Dongtan Chinese restaurant lunch spread: cockle jjamppong and gunmandu

Trying to figure out lunch near Dongtan Namgwangjang Square, I ended up at Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Dongtan Namgwangjang Branch (불티나꼬막짬뽕 동탄남광장점). The name alone makes it clear this is a cockle jjamppong specialist, so it's worth a look for anyone who likes jjamppong. This time I ordered cockle jjamppong, jajangmyeon, and fried dumplings, and ate quite a spread.

Parking and the room at Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Dongtan Namgwangjang Branch

Got lucky and parked right at the public lot in front. Haha.

When you're looking for good jjamppong in Dongtan these days, meat jjamppong or seafood jjamppong is common, but jjamppong built around cockles as the main ingredient is relatively rare.

There's a self-serve bar too.

The overall atmosphere was clean and comfortable, which made it easy to focus on the meal. The tables weren't cramped either, and being able to order right away through the kiosk made choosing easy. As a jjamppong specialist should, it let me pick what I wanted while looking at photos of the menu, which was a nice touch.

Kiosk ordering: cockle jjamppong 11,000 won, jajangmyeon 8,000 won

Ordering was done through a kiosk, which made checking the menu and prices convenient. With cockle jjamppong at 11,000 won, jajangmyeon at 8,000 won, and fried dumplings added on, we got to taste a bit of everything — from the spicy broth to the jajangmyeon to the crispy dumplings.

How does the cockle jjamppong taste, and is rice in the broth worth it?

Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong's signature dish, the cockle jjamppong, is 11,000 won. It came in a big bowl with plenty of red broth and chives on top, looking spicy just from the appearance.

Tasting the broth first, it was spicy but also refreshing. It wasn't just harshly spicy — the broth had cockles and vegetables blended in, so it went really well with rice mixed in. After finishing the noodles, adding rice to the leftover broth made for a hearty, complete meal. If you like a spicy broth, this is worth remembering as a jjamppong option in Dongtan.

This one's my husband's. Haha. I went with jajangmyeon~

Jajangmyeon at 8,000 won: how well does the sauce coat the noodles?

The jajangmyeon we ordered alongside was 8,000 won. The glossy jajang sauce coated the noodles thickly, and mixing it well with chopsticks brought out a sweet, savory flavor. Taking a bite of jajangmyeon while the jjamppong broth was still spicy balanced the flavors nicely. The sauce really clings to the noodles, and it stayed delicious to the last bite.

The cockle jjamppong in particular had a charm clearly different from typical seafood jjamppong. The unique savoriness of the cockles added to the spicy broth made it feel quite rich, and eating the solid bits along with the broth made even one bowl pretty filling. After eating some of the noodles, mixing in rice felt like eating a whole different dish. If you like a good broth, I'd definitely recommend adding rice.

The jajangmyeon exceeded expectations too. Mixing the black bean sauce evenly through the noodles brought out a rich, sweet flavor, and the bits mixed in were decent to chew on. Pairing it with freshly fried, warm dumplings made for a great combo. The dumplings were fried crispy on the outside, so dipping them lightly in the jajang sauce was also delicious.

Are the fried dumplings worth adding to the order?

Eating Chinese food without fried dumplings feels like something's missing. Fried golden-brown, the dumplings were crispy outside and moist inside, good for a bite in between the jajangmyeon or jjamppong. They were tasty dipped lightly in soy sauce or eaten plain. If you're visiting with a group, adding one order of fried dumplings to share alongside jjamppong and jajangmyeon is a solid combo.

I love this combo. Simple and delicious~!

Who should eat at Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong in Dongtan?

If you're near Dongtan Namgwangjang Square craving a spicy, hearty meal, Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Dongtan Namgwangjang Branch is worth seeking out as a Dongtan jjamppong specialist. It especially comes to mind when you want to try cockle jjamppong, which is a bit different from ordinary seafood jjamppong. Finishing the broth with rice mixed in made for a satisfying, clean lunch. Haha.

It's a good spot near Dongtan Namgwangjang Square for a family meal or a casual Chinese food outing with friends. From spicy cockle jjamppong to jajangmyeon and fried dumplings, there's enough variety that choosing a menu wasn't hard even with companions who have different tastes. Next time I'll have to try the tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) too~ haha