Itaewon Jjajang

There's pork belly slices which were very fatty and hardly generous enough. Sauce and noodles were both okay

Instead, Walk a few steps down to the GOAT of jjm: hwang sil, who is not the same league as anyone else in the area, probably even in the entire singapore

I like that it's all veg, generally all decent esp the 榨菜 which is quite rare

Tangsuyuk 4/5
Jajjangmyeon 3/5
Doenjangjigae 3/5

First time trying Korean Jjajang in SG (other than the Chinese version) from kopitiam. Ordered the Set B for 2 pax and portion was more than enough (fyi we are big eaters). Dishes are well flavoured, kimchi was good, love the noodle texture and the fried chicken is a must try!

Some of you may have heard about the never-ending Korean conundrum about whether tangsuyuk (or Korean sweet and sour pork) is better with the sauce on the side (the dippers) or poured over the meat (the pourers).

I never really understood the debate because the Chinese version usually comes with coated with the sauce. That said, we usually end up dipping our tangsuyuk because Miss K believes that it is crisper this way 😂😂😂

The key to a good tangsuyuk is a shattering crisp batter and the sauce and Itaewon Jjajang did not disappoint. Their version comes with deep fried lotus root and tangerines, giving it a more rounded and fruity flavour. I love that the Korean sauces are usually more sweet and tangy and comes with an assortment of vegetables.

The meat is slightly than the Chinese guobaorou but this is a rather common comment for tangsuyuk no matter where you go. I am not too sure if this is because different cuts are used or the preparation method.

Jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk comes hand in hand in all Korean-Chinese restaurants. You are definitely missing out if you have one but not the other!

No, it is not jjajangmyeon! Yes, I know it looks the same and the menu states so in English but it actually reads jaengban-jjajang in hangul!

It may not be visibly apparent but there are subtle differences between each of these variants of jjajangmyeon (lifted courtesy of Wikipedia haha):

1. Gan-jjajang (간짜장 or dry JJM) is essentially JJM with a dry sauce, made without adding water/stock and starch slurry. The sauce is therefore thicker and more flavourful.

2. Jaengban-jjajang (쟁반짜장 or "plate" JJM) – Jaengban means "plate" in Korean. This dish is made by stir-frying the parboiled noodles with the sauce in a wok, and served on a plate instead of in a bowl. The taste is therefore more consistent because the sauce has already been tossed with the noodles. Meant for sharing.

3. Samseon-jjajang (삼선짜장) – JJM is pork-based so this is the seafood version which incorporates seafood such as squid and mussel. It can also go by haemul-jjajang.

There are of course combinations of variants and I will not go into jjajang-bap or jjajang-tteokbokki here.

We have been to several jjajangmyeon spots in Singapore and Itaweon Jjajang is definitely one of the best if not the best here. Their jjajang sauce is thick, flavourful with a nice hint of caramelised sweetness and wokhey. The seafood is also sweet, succulent and fresh. The noodles were also done just right.

At $30 for 2 pax, it is on the pricey side (compared to my other favourite Jeong Jjajang) but its definitely worth it!