Bone-broth vs white jjampong at Omokgyo Station: Yugwanjang Banjeom

On a weekend evening, my wife and I went to Yugwanjang Banjeom (유관장반점) near Omokgyo Station. We ordered jjinsagol seafood jjampong (spicy noodle soup) and yongdaeri hwangtae jjampong, plus a mini tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), and what caught my eye was that the two jjampong were built on completely different broths — one on bone broth, the other on dried pollack broth.

The jjinsagol seafood jjampong used bone broth for a rich, heavy flavor, while the yongdaeri hwangtae jjampong was a clean white jjampong built around the savory depth of dried pollack broth. We also ordered a mini-size tangsuyuk that's great for sharing, so we got to try all three dishes. Today I'm sharing our experience with the two jjampong and the tangsuyuk at Yugwanjang, a Chinese restaurant near Omokgyo Station!

Where is Yugwanjang Banjeom Omokgyo Station Branch, and where do you park?

Yugwanjang Banjeom Omokgyo Station Branch is located on the 2nd floor at 256 Mokdongdong-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, 67 meters from Exit 2 of Omokgyo Station. It's open daily from 00:00 to 24:00, with Wi-Fi, separate men's and women's restrooms, reservations and group seating, takeout, delivery, high chairs, and parking.

There's a parking lot on the right side of the building. If it's full, you can use paid parking at Mokdong Public Parking Lot!

Yugwanjang is on the 2nd floor, and its large sign is visible right from the street, so it wasn't hard to find even on a first visit. The name is also displayed prominently at the entrance, so you can just head up the stairs straight into the restaurant.

Inside Yugwanjang Banjeom: seating and tablet ordering

Once inside, the space turned out to be quite a bit bigger than I expected. It was neatly decorated overall with wood-tone tables and warm lighting, and every table had a partition, so you could eat with a certain sense of separation from the tables around you.

There were seats ranging from tables good for 2-4 people to wider tables for larger groups,

Most were sofa-style seats, so it was comfortable to sit through the whole meal, and every table had a tablet installed so you could check the menu and order right from your seat. Now let's take a look at what's on the menu.

What's on the Yugwanjang Banjeom menu?

• Jjampong: Jjinsagol seafood jjampong / gapojingeo (cuttlefish) jjampong / beef jjampong / yongdaeri hwangtae jjampong / spicy chili jjampong
• Jjajangmyeon: jjajangmyeon / spicy chili jjajangmyeon / seafood tray jjajang
• Rice dishes: eggplant rice bowl / chili japchae rice / japchae rice / XO seafood fried rice / fried rice / shrimp fried rice / mapo tofu rice
• Dishes: tangsuyuk / Sichuan tangsuyuk / yusanseul / mapo tofu / chili japchae with flower bread / Hwangbihong ggangpunggi / Hwangbihong ggangpungyuk / yurin-gi / palbochae / yangjangpi / seafood nurungji soup

Here's what we ordered! Jjinsagol seafood jjampong, yongdaeri hwangtae jjampong, mini tangsuyuk.

Everything we ordered arrived! The generous portions and delicious aroma had our mouths watering before we even started eating haha. Let's take a closer look at how it all tasted!

What does the jjinsagol seafood jjampong taste like?

The first dish we tried was Yugwanjang's jjinsagol seafood jjampong.

Jjampong usually brings to mind a spicy, sharp broth, but true to its name, this one used bone broth to give the soup real depth.

On the first sip, the spiciness came through first, and as I kept eating, the rich, heavy character of the bone broth showed up more and more.

Still, the bone broth flavor wasn't so strong that it masked the jjampong's spiciness — underneath the spicy soup there was a savory, nutty depth that made it taste really good.

In particular, the broth wasn't the kind that flows light and thin — it lingers richly in your mouth, so if you generally like a heavier jjampong broth, this one should suit you well.

Squid and other seafood along with vegetables were mixed in too, and scooping them up together with the broth added even more savory depth from the seafood, making the flavor feel richer overall.

