Busan Chinese restaurant with octopus jjambbong: Gupo Jjambbong

Whenever I’m craving Chinese food in Busan, I always think of Gupo Jjambbong Gupo Main Branch (구포짬뽕 구포본점). I’ve posted about it before, too. With jjambbong in its name, it’s a place that really focuses on jjambbong!

Gupo Jjambbong Gupo Main Branch: Basic Information

The address is 48 Sirang-ro, 1st floor, Buk-gu, Busan. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 to 22:00 and Sunday from 11:00 to 21:00, with Mondays closed regularly. Parking is available for four cars. Since roadside parking enforcement is suspended until 1:30 p.m. during lunch, I parked right on the street.

There are tables for four as well as bar-style tables, so it was comfortable whether you come with a group or alone.

What Two People Ordered

The two of us ordered octopus and abalone jjambbong, tray jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles), eggplant dumplings, and half-and-half tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour pork). Normally, one main dish per person plus the eggplant dumplings is just the right amount. We must have been pretty hungry that day. 😂 The octopus and abalone jjambbong was ₩15,000, seafood tray jjajangmyeon ₩9,000, eggplant dumplings ₩7,000, and half-and-half tangsuyuk ₩21,000.

This is the sanghwang mushroom tea served as a basic. Somehow it makes me feel healthier than regular water!

You can get more of the basic side dishes from the self-service bar.

A Whole Octopus and Abalone: Octopus and Abalone Jjambbong

The first dish out was the octopus and abalone jjambbong. Since we were at Gupo Jjambbong, we had to pick at least one jjambbong, right? I debated between the beef short rib and abalone jjambbong and the octopus and abalone jjambbong, then ordered the latter! It costs ₩15,000, but you can see why, right? A whole octopus sits right on top, with a whole abalone too—such an incredible visual 💯

It’s jjambbong, so it also comes with shrimp and mussels. I cut up the octopus with scissors before eating it. There’s a whole abalone in there too.

It has the slightly spicy kick I usually go for in jjambbong. If you look closely, the noodles aren’t ordinary wheat-flour noodles either: Gupo Jjambbong uses house-made noodles with sanghwang mushroom powder and soybean powder!

They’re soft and chewy, yet even feel healthy—little points like this are probably what have kept Gupo Jjambbong going strong for so long.

Seafood Tray Jjajangmyeon with a Runny Poached Egg

This is my absolute favorite menu item, the seafood tray jjajangmyeon. It costs ₩9,000. It has such a generous amount of vegetables, which is why I love it so much. It’s one of those best dishes that tastes good every single time.

A poached egg is placed lightly on top, and popping the yolk to eat it together is heaven.. 💯 I seriously, seriously recommend this one. Gupo Jjambbong doesn’t just do jjambbong well—the seafood tray jjajangmyeon is great too, so definitely try it.

Crispy Eggplant Dumplings and Half-and-Half Tangsuyuk

These are the eggplant dumplings I absolutely have to order every time I come. Nobody could dislike these! They’re really, really that delicious. I’ve had plenty at other Chinese restaurants too, but I think Gupo Jjambbong’s eggplant dumplings are top-tier. I always wonder how they make them like this.

They put dumpling filling between slices of eggplant and fry them, and the batter is seriously done right. It’s incredibly crispy, so it just feels good to eat.

Even people who dislike eggplant would eat this and think, “This is eggplant?” That’s how delicious it is, so if you go to Gupo Jjambbong, absolutely order it with your meal!

For tangsuyuk, we ordered the half-and-half version. It costs ₩21,000. One plate comes with both regular tangsuyuk and Sichuan-style tangsuyuk, so you can enjoy two kinds at once. When I order tangsuyuk, I usually debate whether to get the classic version or Sichuan-style, but Gupo Jjambbong has this half-and-half option, so the choice was immediate.

That meant we could try both the regular tangsuyuk and the Sichuan-style one. Although it’s Sichuan-style, it had a slightly sweet flavor, almost like seasoned fried chicken, so it wasn’t very spicy. Just note that the plate is quite generously portioned~!

Next Time, Beef Short Rib Jjambbong

Once again, I was completely satisfied with Gupo Jjambbong. If you’re looking for a Chinese restaurant around Gupo in Buk-gu, Busan, you’ve probably come across it at least once while searching for good places to eat in Gupo. Especially if you like jjambbong with octopus or abalone, I think the octopus and abalone jjambbong would be a great order. I’m curious about the beef short rib jjambbong I haven’t tried yet, so I’m planning to have that next time.