Cheongju jjamppong restaurant with fried rice in broth: Gyodong

I was on a business trip in Cheongju, had a heavy night of drinking, and went looking for somewhere to hangover-cure with a spicy jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) — so I headed to Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch! What's great about this place is that you can choose the spice level of your jjamppong, which suited my love of spicy food perfectly ✨ This time I ordered spice level 3 jjamppong along with fried rice — the broth was loaded with seafood and vegetables and packed a punch, and eating it together with the fried rice made for a really good hangover cure! So let me introduce Gyodong Jjamppong in Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju 👐🏻

Where is Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch? Hours and parking

• 💡 Location: 44 Yeongunecheon-ro 133beon-gil, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do
• 🕖 Hours: Daily 10:20–21:20 (closes 20:20 Sat, Sun)
• Break time 15:00–16:00
• 🚘 Parking: street parking in the alley

The "Korea's top 5 jjamppong" sign and the dining room

Even from outside, the bold red sign caught my eye right away 🔥 It reads "Top 5 jjamppong in the country" in big letters, and near the entrance there are also phrases like "instant jjamppong specialist" and "free if it's not good!" — an exterior that radiates confidence in their jjamppong 👍🏻

Walking in, the interior was much roomier than I expected! The tables had decent spacing too, so it seemed comfortable whether you're eating solo or with a group! There were actually a lot of solo diners at lunchtime 👍🏻

Gyodong Jjamppong menu and prices: jjamppong 9,000 won, jajangmyeon 6,000 won

I was surprised the moment I saw the menu! In this era of high prices, jjamppong is ₩9,000 and jajangmyeon (black bean noodles) is ₩6,000!! And the various dishes were all super affordable too!

📋 What I ordered 📋 - Jjamppong, spice level 3 🌶️ (₩9,000) - Fried rice (₩9,000) Since I wanted a proper hangover cure for the drinks I'd had the night before, I went with jjamppong spice level 3, plus fried rice to soothe my stomach!

There were lots of new menu items too — hot pot, yurinki (crispy chicken with sweet-tangy sauce), hangover milmyeon (cold wheat noodles), and more — and there was also a mini sweet-and-sour pork for solo diners, priced at just ₩7,000!!

Side dishes were the usual pickled radish, onion, and black bean sauce, and there was also kimchi to grab from a self-serve bar off to one side of the restaurant!

Fried rice 9,000 won, half with jajang sauce and half in the jjamppong broth

The fried rice I ordered came out piled high on a plate! 🍛 The grains were fluffy and not clumped together, and it had vegetables and shrimp mixed in, so it was light and clean to eat! It comes with jajang sauce and jjamppong broth on the side to eat together 👍🏻

The jjamppong broth served alongside was packed with solid ingredients! The broth was rich and spicy-hot, and paired really well with the fried rice 🌶️

Eaten plain, the fried rice tasted nutty and clean, and adding the jajang sauce brought in a salty-sweet layer for a whole different experience! Dipping it into the spicy jjamppong broth we'd ordered was also a nice treat ✨

How spicy is jjamppong spice level 3 at Gyodong Jjamppong?

The dish I was most looking forward to that day was, of course, the jjamppong! Piled high with bean sprouts over red broth, plus shrimp and a mix of seafood and vegetables, it looked spicy just from the sight of it — perfect for a hangover cure! The broth hit with spice right from the first sip, and as I kept eating, the savory depth and the sweetness from the shrimp and vegetables came through too. Level 3 had enough heat to satisfy anyone who loves spicy food 🌶️🌶️🌶️ But it wasn't just heat for heat's sake — the broth itself was rich, so alongside the spice you could also taste that distinctly stir-fried flavor typical of Chinese cooking!

The bean sprouts on top kept a crisp texture that matched the spicy broth well, and scooping out seafood and vegetables along the way kept the texture varied! The meat came in big, generous chunks too — you could really feel the owner's generosity with ingredients.

Between the noodles and spoonfuls of broth, the heat kept pulling me back in for more — this jjamppong was addictive ✨

After eating about half the fried rice with jajang sauce, I mixed the rest into the jjamppong! The oil-coated rice went so well with the spicy broth! You should all definitely try eating it this way!

Final verdict: is Gyodong Jjamppong worth a return trip for hangover jjamppong?

Gyodong Jjamppong in Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju, is a great Chinese restaurant to visit when you want to properly enjoy jjamppong! The exterior grabs your attention with its "top 5 jjamppong in the country" claim, and the interior is spacious and comfortable, making it a nice spot to eat solo ✨ The spice level 3 jjamppong I had that day had a rich, spicy broth loaded with bean sprouts and seafood — a great match for anyone who loves heat — and paired with the fluffy fried rice, it felt like it cured every bit of the previous night's drinking!

If you're in Cheongju craving a spicy jjamppong or a hearty Chinese meal, and want to pick your own spice level, keep this place in mind and give it a visit!