Dish guide · Noodles and dumplings
Jjamppong
짬뽕
Spicy seafood noodle soup
A fiery red noodle soup packed with seafood and vegetables. With jajangmyeon and tangsuyuk, it's one of the three pillars of Korean-Chinese restaurants.
What it is
- Thick wheat noodles sit in a broth colored with chili powder and chili oil, usually with mussels, squid, shrimp, cabbage and onions.
- Some shops serve a version with a whole crab or a big beef rib on top.
- If you can't decide between jjamppong and jajangmyeon, many restaurants sell a half-and-half bowl.
How to eat it
- 1Eat the seafood first if the bowl is piled high, and leave shells on the side. Pickled radish and raw onion help cool things down.
- 2Ask for less spicy if you're unsure. Not every kitchen can change it.
History
- The name is linked to champon, a dish first served at a Chinese restaurant in Nagasaki in 1899. In Korea, the Shandong community's pale noodle soup became the red, seafood version later, reportedly from the 1960s, though the timeline isn't well documented.
Allergies and diet
Usually contains
- Most versions hold mussels, squid and shrimp, and the broth may include pork.
Recipes differ between restaurants. If you have an allergy, always ask the staff before you order.
🗣️ Allergy card for the staff
Pick your allergy to see the sentence in Korean.
📍 Where to try it
- 🍜
Andongjang 안동장
Korean-Chinese · Euljiro · Since 1948
A Korean-Chinese restaurant open since 1948 and the place credited with creating gul-jjamppong: a white, gently spicy noodle soup packed with oysters. Order it plain or spicy, with crisp shrimp toast on the side.
Try: Gul-jjamppong (oyster noodle soup)
Short wait - 🍜
Gaehwa 개화
Korean-Chinese · Nampo & Jagalchi · Since 1968
A Chinese-Korean family restaurant on Nampo-dong's pork trotter alley, opened in 1968 and now in its third generation. It's known for yuni-jajang, a finely minced black bean sauce with more depth than the usual version, and a shelf of Blue Ribbon stickers.
Try: Yuni-jajang (black bean noodles with minced sauce)
Locals' pick - 🍜
Deokseongwon (Main) 덕성원 본점
Korean-Chinese · Seogwipo & South Coast
A Chinese-Korean restaurant that has served Seogwipo for around 80 years. The order is kkotge-jjamppong: spicy noodle soup with a whole blue crab. Old-fashioned tangsuyuk is a good partner, and there's also a branch in Jungmun.
Try: Kkotge-jjamppong (spicy noodle soup with blue crab)
Short wait - 🍜
Dongillu 동일루
Korean-Chinese · Hongdae
A small Korean-Chinese restaurant in Mangwon-dong run by an ethnic Chinese (hwagyo) family for over 30 years. Locals come for gan-jjajang, noodles with a dry-fried black bean sauce, and chapssal tangsuyuk, crisp and chewy sweet-and-sour pork in a sticky-rice batter. Korean-Chinese food is its own cuisine, and this is a good place to try it.
Try: Chapssal tangsuyuk (sticky-rice sweet-and-sour pork)
Locals' pickShort wait - 🥟
Myeonghwawon 명화원
Korean-Chinese · Itaewon
An old Korean-Chinese restaurant at Samgakji, open for just four hours at lunchtime, that people line up for. It is usually named one of Seoul's three great tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour pork) houses, and its crisp fried dumplings are just as famous. A good stop before or after the War Memorial of Korea.
Try: Tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour pork)
30-60 min wait 
Wanchai 완차이
Korean-Chinese · Sinchon & Ewha
A second-generation Chinese-Korean restaurant in the alleys by Yonsei University. Its signature is spicy stir-fried mussels, and regulars also swear by the gan-jajangmyeon and fluffy tangsuyuk.
Try: Spicy stir-fried mussels
Locals' pickShort wait- 🍜
Yangjagang (Yeongjongdo Main) 양자강 영종도본점
Korean-Chinese · Yeongjongdo
The noodle stop near Eurwangni Beach, known for its wang-galbi-jjamppong: spicy seafood noodle soup with a huge beef rib on top. It's big, messy and very satisfying. Regulars also recommend the tangsuyuk.
Try: Wang-galbi-jjamppong (spicy noodle soup with a big beef rib)
30-60 min wait
Sources
We check every fact against at least two sources and write it in our own words. Last checked: 2026-10-31.