Pour the Sauce or Dip?
For the past few days, we’ve been seriously craving some jjajangmyeon (Korean-style black bean noodles). So after work on Friday, we didn’t waste a second—we headed straight to Hyo Dong Gak, a Korean-Chinese restaurant in Manhattan that’s been around for over 20 years. It was my first time visiting, and I was honestly surprised to see way more non-Korean diners than Koreans! The place was already packed, but luckily we got seated right away without a wait.
Before food comes
For most of the Korean-style black bean noodle house, they have vinegar, soy sauce and chilli powder on the side of the table and gives pickled raddish as a side dish. Koreans always pour little bit of vinegar on the pickled raddish for more flavor.
What we ordered
- Jjajangmyeon
When it’s not a special occasion, jajangmyeon is always my go-to. It was definitely tasty, but… something about it felt like it was missing that final 2%. The flavor of the chunjang (black bean paste) came through a bit stronger than expected, which some people might love, but for me it made it feel just slightly off from the perfect balance.
- Jjamjjamyeon (Half / Half of Jjajangmyeon and Jjambbong)
My boyfriend went with jajangmyeon, the best-of-both-worlds combo of half jjajangmyeon and half jjamppong. The Jajang part tasted just like mine, and the jjamppong broth was your classic spicy, seafood-y soup—solid and satisfying, but nothing super memorable. Just a very average jjamppong.
- Tangsuyuk
Now, let’s talk about Tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork). Here’s where the real debate comes in. My boyfriend is one of those people who’s firmly in the “pour the sauce over!” camp, and he was beyond pleased that the Tangsuyuk came already sauced. As for me, I’m more of a “however they serve it is fine” person. So I was cool with it either way.
“Do you pour the milk first, or do you pour the cereal first?” It’s the same argument, just with different foods!
Drinks
We ordered makgeolli for drinks. We didn’t expect much from this brand of makgeolli but it was pretty good. In Korea, there are usually more plastic bottles than can-type makgeolli. Koreans serve makgeolli serve in a bowl like that!
Final Thoughts : Should you go?
I think I had super high expectations since there are so many amazing jjajangmyeon spots in Korea, so I walked away just a tiny bit let down. But honestly, seeing the restaurant totally buzzing with foreign customers gave me a weird sense of pride—like, “Yes, Korean-Chinese food is being appreciated here!”
