Busan Chinese restaurant mini tangsuyuk set for two: Surabanjeom Gaya

Where is Surabanjeom Gaya Branch, and when is it open?

Surabanjeom Gaya Branch is a Chinese restaurant at 143 Eomgwang-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan, open 11:00-21:00 and closed every Monday. I was craving Chinese food and this is where I ended up. It's in Gaya-dong, Busanjin, only 700m on foot from Exit 5 of Dongui University Station, so it wasn't hard to get to by public transit.

I'd heard this place was a well-known local favorite in Gaya-dong, so my expectations shot up.

Parking at Surabanjeom Gaya Branch: 1 hour at Taeyang Parking Lot

You can use the Taeyang Parking Lot right next to Surabanjeom Gaya Branch, so it was convenient to drive there too. They support 1 hour of parking with purchases over ₩15,000, so I made sure to mention it to the staff when paying. Being able to visit without worrying about parking was a nice plus.

Inside Surabanjeom Gaya Branch: seating and wait time

Walking in, a neatly arranged interior greeted me. Even though I arrived right at opening time, there were already customers waiting, so I could really feel how popular this place is. What stood out most was that every dish is cooked to order, keeping freshness and a strong wok-fire flavor.

Self-serve bar and free rice at Surabanjeom

The self-serve bar at Surabanjeom Gaya Branch had danmuji (pickled radish), onion, and kimchi, all free to help yourself to as much as you wanted. Next to the table there was also chili powder, vinegar, and soy sauce, so you could season things to your own taste.

Best of all, the rice was free, which was perfect for mixing into the jjamppong broth or sauce.

What comes in the 33,000-won mini tangsuyuk set for two

What we ordered that day was Surabanjeom Gaya Branch's 2-person mini tangsuyuk set for ₩33,000, which comes with uso samgyeop jjamppong, seafood jjamppong, and mini tangsuyuk together. Adding a ₩2,000 drink brought the total for two to ₩35,000.

Mini tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork)

The tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) came out first. Crispy outside and moist inside, the texture was great.

Maybe because it was fried right after ordering, it stayed crispy for a long time without going soggy. The sauce wasn't too sharp either, so it was easy to enjoy whether you poured it over or dipped it in.

Seafood jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup)

Next came the seafood jjamppong. The broth clearly had a strong wok-fire flavor, and I got a deep savory hit from the very first spoonful.

The bowl was filled to the brim with red broth, so it was overwhelming just to look at. You could tell from the strong smoky aroma that it had been stir-fried hard in a wok just before serving.

There was a generous amount of seafood — squid, mussels, shrimp — so it was fun digging through the toppings too. The noodles were chewy and had good elasticity, blending well with the broth.

Taking a spoonful of the broth, the seafood stock had been simmered deeply, giving it rich umami. It was spicy but left a clean finish, so I kept going back for more.

Beef brisket jjamppong (uso samgyeop jjamppong)

Lastly, we also tried the uso samgyeop (beef brisket) jjamppong. It was loaded with beef brisket, giving it a different, rich and savory meaty flavor compared to a regular jjamppong.

The visual alone was eye-catching, with thin slices of beef brisket piled high over the broth. Adding the fatty, savory richness of the brisket to that smoky broth made even the smell stand out.

I took a big bite with brisket and noodles together. The tender meat juices mingled with the broth, and the savoriness really popped.

The broth soaked well into the noodles, so I enjoyed every last strand. Switching back and forth between the seafood jjamppong and the uso samgyeop jjamppong was fun, comparing the two different charms side by side.

Is Surabanjeom Gaya Branch worth going back to?

After filling up on tangsuyuk, seafood jjamppong, and uso samgyeop jjamppong at Surabanjeom Gaya Branch, I understood why this place is known as a Gaya-dong favorite. The care put into cooking everything fresh, plus the solid self-serve bar and free rice, made it a place I want to visit again. It's somewhere I'll likely return to whenever I'm craving Chinese food in Gaya-dong.