Dongtan after-drinks jjamppong spot: potato jajangmyeon, Bultina

Yesterday we smashed some raw shrimp for round one in Ingye-dong, then headed to round two at Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Namgwangjang branch, a place known for great jjamppong in Dongtan. Personally I'm someone who prefers seafood-based jjamppong over meat-based, and this shellfish-packed Dongtan jjamppong hit exactly the spot for me — it's been a while since a jjamppong won me over this completely.

Where Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Dongtan Namgwangjang is, and its opening hours

• Location: 149 Nojak-ro, 1st floor units 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–24:00, last order 23:10
• Parking: Free 90 minutes at the Namgwangjang surface public parking lot right in front of the restaurant
• Accepts high oil price relief vouchers

Parking at Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong: 90 minutes free at Namgwangjang lot

If you're driving, you can use the Namgwangjang public parking lot right in front of the restaurant. Ninety minutes free is such a great deal. It's rare to find a Dongtan jjamppong restaurant with such a clean, uncomplicated public lot right out front that also gives you 90 minutes free — it makes this place even more appealing.

The signage said last order is at 2am and the restaurant stays open until 3am. It's hard these days to find places open that late, so if you're drinking and need to sober up, this Dongtan jjamppong spot seems perfect for a bowl before heading home.

How busy is Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong at 7pm on a Sunday?

We visited around 7pm on a Sunday, and the place was nearly full, mostly with families. Tables ranged from two-tops to four-tops, and since the space itself is wide with long connected tables, it also looked like a good spot for group gatherings in Dongtan.

This Dongtan jjamppong restaurant was spacious, comfortable and kept very clean, and one side of the dining room had a quieter, more private section reserved for reservations.

The self-serve corner had pickled radish and onion, small plates, aprons, ladles and scissors. The onions were crisp and fresh, and I remember enjoying them a lot with the jajangmyeon.

Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong menu and the four spice levels

The menu had that perfect small-count feel of a place that really knows what it does: jjamppong, jajangmyeon, tangsuyuk, fried dumplings. That's it. No overwhelming choices, so ordering was super easy. Jjamppong lets you pick your spice level — four levels total — and we went with level 2, described as 'rich spicy,' which is about the heat of Buldak fire noodles.

Each table has its own order tablet, so ordering was convenient. Chili flakes, soy sauce and vinegar were placed under the tablet too, so you can season to taste.

Right now, Bultina Kkomak Jjamppong Dongtan Namgwangjang branch gives you 6 fried dumplings if you take part in their review event. Since we had a third round planned, we couldn't take the dumplings this time. If you do the review event, be sure to enjoy it with the dumplings or a soft drink!

Pickled radish and onion come as side dishes, and if you need more, you can grab extra from the self-serve corner. After ordering, the jjamppong and jajangmyeon came out quickly.

Level 2 cockle jjamppong: how much shellfish is really in the bowl?

The cockle jjamppong, piled high with all kinds of seafood, was gorgeous just to look at. And the portion was massive...! I assumed 'cockle jjamppong' meant just cockles, but it turned out to have a whole mix of shellfish — cockles, scallops, clams and more, all together.

As soon as it arrived, the cockle jjamppong had this deep smoky wok-hei flavor that got my appetite going right away. We'd ordered spice level 2, about the heat of Buldak fire noodles — it was spicy for sure, but thankfully not quite as intense as Buldak.

The chewy, springy noodles didn't get soggy easily and soaked up the broth beautifully, staying nice and moist — so delicious. There was a generous topping of scallops and cockles, so I could eat shellfish with every bite right to the last spoonful.

Onion, cabbage and wood ear mushroom were also piled in generously, along with a small amount of meat, giving the jjamppong broth an even deeper, richer flavor. If you're looking for a hangover-curing jjamppong, I genuinely recommend this well-known Dongtan jjamppong restaurant.

The jajangmyeon nobody expected much from, potatoes and all

Since this place is known for its cockle jjamppong, I honestly didn't expect much from the jajangmyeon, but I remember being surprised at how good it was after one bite. It looks simple, but the jajang sauce was packed with umami alongside a generous texture of ground meat — really delicious.

It's probably one of the best jajangmyeon I've had. It was just the right amount of sweet, with plenty of meat, so it seems like a great spot to bring the family for dinner out in Dongtan, even with a baby along.

They gave us so much jajang sauce that it felt endless no matter how much we ate. The potatoes in the sauce were so good too! Generous portions, great taste — you'd be missing out not to come here. If it were near my house, it would probably become my family's go-to Chinese restaurant.

Self-serve coffee machine by the door, with cocoa too

There's a coffee machine set up at the entrance. Usually places only have coffee, but this one had cocoa too! Kids will go crazy for it haha. The cocoa I hadn't had in a while was sweet and heavenly.

Ipchu (the start of autumn on the lunar calendar) just began the other day, and this rich, spicy Dongtan jjamppong was so good I bet the wait lines will pile up once it gets a bit chillier. The prices are reasonable and the food is excellent, so next time I'd love to bring my parents here.