Busan Chinese restaurant: sweet potato stem jjambbong, Gupo Jjambbong

What kind of restaurant is Gupo Jjambbong Main Branch?

Gupo Jjambbong Main Branch (구포짬뽕 구포본점) is a Chinese restaurant on Sirang-ro in Buk-gu, Busan, serving everything from jjambbong (spicy seafood noodle soup) and jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles) to tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) and eggplant dumplings. I wanted a really good Chinese meal with my friends, so we headed here.

I was so curious about the Phellinus mushroom broth, which makes it different from ordinary jjambbong.

It had been a while since we'd all met up, so we ate good food, chatted and had a great time. Ordering several dishes and sharing meant we got to try a bit of everything. If you're looking for a great jjambbong spot in Busan, or a hearty meal near Gupo Market, this is just right.

Is there parking at Gupo Jjambbong Main Branch?

There's a parking lot below the restaurant, so it was easy to come by car with friends. When a group is traveling together, parking matters, and this was convenient.

Gupo Jjambbong's Phellinus mushroom herbal broth and house-made noodles

They say the restaurant is built on the care and cooking skills learned from the owner's mother, plus more than 20 years of running their own business.

What impressed me most was that, after researching how to make healthy and tasty Chinese food, they developed a restorative jjambbong using Phellinus mushroom and sweet potato stems.

They say the broth is simmered for 12 hours with medicinal herbs such as Phellinus mushroom, astragalus, angelica root, eleuthero and mulberry. Adding special ingredients and effort to familiar Chinese dishes is what makes Gupo Jjambbong its own.

They also say the noodles are made in-house and aged 24 hours at low temperature, so even the texture is considered. With jjambbong, the broth matters, but how well the noodles go with it changes how satisfied you are, right? Knowing they care about that made me even more excited.

Atmosphere and self-serve bar at Gupo Jjambbong Main Branch

The interior has a classic feel that doesn't look like a typical Chinese restaurant, so it breaks the stereotype. Both the atmosphere and the food were wonderful.

Pickled radish and onion come as the default side dishes, and if you want more, you can use the self-serve bar, so I could grab as much of my favorite radish and onion as I liked.

What we ordered with friends at Gupo Jjambbong

The restaurant's recommended dishes are seafood nurungji soup (crispy rice soup), tangsuyuk, eggplant dumplings and kongguksu (cold soy milk noodles), and I especially wanted to try the eggplant dumplings.

Today with my friends we ordered the sweet potato stem octopus abalone jjambbong, seafood jjajang platter, tangsuyuk and eggplant dumplings.

Restorative Phellinus sweet potato stem octopus abalone jjambbong

This jjambbong is Gupo Jjambbong's premium seafood version: a golden Phellinus mushroom broth topped with sweet potato stems, octopus and abalone. It looks special from the first glance, and it's a must-eat here.

It's a different combination from the jjambbong you usually eat, so I think seafood lovers will absolutely love it. The charm of jjambbong is of course its spicy, deep broth.

When the savory depth of seafood meets the herbal broth, you can expect an even richer flavor. A whole octopus, huge in size, sits on top, and its texture was really tender.

The chewy noodles go well with the broth, and the sweet potato stems add something fun to chew on.

With a big octopus and abalone on top, I strongly recommend it to anyone who loves seafood jjambbong. It would also work well to visit with friends, order different dishes and share a little of each.

Seafood jjajang platter you can order for one

Gupo Jjambbong has a single-serving seafood jjajang platter (stir-fried with fresh seafood and vegetables), so we ordered it too. Seafood jjajang platters usually start at two servings, so I liked that you can order one here. With spicy jjambbong, you can't skip the jjajangmyeon, right?

The charm of the seafood jjajang platter is how the noodles blend with the savory, sweetly rich black bean sauce. A slight spiciness cuts the heaviness of the jjajang and made me finish the bowl in a flash. It was so good that I scraped up every last bit.

The fiery jjambbong and the sweet jjajangmyeon each have their own charm, so they're a great pair to enjoy together. With seafood and vegetables added you get a variety of textures, and since it's a single serving, it's easy to order even if you come alone.

Tangsuyuk with raw vegetables and fresh wasabi at Gupo Jjambbong

When several people share Chinese food, you can't leave out tangsuyuk. It's a classic Chinese dish of crispy fried pork with a sweet and sour sauce. The savory fry and the fresh tang of the sauce go well alongside jjajangmyeon or jjambbong.

Gupo Jjambbong uniquely recommended eating the pork with raw vegetables and raw wasabi, and it really gave the tangsuyuk a different taste.

Adding the sharp bite of wasabi to the sweet sauce makes for an unusual flavor combination.

Adding tangsuyuk makes the table even fuller, so it would suit a get-together with friends or a lunch.

Gupo Jjambbong's signature eggplant dumplings

Eggplant dumplings are a Chinese dish of dumpling filling sandwiched between thin slices of eggplant and fried, and this was the dish I was most interested in at Gupo Jjambbong. The batter is made with Phellinus mushroom for a crispy bite, and the inside was soft and moist.

With savory filling and crispy batter, I think the contrast between the outside and inside makes it a treat. The moment you bite through a crispy fried coating is so appealing. You get the flavor of the filling and the tenderness of eggplant together, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something different from ordinary fried dumplings.

If you order several dishes with friends, add the eggplant dumplings too. Taking bites of crispy fried food between jjambbong or jjajangmyeon adds to the fun of the meal.

Is Gupo Jjambbong Main Branch good for a meal with friends?

This visit was even better because we could enjoy a variety of Chinese dishes together. From familiar jjambbong and jjajangmyeon to special dishes like eggplant dumplings, there's something for every taste, and I liked that. What impressed me most is that Gupo Jjambbong stands apart from other Chinese restaurants with its restorative broth of Phellinus mushroom and medicinal herbs, the jjambbong with sweet potato stems, and the low-temperature aged house-made noodles.

Eating good food and chatting away with friends made mealtime even more fun. Next time I crave Chinese food near Gupo, I'd like to come back.

Parking below the restaurant makes it convenient by car, which is another plus. If you're looking for a place to eat near Gupo Market, or want a hearty meal with friends, give it a look.

If you're looking for an unusual restorative jjambbong in Busan, I recommend Gupo Jjambbong Main Branch, and as a Gupo restaurant where you can enjoy a wide range of Chinese dishes.

Gupo Jjambbong Main Branch location and opening hours

• Address: 48 Sirang-ro, Buk-gu, Busan (1st floor)
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00
• Last order: 20:30
• Parking: Lot below the restaurant