Hong Kong Banjeom 0410 – Paik's Noodles

elizbeartravel

Jan 2

Paik's Coffee is not an unfamiliar name to Singaporeans as it opened in Singapore at least 5 years ago offering Korean-styled coffee and snacks. Recently, Paik's Noodles opened in Suntec as the first overseas chain of the popular noodle shop owned by Celebrity Chef Baek Jong Won

Unknown to many, the same noodle chain is called Hong Kong Banjeom 0410 instead of Paik's Noodles. The term Paik's is used mainly for overseas outlets for a more Westernised pronunciation as it is also available in Canada. I only came to know about the outlet near my hotel after a Youtuber vlog popped into my feed

Located just a stone's throw from my favourite hotel, the restaurant is located on the 2nd floor of the building but can be easily spotted with the lighted signboards both on the 1st and 2nd floor of the building. You really can't miss the huge signboard with Baek Jon Won's face as the restaurant's endorsement

With over 26 restaurant franchises; and 1,299 branches across the country; including Saemaul Sikdang, Paik's Coffee, Paik's Bibim and Bornga, I have eaten at almost every different franchise that I know which is owned by Mr Baek. A Google search tells me there are another 6 different franchises of Mr Baek which I have not tried before. Hong Kong Banjeom 0410 is a franchise I have yet to try and I am pretty excited due to many good reviews online. This outlet at Dongdaemun is mid-size with tables accommodating up to 50 people

You can put in your order at the self-service machine right at the entrance. There is an English menu hung at the machine so you can refer to that when making your order. Payment can be made by all major credit cards. There is also a self-service counter for side dishes like raw onions and seasoned radish as well as extra sauces. You can also grab a pair of scissors to cut your noodles for easy eating

We ordered the fried dumplings for sharing which were hot and crispy when we collected them from the food counter. The size of the dumplings was pretty huge with very hot and juicy pork and vegetable fillings. We did not find any vinegar for dipping except for the slightly sweet and sour white vinegar which we felt did not match the dumplings. The dumplings were juicy and delicious with the meat well seasoned

The Tangsuyuk is a dish which is always being ordered at Korean Chinese restaurants so we followed suit and ordered the Tangsuyuk. Similar to how the Chinese like sweet and sour pork, this is the Korean variation. When we collected it, I was slightly disappointed as I would have liked to dip my meat instead of getting the gravy poured all over the crispy meat. The meat was very crispy but quite dry and tough. The sauce should have helped but the flavour of the sauce was too sweet instead of a well-balanced sweet and sour flavour. This dish was quite mediocre for me as I have tasted better Tangsuyuk

Another popular dish to order is the mianbaoxia which is a deep-fried shrimp paste sandwich. The moment we collected it, we salivated as it looked totally delicious. Without disappointment, the bread was extremely crispy with a soft and bouncy prawn paste filling. The ketchup adds a layer of sweet and sour flavour to the otherwise light-tasting mianbaoxia. I think this dish would be perfect with mayonnaise

Lastly, the main dish to order is the Jajiangmyeon which is black bean paste noodles. I specially ordered a side of fried egg to add to my noodles for a more eggy and creamy sauce. The noodles were chewy and topped with a generous amount of black bean sauce. The sauce had onions, peas as well as potatoes. Compared to some other Jajiangmyeon, their version is quite decent with a flavourful punchy sauce with great handmade noodles. While my first place for Jajiangmyeon still goes to the restaurant in Jeju, this is definitely a place I would visit for noodles in Seoul

As a bonus, I decided to order their Jjamppong noodles and eat them in my hotel as supper the night before I flew back to Singapore. I really appreciate that they packed a side of the radish and kept the noodles and soup separately without me having to tell them. The container for the soup was also sealed with cling wrap to prevent any spillage. The noodles were the same as the ones in the Jajiangmyeon which was nice and chewy to eat. The soup was mildly spicy and filled with seafood. While the Jjamppong noodles were great to eat during a cold winter night, the flavours were slightly lacking the smokiness and spicy punch. The soup broth was also lacking in deep flavours which made the soup quite flat in profile

Overall, while the noodles are not the best in class, the noodles are pretty affordable and nicer than most generic Korean restaurants. There are definitely better Jjamppong noodles available but I still found it to be a comforting noodle soup to have as supper at night. I am in fact more disappointed with the Tangsuyuk than the Jjamppong noodles.

Address: 11 Jangchungdan-ro 13-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Operating hours: 11.30 am to 7.30 am