Omokgyo Chinese restaurant with spicy chili jjampong: Yugwanjang Banjeom

How do you get from Omokgyo Station to the restaurant?

I visited Yugwanjang Banjeom Omokgyo Station Direct Branch because I was craving something hot and spicy. After leaving Omokgyo Station on Line 5 through Exit 2, I could see the building behind the exit, and the restaurant was on its second floor.

The address is 256 Mokdongdong-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Since it was close to the station, I found it easy to reach and thought it would also be convenient as a meeting point.

Is it suitable for dining alone or in a group?

The restaurant was fairly spacious, with partitions separating the seats. I visited alone this time, and the layout made it comfortable to eat without worrying much about the people around me.

The window seats looked out onto trees, which made the view feel open. The overall atmosphere was calm, so it also seemed suitable for talking over a meal.

Seeing the large dining area, I thought it would work for meals with family, gatherings with friends, or group dinners with coworkers.

What is on the menu besides jjampong?

There were many kinds of jjampong (spicy seafood noodle soup), including bone-broth seafood jjampong, cuttlefish jjampong, beef jjampong, soft tofu jjampong, cold jjampong, and Yongdaeri pollock jjampong. Seafood tray jjajangmyeon and chili jjajangmyeon were also available.

The rice dishes included shrimp fried rice, XO seafood fried rice, spicy pork-and-vegetable rice, mapo tofu rice, and eggplant rice. There were also many dishes to share, from tangsuyuk to ganpenggi, yurinji, chili shrimp, palbochae, yangjangpi, yusanseul, stir-fried seafood and mushrooms, and seafood crispy rice soup.

I felt the prices were reasonably easy on the wallet. The dishes I ordered came out relatively quickly that day, which also made it convenient for a simple meal.

How spicy is the chili jjampong, and what does it taste like?

I wanted something distinctly spicy that day, so I ordered spicy chili jjampong and tangsuyuk. The jjampong was topped generously with Cheongyang chilies and minced seasoning, and the soup had a deep color.

The heat rose immediately after my first spoonful of soup. I could also taste smoky wok flavor and umami from the seafood, which kept me reaching for more soup.

At first, my mouth felt hot and the soup was warming and spicy, followed by the refreshing flavor characteristic of seafood. Since I like spicy food, I was satisfied with the taste.

After eating the noodles and taking a sip of soup, smoky flavor and a peppery kick lingered in my mouth. It was spicy enough to make me sweat slightly while eating.

There were plenty of ingredients in the soup, and they tasted fresh. The strong heat combined with smoky and seafood flavors, making this a dish I would want to eat again when craving a spicy jjampong.

Does the tangsuyuk pair well with spicy chili jjampong?

The tangsuyuk was crisp and sweet-and-sour, making it good to eat between bites of spicy jjampong. Taking a bite while eating the jjampong made the heat feel noticeably gentler.

The coating was crisp, while the meat inside was tender to chew. Dipping it in the sauce added a sweet-and-sour flavor, and returning to the jjampong brought back the peppery soup, so alternating between the two worked well.

The spicy soup and crisp fried texture complemented each other, and I was glad I ordered both dishes together.

Are there drinks to have with the Chinese dishes?

Chinese liquors such as Yantai Guniang, Gongbugaju, and erguotou were also available. I went for a meal this time, but it also seemed suitable for having drinks with the dishes.

What would I like to try next time?

Next time, I would like to try the Yongdaeri pollock jjampong. It was described as white jjampong made with dried pollock broth, so I was curious how its flavor would differ from the spicy chili jjampong I had this time.

What stayed with me most from this visit was the combination of smoky, spicy soup and crisp tangsuyuk. I also liked that it was close to the station and comfortable to eat alone thanks to the partitioned seating.

Is it open 24 hours every day?

The hours listed in the original post vary by day. Wednesday through Sunday are listed as 24 hours, while Monday and Tuesday have the hours below.

• Monday: 00:00–21:00
• Tuesday: 10:30–24:00
• Wednesday–Sunday: 00:00–24:00