Cold jjamppong and cream shrimp at Harbin Chinese buffet in Yangju

Harbin Chinese Buffet / 267 Godeok-ro, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

My dad had been talking about this Yangju restaurant, Harbin Chinese Buffet, for ages. He kept saying we should go sometime, and this time we finally made it happen. I guess guys really do love Chinese restaurants, haha.

Basic info on Harbin Chinese Buffet

• 🚩 267 Godeok-ro, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do
• ⏰ Daily 11:00–21:00 (opens 10:40 on Sat & Sun)
• 🚗 Parking lot available

Parking and the exterior

The location was pretty convenient to get to, which was nice.

Parking can be surprisingly stressful when you drive to a restaurant, but here there was so much room that I barely had to worry about it at all.

Inside the restaurant on a Friday evening

We visited around 6:30pm on a Friday. Clean and spacious inside — once I stepped in, the place was bigger than I expected. There were about 15 tables, and everything was kept nice and tidy overall.

What really caught my eye was how many solo diners there were. It struck me as a good place to come alone and just eat whatever you want without any pressure.

You can just take small portions of exactly what you feel like eating, no need to worry about what anyone thinks.

How much does Harbin Chinese Buffet cost

Harbin Chinese Buffet's pricing runs a bit differently on weekdays versus weekends.

• Weekdays: Adults ₩16,900 / Elementary school students ₩8,900 / Preschoolers ₩6,900
• Weekends: Adults ₩18,900 / Elementary school students ₩9,900 / Preschoolers ₩6,900

Considering you get to pick from a whole range of Chinese dishes, I thought the price was pretty reasonable.

The system works like a typical buffet — you serve yourself whatever you want and eat at your table. When you're done, just return your dishes to the drop-off station.

At first glance the food area looked a little small, but once I looked around, the menu was actually really packed. And one of the best things about this place is that the dishes keep changing. That's such a nice touch — it's not just one round and done; new food kept coming out over time, which made eating there more fun.

The staff kept checking on the food constantly too. They were always making sure nothing had run out and that the tables and food area weren't messy, which gave the whole place a really well-kept feel.

What was on the buffet

The menu is really varied. When I visited, I spotted ganpunggi (crispy sweet-and-spicy chicken), yangjangpi (Chinese-style cold platter), Chinese-style japchae, mapo tofu, chili shrimp and more.

There was also fried rice, tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), dumplings, and steamed flower bread.

On top of that, there were plenty of noodle options too — they had three whole types of jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup)

and two types of jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles) as well. They also had crab soup, so overall the menu really felt like a proper Chinese buffet.

You help yourself to as many side dishes as you like too. Instead of greedily piling my plate high from the start, I took small portions of the things I liked best.

Sticky rice tangsuyuk and chili shrimp

I grabbed some tangsuyuk, some chili shrimp, and tried a bit of fried rice and other Chinese dishes too. Out of everything, the tangsuyuk really stood out. It was the sticky rice style, crispy on the outside and soft inside — the texture was great.

The chili shrimp was delicious too. I'm a shrimp lover, so any time I spot shrimp on a menu, I have to grab it — it naturally ended up on my plate. But that wasn't the end of it.

My personal pick: cold jjamppong

The dish that stuck with me most that day was definitely the cold jjamppong. It cuts through any greasiness, and it's spicy and refreshing — the kind of flavor you can't stop eating!! Honestly, I'd go back just for this.

The cream shrimp that appeared later

After finishing one round and going back for more, I noticed a new dish had appeared. I'd already enjoyed the chili shrimp, but this time cream shrimp showed up.

Honestly, I'm not usually a huge fan of cream sauces. But as a shrimp lover, walking past shrimp is just too hard to do. So I grabbed some right away and tried it — and bottom line: chili shrimp << cream shrimp. Next time I visit, I think I'll head straight for the cold jjamppong and the cream shrimp.

Another dish I couldn't skip was the haemul jaengban jjajang (seafood black bean noodles on a platter). There were several types of jjajangmyeon and this one was excellent too.

This is exactly where the appeal of a Chinese buffet comes through — being able to eat a little of many things. At a regular Chinese restaurant, you'd order one jjajangmyeon, one tangsuyuk, and that's it. But here I could have jjajang, jjamppong, shrimp, and tangsuyuk all in one sitting. When you have a lot you want to eat, a buffet is definitely the way to go.

I went back and forth grabbing bits of this and that throughout the meal. Surprisingly, I barely left anything unfinished each time. I guess that means a lot of the dishes really suited my taste.

Visiting in person, I understood why there were so many solo diners. With such a wide range of choices and the freedom to take only as much as you want, it's an easy place to eat alone without any pressure.

Final verdict: a place worth going back to

Overall, I was really happy with my visit to Harbin Chinese Buffet. The parking was spacious and convenient, and the restaurant itself was clean and roomy. The dishes kept changing, so even after multiple rounds there was always something new to discover, which was fun. I also liked that staff kept checking and maintaining the food.

Given that it's a Chinese buffet, I thought the price was reasonable too. But most importantly, I now have dishes I definitely want to eat again. Right now, what's stuck in my head the most is the cold jjamppong and the cream shrimp.

This place would suit anyone who loves Chinese food but finds it hard to settle for just one dish.👍👍 Officially recommended as a Yangju must-visit!