Weekday lunch jjamppong-bap with peppery broth in Cheongju: Gyodong

Today I was craving a really spicy, hearty broth, so I headed to [ Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch ] in Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju! Starting my review of [ Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch ] now!

Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch: location, hours and parking

Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch is on the 1st floor of 44 Yeongunchoen-ro 133beon-gil, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do. Hours are 10:20–21:20 (break time 15:00–16:00 / last order 21:00), and there's no dedicated parking lot, but you can park in the alley.

We visited on a weekday during lunchtime, and since a lot of the nearby shops weren't open yet, we parked right in front of the restaurant!

Jajangmyeon for 6,000 won — are these menu prices real?

As soon as we walked in we saw the menu board, and I was seriously shocked by the prices! In this era of crazy inflation, a bowl of jajangmyeon for ₩6,000 — is that for real??

My boyfriend works a driving job, on-site labor, so he's always outside for work and has to eat lunch at restaurants! He's complained before about how expensive lunch always is, so finding a place this cheap is such a relief...!!!!

The menu had a good number of items too — not so many it felt overwhelming, but not too few either. Just the right amount!

There were also a bunch of seasonal items not on the printed menu! Alongside the meal items, there were quite a lot of dishes clearly meant to go with drinks too!

They bring out basic banchan (side dishes) automatically, and if you need more, there's a self-serve bar for that! Being a weekday lunch, delivery orders seemed to be nonstop — honestly, I think I've mostly eaten Chinese food via delivery too, haha!

What two people ordered for 29,500 won

We ordered jjamppong-bap for ₩9,500, jajangmyeon for ₩6,000, and mini glutinous tangsuyuk for ₩14,000. Total: ₩29,500! Isn't that incredibly cheap for a full meal?

Mini glutinous tangsuyuk, 14,000 won: is it really mini?

Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch's mini glutinous tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour pork) is ₩14,000, but the portion is so big I had to wonder if "mini" was the right word. Even in the photo, it looks like a lot, right..?

There was even red cabbage mixed into the tangsuyuk sauce! First time I've seen red cabbage in a tangsuyuk sauce!!! The sauce was sweet and paired perfectly with the tangsuyuk, haha.

The tangsuyuk pieces are genuinely huge. Like, really; ; The batter was thin and the meat chunks were big, so it had a really satisfying bite, haha. If you go to Gyodong Jjamppong, you have to order the tangsuyuk!!!!!

Jjamppong-bap, 9,500 won: fiery broth with a strong pepper kick

Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch's jjamppong-bap is ₩9,500, and the broth is spicy with a really strong pepper aroma.

As soon as the jjamppong-bap arrived I tried a spoonful of broth — wow, totally spicy! I'm pretty weak with spice, but it wasn't overwhelming — just the right kind of delicious spicy, haha. The pepper flavor is really strong! I'm a pepper fanatic so I loved it, haha.

Even though it's called jjamppong-bap (rice), there were quite a lot of noodles mixed in too, so I felt like I was going to burst... As expected of Gyodong Jjamppong, the jjamppong flavor was amazing! I hadn't even been drinking but it felt like the ultimate hangover cure, haha.

Jajangmyeon, 6,000 won: why it beats the delivery version

Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch's jajangmyeon is ₩6,000. The price is seriously so low that honestly I didn't expect much!?

But wow, it was hard to believe this was only ₩6,000. Honestly I even wondered if they're making any profit on it!

Can you see the shine on the jajangmyeon? T_T Eating it with the tangsuyuk was seriously amazing. There was also chili powder on the side, so sprinkling that on the jajangmyeon made it even tastier! As expected, jajangmyeon really is better eaten fresh in the restaurant than delivered. It was way tastier than when we've had it delivered before!

Gyodong Jjamppong in Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju: the verdict

Today we ate ourselves absolutely full at Gyodong Jjamppong in Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju! We ate so much that even five hours later I'm still not hungry! Cheap prices, big portions — this is genuinely a great value spot!

Delivery is delicious too, of course, but eating it fresh at the restaurant is even better! The tangsuyuk especially was so piping hot and delicious, haha. Since it's a fried dish, the oil quality really matters — and it seemed like they always fry with fresh oil! The jjamppong had a ton of meat and the noodles were really chewy too!!

Both the jajangmyeon and the jjamppong were delicious, but I recommend the jjamppong!! The broth was genuinely amazing, haha, I couldn't stop eating it. If you're looking for a great-value restaurant in Yongjeong-dong, Cheongju, you have to visit Gyodong Jjamppong Yongjeong Branch! Just a heads up, it can get busy at lunchtime! And if anyone's hungover, go go go get some jjamppong to cure it ~~~~ (the alcohol just melts right away)