Yeomyeong in Dohwa-dong is a place that became famous thanks to Rainy’s blog. It has been around for quite a while, but it had escaped bloggers’ notice until it moved near Oebaek, and since then it has been getting real attention. I went after hearing that the jajangmyeon was good, and it was decent.

Tea

First, catch your breath and decide what to eat. At a Korean-Chinese restaurant with two people, your only real option is tangsuyuk plus jajangmyeon or jjamppong or fried rice. You need about four people to really eat properly, but these days it is not easy to gather a group of eaters.

Tangsuyuk

The dish itself was done well, but it came with the sauce already poured over it, which was a bit of a shame. Everyone has their own preferred style, after all. Even with the sauce poured on, I would eat it at a place that does not pile on this much of it.

While we are on the subject, the sugar debate is in full swing these days, and I am not a fan of food with a lot of sugar either. I tend to avoid spicy, heavy or greasy food too, and lately I have been cutting down on carbs as well. Partly for health reasons, but also because otherwise I can no longer taste things properly. Given the nature of my job, I sit all day, and with so little exercise I cannot digest well even when I do eat. Work keeps me busy, so it is hard to make time for exercise on the side. I can only envy the people who say they never get tired of Chicago pizza or cheese back ribs no matter how much they eat. To eat a lot of heavy food and stay healthy, you have to be young, work out hard on a regular basis, or do physical labour, and none of those come easily to me.

When most self-proclaimed gourmets talk about their mother’s home cooking, it is really the same story. Saying “you only say that because your mother was a good cook” misses the point. Someone who lives a life of constant exposure to strong, heavy food cannot have the same palate as an ordinary person. That does not mean gourmets understand taste better than ordinary people, but it is also true that gourmet eating for ordinary people is not sustainable and is just a stage you pass through once.

Come to think of it, when I talk with younger people these days, they do not really get this. Why akami tastes better than otoro or chutoro, I mean. I was the same at that age..

Jajangmyeon, large size

A quirk of this place: you only get a decent portion if you order the large. Make sure to ask for the large.

Mixed well

For Seoul, this is very good work. I have to admit it. Still, compared to the jajang at Bokhwaru, it felt like something was a little lacking.

Fried rice

The seasoning is mild, and it went so well with the nutty jajang sauce that it was really delicious. The best dish of the day.

Jjamppong broth

A very clean, refreshing broth. It seemed like ordering the jjamppong next time would be a good idea too.

The kitchen

I do not know this neighbourhood well, so I assumed it was out of the way, but it seemed to be doing better business than I expected. The meal dishes like jajangmyeon and fried rice are good here, so it would be perfect if you worked nearby, but going out of your way alone feels a bit iffy. If you go, you should gather a few people and go together.

한국어로 읽기日本語で読む