Haeundae Chinese restaurant, late lunch after the aquarium: Bueokgan

Why Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch after the aquarium?

Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch (부엌간 차이니즈 해운대점) is a Chinese restaurant on Dalmaji-gil in Haeundae, where we had a late lunch on the day we headed home from Busan, right after the Haeundae aquarium. We'd had a big breakfast, so we ate late, and by the time we came out of the aquarium it was nearly 1 p.m.

I spent a while debating what to eat, then settled on Chinese, which my husband loves. It's Chinese food, but I can't skip atmosphere, so I searched around and found Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch, and the vibe looked incredible! So off we went. I think it might be the best-looking Chinese restaurant I've ever been to.

Where is Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch, and is there parking?

It's on the way up Dalmaji-gil in Haeundae, so it's perfect for a stop during a Dalmaji-gil drive or a date.

By the way, Bueokgan has a Chinese restaurant and a Western one. I understand they're in the same building, but we visited the Chinese side that day. Its motto is basically a European-style Chinese restaurant with a stylish feel.

I'd heard parking is hard around Dalmaji-gil, but Bueokgan Chinese has a lot. There's parking on the road below the restaurant and also right next to it. I parked down by the road, but the lot isn't big and it's right on the road, so it was a bit tricky. The spaces beside the restaurant would probably be better.

What is the interior of Bueokgan Chinese like?

The inside of Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch could put a lot of pretty cafés to shame. Guys, this is a Chinese restaurant, and the atmosphere is crazy, so pretty! Totally date-worthy, totally family-dinner-worthy. This is no ordinary Chinese restaurant.

Step through the entrance and eek! It's a Chinese restaurant interior that beats most pretty, atmospheric cafés.

I loved seeing the fresh green of the season through the big windows. The lighting does a lot of work too.

Clean and a really great atmosphere, right?????? You can't help saying "wow" the moment you walk in.

Is Bueokgan Chinese in Haeundae good for kids?

Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch has both baby chairs and baby tableware. So I can confidently recommend it as a place to eat with kids in Haeundae.

Bueokgan Chinese menu and kiosk ordering

You order at Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch with a kiosk. There are the usual Chinese restaurant dishes plus some unusual ones.

Without the little one I'd have gone for something spicy, but with a kid along I gave in, haha. Here's what we ordered.

• Poached-egg ganjjajang (suran ogyeop ganjjajang, pork belly black bean noodles) ₩10,000
• Shrimp fried rice ₩10,000
• Black vinegar sirloin tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) ₩28,000

How was the food at Bueokgan Chinese?

After eating, I felt Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch is a Chinese restaurant with really solid fundamentals.

The neat side dishes were danmuji (yellow pickled radish) and zha cai (pickled mustard stem), and the zha cai was tasty too. A pass for the side dishes already, hehe.

Poached-egg pork belly ganjjajang, ₩10,000

The onions and meat in the poached-egg ganjjajang are really chunky. Honestly, every ganjjajang I'd had before came with the sauce served separately. But at Bueokgan Chinese it came already on top.

The meat and vegetables are both chunky, so it's really satisfying to chew. I personally love egg yolk, so I adore the poached egg, haha. I popped it and mixed it in.

One taste of the jjajang and I thought, okay, this place really has solid fundamentals. The sauce isn't salty at all, just right.

Shrimp fried rice, ₩10,000

The shrimp fried rice at Bueokgan Chinese is fluffy, loose-grained rice packed with big pieces of shrimp. The seasoning is just right, and I liked that a lot.

Lots of Chinese restaurants over-season, which is why I recommend this even more as a place to eat with kids in Haeundae!

Black vinegar pork loin tangsuyuk, ₩28,000

Sweet, sour and wonderfully crispy, the black vinegar sirloin tangsuyuk is a must-order. I hear it's made with black vinegar brought in directly from China~ It's kind of like glutinous-rice tangsuyuk too? The meat is thick, and the batter is thin and chewy~

My kid ate it really well too, yum!

Is Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch worth a return visit?

We had a really delicious meal with the family at Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch. Everything we ordered was tasty, and above all I loved the atmosphere, which doesn't feel like a typical Chinese restaurant at all.

If you're looking for a Chinese restaurant in Haeundae, a place to eat with kids in Haeundae, or a good eatery on Dalmaji-gil, I recommend Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae Branch. Personally I'd totally recommend it as a date spot. Happy with both the atmosphere and the taste! I'd go back, and next time I want to try the Western restaurant Bueokgan too, eek!!