Yeoksam solo lunch jjamjjamyeon and rice refills: Jjamppong Jijon

Eating alone at lunchtime can be surprisingly awkward, right? Chinese food especially feels like something you're supposed to share with someone, and going solo makes you feel a bit self-conscious ㅠ So it's one of those meals I wanted to eat but couldn't quite bring myself to order alone.

But this time, while looking for a Yeoksam Station spot to eat solo, I tried Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch, and it turned out to be perfect for solo dining! Here's my review.

Where is Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch, and is there parking?

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch is at 21 Teheran-ro 10-gil, Building B, 2nd Floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It's a good walk from Yeoksam Station.

The restaurant is on the second floor. Parking is available too — both in-house and valet parking are offered.

Ordering jjamjjamyeon: two dishes in one bowl for a solo diner

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch has a varied menu and great value, and since I wanted to try two dishes on my own, I ordered jjamjjamyeon (half-jjamppong, half-jjajangmyeon).

The self-serve bar: banchan, unlimited rice, even hair ties

What I really loved about Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch was the self-serve bar. You can help yourself to as many banchan (side dishes) as you want! Being able to refill basics like danmuji or kimchi without feeling self-conscious made things really comfortable.

The self-serve bar had onion, danmuji, jjasai, and kkakdugi, and what I thought was a super thoughtful touch — even the hair ties were individually packaged, one by one! The owner here has great taste.

And you can also refill rice yourself, unlimited. If you're a big eater, you'll really appreciate this part. You can have noodles and then fill up on rice too, so it's great value.

Plum tea, yuzu tea and coffee at the self-serve dessert bar

After the meal, dessert was solid too. There were plum tea and yuzu tea dispensers, so you could have a warm cup after eating! Chinese food can feel a bit heavy afterward, but a cup of sweet-and-tangy yuzu tea really refreshed my palate haha.

Plus you could brew your own coffee, so I finished off the meal with a cup of coffee too. Having a self-serve dessert bar like this meant I didn't need to stop by a café afterward — really nice.

When you want both jjamppong and jjajang, nothing beats this. Going solo usually means agonizing over jjamppong or jjajang, but jjamjjamyeon solves that dilemma completely — perfect for solo diners!

How fast does the food come out at lunch?

Above all, the food came out really fast. Waiting a long time after ordering feels a bit awkward when eating alone, but here it arrived quickly right after I sat down. Perfect for eating quickly and heading out during a busy lunch hour.

How does the jjamjjamyeon taste? Smoky, sharp jjamppong broth

The taste exceeded expectations too! I took a spoonful of the jjamppong broth and the smoky wok-fired flavor hit immediately — that char from being properly stir-fried over high heat was deeply infused in the broth, and from the first bite I thought, this is it. The broth was spicy and deep, and I kept spooning up more.

The jjajang side was good too, sauce well mixed into the noodles, nicely salty. Enjoying both flavors in one jjamjjamyeon doubled my satisfaction.

There was one quail egg in there, and more pork and clam meat than I expected, which was satisfying. The refreshing broth flavor seemed to come from the clams. And the broth was so spicy haha — I'd been craving something spicy for a while, and this fully satisfied that craving.

Since it was my first visit, I went with the basic spice level, and even the basic was plenty spicy — so if you can't handle spice, stick with basic, but if you love spicy food like me, it'd be great to bump it up a level next time.

Is Jjamppong Jijon worth it for solo lunch? Final verdict

Cleaned both bowls — jjamppong and jjajang. To sum up from a solo diner's perspective: Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch has a layout where you feel completely comfortable eating alone! Food comes out fast, rice refills are unlimited, and with the tea and coffee dessert bar too, you can have a really satisfying meal solo. With so many office workers eating lunch alone these days, this is exactly the kind of place for that haha.

And of course, wrapping it up with a mix coffee at the end. If you're looking for a place to eat alone around Yeoksam, especially if you want a hearty filling meal, I recommend Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch. You get smoky jjamppong and enjoy two flavors with jjamjjamyeon, plus a full spread of banchan and rice from the self-serve bar! It's a comfortable place whether you go alone or with others, so if you're nearby, stop by 🤍