Songjeong Chinese restaurant brunch set menu: Songjeong Dol Jjamppong

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong, on the inner lane by Songjeong Beach

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong is a stone-plate jjamppong spot at 67 Songjeonggwanggeo-golro, Haeundae-gu, Busan, on the inner line along the Songjeong Beach coast. It had been a while since a Busan trip, and this time I headed to Songjeong Beach, which is less crowded than Gwangalli or Haeundae. I thought Songjeong was mostly for surfing, but apparently there are a lot of pensions there too, so it's a popular spot for university students' group trips. After checking out, I decided on brunch and went to try this famous Busan Songjeong stone-plate jjamppong place.

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong sits on the inner line near the coast, so it was close enough to the beach to enjoy the sea view while eating. Judging by the sign saying they came from Palgongsan, this seemed to be the original branch. Apparently the roots are in Daegu, but I got to eat it in Busan — haha.

Parking and waiting at Songjeong Dol Jjamppong: arriving at opening is the safe bet

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong had parking available not just in front of the building but also across the street. We walked there worried there might be no spots, but it seems like driving would have been fine too.

We arrived almost exactly at opening time, so thankfully there was no wait. By about 11:30am, right after we got seated, the place was fully booked and people were waiting. Good thing we went early. During peak hours, it'd be smart to check the wait via Catch Table before heading over. For a safe bet, I'd recommend an open-run.

It was busy from early on. There are quite a lot of tables inside, but even before noon it was already packed. This must really be a well-known spot. I saw all kinds of groups, from couples to families.

There's a waiting room that seems to get used when the line gets long. This space was spacious too, and there were baby chairs available.

The set menu: whole squid stone-plate jjamppong + mini crunchy tangsuyuk

Ordering was done via table-order. I was curious about the white jjamppong and the macaron mangboosha (crispy dumplings), but since it was my first visit, I figured I should try the signature menu first.

So I ordered the best-seller, whole squid stone-plate jjamppong, along with the mini crunchy tangsuyuk. I picked the set menu option and added extra squid on top. The spice level was also adjustable.

They said the food isn't pre-made and is cooked fresh on order, so I thought it would take a while, but...

...it came out fast, yay haha. The stone-plate jjamppong was quite generous even for two people. The tangsuyuk was mini-sized but still plenty — overall a great value portion.

Sizzling on the stone plate, scorched rice underneath

Careful, the whole squid stone-plate jjamppong is hot. Bean sprouts and whole squid sit on top like a garnish. Since it's on a stone plate, it keeps sizzling. Unlike regular jjamppong, the broth is on the drier side.

Uniquely, there's scorched rice lining the bottom, so you should only flip and mix the sprouts and noodles, not scrape the bottom. Since the heat keeps sizzling continuously, if the broth reduces, you can eat it almost like a stir-fried jjamppong.

One bowl of rice can be added as standard with the stone-plate jjamppong. If I'd known the portion would be this big, I might not have needed to order it.

Whole squid with the innards removed. It's scored so the broth soaks in well, and cut into pieces that are easy to eat.

The noodles were fully soaked in the seasoning too — genuinely delicious. I usually prefer jjamppong-bap because I don't like it when the broth and noodles feel separate, but these noodles nailed it. Loved it.

How spicy is spice level 1?

They say spice level 1 is about as spicy as Shin Ramyun, and it was just the right amount of spicy for me. Even people who can't handle spice much should be able to enjoy it. The squid was plump and chewy and delicious, and I felt like ordering the whole squid version was the right call.

Plump shrimp, sob. There were various kinds of seafood packed inside, so it was fun hunting for them too.

When you scrape the bottom with something like a spatula, the scorched rice comes out.

Unlike just mixing rice into the soup normally, this had a savory flavor with the chewy texture unique to scorched rice — really good. Scorched rice in jjamppong is an unfamiliar combination, but it's seriously delicious. Whoever thought of this is a genius.

Mini crunchy tangsuyuk: soft crunch from the breadcrumb batter

The mini crunchy tangsuyuk. It looks more like fried shrimp than regular tangsuyuk. It looked like it was coated in breadcrumbs and fried, similar to Yeondon (a fried pork cutlet chain).

How do I describe it — it's crispy, but because of the breadcrumbs, it's not hard, more like a soft crispiness. The crunch held up the whole time I was eating, while the inside stayed moist. The batter was thin but the meat inside was substantial. A tangsuyuk texture I'd never had before. Whenever the fried greasiness started to build up, I'd eat some jjamppong, then go back to the tangsuyuk, and repeat.

Unusually, there were no vegetables in the sauce, which I actually liked better for being simple. Honestly I never really eat the vegetables in tangsuyuk sauce anyway, so this felt better to me personally. It wasn't sour enough to make you cough, and dipping generously into it was sweet and tangy in a good way — tasty.

Baby-friendly facilities at Songjeong Dol Jjamppong

For dessert, I even had the yogurt sitting in the ice box. Even when you're stuffed, dessert still finds room. And thoughtfully, there was a microwave for baby food and warm barley tea prepared, which parents bringing babies would probably appreciate.

Good timing meant no wait, and the food was delicious too, making for a happy lunch on day two of the Busan trip. Definitely going back next time.