One of Korea’s Greatest Comfort Foods, Jajangmyeon, Is the Star at Paik’s Noodle – Now Open in Melbourne (Broadsheet)

It’s by South Korean celebrity chef Paik Jong-won. Thick, chewy, house-made noodles come topped with a decadent black-bean sauce, plus there’s Korean fried chicken and sweet-and-sour pork.

With its dark, purply-black hue, slick caramelisation and deep umami flavour, it’s no wonder jajangmyeon is one of Korea’s most popular foods.

Despite originating in China, the noodle dish has been a fixture of Korean cuisine for decades – and South Korean celebrity chef Paik Jong-won was part of the boom.

“Paik traveled to different areas to bring new cooking methods back to Korea,” says Iris Cheng, managing director of the chef’s newest Melbourne location, Paik’s Noodle. “People love him because he brings different tastes and different foods to people.”

Now, Paik – also with a raft of TV series and 5.2 million Youtube subscribers – owns 2000 restaurants worldwide, including Paik’s Bibim, which recently opened in Melbourne. But his noodles are one of his most beloved offerings.

“When people get married, move house or graduate, they eat jajangmyeon because it brings a lot of wishes and good luck,” says Cheng. “It’s Korean traditional comfort food.”

At Paik’s Noodle, it’s made with a tangle of thick, chewy, house-made wheat noodles and studs of pork. The star binding agent is the fermented black-bean sauce (chunjang), which is made using Paik’s own patented recipe and sold for at-home use. “All the sauces are exported from Korea directly,” says Cheng. “We’ve had feedback from Koreans living in Australia for a long time that this is the exact flavour they would get at home.”

Though jajangmyeon makes up 60 per cent of the restaurant’s sales, Cheng says, there are a few other comforting dishes on the limited menu; think jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) and tangsuyuk (deep-fried pork doused in sweet and sour sauce).

If you’d rather grab something to go, try Paik’s chilli-topped fried chicken, which comes in a custom-made takeaway box designed to keep the chicken crisp on your commute home.

Paik’s Noodle is currently open for dinner only, but the team has plans to open soon for lunch as well as for late-night trade – the two-level building is licensed till 4am.

Paik’s Noodle
470 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Hours:
Mon to Thu 5pm–10pm
Fri & Sat 5pm–10.30pm
Sun 5pm–10pm

@hongkongbanjum_mel

Originally posted on "Broadsheet" by Quincy Malesovas.