, and it goes really well with the noodles. I personally also like eating kimchi with jjajangmyeon, so I was glad that came out too.

The fried dumplings worth ordering twice

Next came the fried dumplings, which had arrived first. Honestly, this was the dish that unexpectedly stuck with me most from that visit to Hwaryong. I ordered it as a light side, but the moment I took a bite I was surprised at how good it was. The outside was properly crispy and the inside was moist, so the texture was great from the start.

The crispy dumpling skin held a fully packed filling, so it was delicious plain and also paired well with a bite of danmuji. If you like fried dumplings, this is worth ordering. Eating them made me think of beer right away.

I ordered a cold beer too, and honestly you can't resist beer with fried dumplings. Taking a bite of the hot, crispy dumpling and then a sip of cold beer was such a great combo. I came in planning a light lunch and ended up having a proper feast.

How was the sweet and sour pork in the solo set?

After a bit of a wait, the sweet and sour pork arrived too. Since I ordered the solo set, this was exactly the right size to enjoy alongside the noodles, when just jjajangmyeon alone would've felt a bit lacking. The batter was crispy while the meat inside stayed moist, so it was great to pick a few pieces off before the noodles arrived. At a Chinese restaurant, eating only jjajangmyeon can feel a bit empty, but ordering sweet and sour pork on its own can feel like too much — so having this solo set was really nice.

Ganjjajang packed with pork and onion

And then the jjajangmyeon I'd been waiting for arrived. Hwaryong's jjajang style comes with a generous amount of onion and meat. I mixed the noodles thoroughly with the jjajang sauce.

Once the sauce was evenly mixed through the noodles, they took on a real shine. Just looking at it, I could almost smell the rich jjajang aroma, so I dug in right away. On the first bite, the jjajang sauce was rich and savory. There was plenty of onion, so it had good texture with every bite, and above all, there was a ton of meat. At some places jjajangmyeon comes with just a few token pieces of meat, but here it felt like meat came up with every twirl of the noodles.

So the whole bowl was quite filling. Eating it alongside kimchi now and then was great too. The sweet, rich flavor of the jjajangmyeon combined with the refreshing tang of kimchi kept me going. Danmuji is good, but I'm still a fan of the kimchi pairing with jjajangmyeon. A bite of noodles, a bite of kimchi, back to noodles — the bowl disappeared fast.

I also tried the sweet and sour pork together with the jjajangmyeon. A crispy bite of sweet and sour pork followed right by jjajangmyeon is still the most familiar and delicious combo at a Chinese restaurant. Eating sweet and sour pork alone can get a bit heavy, but alternating with the noodles let me enjoy it deliciously all the way through.

Sipping the beer between bites made this a total success of a meal choice that day. What I loved most was the amount of meat in the jjajang sauce. Every time I lifted noodles with my chopsticks, meat and onion came up with them, so there was never a moment it felt like the toppings were running thin. Hwaryong itself lists the generous meat in their jjajangmyeon as one of their signature features, and eating it in person confirmed the toppings really were that generous.

Making jjajang rice with rice from the self-serve bar

Partway through I had another refreshing sip of beer. With fried dumplings and sweet and sour pork both being fried dishes, beer paired perfectly. I came in for jjajangmyeon and ended up with fried dumplings, sweet and sour pork, and beer — basically a full spread. And another thing I really liked about Hwaryong was the self-serve bar.

I could grab extra side dishes at the self-serve bar, and rice was available too, so it felt like a waste to leave the leftover jjajang sauce behind. There was still plenty of jjajang toppings left, so I grabbed some rice and mixed it right in.

Jjajang eaten with noodles and jjajang mixed into rice feel completely different. Mixing rice thoroughly into the rich jjajang sauce was delicious too. Finishing the noodles and then mixing in rice made for a genuinely full meal. And just when I thought I was done, the fried dumplings were so good I ended up ordering them again. I'd only ordered them at first as a casual side add-on, but I liked them enough to order a second round by the end.

Is Hwaryong Banjeom worth a return trip for solo dining?

The freshly made second round of fried dumplings was, as expected, crispy and hot and delicious. Even after the noodles, sweet and sour pork, and mixed rice left me quite full, I kept eating the dumplings. Overall, every dish came in a generous portion, and I liked that even solo, I could enjoy multiple dishes together. The ganjajang in particular was filling with its generous meat and onion, and having sweet and sour pork alongside made it feel like a proper Chinese meal. Personally, the biggest surprise of the day was the fried dumplings.

I ordered them without much thought, but they were so good I ended up ordering a second round — I'll probably order them again next time too. If you're looking for good food in Sangnam-dong, Changwon and craving Chinese food like jjajangmyeon or jjamppong, Hwaryong Restaurant Changwon-Sangnam branch is worth a visit. It's comfortable for solo dining, and the solo set lets you enjoy jjajangmyeon and sweet and sour pork together, which works well if you want to try a bit of everything. I properly ate ganjajang, sweet and sour pork, fried dumplings, and beer, and finished with jjajang rice — I left completely full. The fried dumplings especially were so good that I'm sure I'll order them again next time.