Welcome to another page of my daily Korean vlog! If you are a fan of extreme food adventures and love testing your spice tolerance, you absolutely must try a spicy korean jjamppong when you visit South Korea. Today, I want to share my unforgettable (and slightly painful!) food diary from my weekend trip to a famous local restaurant in Daegu.
Daegu is a city known for its hot weather and incredibly spicy, flavorful food. Today, my husband and I decided to visit the popular “Thai Jjamppong” Goseong branch to see what all the hype was about. Little did I know, this bowl of noodles would leave my mouth completely numb!
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The Magic of the Thick Seafood Broth
Before we talk about the heat, let’s talk about the flavor. When our bowls finally arrived, the first thing I noticed was the broth. Unlike some clear noodle soups, the broth here was incredibly thick, rich, and opaque. It was packed with fresh seafood, vegetables, and a deep, smoky pork flavor that is the signature of a great spicy korean jjamppong.
The smell of the fire-roasted chili oil mixed with the savory seafood was amazing. Even before taking the first bite, my mouth was watering, and my heart was beating a little faster!
Surviving the Level 1 Fire Pepper Challenge
At this restaurant, they have a special menu item called the “Fire Pepper Jjamppong,” which comes in three different spice levels: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. Since I consider myself pretty good at handling spicy food, I confidently ordered Level 1, thinking it would be a pleasant, warm kick.
I was so wrong! The moment I took my first slurp of the noodles and broth, the heat hit me instantly. My lips started tingling, and soon my whole mouth felt numb and on fire! It was incredibly delicious, but the spicy kick was no joke. I cannot even imagine how fiery Level 3 must be. If you are a foreigner attempting this spicy korean jjamppong challenge, please be careful and keep a lot of cold water nearby!
My Sincere Advice: Try the Classic Jajangmyeon Instead!
If you are planning to visit Korea and you do not have a strong tolerance for spicy food, please listen to my advice: skip the fire challenge and order the black bean noodles instead!
In Korea, Chinese-Korean restaurants always serve two main dishes: Jjamppong (the spicy seafood noodle soup) and Jajangmyeon. Jajangmyeon is a completely non-spicy, sweet, and savory noodle dish covered in a thick black bean sauce. It is absolute comfort food, incredibly delicious, and completely safe for your taste buds!
💡 Korean Restaurant Survival Tip: How to Ask for a Sharing Plate
Here is a special local tip for my readers! If you travel with a friend, you might want to order one Jjamppong and one Jajangmyeon to share. But how do you ask for an extra plate in a busy Korean restaurant?
All you need to say to the restaurant auntie (Ajumma) is one magic word: “Ap-jeop-si” (앞접시). “Ap” means front, and “Jeop-si” means plate. If you make eye contact with the staff and politely say, “Ap-jeop-si juseyo” (Please give me a sharing plate), they will immediately smile and bring you a small bowl. Remembering this simple phrase will make your dining experience in Korea so much easier
!Conclusion: A Spicy Memory in Daegu
Eating this spicy korean jjamppong was definitely an intense experience, but it was also a lot of fun. Sweating it out over a bowl of extremely hot soup is actually a popular way Koreans relieve stress. If you ever visit Daegu, make sure to add the Goseong branch of Thai Jjamppong to your food bucket list—just remember my warning about Level 1!
MENU
I also took a photo of their menu for you! Since everything is written in Korean, here is a quick travel tip: simply screenshot this image and run it through an image translation app like Google Translate or Papago. It works like magic, and you can easily check out all their other delicious noodle options and prices before you visit!
