Cheonan jjamppong near Ssangyong Station: thin-noodle cockles, Bultina

Off to lunch with a friend before work, trying to eat something hearty. I'm supposedly on a diet but... this year's a lost cause. Haha. Feels like all I do is think about my next meal.

So I figured I'd at least keep exercising every day — running 20 to 30 minutes each morning plus some light strength training. But I twisted my ankle and knee a few days ago, so I'm on forced rest for about a month now.

But... when food this good is sitting right in front of you, how can you not eat it? After this cockle jjamppong, I honestly couldn't stop thinking about it.

Where is Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Sinbang Branch, and what are the hours?

• Address: 285 Seobu-daero, Ilsong Building, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea
• 752m from Ssangyong Station Exit 1
• Hours: 11:00–20:30
• Kids' menu, takeout, group seating, high chairs, wifi, reservations, delivery
• No pets allowed / No corkage
• Parking: turn right at the overpass toward the Woori Bank corner into the alley. 300 spaces available above and below ground behind the building

What does the Bultina storefront look like?

Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Sinbang Branch is easy to spot — it's in a large building with a jjamppong sign that really stands out. The big sign is visible from a distance, so first-time visitors shouldn't have any trouble finding it.

What is the inside of the restaurant like?

The inside is pretty spacious, with plenty of seating scattered around. I liked that there were a lot of comfortable sofa-style seats instead of just regular chairs. With so much room, it seemed like a nice place to eat at a relaxed pace.

What is on the menu at Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong?

True to the name, the menu is built around jjamppong — jjamppong, jjamppong rice, sweet-and-sour pork, and so on. Being a jjamppong specialist, the menu is neatly laid out, so even if you're torn on what to order, you end up deciding fast.

How was the cockle jjamppong at Bultina?

Finally, the jjamppong arrives! At first glance it didn't look too different from any other jjamppong.

Let's dig in.

Wait, what is this? The noodles were thin and moist, and the texture felt completely different from other jjamppong I've had. Something felt special right from the noodles. And the sweet-and-sour pork — chewy, crispy, wow!!!

Eating it with crunchy cucumber and onion on the side, plus that crispy sweet-and-sour pork, honestly felt like heaven. A bite of jjamppong, a bite of sweet-and-sour pork, a crunchy cucumber in between — so good. I completely forgot I was supposed to be dieting. Haha.

There are all kinds of jjamppong out there, but since I'm such a seafood person, cockle jjamppong hit the spot perfectly for me. Turns out there was a reason I couldn't stop thinking about this meal.

How many cockles are in the jjamppong?

Look at how packed with cockles this is. How is this even possible? Haha. With jjamppong this loaded with cockles, a seafood lover like me is simply happy. There's something fun about topping each noodle bite with a cockle, and the broth is refreshingly cool too — amazing.

Is the tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour pork) worth adding?

The sweet-and-sour pork... the batter wasn't too thick, so the clean flavor of the meat still came through, and dipping it in the sweet-tangy sauce paired really well with the jjamppong. A bite of spicy jjamppong, then the sweet-and-sour pork to cool your mouth down — this combo is genuinely the best!! I guess you really do need to order sweet-and-sour pork alongside jjamppong.

The cockles kept their signature chewy texture, and the more you chewed, the more a subtle ocean flavor came through — seafood lovers will really enjoy this. The jjamppong broth wasn't just aggressively spicy either; it had a cool, deep flavor drawn out from the seafood.

Eating the thin, moist noodles together with the cockles made for great texture, and before I knew it, spoonful by spoonful of broth, the bowl was empty. Jjamppong loaded with seafood really is my favorite.