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. Most places offer the basic ingredients in their jjambbongs, which includes seafood, vegetables, mushrooms and pork. These ingredients were indeed found in Andongjang's jjambbong, but they were richer in taste and chunkier in size. The pieces of pork were large yet tender and gave the whole dish a more interesting taste. The noodles were thinner than usual jjambbong dishes, and could use some more texture. The soup was what made the whole dish special. It had a more rich taste, making it harder to put your spoon down. You can ask the waiter for a less spicy dish if preferred.

The special oyster jjambbong, one of the recommended dishes, was similar in that it had noodles in a tasty soup, but indeed had an extra something. Big, full pieces of oysters created a great seafood dish, and curiously enough, this dish is not red in color. Still, it holds that spicy flavor with a lot more vegetables, perfect to enjoy with the soft oysters.

The dumplings are not like any typical dumplings you can find in other Chinese restaurants, for they are made and fried on the spot. Ten medium sized dumplings are served per dish. The flour wrap was crispy and the stuffing, made of pork and various vegetables, was very juicy. However, despite the crispiness, some dumplings did seem to be a little too greasy as if they were just pulled out straight from the pan.

There are a variety of jjambbongs to choose from, jjambbong with pine mushrooms, shrimp, or all of them combined. Other Chinese dishes are also a great choice, including tangsuyuk (18,000 won), a dish of sliced pork fried in small pieces topped with a sweet and sour sauce with vegetables.

The restaurant is planning to remodel the place in late April, so for those who want to visit the more ravishing looking place, wait until they finish the remodeling. There are rooms and separated tables for bigger parties on the second and third floor of the restaurant.

Andongjang is located near exit 10 of Euljiro 3-ga Station on subway line 2. Walk straight until you find it on your left. For more call (02) 2266-3814 (Korean).

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr