Dongtan cockle jjamppong noodle house: spice level 1 vs 2 taste test

One day in September I was stressed and suddenly craving something intense and spicy. I waited for my boyfriend to get off work and we headed to Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Dongtan Namgwangjang Branch, a jjamppong restaurant near our place. It's right at Dongtan's Namgwangjang, so it was close to both his office and our home.

Where is Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong in Dongtan, and where do you park?

Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Dongtan Namgwangjang Branch

• 📍 149 Nojak-ro, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• ⏰ 10:40–21:00 (last order 20:20)
• 🅿️ Parking: 1 hour free at Namgwangjang public parking lot

We parked at the Dongtan Namgwangjang public parking lot, and the restaurant was right in front of it. The place was bigger than I expected — honestly surprised me.

How long is the wait at 2pm on a weekday?

If there's a wait, you register at the Catch Table kiosk near the entrance counter or through the Catch Table app. We went on a weekday at 2pm and got seated right away with no waiting at all.

Solo seats: eating alone at Bultina in Dongtan

Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Dongtan Namgwangjang Branch has a good variety of seating. There are 2-tops and 4-tops for groups, plus dedicated solo seats — perfect for anyone in Dongtan looking to eat alone. If you're searching for a Dongtan jjamppong spot for solo dining, this is worth a visit.

Side dishes and the self-serve bar

The side dishes are pickled radish, onion, and chunjang (black bean paste), with refills available at the self-serve bar.

I like to drizzle vinegar over pickled radish and onion. My boyfriend's also a vinegar person, so he happily poured it on generously.

They also serve jajangmyeon (black bean noodles), tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), and fried dumplings, plus high chairs, kids' cutlery, and a kids' jajangmyeon — good for families with children. Prices are reasonable too, and everything is cooked to order with ingredients prepared in-house by the owner, apparently.

Extra pickled radish or onion plates, scissors, and disposable aprons are all at the self-serve bar.

The Dongtan branch of Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong was also running a receipt review event, which can be redeemed for fried dumplings to soothe a spicy mouth. But today we decided to fully commit to the jjamppong. Dongtan jjamppong, Bultina Kkomak.

Cockle jjamppong spice level 1 vs level 2: how hot is each?

My boyfriend ordered level 1, and I, feeling a bit adventurous, ordered level 2. We got one of each of the kkomak jjamppong at Bultina. The deep red broth hit us with a spicy aroma right away. Looking at them, I couldn't tell which was level 1 and which was level 2 — the staff pointed out which was which as they set them on the table.

As someone who regularly eats Buldak Bokkeum Myeon and always adds cheongyang chili to ramyeon, here's how I'd rate the spice:

• Level 1: Deliciously spicy. At first I thought "this is manageable," but the heat builds the more you eat. Spicier than Shin Ramyun.
• Level 2: Spicy from the very first spoonful of broth. About as spicy as yeoptteok (spicy tteokbokki) without the cheese. Great for blowing off stress — but don't order it if you can't handle spice!

* Spice levels go up to 4, with level 1 being the mildest and the heat intensifying with each level.

The noodles, the cockles and the broth

The noodles, vegetables, and toppings were generous. There's also a jjamppong rice option, which apparently comes with a smaller portion of noodles. One sip of the broth and I already wanted to mix it with rice. Next time I visit I'll have to try the jjamppong rice.

There were plenty of clams and cockles, with small bits of pork scattered throughout.

The broth is made with onion, cabbage, cockles, clams, and pork, which probably explains why it's rich yet clean-tasting — I liked that. It was a touch salty though, enough that I felt like I needed to drink a lot of water. The chewiness of the clams and the subtle sweetness of the cockle meat were both quietly delicious.

Level 2 won in the end

My boyfriend, who ordered level 1, slurped his whole bowl down with no trouble. I, who ordered level 2, took on the spice challenge and lost. This Dongtan jjamppong, Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong, is the kind of place to stop by when stress makes you crave something spicy, when the cold weather has you wanting something fiery, or when you just want jjamppong by yourself. I think I'll be thinking about it again soon.