Crystal Jade, Yongsan I'Park Mall: Jjamppong With a Coworker on a Late Night, Plus a Coupon Pancake

I was working late. Dinner still had to happen, so a coworker and I headed out. The mission: jjamppong.

This is the second time jjamppong (spicy Korean-Chinese seafood noodle soup) has shown up on this blog. The first was at Guryonggak in Yangjae. This time, true to my life as a Yongsan office worker, it was I'Park Mall, the shopping mall attached to Yongsan Station, and Crystal Jade inside it. A Wednesday, around 7 p.m., and a bamboo steamer reached the table first.

The steamer comes first

First out were the xiaolongbao (soup dumplings): six of them in a ring on perforated paper inside a bamboo steamer. The skins are glossy, and the pleats on each one twist together at a single point on top.

Next to them: dark dipping sauce with julienned ginger in two small dishes, and a blue-and-white plate holding a handful of translucent strips tossed in red seasoning. The placemats are printed with a purple cloud pattern.

The main event: jjamppong

Right after, the jjamppong landed in the middle of the table: the bowl we came out for. The broth is an orange-tinged red, with toppings heaped above the surface.

An octopus tentacle, suckers and all, curls up out of the broth, with mussels in the shell wedged beside it. Brown-capped mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms sit among big pieces of napa cabbage, onion and bok choy, topped with thin strips of carrot and scallion. The cabbage and onion have blackened, charred edges in places.

My coworker and I split the jjamppong into small bowls. The white noodles hidden under the broth come up with mussel, mushrooms and cabbage, and the big bowl is still full of them.

Jajangmyeon with cucumber on top

Beside it, the jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) comes with so much sauce that no noodles show. Large chunks of onion and other pieces sit in the glossy black sauce, with a pile of thinly julienned cucumber on top.

Sojwabing, on a coupon

The bonus of the night was sojwabing, a flaky scallion pancake, which we ordered with a coupon. It comes cut into pieces on a blue-and-white plate: golden pan marks outside, and at the cut edges the thin dough separates into many layers, almost see-through, with green scallion between them.

In a word, it tastes like a jeon (Korean savoury pancake) with no filling. Thanks to the coupon, we enjoyed it.

The whole table from above

From above, our order for two is clear at a glance: jjamppong in the centre, jajangmyeon to the right, the sojwabing top left, the xiaolongbao bottom left and a bowl of rice below. Empty plates, ceramic spoons and the ginger sauce fill the gaps. Most of the dishes have blue rims or blue-and-white patterns.

A cup of amber-coloured tea, with a stainless steel thermos jug at the back of the table.

Visit info

📍 Crystal Jade, Yongsan I'Park Mall · 7F Living Park, Yongsan I'Park Mall, 55 Hangang-daero 23-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

• 🚇 Getting there: inside I'Park Mall, which is connected to Yongsan Station (Seoul Subway Line 1 and the Gyeongui–Jungang Line)
• 🍽️ Ordered that day: jjamppong, jajangmyeon, xiaolongbao, sojwabing (coupon), rice
• 🗺️ Map: Open in Google Maps

Jayden's verdict

Jjamppong with a coworker in the middle of a late night at work, plus a coupon sojwabing that tastes like a jeon with no filling. We enjoyed it all.

• Who with: a coworker, as dinner on a night I was working late.
• Ordered: jjamppong in the middle, with jajangmyeon, xiaolongbao and the coupon sojwabing.
• Tip: the jjamppong comes in one big bowl and empty plates are on the table from the start; we split it between two. I'Park Mall is connected to Yongsan Station.