Hwaseong Chinese restaurant rainy-day lunch: cockle jjamppong with

It rained all day. For some reason, days like this always make me crave hot soupy food. While trying to decide on lunch, I ended up at Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong near Namgwangjang in Dongtan.

Hours and parking info

• Closed every Monday
• Open Tue–Sun 10:40–21:00
• Last order at 20:20
• 90 minutes free parking at the Namgwangjang public surface lot

I go to the Namgwangjang area pretty often since there are a lot of good restaurants there, but quite a few of them have annoying parking. This place was easy to park at, which was great — especially on a rainy day. When I'm with my kid, even the walk from the car to the restaurant can be a bit of a hassle, so having stress-free parking here made me like the place even more. If you're looking for somewhere to eat at Namgwangjang that also has easy parking, this could be a real plus for you.

The lunchtime vibe on a rainy day

The interior was pretty clean, and since it was lunchtime, there were quite a lot of customers. Maybe because of the rain, everyone seemed to be craving warm soup dishes — I saw plenty of other people who'd come for jjamppong just like me. Overall the atmosphere was comfortable and the tables weren't cramped, so it was a nice place to eat.

It felt a bit busy during lunch, but that just told me it's a popular local spot. It seemed like exactly the kind of place you'd want to visit when you're craving a warm, spicy bowl of soup on a rainy day. Maybe it was the weather, but I was craving jjamppong more than usual that day :) I ordered the signature cockle jjamppong.

Cockle jjamppong — just how many cockles are we talking?

The first thing that caught my eye when the food arrived was the amount of cockles. Even places that call their dish "cockle jjamppong" sometimes skimp on the actual cockles, but here they were genuinely generous. I'd be eating noodles and find a cockle, spoon up some broth and find another — I kept thinking, "wait, there are still more?" It felt like no matter how much I ate, the cockles just kept coming, so cockle lovers should be very happy here. And personally, what I liked most was the broth.

A smoky broth and chewy noodles

The first spoonful hit me with a strong smoky wok-hei flavor. That smokiness gave the broth the deep, distinctive taste that great jjamppong has, and it blended beautifully with the fresh, briny taste of the seafood. The noodles held their chewy texture without getting mushy, which made everything taste even better together. It wasn't a broth that was harsh or just spicy for spice's sake — the smoky flavor and umami came through together, so I kept going back for more. Eating it on a rainy day made it taste even better. And with so many cockles packed in, I stayed satisfyingly full all the way through.

They even give you free fried dumplings if you write a receipt review. I was so full after just the jjamppong that I didn't touch the dumplings..!!! The portions are really generous.

Self-serve bar and family-friendly touches

There's a self-serve bar with onions and pickled radish, and the aprons are disposable, which felt nice and hygienic. Lately when I eat out I pay close attention to whether the value matches the price, and this place gave a generous portion with plenty of main ingredients, so it felt like a really satisfying meal. Since they have a kids' jajangmyeon, I saw a lot of families with children too. I'm thinking of coming back with my kid next time.

Overall thoughts

If you're craving hot soup on a rainy day, or want jjamppong with that smoky flavor, I'd recommend visiting. There's a single-seat counter if you want to eat alone quietly, and with the kids' jajangmyeon and high chair, it's also a good spot to bring along little ones.

If you're looking for a good jjamppong spot around Namgwangjang in Dongtan, give Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong a try. And if you love cockles, you might end up like me, muttering "just how many cockles are in here?" the whole time you eat :)