Dongtan Chinese restaurant kids' jajangmyeon portion test: Bultina

A Dongtan Chinese restaurant that serves kids' jajangmyeon

Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Dongtan Namgwangjang Branch has a separate kids' jajangmyeon alongside the adult version. Oh! It's so cute. It's known as a jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) place, but they also have a kids' jajangmyeon, and the size was adorably small~ Cute sized as it was, my 7-year-old daughter still couldn't finish the whole bowl; that's probably because my kids are light eaters, though — an elementary schooler would likely polish it off no problem!

How big the Dongtan Namgwangjang branch is, and weekend afternoon parking

This Dongtan jjamppong spot, Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong, has a really spacious restaurant at Dongtan Namgwangjang. There's a public parking lot right in front, but when I visited on a weekend afternoon it was completely full.

This Dongtan jjamppong restaurant, Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong, had a ton of customers on the weekend afternoon. I guess popular places really are always packed.

The self-serve corner for families with kids

There's a self-serve corner on one side of the Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Dongtan Namgwangjang Branch dining room.

They had a kids' fork plus tongs and scissors, which stood out as a thoughtful touch for families with kids like mine.

Pickled radish and onions were set out there too.

Kids' jajangmyeon vs adult jajangmyeon: how big is the portion?

I deliberately put the kids' jajangmyeon next to the adult version and took a photo so you could compare the sizes — placed like this it looks like a small portion, but my 7-year-old twin daughters still couldn't finish a whole bowl of the kids' version. The amount was bigger than it looked. That said, this is based on kindergarten-age girls, and I think an elementary school boy could easily eat a full bowl on his own. Well, my 10-year-old son would probably need to order the adult jajangmyeon^^ For kindergartners, it looked like just the right single serving.

Jajangmyeon made yuni-jajang style, with finely minced pork

Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong's jajangmyeon is based on the yuni-jajang method, where meat and vegetables are finely minced and stir-fried richly with chunjang (black bean paste). Instead of big chunky pieces, the flavor of the ingredients melts smoothly into the sauce, giving it a soft, clinging taste. Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong uses noodles made with a special dough ratio and aging process, pulled fresh the moment you order, so the chewy, springy noodles soak up the jajang sauce beautifully.

How fast the food arrives at Bultina

The biggest strength of this Dongtan jjamppong spot, Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong, was the speed — the food comes out almost the instant you order. Honestly, adults are used to waiting to some degree, but kids have a hard time with it. Both the jajangmyeon and the jjamppong seemed to arrive right after we ordered — the menu came out really, really fast.

Cockle-packed jjamppong: even the mild version had a kick

Here's the star dish of this Dongtan jjamppong spot, Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong: the jjamppong. They say it's loaded generously with fresh, plump cockles sourced from Yeosu, Beolgyo and other top domestic regions. Of all the jjamppong I've had, this was the one with the most shellfish by far. There's real fun in picking out the cockles with chopsticks, and their deep, refreshing savoriness blends with the rich broth.

The ingredients are stir-fried over high heat the moment you order, so it carries a nice smoky char. It's got a broth as deep and spicy as its bright red color suggests, but the spice level is adjustable, so even people like me who can't handle spicy food can order it mild and still enjoy it. Mine was the mild version and it was still a little spicy; the noodles, aged at a special ratio, stay chewy without going mushy, and the rich jjamppong broth soaks well into the noodles.

Sometimes spicy jjamppong leaves your stomach sore or bloated, but Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong is made mostly with fresh seafood and vegetables, so it's spicy yet leaves a relatively clean, settled aftertaste. If you're looking for a jjamppong spot in Dongtan with a kids' jajangmyeon on the menu, how about Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Dongtan Namgwangjang Branch?