Gaya-dong Chinese restaurant fried rice set with soju: Surabanjeom

Across from a bus terminus, Surabanjeom is a Chinese restaurant where all three dishes in the set menu were delicious.

Where is Surabanjeom Gaya Branch? A Gaya-dong Chinese restaurant across from the bus terminus

Surabanjeom Gaya Branch is located at 143 Eomgwang-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan, right across from a bus terminus. There's a bus stop directly opposite the restaurant, with buses visible nearby and mountains in the background. Unlike flashier commercial streets, the whole scene had a relaxed, everyday feel — the kind of place you'd casually stop by for a meal. Even the exterior gave off that friendly, unintimidating neighborhood-restaurant vibe.

Surabanjeom Gaya Branch / 143 Eomgwang-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan

Waiting for food, you naturally start noticing the other customers around you. At this place, people kept streaming in the whole time we were eating, which gave the sense that this is somewhere locals return to often. Once I tried the set menu myself, I could taste exactly why.

What is the atmosphere like inside Surabanjeom Gaya Branch?

Walking into Surabanjeom Gaya Branch, the paintings on the wall caught my eye first — a long row of artwork depicting noodle-making and food preparation, which made just looking around the space fun. The wooden tables paired with the wall art created a comfortable atmosphere. Even while we were choosing our order, the tables around us kept eating away.

The review event menu lineup is great, definitely worth doing.

What stood out most was how varied the customers were — some dining solo, others there with family. It didn't feel like a place catering to one particular crowd, but more like somewhere people naturally think of whenever they need a meal nearby.

I found myself thinking it might also be a popular spot for hiking groups. I didn't actually confirm that any hiking club regulars eat here, but the atmosphere would suit a group meal before or after a hike really well. More than anything, watching customers keep arriving throughout our meal made it clear plenty of people come back regularly.

What comes in the set: fried rice, tangsuyuk and jjamppong

This time I ordered the set menu at Surabanjeom Gaya Branch, which let me try fried rice, tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), and jjamppong all together. At a Chinese restaurant you always want rice, but then you crave noodles too, and start debating what side dish to add — so being able to enjoy several things at once was really satisfying. In the end, all three dishes were equally good, with no single one stealing the spotlight.

Shrimp fried rice with jjajang sauce on the side

The fried rice at Surabanjeom Gaya Branch was loaded with shrimp and finely diced ingredients mixed through the rice, with a generous portion of jjajang (black bean) sauce served alongside. Tasting the fried rice's savory flavor on its own first, then adding a bit of jjajang sauce, let me switch up the flavor within a single plate. You know that classic Chinese-restaurant fried rice feeling? The rice was perfectly fluffy and genuinely delicious.

This is a fried rice I'll definitely order again next time. Since jjamppong broth comes with it too, if I ever go solo, I love jjajang and jjamppong, but I'd still recommend the fried rice.

Mini tangsuyuk at Surabanjeom: portion, flavor and how it goes with soju

Even though the set comes with 'mini' tangsuyuk, it was plenty for two people to share alongside the main dishes — the portion is nowhere near small. The golden, crisply fried tangsuyuk caught my eye right away. Just seeing the fried pork on the plate kept pulling my chopsticks back to it even while eating the other dishes. The savory crunch of the batter combined with the meat's flavor made this side dish just as satisfying as the mains.

With tangsuyuk, how much of the fried batter's own flavor comes through matters a lot to me, and this place nailed that. Alongside the fun of dipping into the sauce, I could still taste the distinct flavor of the tangsuyuk itself. Alternating a spoonful of fried rice with a piece of tangsuyuk was such a good combo that my hand kept reaching for both throughout the meal. My chopsticks never stopped moving.

I ended up having a glass of soju too — honestly, couldn't resist. The tangsuyuk meat was tender and not the least bit chewy, making it the perfect drinking snack.

Jjamppong broth and noodles: the one letdown

The jjamppong at Surabanjeom Gaya Branch also had that distinct, unmistakable flavor. It was fun eating the broth, noodles, and toppings together, and it paired nicely between bites of fried rice or tangsuyuk. After eating something savory, a sip of jjamppong broth reset my palate, which let me keep alternating between all three dishes right to the end. Going straight from tangsuyuk to jjamppong broth suits my style perfectly.

It was packed with seafood and had exactly the jjamppong broth flavor I like. The noodles weren't quite my style, but the other dishes more than made up for it.

Final verdict on the Surabanjeom Gaya Branch set menu

What I liked most about this meal was how balanced the set menu was. When several dishes come together, one or two can sometimes feel like an afterthought, but here all three were genuinely good. The fried rice held its own, the tangsuyuk held its own, and the jjamppong held its own — each with its own distinct flavor, making the set well worth ordering.