Yeoksam Chinese: jjamppong spice levels 1 to Hell, Jjamppong Jijon

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch (짬뽕지존 역삼점) · 21 Teheran-ro 10-gil, Building B, 2nd floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul · Open 10:00–21:00, last order 20:30

Some days you just crave a fiery, brothy dish, right? A blazing-hot kick that blows away work stress, paired with crispy fried food, is basically office-worker soul food. This time I visited Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch, which is known among Teheran-ro office workers in Gangnam as a hangover-cure holy ground and a great spot for eating alone near Yeoksam Station. Great wok flavor, an amazingly comfortable space and touching service: I loved it, so here's my review!

Which entrance do you use at Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch?

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch is on the 2nd floor of a building in an alley off Teheran-ro near Yeoksam Station, and you need to take the outdoor stairs on the right side of the building to walk straight into the restaurant. The room is big and the air conditioning is cranked up, so even a spicy jjamppong won't make you sweat.

• Right-side outdoor stairs → a dedicated direct route into the restaurant
• Air conditioning at full blast, zero worry about sweating over spicy food
• Large, comfortable space that handles group gatherings easily
• Clean, tidy tables

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch sits spaciously on the 2nd floor of a building in an alley off Teheran-ro near Yeoksam Station.

To avoid getting lost on your first visit, watch for the entrance. Don't use the left-side stairs of the building; head up the outdoor stairs on the right and you'll slip right into the restaurant.

Can you eat spicy jjamppong in midsummer without sweating?

Step inside and the place is so wide and open you'll gasp, and above all the air conditioning is really blasting, so the air is ice cold. Normally when you eat spicy food, or go to a jjamppong place in midsummer, the room is stuffy and you end up sweating buckets, right?

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch is so comfortable inside that you barely have time to sweat, so you can enjoy every last drop of broth feeling dry and cool. The tables are spaced widely too. I wondered whether there's another place in the middle of Gangnam where you can eat this relaxed and comfortably.

How are the spice levels of the Jijon Jjamppong divided?

The signature Jijon Jjamppong at Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch can be ordered at any spice level, from the base flavor and a tastily spicy Level 1 all the way to the stress-melting Hell level. It has a meat-broth base with a strong smoky wok aroma, and the seafood comes shell-free, just the meat, so it's easy to eat.

• Spice levels step by step, up to Hell
• Shell-free seafood, no need to fuss with peeling
• Rich meat broth, heavy wok flavor and umami

This is the Jijon Jjamppong, the signature dish and the reason this place exists. The spice levels are finely divided, so everyone from spice beginners to proud spice pros can pick happily. One mouthful of broth and the heavy smoky aroma hits you, with the deep umami of the meat broth filling your mouth.

In particular, the mussels, clams and other seafood are all shelled and come packed in as just the meat, which is very convenient. You can slurp noodles and broth without picking out shells, so the meal never loses momentum, which is a real draw. The seasoning soaks right into the noodles, and with crunchy napa cabbage and meat toppings piled on generously, the chewing is great fun too.

What sides go with jjamppong? Glutinous rice tangsuyuk and crab fried rice

The glutinous rice tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour pork) at Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch comes in the poured-sauce style, yet the coating stays chewy and crisp for a long time. The crab fried rice comes with an old-style jjajang (black bean) sauce full of big chunks of potato.

• Chewy coating that stays crisp even with the sauce poured on
• Thick pork, juicy and meaty
• Old-school jjajang feel, with big potato chunks in the sauce

Glutinous rice tangsuyuk: poured sauce, but won't it go soggy?

The glutinous rice tangsuyuk, a fantastic partner for jjamppong, is served "bumeok" style, with glossy sauce poured over it.

It's convincing even for the dip-it-yourself camp, because the coating is so chewy and thin that even after soaking up sauce it doesn't go soggy and keeps a springy crispness for a long time. The pork inside isn't thin, either; it's thick and packed with juice, so the bite is really satisfying. Dip the fresh raw onion slices served alongside into the sauce and eat them with the meat, and they wipe out any greasiness.

Crab fried rice and old-style jjajang sauce

When you want something besides noodles, the crab fried rice was honestly a masterstroke. The crab meat is stir-fried fluffy and nutty between the grains of rice, and the jjajang sauce served with it is amazing. It's a nostalgic old-style jjajang with big chunks of potato, and mixing it into the mild, nutty fried rice makes you feel in your whole body that the flavor you know is the scariest.

What's at the self-bar and dessert corner of Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch?

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch serves pickled radish in dye-free disposable packs, and the self-bar has disposable hair ties, aprons and steamed rice, all free. On your way out there's a dessert corner with an espresso machine, yuja tea, a plum drink and cups of ice.

• Dye-free, disposable hygienic pickled radish
• Self-bar: hair ties, aprons, unlimited rice refills
• Dessert corner: yuja tea, plum drink, ice cups

The real touching point that makes Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch the number-one regular spot for office workers is its service, which is thoughtful beyond imagination.

Starting with the pickled radish that comes as a basic side, they provide dye-free disposable packs with no worry about reuse, maximizing hygiene.

The self-bar is generously stocked, free of charge, with disposable hair ties for women customers, neat aprons, and even steamed rice so you can add rice to your jjamppong broth, which shows the owner's generosity. The open kitchen lets you see the whole cooking process, which raised my trust in the hygiene even more.

On the way out after the meal there's an espresso machine, plus yuja tea and a plum drink to refresh your mouth, and even ice cups, all generously provided. They soothe a mouth heated up by the spice with sweet, cool café drinks, so I immediately understood why the receipt-review ratings are so high.

You feel looked after right down to your steps out the door, which doubles the satisfaction after the meal.

Verdict: fiery wok-flavor custom jjamppong and dessert service

Fiery wok-flavor custom jjamppong and dessert service

• Jijon Jjamppong with stepped spice levels and thick, chewy glutinous rice tangsuyuk
• Ultimate coolness, not a drop of sweat even in midsummer
• From disposable pickled radish to rice refills and dessert drinks