Jecheon Chinese restaurant for spicy tray jjajang: Nangman Jjajang

I came to Jecheon, took a leisurely lap around Uirimji Lake, one of the city’s signature sights, and of course, food comes before scenery~~~💥 I topped off the trip with a hearty, delicious meal at a great Jecheon restaurant.

A local favorite near Uirimji Lake: Nangman Jjajang

Nangman Jjajang is at 2-41 Uirim-daero 48-gil, Jecheon-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea. It is open daily from 10:00 to 19:30, with a break from 16:00 to 17:00.

Nangman Jjajang is about a 3-minute drive from Uirimji Lake in Jecheon, so it was perfect to add to the travel itinerary. There was free parking right in front of the restaurant, plus plenty of other free spots along the roadside about a minute away, so parking felt much less stressful.

Actually, a Jecheon local recommended this place to me, which is how I found it. On top of that, it is certified by Jecheon City as a great local restaurant, so my expectations went even higher!

A spacious, cozy dining room

The exterior felt like a converted country house, giving it such a warm and cozy vibe. Inside, it was clean, comfortable, and surprisingly spacious. The tables were nicely spread out too, so even a larger group could visit without any trouble!

High chairs were available too, making this a nice place for a family meal with children.

Nangman Jjajang menu and order

• Sweet and sour pork: garlic tenderloin tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), cream tenderloin tangsuyuk, Jecheon tangsuyuk
• Dishes: Nangman geu japchae, fried dumplings, cream fried dumplings
• Meals: jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles), chili jjajang, mild ganjjajang, tray jjajang, cold jjamppong, jjamppong rice, jjajang rice, fried rice
• Set menu: family set (4 people)
• Alcohol: soju, erguotou, kaoliang liquor, Yantai
• All menu items are available for takeout; rice-noodle noodles and extra-large portions are available.

I spent ages staring at the menu, wondering what to get, then picked the cream tenderloin tangsuyuk because food-loving TV personality Kim Jun-hyeon from 2 Days & 1 Night supposedly enjoyed it so much~💫 And I ordered the tray jjajang alongside it—the perfect match.

The essential Chinese restaurant sides were all laid out nicely: danmuji (pickled yellow radish), onion, chunjang (black bean paste), pickles, kimchi, and pickled chili peppers.

If any side dishes ran low, I could easily grab more from the self-service station, which was great because I could take as much as I wanted.

Spicy two-person tray jjajang

Ahhh~~~🖤 The tray jjajang and cream tenderloin tangsuyuk finally arrived. The two-person tray jjajang was ₩25,000.

As you would expect from a dish made for sharing, it was packed with ingredients, from vegetables like onion and broccoli to seafood including shrimp and squid. It felt so abundant! The tray jjajang also had a gentle spicy kick, so it was just right alongside the cream tenderloin tangsuyuk~~~🌶️

Sometimes after eating jjajangmyeon, it can feel a little too intense or rich in my stomach. But Nangman Jjajang had a clean, savory depth, so I could enjoy it deliciously to the very last bite. If you want something different, you can also switch the noodles to rice noodles, so keep that in mind😉

Cream tenderloin tangsuyuk, with crisp onion as the key

The cream tenderloin tangsuyuk was ₩25,000.

This was my first time trying cream tenderloin tangsuyuk! The sweet, creamy sauce went far better with the sweet and sour pork than I expected🤩 It had a bit of the familiar-but-different feel of the sauce used for cream shrimp.

And the real key here was the crisp onion piled on top🧅 With the crunchy tangsuyuk, creamy sauce, and crisp onion all in one bite, the texture was fantastic. The onion also cut through the richness of the sauce perfectly, so I could enjoy it all the way through without feeling weighed down.

The taste Nangman Jjajang aims for

On one side of the restaurant, there was a clear list of the flavors Nangman Jjajang aims for.

• Not overly intense or greasy
• Something you would not tire of even if you ate it every day
• Let the natural flavor of the ingredients shine
• No guilt after eating
• A pleasant finish

After trying it myself, that was exactly the taste⭐

Honestly, I did wonder at first: jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk on a Jecheon trip? But Nangman Jjajang’s cream tenderloin tangsuyuk was something special. With the sweet, creamy sauce and crisp onion, it is a flavor that people of all ages could enjoy! If you are deciding on a special meal during a Jecheon trip, I really recommend trying Nangman Jjajang’s tray jjajang and cream tenderloin tangsuyuk at least once🖤