Seoul Jangteo (Jangteo meaning “market”) opened up last year in the former Bukkyeong space in bustling Allston, filling in the void to bring Korean-Chinese food to the Boston area. After hearing from a close Korean friend that the chef had worked at the Seoul Chosun Hotel, and receiving the recommendation from other friends over time, I figured it was time I go there, too.
The must-eat dish is Jajungmyun (자장면) or Jjajangmyun (짜장면) (The National Institute of Korean Language on August 2011 accepted both spellings of this dish).It is a wholly Korean version of the Chinese noodle dish, Zhajiangmian 炸醬麵 (meaning noodles with fried sauce). The meal was first served in Incheon’s Chinatown in 1905 at Gonghwachun (공화춘; 共和春) by an immigrant from Shandong province in China. The Korean version is very different from the Chinese one, being saltier in taste and using ground pork, diced vegetables, and a chunjang sauce, which is made from black beans. There are other versions made with other meats, seafoods, and it can be made spicy as well. Korean drama fans can see this as a popular take out delivery dish in many of their favorite shows. It used to be an expensive dish before the Korean War (1950-1953) due to low flour supplies, later becoming a special occasion food to eat up until the 1980s and 1990s, when delivery started and turned it into a quick, filling and inexpensive meal. There is even a Jajangmyun Museum in Incheon that opened in 2012. There are many instant noodles around for consumers to choose from, but the first one, Chapagetti, was released in 1984. On April 14 in Korea, there is the unofficial holiday known as Black Day, during which singles eat Jajungmyun in acknowledgment of their single status. It is more a marketing ploy by businesses, in response to people with significant others celebrating Valentine’s day on February 14, and White Day on March 14, during which men may gift chocolates to women in Korea.
We ordered the regular Jajungmyun at $11.95 and small Tangsuyook (Sweet and Sour Pork) for $23.95, two popular menu items frequently eaten together at Korean-Chinese restaurants. As banchan (side dishes) got the mandatory danmuji 단무지 (sweet radish pickle) and also kimchi 김치 (pickled napa cabbage) and kkakdugi 깍두기(cubed radish kimchi). Refills are free. The thick noodles are smothered in the dark, slightly sweet chunjang sauce. First, you must mix up the sauce and noodles together, to make it easier to eat, some ask for scissors to cut the noodles (an optional step). The noodles were perfectly chewy, without any mushiness, and paired wonderfully with the delicious chunjang sauce. The diced veggies, including potatoes and onions, provided a wonderful, aromatic addition to the flavor profile. The meal overall was the right amount of savory, slight sweetness, and refreshing with added pieces of danmuji in between bites.
Next came a huge portion of Tangsuyook (despite ordering a small), with the sweet and sour sauce served in a separate bowl. There are two methods for eating it: dipping the fried pork into the sauce, or pouring the sauce all over it. To preserve the crispy texture of the batter, we opted to dip. The batter is delightfully airy, not too greasy, with the right amount of chew, making it delicious when dipped into the (not overly) sweet and sour sauce.
Portions were huge, filling us up quickly, but we definitely were satisfied eating the two dishes all my Korean friends have raved about. There were other menu options including Jjampong (a popular spicy seafood soup), and a few regular Korean dishes including japchae (stir fried glass noodles), and bibimbap (a rice bowl with meat or seafood and veggies). If you love jajangmyun and tangsuyook, you should check Seoul Jangteo out the next time you are in Allston.
Seoul Jang Teo
151 Brighton Ave
Boston, MA 02134
617-254-2775
