Yeoksam Chinese: seafood jjamppong & crispy yuringi, Jjamppong Jijon

I'm a happy person in a land of jjamppong lovers~ Today I'm introducing Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch (짬뽕지존 역삼점), a Chinese restaurant near Yeoksam Station that's great for a hearty meal.

• Name: Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch
• Address: 21 Teheran-ro 10-gil, Building B, 2nd floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• Hours: 10:00-21:00
• Parking: large parking area in front of the shop / valet available for ₩3,000
• Quick note: a Chinese lunch spot near Yeoksam Station, clean and good for both solo meals and team dinners

Yeoksam is full of office workers, so at lunch or dinner time it's often hard to decide where to go. Jjamppong Jijon, which I visited this time, left me very satisfied thanks to its good food and a roomy space that works for solo diners as well as group gatherings and company dinners.

Where is Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch and how do you get up there?

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch is on the 2nd floor of a building on Teheran-ro 10-gil near Yeoksam Station, so it's handy for office workers at lunch and convenient for dinner after work too.

You go up the open staircase on the right side of the building. On rainy days or whenever you crave a fiery soup, jjamppong is the first thing that comes to mind, and since jjamppong is the signature dish here, as the name says, I came with high expectations.

What are the dining room and self-bar like?

The 2nd-floor dining room was much bigger and more pleasant than I expected. There's plenty of space, so everyone from solo diners to big groups can eat comfortably.

The tables are spaced out so it doesn't feel cramped, and everything was kept clean. What impressed me most was the self-bar.

Side dishes and rice are free to help yourself to, neatly kept, and there's even coffee, which is a nice way to finish the meal.

They also keep hair ties out, a thoughtful touch for guests with long hair. Small details like this really add to how satisfying a visit feels.

How spicy is the signature jjamppong, and how's the broth?

This time I ordered the signature jjamppong and the yuringi (crispy fried chicken with sweet-sour sauce).

One mouthful of the broth and I immediately understood why it's the signature dish. Jjamppong can sometimes be harshly spicy or very salty, but this one wasn't. The broth is cool and deep in flavor, with a moderately thick body, so my spoon kept going back for more.

The spice level isn't excessive, so I think even people who don't handle spicy food well could enjoy it without worry. Above all, it's generously loaded with seafood, which makes eating it fun. Squid and all kinds of seafood are packed in, making the broth even richer.

The noodle texture was also quite good. They weren't mushy and kept a nice springiness, so with the broth the balance was great. For jjamppong lovers, this is a very satisfying level of quality.

Is the yuringi crispy outside and juicy inside?

The yuringi I ordered with the jjamppong was also better than I expected.

The coating stayed crunchy while the inside was still juicy, and the meat was tender. The key to yuringi is the sauce, and this distinctive sweet-sour sauce went well with the fried chicken, so I could enjoy it without feeling greasy.

The jjamppong and yuringi combo was really good. You get a soup dish and a crispy fried dish together, so it's a combination I especially recommend when two people visit.

Is Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch also good for a Yeoksam team dinner?

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch isn't just a lunch place. Thanks to the large space, it's good for office team dinners and suits gatherings of many people.

It's easy to drop in alone for a bowl of jjamppong, and also good to come with coworkers, so I think it's a very versatile restaurant~

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch: overall verdict

If you're craving good Chinese food near Yeoksam Station, Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch is definitely worth a visit. The signature jjamppong impressed me with its cool yet deep broth, and the mix of varied seafood and chewy noodles worked well. The yuringi was a textbook crispy-outside, juicy-inside dish, and the sauce was delicious too, so I was very satisfied.

With the clean, well-kept shop, roomy space, self-bar and coffee, and friendly service, it's a place I'd want to come back to. I recommend it to anyone looking for a solo meal near Yeoksam Station, office workers hunting for a Chinese lunch, and anyone planning a team dinner in Yeoksam.