Ulsan Chinese restaurant on a Seuldo trip: 40-minute holiday wait

Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong on a Dong-gu, Ulsan day trip

Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong (울산대왕암돌짬뽕) is a stone-plate jjajang (black bean noodles) and jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) place I visited while traveling around Dong-gu, Ulsan, on a route of Daewangam, Seulgi and the kochia and pampas grass. I heard there was a famous spot you have to try on a trip to Ulsan or a Daewangam Park outing, and after seeing those sizzling, bubbling stone-plate jjajang and jjamppong on social media, I just couldn't stay away.

Where is Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong, and is there parking?

Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong is at 6 Ilsanjin 5-gil, Dong-gu, Ulsan, on the 1st floor, near Ilsan Beach. The parking lot in front is big too, so it seems easy to visit by car.

• Hours: Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 11:00–21:00
• Break time: 15:30–17:00
• Last order: 20:00
• Closed: every Tuesday
• Parking available

How long is the wait for lunch on a holiday weekend?

At holiday-weekend lunch peak, we waited 40 minutes at Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong! It's so popular that a wait is normal on weekends and at peak times, so I'd recommend checking the Tabling status before you come.

One note: Tabling only lets you check the current status, and you can only join the waiting list in person at the restaurant.

Inside Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong

The restaurant was clean and bigger than I expected, and the tables were spaced comfortably. Maybe that's why there were quite a lot of families.

What three of us ordered: stone jjamppong set and stone jjajang

The three of us ordered the stone jjamppong + handmade donchitang set for two and a stone jjajang. I agonized over the menu forever. I wanted the stone jjajang, I wanted the stone jjamppong... so I stopped agonizing and just ordered. B.O.T.H!

Side dishes and the self-serve bar: is the rice free?

The basic sides were pickled radish, chunjang (black bean paste) and onion. I didn't know about the green onion kimchi, but it was at the self-bar, so I grabbed some.

At the self-bar you can take side dishes yourself, and best of all, the rice is free and unlimited, so scoop as much as you like! Free rice, with jjamppong and jjajang? How could anyone resist!?!

Stone jjamppong: from soupy broth to stir-fried noodles

The first dish to arrive was the stone jjamppong. Now I get why jjamppong is in the restaurant's name! It comes piled high with bean sprouts like a mountain, the heat of the stone plate wilts them down, and eaten with the noodles that crunchy texture is amazing.

It was also packed with seafood like plump squid and shrimp.

Since it's a stone-plate jjamppong, the flavor kept changing. At first it was a deep, rich, spicy chicken-broth base, refreshing with the crunchy sprouts and seafood, and by the end the broth on the plate had soaked into the noodles and the nurungji (scorched rice crust), giving a savory umami like stir-fried jjamppong or yaki udon.

Stone jjajang: starch-free black bean sauce over crispy nurungji

The stone jjajang at Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong is stir-fried to order without any starch, so the sauce isn't heavy or stodgy, and it clings to your mouth with a wonderful nutty richness.

Seafood, meat and vegetables were piled on generously, giving it the lavishness of tray jjajang (a big shared platter of jjajang). The crispy nurungji on the bottom of the plate soaks up the jjajang sauce as time passes, and the savory flavor doubles.

Top it with the green onion kimchi from the self-bar and you've got the perfect combination!

Donchitang: handmade pork cutlet and sweet-and-sour chicken

Donchitang is served instead of regular tangsuyuk (sweet and sour fried pork) and is only available at Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong; it comes with a handmade pork cutlet and chicken tangsuyuk together.

The chitang (chicken tangsuyuk) was crispy outside and juicy inside, like tender chicken thigh, and dipped in the sauce or salt it was seriously addictive. Between bites of the sweet-spicy or fiery stone jjajang and jjamppong, a bite of crunchy, savory donchitang wipes out any greasiness, and the sweet-salty crunch was the perfect match.

The dontang (handmade pork cutlet) was crispy outside and full of thick, meaty pork inside, and dipped in cutlet sauce it stayed crunchy.

Eating that crunchy fried donchitang, there was no way I wasn't going to think of a drink. So I had a casual beer in the middle of the day.

Finally, I scraped up the nurungji stuck to the stone plate, and even the little bit of nurungji broth reduced at the bottom. Every last bit!

Dessert: barley gangjeong and yogurt

Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong had barley gangjeong (crunchy barley candy) and yogurt ready for dessert. Even little touches like this... there's a reason it's a place with a line.

After the sweet-spicy stone jjajang and jjamppong, finishing with a yogurt to cleanse the palate made this meal.. seriously.. the best..!!!!

Verdict: was Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong worth the 40-minute wait?

Thanks to the 250°C stone plate, Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong stays hot to the end, and the nurungji stuck to the bottom was a real treat. Free rice, a self-bar full of green onion kimchi, and sweet barley gangjeong and yogurt for dessert made it a perfect meal.

If you're looking for a good place to eat on a Daewangam, Ilsanji or Seulgi trip, or near Ilsan Beach, or you're craving something hot and unusual in Chinese food, I recommend giving Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong a visit!