Cheonan jjamppong restaurant: level 2 cockle jjamppong rice, Bultina

It's been a little chilly morning and night lately, so I suddenly craved something hot and spicy — jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) 💭 Honestly I'd had a bit too much to drink the night before too, so spicy jjamppong sounded perfect. When I heard they even go up to spice level 4, I threw on clothes and rushed out the door ,,,,

Where is Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Sinbang Branch, and is there parking?

Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Sinbang Branch is at 285 Seobu-daero, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan, Chungnam, open 11:00–20:30, closed every Monday. Parking is available too.

It's visible right from the main road so it's easy to spot and find. The parking lot is pretty spacious too so it's not too much of a hassle!!!

The inside is spacious and clean too ✨ It seems like it opened not too long ago(?) and there are lots of sofa-table seats which is great ,, The owner is also super friendly, and since we came for a late lunch, there were a ton of customers finishing up their meals and leaving — ah, I really found a proper local favorite here .. haha

A lot of the well-known spots in Sinbang-dong, Cheonan don't have parking, but here you get 2 hours free, so I could relax and eat slowly haha. Just mention it to the owner and they'll register it for you, so keep that in mind • •

The menu: four dishes and spice levels 1 to 4

The menu at Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Sinbang Branch is just four items @@@@ The star here is of course the cockle jjamppong. Being able to choose spice level 1, 2, 3, or 4 is amazing. Most jjamppong places don't let you choose the spice level, which can feel a bit bland for someone like me who loves spicy food ㅜㅜ this is so nice ,ㅏㅏ

Also thinking I need to come back to try the kids' jjajang next time. My kid can never finish a whole bowl of jjajangmyeon and I'm not a huge fan either so we always have leftovers — so a reasonable price of ₩4,000 is very appealing ㅓㅓㅓ🖤

The self-serve corner is also really neatly organized, and you can scoop out as much pickled radish as you want 👌🏻

Aprons are self-serve too ~~~~

It's a partly open kitchen layout, and it's genuinely spotless so you can eat with confidence!!!

How spicy is level 2 cockle jjamppong rice, really?

We're not spice wimps — we're people who love spicy food — but since the levels go up to 4 and we didn't know how hot it'd actually be, we ordered a safe level 2 first haha. We also ordered fried dumplings 🤤

Pickled radish, black bean paste, onion, and soy sauce for dipping the fried dumplings

First off the visuals are amazing and it looks really spicy, whew ,,, I came to cure my hangover and just looking at it makes my mouth water ,,

The noodles weren't mushy at all, perfect texture!!

There are scallops in there too, and honestly, how many ingredients are packed in there and how good are they????

Even though I ordered the rice version of jjamppong, there were still a few noodles mixed in (bonus??)

Why you should order the fried dumplings at Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong

Everyone, you absolutely must order the fried dumplings. What even is this — the portion is huge and it's such great value, it's insane

So crispy my gums almost hurt haha

Wow, it's been so long since I had dumplings this crispy ㅜ ㅜㅜ ㅜ I missed this

You're crazy, Mr. Fried Dumpling. Eat two, three servings. The portion was so big we packed the rest to go ㅋ_ㅋ so funny. Totally crispy and clearly fresh out of the fryer, so delicious that even though I'm not usually a dumpling person, I just kept shoveling them into my mouth without hesitation.

The broth was rich too, and even though it was level 2, it wasn't 'this is insanely spicy' for our taste buds, more like just right — so we decided next time we'll go for level 3 😳

Maybe because there's meat in it too, but the broth is genuinely rich and so delicious ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ yes, I found another great jjamppong spot 🤤🖤🖤

How many cockles are in the jjamppong?

No matter how much I eat, the cockles just don't run out — I have no idea how many are actually in there…… the portion is seriously huge. Being someone with a small appetite, I got tired just from eating all the cockles ㅠ

Still, gotta get some carbs in there too(?) since I ordered jjamppong rice(?), so I have to eat the rice haha... rice mixed into the broth... 🖤 nom nom. Ate well again today. I found a genuinely delicious jjamppong spot in Sinbang-dong, Cheonan, so next time I'm definitely going back to try level 3, mouth already watering.