Newly opened Chinese restaurant lunch in Cheomdan, Gwangju: Mayway

I heard a proper new Chinese restaurant had opened in Cheomdan and rushed over! It's been open less than two months, but there was a huge opening-event banner right at the entrance that caught my eye as I walked by. This is Mayway :)

Where is Mayway, and what are the parking and hours?

Mayway is a Chinese restaurant near Lotte Mart Cheomdan and Mustard Seed Church in Gwangju. It's open daily from 11:00 to 22:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00 and last order at 21:30.

• ⏰ Daily 11:00–22:00 / Break time 15:00–17:00, last order 21:30
• 🚗 Parking available behind the building / roadside parking in front on weekends
• ✔️ Group seating available / baby chairs available / QR code table ordering

Mayway is located near Lotte Mart Cheomdan. There's no dedicated parking lot, so just park in the nearby alleys.

Opening deal: 1,000-won tangsuyuk with two draft beers before 7 p.m.

If you visit before 7 p.m. and order two draft beers, tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) is just ₩1,000! I couldn't just walk past a deal like this haha. Since it just opened, I'd recommend visiting soon to catch the event.

Inside Mayway: dining room and QR code ordering

As you'd expect from a newly opened place, it was spotless with no greasy film anywhere, and the interior felt clean and stylish. There's a spacious hall seating area and generous group tables, so it works well for family meals or gatherings :) Each table is neatly set with vinegar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes,

and it was nice being able to order easily through the QR code.

Mayway's self-serve bar: scallion kimchi and free rice refills

Mayway's self-serve bar has a good variety: pickled radish, onion, black bean sauce, scallion kimchi, macaroni salad, and corn. The scallion kimchi is an absolute bomb with jjajangmyeon 👍 And next to the self-serve bar there's a big rice cooker with free refills! This was honestly the best value point haha.

Order complete: signature stone-griddle jjajang, solo set meal (jjajang + jjamppong + tangsuyuk), and menbosha

Signature stone-griddle jjajang: how smoky is it?

For the stone-griddle jjajang, they check the temperature of the griddle before bringing it out.

Once the heated stone griddle is set down and the hot jjajang is poured right on top, the sizzling sound and the smoky aroma that spreads are pure art. I'd been looking forward to this even before visiting, since a veteran chef with 30 years of experience runs the kitchen! Apparently they use house-made noodles for extra chewiness and cook everything to order on the spot, using a black bean sauce that's roasted in-house to bring out deep umami and smoky flavor.

Eating it, I could really feel that 30 years of skill in the deep smoky flavor — it's genuinely different. Definitely a cut above~!

Sizzling stone-griddle jjajang

Since the noodles are house-made, they were definitely bouncy and chewy, and the sauce clung to them well. Topped with a piece of scallion kimchi, I kept eating without ever feeling greasy, even when I was full.

Mixing rice into the leftover jjajang sauce

Once I'd eaten all the jjajang noodles and had leftover sauce, I brought over warm rice from the self-serve bar and mixed it all together. And it didn't stop there — I topped it with corn and macaroni too, and the chewy texture of the octopus along with the rich black bean sauce soaked into the rice, so I cleaned up this finishing bibimbap without a hitch.

What comes in Mayway's solo set meal (jjajang + jjamppong + tangsuyuk)

The solo set meal: jjajang + jjamppong + tangsuyuk. Being able to have both jjajang and jjamppong in a single-person set is perfect for a solo lunch visit :)

The jjamppong was packed with meat and vegetables, and the broth wasn't heavy — it stayed refreshing and spicy right to the last spoonful.

So much meat!

Instead of a harsh MSG-heavy taste, the broth's natural umami stood out, so I kept sipping it.

Delicious jjajangmyeon

Tangsuyuk at Mayway: crisp outside, tender inside

The tangsuyuk was so much better than I expected — I was genuinely surprised 😮

The batter was thin and the meat was thick, giving it a true crispy-outside, tender-inside texture. Dipped in the sweet and sour sauce, it made the perfect beer snack.

Taking the leftover menbosha home as a late-night snack

I ordered menbosha too, but by the time it came I felt like I was truly about to burst haha,

so I packed the leftover menbosha to go and ate it at home as a late-night snack. It was still delicious even reheated later. They packed it up right away for me!

Just as I was finishing up, they even brought out ice cream for dessert! This was my first time getting ice cream at a Chinese restaurant haha. The owner has great taste.

Who should eat at Mayway in Cheomdan?

• Anyone looking for a good lunch spot in Cheomdan
• Anyone who wants to catch the ₩1,000 tangsuyuk opening event
• Anyone wanting a proper Chinese meal
• Anyone looking for a spot for a family meal or group gathering

Highly recommend Mayway!