Daewangam, Ulsan Chinese restaurant: 3-flavor jjamppong set for 3

What is Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong?

Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong (울산대왕암돌짬뽕) is a Chinese restaurant in Ilsan-dong, Dong-gu, Ulsan, near Ilsan Beach and Daewangam Park. Its signature dishes are nurungji stone-plate jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) and stone-plate jjajang (black bean noodles), cooked on a 250°C amphibole stone plate, and it sells a range of side dishes too. On a trip to Ulsan I stopped by and ordered the set for 3 with the large stone jjamppong and handmade dontang-chitang, and it was a hearty meal.

• Hours: 11:00–21:00
• Break time: 15:30–17:00
• Last order: 20:00
• Address: 1F, 6 Ilsanjin 5-gil, Dong-gu, Ulsan, South Korea
• Parking: lot in front of the restaurant

The restaurant is about 5 minutes by car from Ilsan Beach. It's close to Daewangam Park, so it's a good spot for a meal after sightseeing or a drive.

The signature dishes are nurungji stone-plate jjamppong and nurungji stone-plate jjajang. They also offer handmade dontang, handmade chitang, menbosha (shrimp toast) and fried dumplings.

Is parking easy at Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong?

There's a spacious dedicated parking lot right in front of the restaurant. Driving there was no worry at all.

What's in the large stone jjamppong + handmade dontang-chitang set for 3?

Three of us visited and ordered the set for 3: a large stone jjamppong plus handmade dontang and chitang. Along with the nurungji stone-plate jjamppong, it comes with handmade dontang and handmade chitang.

Dontang is a dish that takes the best of pork cutlet and tangsuyuk (Korean sweet and sour pork), and chitang is fried chicken, so it felt like eating tangsuyuk and fried chicken together.

How does the flavor of the large nurungji stone jjamppong change?

The basic side dishes are pickled radish and onions. The self-service corner also has pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi), so help yourself if you want some.

When the large stone jjamppong landed on the table, the sight was overwhelming. The sizzling stone plate and the bean sprouts caught my eye first. The nurungji stone-plate jjamppong, cooked on a 250°C amphibole stone plate, is apparently a dish you can only try at three places nationwide.

At first you taste the deep chicken broth, and as the bean sprouts cook they add a crunchy texture. As time passes and the broth soaks into the noodles, the flavor even reminds you of yakiudon (stir-fried udon). So you get three different flavors from a single dish.

Before eating, I mixed the sprouts and noodles together so the sprouts would cook through. There was plenty of seafood too, like shrimp and squid, adding texture and flavor.

The heat of the stone plate lasts a long time, so the broth soaked naturally into the noodles. The first bite and the last bite tasted different, so I never got tired of it until the end.

How do you eat the scorched rice at the bottom of the plate?

After finishing the noodles, there's the fun of scraping up the nurungji formed on the bottom of the stone plate. The nutty scorched rice mixed with the spicy jjamppong broth made for a satisfying finish.

It's the meeting of toasty nurungji and jjamppong broth, and it has a different charm from simply dropping rice into jjamppong soup.

What is handmade donchitang?

Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong's handmade donchitang lets you try handmade dontang and handmade chitang together. The name sounds a bit unfamiliar, but I could tell right away it takes the best of pork cutlet and tangsuyuk, and of chicken and tangsuyuk. Think pork cutlet tangsuyuk and chicken tangsuyuk!

It comes with two dipping sauces for the dontang and chitang: tonkatsu sauce and a sweet yangnyeom (seasoned) chicken sauce!

100% handmade dontang

Is it pork cutlet? Is it tangsuyuk? The handmade dontang is fried crisp on the outside with thick pork inside.

With thick pork inside, the outside was like a crisp-fried pork cutlet coating, while the inside had the rich flavor of juicy, well-cooked pork.

Eaten with the onion and shredded green onion on top, it cut the greasiness a little and tasted just right.

100% handmade chitang

The handmade chitang reminded me of crispy boneless fried chicken. Crisp outside and moist, tender inside, it seemed easy for anyone to enjoy.

Dipped in the sauce, it tasted like yangnyeom chicken.

• Signature dishes: nurungji stone-plate jjamppong, stone-plate jjajang
• Recommended: stone jjamppong + handmade donchitang set
• Parking: dedicated lot
• With kids: high chairs, children's tableware, baby-food microwave
• Good for: visitors to Daewangam Park and Ilsan Beach in Ulsan

What about the self-service corner and facilities for kids?

The self-service corner at Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong has plates, scissors, tongs and other utensils, plus pickled radish, onions, pa-kimchi, chunjang (black bean paste) and rice. Aprons, essential when eating jjamppong, are also set out around the restaurant.

On one side there's a storage case for children's tableware and a microwave just for baby food, so it looked like a good place to eat with kids.

What's on the menu at Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong?

The signature dishes are nurungji stone-plate jjamppong and nurungji stone-plate jjajang. You can order them in sets for 2 or 3, and there are plenty of sides too, such as the 100% handmade dontang-chitang set, macaron menbosha, fried dumplings and kids' yuni-jjajang (mild black bean noodles). Steamed rice is free at the self-service corner, so it's a place to eat your fill.

With the Naver receipt review event, you can get a pomegranate or green grape ade.

What are the seating and ordering like inside?

The interior is split into left and right areas from the entrance, and the tables are spaced generously. With seating from tables for 4 up to 8, it looked good for family meals as well as group gatherings or company dinners.

Every table has a tablet, so you just order right at your seat.

Is there dessert?

After the meal, you can freely help yourself to yogurt drinks and barley snacks near the exit. A light dessert to finish off a hearty meal!

Who is Ulsan Daewangam Dol Jjamppong right for?

If you're looking for a place to eat near Daewangam Park and Ilsan Beach in Ulsan, this Chinese restaurant is a good pick. The signature nurungji stone-plate jjamppong changes flavor gradually with the heat of the stone plate, and ordering the handmade donchitang set makes the meal even more generous. Being close to Daewangam Park and Ilsan Beach, it works well as a meal stop after sightseeing.

• Anyone looking for a meal before or after visiting Daewangam Park
• Anyone looking for a good restaurant near Ilsan Beach in Ulsan
• Anyone looking for a place for a family meal or group gathering

A nearby spot worth visiting is Ilsan Beach.