Cycle 16 – Item 355
POST 5,834
26 (Fri) December 2025
Jjambbong
2.5
at Donghaewon
-Sohak, Gongju, Chungcheongnam, Republic of Korea-
with the Family
Winter Holiday Roadtrip 2025, Day 1 of 4
- Day 1 (16.355 Jeonguk Odae Jjambbong: The Donghaewon)
- Day 2 (16.356 Mul Jjajang Myeon)
- Day 3 (16.357 Snow Crab)
- Day 4 (16.358 Jeonguk Odae Jjambbong: The Bokseongru)
In lieu of an overseas destination for our annual winter trip, we’re staying local. Gongju + Buyeo + Gunsan. For me, it’s all about jjambbong. W’s motives are historical.
LUNCH
TEJOJ (Try Every Jeonguk Odae Jjambbong)
After launching TEJOJ back in March with Yeongbinru in Pyeongtaek (see generally 16.073 Jeonguk Odae Jjambbong: The Yeongbinru), the project lay dormant. Until now.
Donghaewon is a Korean-Chinese restaurant. Famous for jjambbong – one of the “Big Five.” Founded in 1973 (at a different location).
Out in the middle of nowhere, customers are going out of their way just to eat at this place.
When the roadtrip was proposed, my first thought had been to head for a city featuring one of the so-called “Big Five” jjambbong restaurants.
Jeonguk Odae Jjambbong [listed in order of distance from home]:
- Yeongbinru (Pyeongtaek) (50 km)
- Donghaewon (Gongju) (130 km)
- Bokseongru (Gunsan) (200 km)
- Gyodong Banjeom (Gangneung) (200 km)
- Jinheung Banjeom (Daegu) (280 km)
Of the remaining 4, Gongju is closest, followed by Gunsan, which is more or less in the same direction, so I’ll be hitting both of them on this trip.
I appreciate that the owners decided to offer only 3 dishes – jjambbong (+ jjambbong bap), jjajang myeon (+ jjajang bap), and tangsuyuk – which would’ve comprised 95% of their sales anyway, same as every other Korean-Chinese restaurant in the country.
Arriving at 12:31, we were seated and began to eat at 13:24.
The jjambbong is graded on GMTD’s 4-point scale, applied to the dish’s 3 primary components. The final score is the average of the 3 subscores.
BROTH. Very light in taste and texture, somewhat vegetal (probably the cabbage). Subscore: 2.0
NOODLES. Pleasantly thick. Al dente. Subscore: 3.5
TOPPINGS. Mostly white cabbage + onions + scallions. Small bits of pork and squid. Subscore: 2.0
CONCLUSION. Would’ve been disappointing in any context, fell severely short of the hype. Not worth traveling 1 km. Not worth waiting 1 minute. Way overpriced at 10,000 won. Worth the travel/cost/wait: absolutely not. Final score: 2.5
The boys were properly unimpressed, W seemed to like it.
SIGHTSEEING
Baekje was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, primarily occupying the west coast of the peninsula from 18 BCE to 660 CE.
King Muryeong was the 25th king of Baekje, ruling from 501 to 523.
At the time, the capital of the kingdom – the second capital from 475 to 538 CE – was Ungjin (located in what is now Gongju city).
The district of Songsan-ri in Gongju is home to several empty royal tombs, though who was buried there remains unknown because the tombs have long since been looted by grave robbers.
In 1971, workers doing maintenance along the perimeter of one such tomb accidentally discovered an adjacent tomb that had not been previously known. Ultimately, it was revealed to be the Tomb of King Muryeong and his Queen. Somehow, the tomb had never been robbed and remained sealed for 1,448 years, contents intact – the only untouched royal tomb from the Three Kingdoms period that has been discovered to date.
From 2018 to 2019, when DJ was 11-12 and IZ was 6-7 – a time when they would still do what I asked – the boys indulged me to film 16 “CNN spots” at various landmarks during our travels.
- Singapore, Changi Airport (2018)
- Korea, Seoul, Gwanghwamun (2018)
- USA, Los Angeles, Hanbat Shul Lung Tang (2018)
- USA, Anaheim, Disneyland (2018)
- USA, Beverly Hills (2018)
- USA, Las Vegas (2018)
- USA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (2018)
- Singapore, Kampong Glam (2019)
- Singapore, Changi Airport, Jewel (2019)
- UAE, Dubai, Al Fahidi (2019)
- UAE, Dubai, Dubai Museum (2019)
- UAE, Dubai (desert) (2019)
- UAE, Abu Dhabi, Grand Mosque (2019)
- UAE, Abu Dhabi, Louvre (2019)
- UAE, Dubai, Burj Khalifa (2019)
- UAE, Dubai, Wild Wadi Water Park (2019)
I am shocked that none of the videos were posted on GMTD.
Curiously, we never did one in the Philippines.
On our more recent trips (e.g., San Francisco, Osaka), they had refused to comply.
This time, I paid them 50,000 won each.
To my deep frustration and bewilderment, I can’t find any information about the current location of the king and queen’s remains, whether in the tombs or coffins or wherever. Nothing at either museum nor online sources provide a definitive answer. As if nobody knows, so they’re just avoiding the subject.
DINNER
For the first night of the trip, we’re staying at Lotte Resort in Buyeo.
Bondimaseul is an international restaurant. Mostly Korean fare, with a handful of western items. Serves buffet breakfast for hotel guests in the morning, and à la carte dishes for lunch and dinner.
From 538 to 660 CE, the third and final capital of Baekje was the city Sabi (located in what is now the county of Buyeo).
DJ, still jetlagged, refused to get up, so the 3 of us just went to the on-site restaurant for a simple meal.
LATE SNACK
When DJ later awoke, the only thing available was pizza (Mr Pizza) and fried chicken (Kyochon) from the food court in the hotel basement.
It was a very good day.
(See RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)
(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)
(See HANSIK)
(See BOOZE)