I never thought I’d have a reason to go out to Gangdong-gu, but there it was. So while I was headed that way I searched for a good place to eat, and Haejungcheon Banjeom came up as a famous one.
Pickled radish set
The place is fairly big. I went a bit early on a weekday, so there was hardly anyone there.
Complimentary fried dumplings
With dumplings, you only get the good ones if you pay for them. Unless they’re just there to fill you up, freebies don’t mean much.
Dried tofu sheets
A generous portion.
The filling to wrap in the dried tofu sheets
The food was good. The thing is, there were only two of us ordering, and I thought I was going to burst.
Fried rice
I’d heard the cilantro fried rice here was supposed to be good, but my companion can’t eat cilantro, so we ordered the regular fried rice. And honestly I couldn’t tell it was anything special. Better than your average Chinese place, but not worth a trip of its own.
Jjamppong broth
Stir-fried eggplant
It did taste good, but there was so much of it that the last stretch was a struggle. There’s a limit to what two people can get through, so I can’t give it a proper verdict, but if you live in that neighborhood I think coming with a group would be a decent call. For me, the location is a bit too awkward to go out of my way for a second visit.