Andongjang Lives Up to Reputation as Oldest Chinese Restaurant
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
There are several tales regarding the origin of ``jajangmyeon'' ― some say it is from China while some argue it was created by a Korean ― but it is clear that the simple recipe is one of the most common Chinese dishes Koreans enjoy.
The dish is made of wheat noodles topped with a black bean sauce called ``chunjang,'' or ``jajang'' in Korean, which is mixed with pork and various vegetables. Near Euljiro 3-ga Station, you can find Andongjang, a Chinese restaurant that dates back to 1948, being the oldest of its kind in the nation.
As soon as you walk into the restaurant, you can see cards posted on the wall that show the most popular specialties of the place, including their various choices of jjambbong, another noodle dish that usually comes out in a spicy soup, and jajangmyeon.
We ordered the basics: jajangmyeon (3,800 won), jjambbong (4,500 won), fried dumplings (5,000 won) and a special oyster jjambbong (6,500 won).
Jjambbong, brought out in a spicy red soup, is just as famous as jajangmyeon, always making it difficult to choose.
Apr 17, 2008