À la carte weekend lunch at Gupo Jjambbong, Busan Chinese restaurant

My husband and I went for weekend lunch at Gupo Jjambbong, a well-known restaurant in the Gupo area of Busan! I'd actually been here a few times before it changed its name — it's a genuine local favorite among Gupo residents. But I don't think I'd ever been here with my husband, so we finally checked it out.

Location and hours of Gupo Jjambbong Gupo Main Branch

• 1F, 48 Sirang-ro, Buk-gu, Busan, South Korea (Gupo Jjambbong)
• Every day 11:00 - 21:00
• Delivery and takeout available, parking on site

Public parking is easier on weekends

There are about 4 parking spots beside the restaurant, but since we went on a weekend, there was no space left. So we parked at a nearby public parking lot instead.

Gupo Jjambbong is a Chinese restaurant where the course menu is really substantial and delicious. This time, though, we decided to skip the course and try a few different à la carte dishes instead.

They also say you can use the high oil price subsidy here.

Interior and menu board

True to its reputation as a Gupo favorite, the place was fully booked... We had a reservation, so luckily we got seated right away, but if you visit on weekends or during peak hours without booking, keep in mind you might have to wait.

We had originally planned to get the course, but since my husband had overdone it drinking the night before, we decided to order à la carte instead.

They also have recommended menu signs and receipt reviews posted up.

What we ordered à la carte: octopus abalone jjambbong, solo jjangban jjajang, eggplant fritters, mini tangsuyuk

Since it's a well-known Gupo spot, I agonized over what to order, but having been here several times already, I knew the tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) and eggplant fritters were non-negotiable. For the main dishes, we each picked one we felt like eating, haha.

How was the solo jjangban jjajang?

The egg came out perfectly soft-boiled. I thought jjangban jjajang (black bean noodles on a platter) would come on an actual tray-shaped dish, but it wasn't that, haha. Still, you could tell the ingredients had just been freshly stir-fried. Everything looked really fresh.

There are so many Chinese restaurants these days that get jjajang wrong, but Gupo Jjambbong nails it from the start. It's not just sweet — you can really taste the savory depth, which makes it a true Gupo favorite.

It's delicious as is, but sprinkling in a good amount of chili powder and eating it thick and rich is more my style! I wanted to mix in rice too but held back... ㅠ

Octopus abalone jjambbong is pure restorative food

The octopus abalone jjambbong was truly restorative food itself.

Because the noodles are made with cordyceps mushroom powder and bean powder, they were noticeably chewier than at other jjambbong places. The broth is also made with various medicinal herbs and cordyceps mushroom, giving it a clean, deep flavor unlike a typical Chinese restaurant — a real standout among Gupo jjambbong spots. My husband, still hungover, mostly just worked through the broth. ㅠ

So I ended up eating all the chewy octopus, abalone, shrimp, and other seafood myself, haha. The noodles were so chewy and delicious, and it was a shame my husband couldn't properly enjoy them because of his hangover. He said the broth was refreshing and delicious, but he was sad he couldn't really taste the toppings because of it. (We agreed to go back again... ^^)

A must-order: eggplant fritters

If you visit Gupo Jjambbong, you absolutely have to order the eggplant fritters. They're seriously delicious — a flavor even eggplant-haters would like.

Crispy outside, tender inside, exactly as it should be...! Dip it in the accompanying soy sauce and it's game over. Please, please order this... it's genuinely amazing.

Mini tangsuyuk: sauce-poured beats dipping

The tangsuyuk here is delicious too...! I figured ordering everything would be way too much, but I couldn't give up tangsuyuk, so I ordered it anyway, haha. The staff told us the tangsuyuk here tastes better sauce-poured rather than dipped, so we went with sauce-poured.

The tangsuyuk sauce plus soy sauce combo is great, but topping it with wasabi is really good too. If you like a drink, this might be a dish that makes you crave one.

Leftovers to go, and a promise to return

Because of my husband's hangover, we packed up the leftover tangsuyuk and eggplant to take home, and once his stomach settled, he ate it properly that evening, haha. He was so disappointed he couldn't fully enjoy the meal because of his hangover, so we agreed to come back again once he's feeling normal... ^^

Gupo Jjambbong, a Gupo favorite I've visited more times than I can count! The course menu is great value and lets you enjoy a wide variety of dishes, while the à la carte menu lets you eat a bit more generously. If you love Chinese food, definitely make time to visit.