Cheongju Chinese restaurant for a post-flight jjamppong: Gyodong

Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch: the basics

Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch is a Chinese restaurant located at 44 Yeongunchoen-ro 133beon-gil, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju, South Korea, 1st floor. It's open weekdays 10:20–21:20 and weekends 10:20–20:20, with a break time from 15:00 to 16:00.

• My subjective rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5.0
• Deep-flavored jjamppong with shrimp, squid and scallops
• Jajangmyeon with plenty of sesame seeds for a nutty flavor
• Tangsuyuk with crispy texture and a tangy sauce that pairs well

On the day I landed at Cheongju Airport, right before heading home, I suddenly craved jjamppong — maybe because I'd come from far away, but that spicy hot broth was really calling to me. Since it's a Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju spot I visit often anyway, I didn't even hesitate and went straight to Gyodong Jjamppong. I've been so many times that whenever I crave Cheongju jjamppong, this is where I end up 😃

Easy to spot from the alley, but where do you park?

Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch was easy to spot from the alley thanks to its big red sign. There's no dedicated parking lot though, so I had to park in the nearby alley.

Once I got there, the big red sign made it easy to find. The exterior also had some text about Gyodong Jjamppong — reading about their long-aged noodles and rich broth already got me excited before I even walked in haha.

Parking is always a bit of a concern when looking for a Chinese restaurant in Yongjeong-dong, right? There's no dedicated lot here either, so I had to park in the nearby alley.

I looked around a bit and found an open spot to park. If you're visiting this Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju spot, it might help to know this in advance.

Wide-spaced tables inside Gyodong Jjamppong

Inside Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch, there are several tables but they're not crammed together. The wide spacing between tables made the meal feel spacious rather than cramped.

Walking in, the first thing that greeted me was a sign saying 'Welcome, this is Gyodong Jjamppong' haha.

There were several tables, but they weren't packed tightly together, so it was comfortable to sit. With plenty of space from the neighboring tables, eating didn't feel cramped and it was easy to chat too.

Among Chinese restaurants in Yongjeong-dong, this kind of wide table spacing seems great for group visits too 😃 Overall, it had the vibe of a comfortable neighborhood Chinese restaurant.

The Gyodong Jjamppong menu, from spice levels to unusual dishes

The menu at Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch includes not just jjamppong and jajangmyeon but also dishes like woosamgyeop jjamppong hot pot and mini tangsuyuk. The spice level of the jjamppong can be adjusted to taste.

Looking at the menu, there was a lot more than just jjamppong and jajangmyeon. The jjamppong's spice level could also be adjusted to taste, which should be nice for people who can't handle very spicy food.

There were slightly unusual options like the woosamgyeop jjamppong hot pot, plus other Chinese dishes that caught my eye. In particular, the mini tangsuyuk seemed like a good side option for anyone worried about portion size haha. I liked that you could come for Cheongju jjamppong but also order other dishes alongside it.

The self-serve banchan bar: take as much as you need

On one side of Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch, there's a self-serve bar. Side dishes like danmuji and kimchi are self-serve, so if you run out, you just go grab more.

True to a Chinese restaurant, there was a separate self-serve bar on one side. Different types of bowls were all set up, and you could take as much as you needed.

Being able to take just as much as I planned to eat made it convenient haha. Sometimes at a Yongjeong-dong Chinese restaurant it's a bit awkward to ask for more side dishes, right? Here, thanks to the self-serve bar, there was no need for that.

Jajangmyeon with a nutty hit of sesame seeds

The jajangmyeon at Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch stands out for its generous sauce and heavy sesame topping. Mixing the noodles with the sauce, the nutty flavor of the sesame really came through.

The jajangmyeon arrived with a generous amount of sauce right from the start. What stood out was how much sesame was mixed in. When I mixed the noodles and sauce evenly and took a bite, the nutty sesame flavor really came through haha.

The jajang sauce and the nutty sesame flavor went together better than I expected. When I visit this Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju spot I usually go for jjamppong, but the jajangmyeon was great to eat alongside it too.

If just eating Cheongju jjamppong feels like it's not enough, ordering a jajangmyeon to share would be a good idea too 😃

Jjamppong broth deep with seafood and pork

The jjamppong at Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch is generously loaded with seafood like shrimp, squid and scallops, plus meat. The broth was spicy and quite deep in flavor, and the noodles held up well without going mushy.

The reason I keep coming back is really the jjamppong haha. Tasting the broth first, it's spicy yet has quite a deep flavor. There was a generous amount of seafood like shrimp, squid and scallops in it!

With meat added on top of that, the broth tasted even richer. The noodles were chewy without feeling mushy, which went well with the broth.

If you're looking for Cheongju jjamppong, I think you'll like this style with both seafood and meat together. This jjamppong flavor is also the reason I keep coming back to this Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju spot haha.

Tangsuyuk let down slightly by its thick sauce

The tangsuyuk at Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch was crispy rather than soggy. However, the sauce was thick and rich, which made it a bit hard to dip.

With the first bite of tangsuyuk, the crispiness was immediately noticeable. I liked that the outside was crisp rather than soggy haha. The sauce wasn't overly sweet either — it was pleasantly tangy and paired well with the tangsuyuk.

The one slight downside was that I like dipping my tangsuyuk, but the sauce was thick and rich, which made dipping a bit difficult. Still, the crispy texture of the tangsuyuk itself was great. If you're looking for a dish to pair with jjamppong at a Yongjeong-dong Chinese restaurant, this combination worked well.

A Gyodong Jjamppong meal worth coming back for

Before heading home from Cheongju Airport, it was great to stop by this Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju spot for a hearty meal haha. From jjamppong to jajangmyeon to tangsuyuk, everything was satisfying overall, and I know I'll be back whenever I crave Cheongju jjamppong.

Who should eat at Gyodong Jjamppong

• Anyone looking for spicy, deep-flavored Cheongju jjamppong
• Fans of jjamppong loaded with seafood and meat
• Anyone looking for a comfortable Chinese restaurant in Yongjeong-dong
• Anyone searching for a good spot in Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju