Songjeong Beach jjamppong restaurant, octopus set: Songjeong Dol

While looking for good places to eat near Songjeong Beach for our summer holiday, I found Songjeong Dol Jjamppong (송정돌짬뽕) and went. Honestly, this is only my second time in Songjeong, and the food here was so good that I came back again. The jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) arrives on a huge stone plate and it's a real treat, so let me tell you all about it below.

Can you walk from Songjeong Beach to Songjeong Dol Jjamppong?

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong sits at the far end of Songjeong Beach, on the first floor of a building at 67 Songjeonggwangeogol-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan. If you're staying near the beach, it's an easy walk. It's open daily 11:00 - 21:00, and there is parking in front of the restaurant too.

The way from the beach isn't hard. Climb up to the deck path that runs along the Haeundae Beach Train line and just keep following it, and you'll see a building with a red trim. The first floor of that building is Songjeong Dol Jjamppong.

Kind of like a secret door, right? Haha. Walk past the train track and there it is.

The entrance is on the first floor, so you can't miss it. The parking area in front is big enough too. If the lot is full, I'm told you can park in the alley uphill across the road.

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong is famous for serving jjamppong on a huge black stone plate. The banner outside already looks delicious, doesn't it? Let's head inside.

Inside Songjeong Dol Jjamppong: seating and a weekday lunch crowd

The restaurant itself is big and has a ton of seats. We came in at exactly 12pm on a weekday, an early lunch, and there were already lots of diners. By the time we left, even more people had arrived.

There are lots of 4-person and group tables in particular. It looks like a good spot for family gatherings or any larger get-together in Busan.

The country-of-origin labels are really witty, haha. "Domestic, no matter what it takes," "Imported costs more, so domestic," "Couldn't catch any, so Chinese" (T_T haha).

Every table has a tablet, so you can order right from your seat.

Handy touches for families with kids

Haeundae and Songjeong get a lot of families, so the restaurant even has a microwave for baby food. There's also warm barley tea and yogurt for dessert, and you can feel the owner's thoughtfulness.

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong has also been featured on MBC's Bravo.

Aprons and the self-serve corner

Aprons are a must at a jjamppong place!! They hang near the counter at Songjeong Dol Jjamppong, so be sure to put one on.

There's also a self-serve corner with scallion kimchi and danmuji (pickled yellow radish), which look like a great match for jjamppong. Take as much as you want.

We took a window seat with a wide-open view.

What did we order at Songjeong Dol Jjamppong?

The signature dishes here are of course the dol jjamppong (stone-plate jjamppong) and dol jjajang (stone-plate black bean noodles). We ordered the dol jjamppong on our first visit and again this time.

Ordering a set menu is a good idea too. We wanted the glutinous tangsuyuk (sweet and sour fried pork) as well, so this time we chose the dol jjamppong and glutinous tangsuyuk set.

How to eat dol jjamppong, and how the added octopus was

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong even has a recommended way to eat the dol jjamppong.

• While the stone plate is hot, mix the noodles with the tongs; once the broth soaks in, enjoy a richer, stir-fried jjamppong-like flavor.
• At the end, scrape up the scorched rice (nurungji) on the plate with the spatula!

Our dol jjamppong and glutinous tangsuyuk came out. The stone plate is piping hot and steaming. It isn't even on a burner, yet it keeps bubbling and bubbling..

Just like the instructions, I carefully mixed the bean sprouts without disturbing the scorched rice.

Last time I added a whole squid to the dol jjamppong, but this time I added one whole octopus. The huge octopus is snipped into pieces so the broth soaks in. The broth is still boiling.

Not just the octopus and bean sprouts, of course the amount of noodles is huge too. It's so good that I came back, and yet I was so full I left some noodles behind... The portion is really big. And naturally the broth is spicy and makes you keep reaching for the spoon.

When you finish, don't forget to scrape up all the scorched rice on the bottom too!

How was the glutinous tangsuyuk that came with the set?

The glutinous tangsuyuk we ordered in the set was really top quality too. The batter was super crispy and there was no off smell at all. Just a really delicious tangsuyuk.

Dip it into the separate sauce and soak it well, and it's seriously so good.

No matter how full you are, don't forget to grab the yogurt for dessert! A perfect finish, haha.

A must-stop near Songjeong Beach I want to visit again: Songjeong Dol Jjamppong

My first impression was so good that I'd vowed to come back whenever I'm in Songjeong, and this second visit also beat my expectations. The rich jjamppong broth simmered down on the hot stone plate, the bean sprouts and the scorched rice were the best :)

The crispy, chewy glutinous tangsuyuk was excellent too, and the spacious, comfortable hall, the baby-food microwave and the dessert yogurt showed the owner's care for customers, so I felt good the whole time! If you're looking for a good place near Songjeong Beach in Busan, or a date spot or family gathering venue near Haeundae, I recommend it :)