Busan Chinese restaurant, scorched rice jjamppong: Songjeong Dol

I went for a drive out toward the sea and was thinking about where to grab lunch, and this time I decided to try something a little special. That's Songjeong Dol Jjamppong, a restaurant near Songjeong Beach in Busan that serves jjamppong bubbling away on a hot stone plate.

Songjeong Beach is one of Busan's top spots for enjoying the sea, so there are tons of restaurants around it. This time I visited Songjeong Dol Jjamppong, known for its stone-plate jjamppong, because I was curious. Alright, let's go check it out together, come on come on.

What kind of place is Songjeong Dol Jjamppong?

This is a famous restaurant that's been featured on several TV shows.

Waiting at 3pm and where to park

There's a CatchTable kiosk at the entrance of Songjeong Dol Jjamppong. This place gets pretty busy, so if there's no seat available, register through the kiosk and wait.

The waiting area is this spacious. Makes you wonder just how much waiting happens here, haha. I visited close to 3pm today, so luckily there was only one table waiting.

There's also parking available, which is convenient if you're driving. From what I searched, parking is available both in front of and behind the restaurant, so drivers might want to keep that in mind.

The country-of-origin labeling is clearly posted too.

Oh, what a great quote.

There are framed photos of the TV appearances all around the restaurant. It got me more and more excited.

Aprons, the self-serve corner and coming with kids

First things first — an apron is essential before eating the jjamppong.

There's even a microwave for baby food. And post-meal yogurt too. Please only take one each.

What we ordered: medium scorched rice stone-plate jjamppong and sweet rice tangsuyuk

Among the many menu items, we ordered two: the medium scorched rice stone-plate jjamppong and the 24-hour aged sweet rice tangsuyuk.

There's a guide posted on how to eat the stone-plate jjamppong and jajangmyeon deliciously. It really is tastier if you follow it, so give it a try.

There's a Naver review event going on, so leave a review and get a little extra.

If you can't handle spicy food, I'd recommend the stone-plate jajangmyeon or the level 1 basic jjamppong.

These are the side dishes.

You can grab more side dishes from the self-serve corner. There was even green onion kimchi there.

How does jjamppong bubbling on a stone plate taste?

Ta-da, our order came out quickly.

The biggest difference from a typical jjamppong was definitely the bowl it came in. The broth was bubbling away on a hot stone plate, so it caught my eye the moment it hit the table.

Steam rose up with a faint smoky char flavor, and it was packed with seafood and vegetables. What really stands out is that the stone plate keeps giving off heat even after the food arrives, so you can eat it warm all the way to the last bite. There were plenty of bean sprouts in there too, so mix it all together well before eating.

Since the broth on the stone plate reduces fast, taste the broth first. We ordered a portion that was good for two people, and at the bottom of the jjamppong was a layer of nutty scorched rice, which made it a different kind of fun compared to a regular noodle dish. Eating the noodles first and then gently scraping up the scorched rice at the bottom added a nutty flavor that was quite unique. The umami from the seafood, the refreshing flavor of the vegetables, and the smoky char all combined to make the broth pretty rich overall.

Pairing it with the 24-hour aged sweet rice tangsuyuk

What caught my eye about the tangsuyuk was that it's aged for 24 hours right from the name. The batter was crispy while still having that chewy texture unique to sweet rice, making it a great pairing with the jjamppong.

The spicy, rich flavor of the jjamppong broth went really well with the nutty, chewy texture of the tangsuyuk. If two of you are visiting, I think ordering one stone-plate dish plus tangsuyuk together would be a great combo.

Freshly made tangsuyuk especially has that crispy texture still intact, so I'd recommend eating it while it's warm.

You get one bowl of rice for free. Mixing it into the jjamppong is genuinely delicious. I ate it so fast I didn't even get a photo, haha.

A light palate cleanser with cola.

Since the food isn't pre-made, it takes a bit of time. Please be patient and understanding.

Is Songjeong Dol Jjamppong worth it?

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong had a charm a little different from what you'd typically expect from a Chinese restaurant. The jjamppong kept bubbling on the hot stone plate, filled with seafood and vegetables, and with the scorched rice added on top, the whole process of eating a single bowl was genuinely fun. Ordering the crispy tangsuyuk alongside made it even more satisfying since the two dishes had such different textures and flavors.

If you're looking at Songjeong Beach and searching for somewhere nearby to eat, this is a place worth stopping by at least once. If you're hunting for good food near Songjeong Beach in Busan and want something a bit different from an ordinary jjamppong, I'd recommend trying the scorched rice stone-plate jjamppong enjoyed hot straight off the stone.

• Name: Songjeong Dol Jjamppong
• Address: 67 Songjeonggwanghogol-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea, 1st floor
• Hours: 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:30–17:00, last order 20:00)
• Parking: Available