The noodles had soaked up the spicy broth quite well too, and even after finishing the noodles, sipping the broth on its own didn't feel disconnected from the noodle flavor.

What I liked most was that it wasn't just spicy for the sake of being spicy — probably thanks to the bone broth, the richness of the soup kept building the more I ate.

If the hwangtae jjampong we ordered alongside it leaned clear and refreshing, the jjinsagol seafood jjampong was clearly on the rich, spicy side — the contrast between the two was distinct.

If you already like red jjampong but wish the broth were a bit richer, I'd recommend starting with the jjinsagol seafood jjampong at Yugwanjang.

Yongdaeri hwangtae jjampong: how is the white jjampong broth?

Second up was the yongdaeri hwangtae jjampong, whose name alone stood out. Instead of red broth, it comes out as a milky white broth — a white jjampong style dish.

The defining feature of the yongdaeri hwangtae jjampong is its use of dried pollack broth, and it gave a completely different first impression from the jjinsagol seafood jjampong.

Tasting the broth first, instead of a spicy, sharp flavor, the clean, refreshing savoriness unique to dried pollack broth came through first.

Being a white jjampong didn't mean it was bland overall — the broth had enough seasoning and savory depth on its own that I kept reaching for another spoonful.

Especially thanks to the flavor drawn out of the dried pollack, a subtle, toasty aroma lingered even after swallowing, which felt a bit different from a typical seafood white jjampong.

Seafood and vegetables were mixed in as well, so it was fun to pick out the different ingredients, and the combination of flavors added to the broth for a clean yet deep taste.

Eaten together with the noodles, the dried pollack broth blended in naturally, so it wasn't overwhelming and made for a comfortable bowl to finish haha.

Personally, I also liked that the broth was easier to sip than the red jjampong, and it paired well with a slightly greasy dish like tangsuyuk. If the jjinsagol seafood jjampong was spicy and heavy,

the yongdaeri hwangtae jjampong was centered on a refreshing, clean broth, which made it easy to pick depending on your mood. If spicy jjampong feels like too much or you prefer a clean white jjampong, the yongdaeri hwangtae jjampong, with its dried pollack broth savoriness, is worth choosing!

Mini tangsuyuk: the right size for two

Along with the two bowls of jjampong, we also ordered the tangsuyuk in the mini size — a good portion to share without feeling like too much for two people eating. The first thing that caught my eye as it landed on the table was the golden, crispy batter.

Taking a bite, the outside was crispy while the inside kept a moist, tender texture of the meat, giving a nice contrast between outer and inner.

The batter wasn't so thick that a strong flour taste came through — it crunched lightly along with the meat, which made it easy to keep picking pieces up. The meat inside was thicker than I expected too, so even at the small size, there was plenty of bite to enjoy!

The tangsuyuk sauce was based on a sweet and sour flavor, which felt familiar and easy to eat alongside the crispy fried coating. Even with the sauce on, the crunch didn't disappear right away, so it stayed relatively crisp from the first piece to the last!

Especially after eating the spicy jjinsagol seafood jjampong, taking a bite of tangsuyuk felt like the sweet sauce reset the heat — a nice pairing.

On the flip side, the flavors didn't overlap with the clean yongdaeri hwangtae jjampong either, so alternating between the white jjampong and the tangsuyuk worked surprisingly well too. Best of all, having a mini size meant we could add it on without feeling excessive after each ordering our own jjampong — a great side to order if jjampong alone feels a little lacking.

Red jjampong or white? The verdict on Yugwanjang Banjeom

If you're looking for a Chinese restaurant near Omokgyo Station where you can try something a bit different in jjampong,

I'd recommend visiting Yugwanjang, where you can enjoy everything from the richly simmered bone-broth jjinsagol seafood jjampong to the clean, savory dried pollack broth of the yongdaeri hwangtae jjampong! 👍 For Chinese food, it's Yugwanjang.