17.231 Jjamppong

Cycle 17 – Item 231

Post 6,075

24 (Mon) Aug 2026

Jjamppong

0.5

at Great China

-Berkeley, California, USA-

with DJ

Feathering the (Kid’s New) Nest: Day 6 of 9

In Emeryville/Berkeley.  DJ, upon finishing his freshman year at Cal, has moved out of the dorms and rented an apartment.  Though my parents didn’t (physically) help to furnish my first apartment (financially, yes), DJ seemed hopelessly lost on what needed to be done and utterly incapable of getting it done, so here I am.  Always happy for an excuse to visit Berkeley – 3rd year in a row (see previously 16.228 Korean Beef Short Rib with Vegetables Wraps; 15.182 Top).

LUNCH

Had W been here, had we finished assembling all the furniture, the plan had been to spend the day in San Francisco and catch the Giants game in the evening.  But DJ and I, like yesterday, decided to chill in Berkeley.

Located on Bancroft Way, between Telegraph Ave and Bowditch St.

The food, something as simple as beef and broccoli, was terrible – barely touched it.

I don’t know why I continue to subject myself to Panda Express, even though I know for that I’m not gonna like it, anywhere in the world (see most recently 12.057 Bigger Plate).

Beef and Broccoli (1.0)

Should gone to Chengdu Style Restaurant, just a block away, which DJ describes as “like Panda Express, but legit” (see 17.230 Carne Asada Burrito).

HAPPY HOUR

Henry’s is a pub.  Named, presumably, after Henry Durant, the first president of the University of California, and the namesake of the original Hotel Durant.

Located on the first floor of the hotel.

As part of the $833 that I’m shelling out for the hotel, they give back $25 per day (3 days) as a food and beverage credit, which works out to about 1 cocktail, after tax and tip.

Berkeleyite (3.0): good, but disconcerting that a cocktail honoring Berkeley is pink (pomegranate) and green (lime) – should be blue (Curaçao) and gold (lemon).

I am truly blessed to have the luxury of indulging in an overpriced cocktail (or two) in the middle of the afternoon on a Monday.

Graduate Old-Fashioned (3.0)

SHOPPING

Another benefit to staying at the Graduate is the proximity to shops selling Cal merch.

For Louis Le Pieux.

DINNER

Last year, I’d hosted dinner for DJ, his friends from SIS entering Cal together, and their parents (see generally 16.225 Wintermelon & Seafood Soup – Go Bears!).

I’m pretty sure that this wasn’t part of the menu last year, which I would’ve noticed and documented.

Funny to think that “Junghwa Yori” means “Chinese Cuisine” in Korean, and Koreans generally do think of Korean-Chinese food as actual Chinese food, but here it’s a completely different thing, not Chinese food, just Junghwa Yori, whatever they think that means.

Mushu Pork (3.0): not as good as I remembered.

Although we’d already ordered too much food, we were both curious to try the jjambbong (jjamppong).

Even when split into 2 separate bowls, one half was an enormous serving – felt kinda bad about wasting so much food.

Awful.  By the pale and murky orange of the broth, we could tell immediately that the dish wouldn’t be authentic.  One sip confirmed our suspicion – can’t quite describe the flavor, oddly vegetal and bland, as if made with celery stock.  The noodles were thick, round, and kinda doughy, the same as found in the restaurant’s chow mein.  I took a single bite and pushed the bowl away.  DJ didn’t even bother after the initial sip of broth.  I’m wondering how far we would’ve gone had we been hungry.  I could say that it was the worst jjambbong in my experience, but it wasn’t really jjambbong.

MIDNIGHT SNACK

For the third and final night, ending at Top Dog.

Made the mistake of getting 2 spicy sausages, which sorta ended up tasting the same.

TESTD (Try Every Sausage at Top Dog)

Alas, I will not complete TESTD on this trip.  I could grab a bockwurst and a wienie (veggie – ugh) for lunch or an afternoon snack tomorrow, but I’ll them on the table for my next trip, which will probably be in 2029, when/if DJ graduates according to schedule.

(See RESTAURANTS IN USA)

(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See BOOZE)

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