Open-run lunch before a Dongbaekseom drive: Bueokgan Chinese, Haeundae

Before driving to Dongbaekseom in Haeundae, I stopped by Bueokgan Chinese for lunch. The atmosphere was completely different from the ordinary Chinese restaurants I used to go to — a high-end space with an ocean view stretching wide open in front of you! If you're looking for a good restaurant near Dongbaekseom in Haeundae, I'd definitely recommend swinging by.

Location and parking at Bueokgan Chinese Marine City Branch

Bueokgan Chinese is a premium Chinese restaurant chain. The Marine City branch is on the 2nd floor of The Sharp Adelis commercial building, right across from Hanwha Resort. If you find Subyeon Choego Pork Soup Rice, it's directly above it!

Even if you drive there, there's no need to worry about parking — the building has its own dedicated parking, and the restaurant gives you 90 minutes free.

Get off on the 2nd floor and Bueokgan Chinese is right there. Outside, you can see waiting seats for customers in line. The interior is quite spacious, yet there's still a wait — that's impressive.

An atmosphere that doesn't feel like a Chinese restaurant, with a window sea view

The atmosphere at Bueokgan Chinese, a favorite near Dongbaekseom in Haeundae. Unlike what most people picture when they think of a Chinese restaurant, this place feels more like a well-managed restaurant. The window side has sofa seating, so it's super comfortable even for a long sit, and group seating is available for parties of 6 or more.

Sit by the window and you get Dongbaekseom and the Haeundae ocean view — a Chinese restaurant with a Haeundae sea view.

Further inside, there's even a private room, great for important dinners, groups, or meeting spots! Just note it's popular, so booking ahead is a must.

Menu and prices

The menu at Bueokgan Chinese, Haeundae Marine City. Basic jajangmyeon is ₩8,000, poached egg ganjajang is ₩10,000, beef brisket jjamppong is ₩12,000. Considering the 100-pyeong, upscale space with a Dongbaekseom ocean view, the prices are actually pretty reasonable haha.

There's also a good variety of side dishes to go along with your meal — tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), cream shrimp, and eohyang eggplant.

If you're coming with a group, the 3-dish or 5-dish sets look like a good option too!

Write a receipt photo review and you get a free order of eohyang mandu (fish-fragrant dumplings).

Gochu ganjajang, beef brisket jjamppong, and black vinegar pork loin tangsuyuk

The basic setup came with danmuji (pickled radish) and jjajangmyeon and jjajangmyeon's classic partner, jjachai (pickled cucumber). The water was something like a savory roasted barley tea.

Since I came in during a quiet window right after opening, the dishes were ready without much of a wait.

Gochu ganjajang, ₩10,000

The ganjajang (black bean sauce noodles) came out with a strong chili aroma right away. Compared to the regular version, this one has chili added on top, giving it an extra kick of spice — but it's not too intense, so anyone who isn't a total spice wimp should enjoy it just fine.

Freshly stir-fried, so the smoky wok flavor is still alive, along with chewy noodles and fresh ingredients. One distinctive feature of Bueokgan's ganjajang is that it includes pork belly, and here the slices are cut thick, doubling the chewy texture. I've had a lot of ganjajang in my life, but Bueokgan's is one of the best I can name off the top of my head.

Beef brisket jjamppong, ₩12,000

A jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) enriched with the flavor of thinly sliced beef brisket. Brisket is my favorite kind of meat, so whenever I come to Bueokgan, this is the jjamppong I order without fail, lol.

The noodles stay chewy and bouncy without going soft. The broth looks extremely spicy at first glance, but it's not as intense as it looks — spicy and tangy enough that you can finish the whole broth to the last drop.

The portion is as generous as the size of the bowl, so if two people are visiting, it's a good idea to order one jajang and one jjamppong and share them evenly.

Black vinegar pork loin tangsuyuk (small), ₩28,000

The signature tangsuyuk at Bueokgan, a Dongbaekseom favorite in Haeundae. Apparently the sauce is made with Chinese black vinegar, which gives it that appealing sweet-and-sour taste. It's not overly sweet either, so it's addictive haha.

The tangsuyuk comes with the sauce poured over it (bumeok style), but the parts not covered in sauce stay crispy. This staple side dish of any Chinese restaurant is definitely one to recommend.

A good stop on the Dongbaekseom drive course

With its atmosphere, interior, and ocean view, Bueokgan Chinese near Dongbaekseom in Haeundae completely shatters any preconceptions about Chinese restaurants. It's less than a 5-minute drive to Dongbaekseom, so it makes for a great stop combined with a drive.