Yeongjong jjamppong restaurant: Bongga Gyodong Banjeom

Where is Bongga Gyodong Banjeom in Yeongjong?

While walking along Eungol Cafe Street in Unseo-dong during a weekend trip to Yeongjong, I stopped by Bongga Gyodong Banjeom (본가교동반점). It is a Gyodong-style jjamppong restaurant on the first floor of the building at 50-8 Hwarangmok-ro.

The red sign was easy to spot during the day, so finding it was straightforward. The yellow freestanding sign also clearly said it was a jjamppong specialty restaurant.

What are the menu prices and ordering process?

Each table had a T-order tablet, so I could order without calling a staff member. There was no wait during the ordering process when I visited, and the staff were kind.

Gyodong jjamppong was ₩10,000, Gangneung Chodang sundubu jjamppong bap was ₩12,000, and mini tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour fried pork) was ₩13,000. Two bowls of Gyodong jjamppong and one tofu jjamppong rice dish came to ₩32,000.

There was a notice on the wall about the house-made noodles. It said the noodles are mixed and aged in-house.

Are the self-service bar and seating convenient?

At the self-service bar on one side, I took as many side dishes, small plates, and tongs as I needed. Rice and cold water were also self-service, and the rice I brought back was warm.

The refrigerator held drinks and beer. The dining room was bright with daylight coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and zinnias were blooming outside.

There was plenty of space between tables, so I did not bump into neighboring diners. It also felt comfortable for families to sit together.

The basic side dishes were danmuji (pickled yellow radish), onion, and chunjang (black bean paste). My companion had a glass of gaoliang liquor before the meal.

How were the broth and house-made noodles in the Gyodong jjamppong?

The Gyodong jjamppong had plenty of wood ear mushrooms and vegetables in a rich red broth. It had a wok-charred flavor from the first spoonful and tasted clean rather than greasy.

The noodles were springy and chewy. They went down smoothly and paired well with the broth, and I finished every last drop of the soup.

How spicy was the Gangneung Chodang tofu jjamppong rice?

The Gangneung Chodang sundubu jjamppong bap came with plenty of soft sundubu (soft tofu), and I could taste squid too. The broth was spicy and warming, but the heat felt relatively mild to me, making it a dish I would think of when visiting with a child. Mixed with rice, the tofu softened into the broth and made the meal filling.

How were the fried items and dessert?

With the jjamppong, tofu jjamppong rice, fried items, and a bowl of rice on the table, it felt generously filled.

The fried items served with the meal were crisp outside, moist inside, and lightly seasoned. They stayed crisp even after cooling.

I dipped them in the sweet-and-sour sauce and lightly soaked them in the jjamppong broth too. For dessert, the restaurant gave us Seoul Milk yogurt, which made for a sweet finish.

Is it convenient to visit by car?

There was plenty of parking when I visited. However, because the neighborhood is quiet, getting there by car was easier than using public transportation. The chewy noodles and clean, wok-charred broth were what stayed with me most.

I received a store discount through Super Members for this post.