Cheongju Chinese restaurant with alley parking: Gyodong Jjamppong

I had a delicious lunch at Gyodong Jjamppong in Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju. You probably already know Gyodong Jjamppong well — when you think jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), isn't it the first name that comes to mind?? With my vacation winding down and feeling a bit wistful about it, I visited the Gyodong Jjamppong location in Yongjeong-dong.

Is there parking at Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch?

Q. Is there a parking lot? A. There isn't a dedicated one, but there's plenty of space to park in the alley. When I visited, the spot right in front of the restaurant was taken, so I parked in the nearby alley instead — it didn't seem difficult at all.

Inside Gyodong Jjamppong: still busy at a late lunch in Yongjeong-dong

Inside Gyodong Jjamppong, a Yongjeong-dong favorite

I arrived around late lunchtime, and customers were already eating inside, so I couldn't get a clean shot of the interior — but that just showed how popular this jajangmyeon and jjamppong spot in Yongjeong-dong really is. Even at a late hour, people were still coming in — definitely a certified local favorite.

Baby chairs at Gyodong Jjamppong make family meals easy

Baby chairs are available, making it good for family outings

Since baby chairs are available, this is a great Yongjeong-dong spot for family meals and gatherings. Families with young children sometimes struggle to eat out for various reasons, but here you can sit your baby comfortably in a chair and enjoy your meal.

Eating alone? Order the mini tangsuyuk or mini menbosha

If there's one downside to dining alone, it's this — don't you always crave tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour pork) when you go to a jajangmyeon place?? Plenty of people eat solo these days, and for those who find a full order of tangsuyuk too much, the mini tangsuyuk is a great, reasonably priced option to order alongside your meal. There's also a mini menbosha on the menu, which is worth ordering together. Menbosha is shrimp sandwiched between bread and deep-fried — a golden, crispy dish that pairs nicely with the rest of the meal.

Self-serve bar: kimchi, onion and pickled radish refills

The self-serve bar is kept clean, and you can help yourself to kimchi whenever you need more. I refilled onions and pickled radish several times alongside my order, haha.

What we ordered: mini glutinous tangsuyuk, jjamppong and jajangmyeon

What did I order? Mini glutinous sweet-and-sour pork, jjamppong, and jajangmyeon

Finally, the dishes I'd been waiting for arrived. I knew I'd keep thinking about tangsuyuk if I skipped it, so I ordered the mini glutinous sweet-and-sour pork too and started my lunch. Looking around, most other customers were also ordering extra dishes alongside their meals, which made me think — no wonder this is such a well-regarded jajangmyeon and jjamppong spot in Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju. I dug right into my meal at this well-known Gyodong Jjamppong.

How does the jajangmyeon at Gyodong Jjamppong taste?

The jajangmyeon at Gyodong Jjamppong had a rich black bean sauce with a subtle depth of flavor — the kind of dish you polish off in one sitting.

The noodles were chewy yet soft, with a great texture to bite into, so I ended up inhaling the whole bowl in no time, haha.

How spicy is the jjamppong broth?

Finally, the highlight I'd been waiting for — the jjamppong! I always taste the broth first before digging into jjamppong, and this one was spicy yet clean and refreshing.

I'm not a fan of overly spicy jjamppong, and this broth hit that sweet spot — not too mild, not too fiery, exactly to my taste. The noodles were chewy and springy too, pairing well with the broth. Overall, a really satisfying bowl of jjamppong.

Mini glutinous tangsuyuk: crisp outside, tender inside

Wow — look at that tangsuyuk! You have to order it. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside — done just right.

Fried to perfection, crispy on the outside and moist inside, it's hard not to fall for it once you dip a piece in the sauce. The sauce was sweet and tangy too, a perfect match for dipping with the tangsuyuk.

If you're wondering where to go for lunch, dinner, a family outing, or any kind of gathering, I recommend stopping by for a satisfying meal 😊