A bowl of steamed riceStir it into the sauce left in the bowl once the noodles are gone.
KimchiSet a small dish beside the bowl for something sour and hot.
Sliced raw onionDip each piece in the dark bean paste before you eat it.
Sweet bean paste for dipping (chunjang)Put a small spoonful on the edge of the onion plate.
Yellow pickled radish (danmuji)Take a bite between mouthfuls of noodles to clear the rich sauce.
On top of the noodles 5
Blanched shrimpPlace a few on top so they stay clean of sauce until the bowl is mixed.
Fried eggLay it over the noodles and break the yolk into the sauce.
Julienned cucumberPile the cold strips on top and mix them through just before eating.
Shredded egg garnishScatter the thin yellow strips over the dark sauce.
Stir-fried bamboo shoot slicesAdd a spoonful on top for a crisp bite among the soft noodles.
Dishes to share 12
Chili chicken (rajogi)Pass it round for those who want more heat than the noodles give.
Chili shrimp (kkansyo-saeu)Share it as the second dish when the first is sweet and sour pork.
Cream shrimp (keurim-saeu)A sweet, creamy plate for anyone at the table who avoids chili.
Eight treasure stir-fry (palbochae)Put it in the middle so everyone gets seafood and vegetables.
Fried chicken in scallion soy sauce (yuringi)Spoon the sharp sauce and the scallions over each piece as you take it.
Pan-fried dumplings (gun-mandu)Dip them in soy sauce stirred with dried chili flakes.
Seafood salad with hot mustard sauce (yangjangpi)Toss it at the table and serve it before the noodles arrive.
Shrimp toast (menbosya)Eat it hot as a starter while the noodles are being made.
Spicy garlic fried chicken (kkanpunggi)Order one plate for the table and eat it while the coating is crisp.
Steamed five-spice pork slices (ohyang-jangyuk)Serve the slices as a starter, a few for each person.
Sweet and sour pork (tangsuyuk)Share a plate in the middle, with the sauce poured over or kept for dipping.
Three-ingredient stir-fry (yusanseul)Choose it as the plain plate when the rest of the order is fried.
A second bowl for the table 5
Chinese cold noodles (jungguk-naengmyeon)Choose it as the second bowl in summer.
Mild seafood noodle soup (udong)The second bowl for someone who wants broth without the chili.
Noodles in thick egg soup (ulmyeon)Share a warm bowl of it beside the dark noodles.
Scorched rice soup (nurungji-tang)Ladle it into small bowls for the whole table.
Spicy seafood noodle soup (jjamppong)Order one of each and trade bowls halfway through.
Drinks and something sweet 4
Barley teaDrink it cold with the meal to rinse the sauce away.
Cinnamon punch (sujeonggwa)Pour small cups of it, well chilled, to finish.
Plum tea (maesil-cha)Serve it cold and sweet once the bowls are empty.
Sweet filled pancake (hotteok)Share one warm, torn in half, after the meal.
How it works
What to eat with jajangmyeon starts with what arrives beside the bowl: yellow pickled radish and raw onion with bean paste. These 31 ideas add toppings, dishes to share, a second bowl and drinks.
Read the full guide
How it is served in Korea
Jajangmyeon, also spelled jjajangmyeon, is a Korean Chinese dish of noodles under a thick sauce of chunjang (a dark, sweet bean paste), diced pork and vegetables. It is usually served with danmuji, a yellow pickled radish, and sliced raw onion, with more chunjang for dipping the onion.
Order one dish to share
Three dishes lead the menu at most Korean Chinese restaurants: jajangmyeon, the spicy noodle soup jjamppong, and tangsuyuk, which is sweet and sour pork or beef. The noodles are soft and dark, so choose something crisp or sharp beside them: the pork, pan-fried dumplings or a bowl with broth.
Mix the noodles and the sauce well before the first bite, while both are hot.
For two people, order a bowl each and one fried dish to share.
Questions and answers
What do you eat with jajangmyeon?
Yellow pickled radish and sliced raw onion dipped in bean paste come with the bowl, and kimchi is eaten with them too.
What side dishes go with jajangmyeon?
Tangsuyuk, the sweet and sour pork, is the easy one to share. Pan-fried dumplings, spicy garlic fried chicken, chili shrimp and shrimp toast are on this list too.
What soup goes with jajangmyeon?
Jjamppong, the spicy noodle soup, is the other noodle bowl on the menu. For broth without chili choose udong, or ulmyeon, a thickened soup that is often served as the mild alternative to jjamppong.
What goes on top of jajangmyeon?
The bowl may be topped with julienned cucumber, scallions, a boiled or fried egg, thin strips of egg, slices of stir-fried bamboo shoot or blanched shrimp. Mix them through with the sauce.
What do you drink with jajangmyeon?
Without alcohol: cold barley tea with the meal, then something sweet and cold to finish, such as plum tea or sujeonggwa, a Korean cinnamon punch.