Busan Chinese restaurant: octopus jajangmyeon at Songjeong Dol

I was in the Songjeong area and stopped by Songjeong Dol Jjamppong (송정돌짬뽕) for lunch with the kids.

It is well known near Songjeong Beach for stone-plate jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) and stone-plate jajangmyeon (black bean noodles). The sight of everything bubbling away on a hot stone plate, loaded with octopus and seafood, really caught my eye. Let me introduce Songjeong Dol Jjamppong, which was great for a family meal with kids in Songjeong.

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong location and parking

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong is not far from Songjeong Beach, so it is in a handy spot for a meal before or after a Songjeong outing.

The sign was easy to spot from outside, and there is parking for visitors arriving by car. If the lot in front of the restaurant is full, they provide a parking discount voucher for Songjeong Pureun Parking Lot.

Tabling waitlist and spacious interior

There was a wait when we visited, so we registered first through Tabling.

After registering, you can wait in the separate waiting room at the very back of the restaurant. It was more spacious than I expected, and they call your number when it is your turn to enter.

The restaurant itself was spacious overall and had plenty of tables, so it looked suitable for a family meal or a larger group too.

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong menu

The signature dishes are jjamppong and jajang served on sizzling stone plates.

• Nurungji stone-plate jjamppong, medium ₩26,000
• Nurungji stone-plate jajang, medium ₩24,000
• Chili pesto stone-plate jajang, medium ₩26,000
• Whole squid stone-plate jjamppong, medium ₩31,000
• White stone-plate jjamppong, medium ₩26,000
• There are also plenty of side dishes, including mapo tofu, house-made gyoja dumplings, macaron menbosha, and 24-hour-aged glutinous-rice tangsuyuk.

The wall also lists the ingredients' countries of origin, so you can check them while ordering.

Octopus stone-plate jajang and glutinous-rice tangsuyuk

Our family ordered two dishes: octopus stone-plate jajang and 24-hour-aged glutinous-rice tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour fried pork).

Stone-plate jajang topped with a whole octopus

As soon as the stone-plate jajang arrived, the first thing that caught my eye was the plump whole octopus.

It was not just octopus, either: there was plenty of squid, shrimp, and vegetables, so it was fun to pick through. The jajang sauce arrived still bubbling on the searing-hot stone plate, which kept it warm right through to the end.

For the stone-plate jajang, you can choose not only the spice level but also how thin or thick you want the sauce.

Since we were eating with the kids, we chose the mild level and regular sauce consistency.

The mild version was not spicy and had a distinctly sweet jajang flavor, so it was easy for the kids to eat.

It tasted a little sweet to me, so I sprinkled on some chili powder; the added heat suited it much better. Another fun part of the stone-plate jajang was the nurungji (crispy scorched rice) left after finishing the noodles. We ate the noodles and seafood first, then scraped up the nurungji stuck to the stone plate at the end. Soaked with jajang sauce, it was nutty and delicious to the last bite.

The pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi) from the self-service station was also a perfect match for the stone-plate jajang. Paired with the sweet jajang, its sharp flavor made everything taste much cleaner.

Personally, my favorite combination was stone-plate jajang with a light sprinkle of chili powder plus pa-kimchi.

Steamed rice is free too, so if you have jajang sauce left over, you can enjoy it with rice.

Crisp and chewy glutinous-rice tangsuyuk

The 24-hour-aged glutinous-rice tangsuyuk we ordered alongside it is made with 100% Korean pork loin aged for 24 hours.

As soon as it reached the table, the coating looked visibly crisp. One bite confirmed it: crispy and chewy on the outside, with tender meat inside. You can request soy sauce separately, so we got some and tried it alongside the tangsuyuk sauce. The clear sweet-and-sour sauce was also lightly sweet and went well with the crunchy pork.

Dipping pieces in soy sauce now and then gave us another way to enjoy it.

Our family of four ordered just two dishes, a medium stone-plate jajang and tangsuyuk, but the portions were honestly very generous. Even with the free rice, we ate until we were full and still could not finish the tangsuyuk, so we packed up the rest. Rather than ordering lots of dishes at once as a family, it felt like a place where you could try a couple first and add more if needed; the portions felt that generous.

After the meal, there was yogurt ready for the kids, too. They were happy to each grab one after such a filling meal. From high chairs and the mild-flavor option to generous portions and post-meal yogurt, there were several little things that made visiting with children more comfortable.

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong for a generous meal with kids

Songjeong Dol Jjamppong served jajang bubbling on a hot stone plate, generously loaded with a whole octopus, squid, and shrimp.

We ordered mild because we were with the kids, and they enjoyed its sweet flavor; for the adults, chili powder and pa-kimchi were a great match too. Above all, the portions were so plentiful that our family of four ordered only two dishes and still took home tangsuyuk, leaving us completely full. If you are looking for somewhere to eat with kids near Songjeong Beach or want a generous stone-plate jajang, give it a visit. Next time, I would like to try their signature stone-plate jjamppong too.