# Gimhae Chinese restaurant with a spacious hall seating: Dongbaek - By Yudam (https://superchart.com/en/@southern-bowl-diary/) - Written Sep 7, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gimhae, Gyeongnam - Sponsored: This post was written after receiving a complimentary meal from the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@southern-bowl-diary/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@southern-bowl-diary/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/index.md) ## In short Dongbaek is a Chinese restaurant in Gimhae, Gyeongnam, with both private rooms and a spacious open hall. Visiting with friends, the writer sat at a hall table and enjoyed spicy seafood jjamppong (noodle soup), ganjajang bap (black bean sauce rice), tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), and self-serve jasmine tea. Even without a room, the tables were spaced generously for easy conversation, though for 70th or 80th birthday parties or group dinners, booking a room would be the way to go. ## Good to know - **Hours**: Daily 11:00–21:00 - **Break time**: 15:30–16:30 - **Parking**: Restaurant has its own lot (downstairs, left alley from the front) - **Seating**: Spacious hall tables plus private rooms; infant chairs available - **Dishes tried**: Seafood jjamppong, ganjajang bap, tangsuyuk - **Other**: Self-serve jasmine tea, takeout coffee corner near the entrance, chili shrimp with review event - **Waiting**: Walk-ins recommended to check waiting via Tabling app *as written by the visitor on Sep 7, 2026* ![Cover photo of Dongbaek, a Chinese restaurant in Gimhae](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-01-18fdm-900.webp) Where does everyone go these days for get-togethers or dinners with coworkers? I had a meetup with friends coming up, so I went looking for somewhere private where we could chat quietly! ![Exterior of Dongbaek, a Gimhae restaurant with private rooms](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-02-741ew-900.webp) I ended up at Dongbaek, a place with a lot of local buzz and recommendations as a Gimhae restaurant known for its private rooms. Having been there myself, I think it'd be perfect not just for dinners or group meetups, but also for a parent's 70th or 80th birthday celebration down the road! ## Dongbaek's hours and parking - Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 - Break time: 15:30–16:30 - Restaurant has its own parking lot ![Dongbaek's entrance and building exterior](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-03-40e37-900.webp) ![Entrance to Dongbaek's dedicated parking lot](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-04-1oq6t-900.webp) If you go down the alley to the left of Dongbaek's front entrance, there's a dedicated restaurant parking lot on the lower level! Plenty of spots too, so no need to worry about parking >_< ![Dongbaek's parking lot with plenty of space](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-05-1g0it-900.webp) ## Sitting in the hall instead of a room Dongbaek is so famous as a Gimhae restaurant with private rooms that I originally thought I'd book one, but once I got there, the hall turned out to be way more spacious and pretty than I expected, so I ended up sitting at a hall table for our meal! You know how places famous for their private rooms often have a cramped or stuffy hall? Well, Dongbaek's hall space itself is huge and the tables are spaced generously, so you can eat comfortably without needing a room at all! ![Interior of Dongbaek's hall with wide table spacing](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-06-1m4vd-900.webp) ![Hall table seating at Dongbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-07-11j2p-900.webp) ![Passage inside the hall leading to the private rooms at Dongbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-08-bmgrx-900.webp) Looking around while eating, I could see the private rooms further inside were really well done. 🤭 We ate comfortably in the hall this time, but for something more formal like a parent's 70th or 80th birthday party, or a company dinner, booking a room ahead of time would be perfect👍 ![Private room seating at Dongbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-09-15mv1-900.webp) ![Dongbaek room table set up for group gatherings](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-10-os0rs-900.webp) ![Dongbaek's self-serve bar corner](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-11-if9ke-900.webp) ## Self-serve jasmine tea and infant chairs The self-serve bar was clean and well set up, and the jasmine tea was so fragrant and delicious that I drank as much as I wanted haha. Warm tea really goes well with Chinese food ![Infant chairs available at Dongbaek](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-12-1cqdl-900.webp) There were plenty of infant chairs too, so coming with a baby felt totally stress-free and lovely ![Cold jasmine tea served in a pot](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-13-10kq3-900.webp) The self-serve bar had warm jasmine tea ready, but my husband, who prefers cold water, asked for iced jasmine tea instead, and they brought it out in a lovely pot 😚 ![Dongbaek's seafood jjamppong loaded with seafood](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-14-1w76c-900.webp) ## How spicy is the seafood jjamppong? First, with the seafood jjamppong (spicy noodle soup), the moment I took a sip of the broth, a sharp, refreshing smoky flavor spread through my mouth. It was packed with fresh squid, mussels, and other seafood, so the broth was clean and never felt heavy. ![Chewy noodles lifted from the seafood jjamppong](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-15-8cpl4-900.webp) The noodles were also so chewy I couldn't stop eating 😙 It wasn't super spicy jjamppong, more of a sharp, savory heat — about as spicy as Shin Ramyun, I'd say. If you like really spicy jjamppong, you could always ask for it to be made hotter ![Close-up of the jjamppong broth and ingredients](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-16-1ftr6-900.webp) ## Ganjajang bap — this is the real deal And the ganjajang bap (black bean sauce rice) was seriously something else! Unlike regular fried rice or jjajang rice, the black bean sauce comes freshly stir-fried and served separately right after ordering, so the flavor was on a whole different level.. genuinely different ![Dongbaek's ganjajang bap with sauce served separately](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-17-1kk2z-900.webp) The crunchy onions and a smoky char that rivaled a Korean BBQ restaurant blended so well with the rice that I scraped the last spoonful clean without any greasiness hahaha. Mixing the sauce into the rice topped with a fried egg gave it this deep, rich umami that was the best 😚👍 ![Rice topped with a fried egg mixed with black bean sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-18-uh1we-1200.webp) ## Tangsuyuk: crispy outside, tender inside The tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) that came alongside was amazing — the batter was thin and crispy, staying crunchy all the way to the last piece. 🤤 The meat inside was juicy, and paired with the sweet and tangy sauce, it was the textbook definition of crispy-outside, tender-inside! ![Dongbaek's tangsuyuk with thin, crispy batter](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-19-159jc-900.webp) ![Table set with tangsuyuk and sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-20-rm5u2-900.webp) Looking at other blog posts, it seems a lot of people go for the lunch specials, so next time I'll definitely have to come back and properly try the course menu :-) ![Information about Dongbaek's review event](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-21-ucor6-900.webp) ![Takeout coffee corner near the entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-22-1s0xh-900.webp) ## Review event and takeout coffee There's also a review event running right now, so join in and get free chili shrimp >_< And if you want to finish off with a coffee, there's a takeout coffee corner near the entrance — enjoy it iced or hot, whatever you like ![A cup of takeout coffee being handed over](https://img.superchart.com/images/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong-23-7zt2k-900.webp) If you're coming as a walk-in without a reservation, I recommend checking the wait ahead of time on Tabling!*^^* That's it for my recommendation of Dongbaek, a Gimhae restaurant with private rooms! ## Where it is - Dongbaek (동백) - 514 Gaya-ro, 1st floor, Gimhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea - 경상남도 김해시 가야로 514 1층 - 35.2363487, 128.888979 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%8F%99%EB%B0%B1/@35.2363487,128.888979,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@southern-bowl-diary/gimhae-dongbaek-hall-seafood-jjamppong/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt