Chinese restaurant near Yeongnamnu, 50-min holiday wait: Milyang Dol

The weekend came, and I wanted some fresh air and a really good meal to heal myself, so we drove to Milyang!

How long is the holiday wait at Milyang Dol Jjamppong?

When we visited Milyang Dol Jjamppong (밀양돌짬뽕) on the first day of the holiday, there were 17 teams ahead of us and we waited about 50 minutes in total. I was told the wait was especially long that day. I'd heard plenty of word-of-mouth that it's hard to get a taste without waiting, but the long line still surprised me the moment we arrived.

Milyang Dol Jjamppong parking: 4 spaces in front and a public lot

There's room for about 4 cars in front of Milyang Dol Jjamppong, and a big public parking lot one minute away on foot, so parking and visiting was easy. Our family came on the first day of the holiday, with 17 teams ahead of us. We waited about 50 minutes in total! I was told the wait was especially long that day.

There's waiting space in front of and beside the restaurant, so we could wait out of the sun. Maybe because the weather had turned cooler, the breeze felt lovely, and the delicious smells made the waiting fun 💕

Inside Milyang Dol Jjamppong and the self-serve bar

The inside of Milyang Dol Jjamppong was much bigger and more comfortable than it looked from outside :-D The tables are spaced generously, so you can focus on your meal without worrying about bumping into other guests.

Along one wall there's a neatly kept self-bar, freshly stocked with pickled radish, onions and zesty green onion kimchi. Rice refills are free too, so if you're still hungry you can make jjajang rice or jjamppong rice.

Why Milyang Dol Jjamppong works for family meals with kids

The best part for me: Milyang Dol Jjamppong has children's tableware, a microwave for baby food and baby chairs. We didn't have a child with us, but with so many tourists in Milyang, I think it would be great for a family meal on a family trip.

Ordering stone jjajang, whole squid stone jjamppong and dontang: how long is the wait for food?

As soon as we sat down, no deliberating needed: we ordered the signature stone jjajang (black bean noodles on a hot stone plate) and whole squid stone jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), plus dontang (fried pork cutlet), a bit of everything.

Stone-plate cooking takes a little while, and I think it took about 15 minutes. Because of the stone plate, the food stays hot to the very end, which I loved.

How does the whole squid stone jjamppong taste?

The whole squid stone jjamppong at Milyang Dol Jjamppong arrived in a fierce red, a total looker. On top of the thick, deep-red broth lay one plump squid, scored neatly with knife cuts, whole.

I lifted the big squid with tongs and started cutting it with scissors. Whole squid, cut into bite-size pieces ❤️

The hefty jjamppong broth hit the tip of my tongue with a sharp, deep smoky wok flavor, followed by a cool, clean ocean umami that slid heavily down my throat.

It wasn't a stuffy kind of spicy, but a hot, refreshing heat that opens you right up! I slurped the springy noodles and the spicy broth was so good.

Beads of sweat formed on my forehead and I still couldn't stop my chopsticks (●'◡'●)

Do the stone jjajang noodles go soggy on the hot stone plate?

The stone jjajang at Milyang Dol Jjamppong arrived on an imposing stone plate. The moment it hit the table it sizzled and crackled, sending up white steam. Thanks to the plate's fierce heat, the black bean sauce clung chewily to the noodles and glistened ❤️

I blew on it and pushed the first mouthful in. It wasn't an artificial sweetness: a refined mellow sweetness and the rich, salty savoriness of the black bean paste were in fantastic balance.

The noodles didn't go soggy even on the stone plate and wrapped nicely with every bite! The sauce was generously packed with big pieces of squid and cocktail shrimp.

Stone jjajang with green onion kimchi, and scorched rice from the stone plate

I piled green onion kimchi from the self-bar, wrapped a piece around the jjajang noodles and popped it in. The spicy green onion aroma and the rich jjajang sauce made a great umami :-D

After I'd picked up most of the noodles, I was full up to my chin, but then there was the nurungji (scorched rice crust) formed by the hot stone plate! I couldn't resist and ate it yum yum 💕

Does the set's dontang go well with jjajang and jjamppong?

The dontang that came as part of the Milyang Dol Jjamppong set was crisply fried and golden. Inside the freshly fried cutlet coating, the white pork was packed full.

It was light and nutty with no greasiness, and it seemed to go so well with the jjajangmyeon and jjamppong. Of course it was a perfect match with the sauce that came with it too, and eating it with onion kept it from feeling heavy, which was great!

Dessert and verdict: was the 50-minute wait at Milyang Dol Jjamppong worth it?

Milyang Dol Jjamppong even had dessert all set after the meal: coffee, candy and yogurt! The stone jjajang and whole squid stone jjamppong were so overwhelmingly good that the long wait didn't feel wasted at all, and everything about this Milyang outing meal satisfied us.

If we come to Milyang again, I'd go back without a second thought. Milyang Dol Jjamppong, a great restaurant near Yeongnamnu, is a strong recommendation for eating in Milyang!