Yeoksam Chinese for spice wimps: 5 jjamppong levels, Jjamppong Jijon

I visited Jjamppong Jijon (짬뽕지존) Yeoksam Branch, a Yeoksam Station restaurant famous for its jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup)♥️

Location and hours of Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch

Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch is at 21 Teheran-ro 10-gil, Building B 2F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and it's open from 10:00 to 22:00 (closing at 21:00 on weekends).

It sits in the office district between Gangnam Station and Yeoksam Station, so it's well known as a Chinese spot for lunch near Yeoksam Station and for company dinners in Yeoksam. Jjamppong Jijon is a Chinese restaurant franchise that specializes in many kinds of jjamppong. It uses the entire second floor of a big building, so even from outside it feels like heading into a large Chinese restaurant😄

Is Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam good for a group dinner?

The hall is big, the tables are spaced widely, and there's a separate room that fits more than 12 people, so it works well for company dinners. The interior uses marble-look tile and classy lighting, giving it a bright, tidy feel. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a group-dinner restaurant in Yeoksam.

How many spice levels does the jjamppong have?

You can order the jjamppong in 5 levels, starting from the default Jijon and going up through Hell levels 1 to 4. The menu ranges from dishes like fried eggplant, yuringi (fried chicken with citrus soy sauce) and tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) to all kinds of jjamppong and jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles).

• Jijon: the signature and default level
• Hell Level 1: fiery spicy (said to be 1.5 times Shin Ramyun)
• Hell Level 2: intensely spicy
• Hell Level 3: crazy spicy (said to be 4 times Shin Ramyun)
• Hell Level 4: extremely spicy

Does anyone actually eat Level 4...? haha. As a spice wimp on my first visit, I ordered the signature sticky-rice tangsuyuk (small), fried eggplant, and a large jjamppong (Jijon level).

A self-bar with everything from hair ties to kids' spoons

The self-bar at Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam was neatly kept, with pickled radish, onions, black bean paste and zha cai (pickled mustard stem), plus yuja tea and plum tea. I looked around while waiting, and what struck me as thoughtful was that they'd even set out hair ties and kids' spoons. I'm touched👍🏻

The packaged pickled radish served by default! It has a healthy radish color, so I guess there's no artificial coloring. I like thin slices and these are thin, so it passes😚

Soon the stars of the day came out one by one. Fried eggplant, sticky-rice tangsuyuk and jjamppong, all stealing the spotlight with looks that made my mouth water! Each has a strong presence, but together they make an even more appetizing combo. The Avengers of Chinese food, so let me get a proper dose of Chinese cuisine today!!

How big is the small sticky-rice tangsuyuk?

The sticky-rice tangsuyuk at Jjamppong Jijon was more generous than I expected, even in the small size. It's my favorite dish: crispy and golden outside, moist inside, with juicy meat that bursts in every bite. Such a charming tangsuyuk.

I loved the chewy texture that's typical of glutinous rice, and the sweetness of the sauce was well balanced. The meat itself is fresh with no gamey smell, and eaten with the shredded onion on the side, it never felt greasy to the end.

How is the fried eggplant at Jjamppong Jijon?

The fried eggplant has a crispy coating soaked in sauce, with soft, moist eggplant inside that melts in your mouth. I'd been craving fried eggplant for a while, so I ordered it without a second thought.

The sauce, subtly soaked into the coating, had great savory depth. The stir-fried vegetables and thin pork served with the eggplant were also lovely, and the generous sprinkle of sesame seeds doubled the nuttiness.

Can a spice wimp handle the large Jijon jjamppong?

The Jijon-level jjamppong is spicy but not harsh, so even a spice wimp like me, already full, finished every drop of the broth. The last dish: a large Jijon jjamppong!! The final boss, finally face to face. Just seeing the red broth piled high with ingredients got me extra excited.

With chewy, well-cooked noodles, plenty of seafood like squid and scallops, and the sweetness of crunchy vegetables, it's a really rich jjamppong. Jjamppong Jijon, the name fits perfectly!!❤️ The broth had a subtle wok-fired smoky flavor.

If you're looking for a Chinese restaurant for lunch or a group dinner near Yeoksam Station, I recommend Jjamppong Jijon Yeoksam Branch, with its clean, classy interior and wide range of Chinese dishes at reasonable prices.