Haeundae Chinese restaurant whole-garlic yuringi: Bueokgan Chinese

After shopping at Centum Shinsegae with my husband over the weekend, we went back to a great Chinese restaurant we remembered enjoying. Let me introduce Bueokgan Chinese (부엌간 차이니즈) in Haeundae.

Bueokgan Chinese Haeundae location and parking

This is the exterior of Bueokgan Chinese. It is in the former Sansutang spot; as you head straight up alongside Dongbaek Elementary School, you will find it on the second floor of a standalone building.

🅿️ You can park in the underground lot behind the building or along the roadside near the restaurant.

An atmospheric interior that felt perfect for a date

Once inside, the muted lighting made it hard to believe this was a Chinese restaurant—the mood was so lovely. The European-style décor also made it look like a great date spot. What I remember most was how exceptionally kind the staff were from the moment we entered until we left.

There are tables for two, four, and six, as well as group tables, so families or event groups can dine together with an advance reservation.

A varied menu, from jajang to yuringi

• Noodles: Bueokgan jajangmyeon ₩8,000; beef brisket jjamppong ₩12,000; mala cilantro jjamppong ₩14,000; chili gan-jjajang ₩10,000; seafood jjamppong ₩14,000; soft-boiled egg and pork belly gan-jjajang ₩10,000
• Rice: soft-boiled egg, octopus, and Chinese-style rice bowl ₩16,000; mapo tofu rice bowl ₩12,000; shrimp fried rice ₩10,000; pai huang gua (smashed cucumber salad) ₩8,000; steamed rice ₩1,000
• À la carte: fried fish-fragrant eggplant ₩22,000; jalapeño cream shrimp ₩26,000; black-vinegar pork loin tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour pork) ₩28,000; spicy fried monkfish ₩30,000; pork belly mapo tofu ₩24,000; shiitake sha ₩18,000; spicy fried shrimp ₩28,000; five-layer pork and pepper japchae ₩30,000; whole-garlic yuringi (crispy fried chicken with tangy sauce) ₩28,000

They also have alcohol and drinks~ There are lots of noodle, rice, and à la carte dishes. Jajang and jjamppong are a given, but we tried the yuringi instead of tangsuyuk and found a lifetime-best yuringi,,,,!!

Chili gan-jjajang, beef brisket jjamppong, and whole-garlic yuringi

Ta-da, our order arrived shortly after 🤍 Nearly everything came out at once, which was great because the noodles did not go soggy, and it was a very generous amount for two people. Light eaters could make it work for three too, haha.

Chili gan-jjajang balanced by spicy peppers

I like gan-jjajang because the sauce is stir-fried fresh to order, and doesn’t it already look delicious with all those peppers~?

Gan-jjajang can lean sweet, but the spicy peppers cut right through it, making this absolutely the best choice!! The onions still had a lovely crunch, and the big pieces of meat made every bite fun too~ It was exactly my husband’s kind of dish, so he scraped up every last bit of sauce.

Refreshing, spicy beef brisket jjamppong

This jjamppong gave off a burst of spicy aroma as soon as it arrived. With assorted vegetables and beef brisket inside, the broth was refreshing and warmly spicy.

The noodles were soft and silky, soaked through with the spicy broth—it felt like a hangover cure as I ate it!! If only I had more room, I would have wanted to add a bowl of rice to the soup. Such a shame 🥲

Whole-garlic yuringi I will order again

Just from the look of it, I knew it would be my kind of dish. It was such an appetizing plate, with lettuce underneath, fried chicken, and whole cloves of garlic on top.

The sweet-and-salty sauce is truly a flavor every Korean would love! The outside was fried crisp while the inside stayed juicy, and it was sooo good with the crunchy lettuce. It would be perfect as either a meal or a drinking snack, so I think I will order yuringi instead of tangsuyuk again next time.