Dongdaegu Station Chinese restaurant: yakiudon at Machai Jjamppong

Machai Sinam Branch is a well-loved spot near Dongdaegu Station in Dong-gu, Daegu, known for its strong wok-fired flavor.

My son is a huge baseball fan and sometimes gets invited to games by friends — that happened again this day, so he took off to the ballpark haha~ All I had to do was feed my husband, but honestly it felt like a hassle haha. So we decided to eat out, and my husband and I headed to Machai Jjamppong Sinam Branch, a well-known spot near our home in Sinam-dong. We got there around 7pm and were seated right away with no wait. Let me walk you through it.

Where is Machai Jjamppong Sinam Branch, and where do you park?

Machai Jjamppong Sinam Branch is located on the 1st floor of 38 Ayang-ro, Sinam-dong, Dong-gu, Daegu. There's parking space in front of the store, but it was disappointingly small — only about 2 spots. We ended up using a public parking lot on a nearby street.

The chalkboard at the entrance listed clam baekjjamppong (white clam jjamppong) and chadolbagi jjamppong (brisket jjamppong) as recommended dishes. It described the clam baekjjamppong as having a refreshing broth and the chadolbagi jjamppong as having a rich, deep broth. I'd like to try the clam baekjjamppong next time.

What is the restaurant like inside?

Walking into Machai Jjamppong Sinam Branch, the interior was clean and simple — pretty much what you'd expect from a proper Chinese restaurant. Even though it was a weekday evening, there were quite a few customers.

Self-serve bar with free danmuji refills

On one side of the restaurant there was a self-serve bar where you could grab more danmuji (pickled radish) and onions. Small plates and utensils were also gathered up top. It was nice being able to grab more danmuji without feeling self-conscious about it.

The self-serve corner sign listed aprons, small plates, scissors, wooden chopsticks, and kids' forks and spoons, plus tongs. It was just my husband and me this time, but it looked like families with kids would have everything they need without any hassle.

Ordering at Machai Jjamppong: the table kiosk

At Machai Jjamppong Sinam Branch, you order using a kiosk right at your table. The menu was divided into categories like noodles, rice dishes, tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) and mandu (fried dumplings), other cooked dishes, and special sets. Since each item came with a photo, it was easy to pick what to order.

The basic side dishes were onion, danmuji, and chunjang (black bean sauce) — the usual side dishes you'd expect at a Chinese restaurant.

There was also a serving robot inside. Staff brought our food to us directly, but it seems the robot helps out when things get busy haha. That night, my husband ordered Chinese-style bibimbap, I ordered yakiudon, and we shared a mini tangsuyuk.

Chinese-style bibimbap (junghwa bibimbap)

This is the Chinese-style bibimbap my husband ordered — topped with a fried egg, it looked delicious. Vegetables and other ingredients spread generously across the top of the bowl, making it look really appetizing.

The bibimbap came with egg soup on the side. The big bowl and the small soup bowl sat together like a set. That Chinese-restaurant egg soup flavor — it tasted exactly like that! The most terrifying kind of flavor: the one you already know and love!

The red sauce looked spicy, but it wasn't actually that hot. It had more of that smoky wok flavor than heat, and it was so good! It might be a bit spicy for kids, but for me it wasn't spicy at all haha.

Yakiudon: smoky stir-fried noodles

Machai's yakiudon was generously loaded with seafood! With that signature smoky flavor added in, the yakiudon was also delicious.

The sauce soaked well into the noodles, making for a really well-balanced flavor.

Mini tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork)

We had tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) on the side too. It tasted even better paired with the noodles or rice. Ordering a full-size tangsuyuk can feel like a lot, but skipping it entirely feels a bit sad — so having a mini tangsuyuk option at Machai was great.

We didn't even ask, but they gave us the sauce separately, so we could dip and eat it while keeping it crispy all the way through.

Placed next to chopsticks, you can get a good sense of the size of each piece. Since the pieces varied in size, it'd be easy to share by breaking them up further. There were even scissors at the self-serve corner, so if you're going with kids, you could cut the pieces smaller.

Would we eat at Machai Jjamppong again?

I've eaten at Machai plenty of times before, but this was my first time at the Sinam branch. It was a comfortable place to eat. I think we'll come back again on days when I don't feel like cooking. If you live nearby, I'd recommend it!