Jang Won Ban Jeom, John Marr Drive in Annandale

[grover]

Jahng-Won Bahn Jom opened in Annandale recently. (I don't know if it has an English name) It is located where Jin-Sung Garden used to be. A restaurant with the same name used to be in Rockville and closed for a while. I am not sure that this one is under the same ownership. (Some of staff looks familiar because I have seen them at other restaurants.) We went there last Saturday for lunch and it was packed. The specialty is hand-made noodles. I ordered black bean noodle (Jajang myun - my bench-marking food for Korean-Chinese restaurants) and my hubby had the spicy seafood noodle soup (Jampong). I loved the noodle texture. The sauce contained decent amount of pork meat and was very good. My hubby told me that the spicy noodle soup wasn't quite spicy enough for him but that the seafood was plentiful and the noodles very tasty.

Compared to Dah-Rae Won which serves the same kind of hand-made noodles, I prefer Dah-Rae Won's noodles because Dah-Rae Won's noodles have better texture. When a noodle master makes noodles, he throws the dough onto a butcher block so you hear the thump sound from the kitchen. The more the dough gets beaten, the better the texture. It is definitely an energy and time consuming process. When I visited Dah-Rae Won, it was not busy so there was more time to make the noodles so it may not be a fair comparison for Jahng-Won Bahn Jom.

In comparison to Joong-Wha Won (the other Korean-Chinese restaurant in Annandale), I would say Jahng-Won Bahn Jom is definitely better because of the better noodle texture, better banchan (very good radish but no cabbage kimchi--very strange) and brighter dining room. The service and the price are similar to each other. It is worth trying Jahng-Won Bahn Jom and so we are going there again tonight.

[cha_charoni]

Grover,

Thanks for the 411. Ever since Dae Sung Kwan in Wheaton changed ownerships, I haven't had good jjajang myun in a while. I'll have to head down to Annandale and check it out.

BTW - have you checked out the new ssamgyupssal(pork belly) restaurant in Annandale that opened up on Columbia Pike? I think its called Kooldaejib and is 24/7. I tried going there a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday night at 7pm and there was a an hour long wait which is unheard of for a Korean restaurant. The place was obviously packed and the place felt like I was in Seoul with the way the tables and grills were set-up. A coupe of friends have gone and said the place is great. I'll have to head back and try again.

[Soup]

was there today for lunch. 4.99 for a bowl of hand made ja jang mein, you cannot beat it. It also is really good (noodles are very good). I can also recommend their jampong.

[Escoffier]

was there today for lunch. 4.99 for a bowl of hand made ja jang mein, you cannot beat it. It also is really good (noodles are very good). I can also recommend their jampong.

I found the jampong to not be as spicy as I like but good nontheless. Plenty of good squid, 2 good size shrimp (but not in the shell), lots of tiny salad shrimp, octopus and clams and mussels. The jampong is quite a bargain. (I still can't get over no kimchi though...it's unKorean)

[grover]

We had a family dinner tonight. I ordered fried dumplings (10), sweet and sour pork and the Jajang myun plate for 4 people.

The Jajang myun is served on a big plate as a double portion and is a bit spicy. We liked it very much. The total was $44.07 including tax. The kitchen was a bit slow so we had to wait a bit for Jajang myun plate. The Sweet and sour pork was tasty, too. The one year old really liked the noodles and the radish kimchi, but spent a lot of time eating the sweet and sour pork. He wasn't overly fond of the pineapple but he really liked the pork and the sweet sauce (I liked it too. It wasn't overly sweet, it added just the right sweetness to the dish).

[DonRocks]

Jahng-Won Bahn Jom opened in Annandale recently. (I don't know if it has an English name) It is located where Jin-Sung Garden used to be.

Apparently "Ban Jeom" translates to "Chinese Restaurant," and the official name is simply Jang Won (or however you want to spell it). The credit card receipt still uses the name "Han Kook Kyo Ja" which I believe is from the old restaurant.

I haven't been to Choong Hwa Won since their facelift, but from what I remember, I believe I prefer the Ja Jang Myun ($6.99) here. I've had this satisfying dish several times now, and I cannot recommend it enough to people looking for a good, hearty, cheap meal. This was a small bowl (#29 on the menu), and it was more than enough food for a hungry adult. Other than the meat, this dish appears to be vegetarian - there was virtually no glisten at the bottom of the bowl.

Service is friendly, the restaurant is bright and comfortable, they serve free hot tea, and you'll get change back from your $10 bill. Grover, you should organize a little outing here - I think people would really enjoy this dish (though I must counsel extreme caution during the slurping phase of noodle intake).

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Soup]

There was a $20 tuesday that Grover did (it was great). Choong Hwa Won that $4 cha chang mein about a week ago. Not sure if the deal is still good.

[TheMatt]

If I remember my Korean 14th-of-the-month holidays correctly, tomorrow is Black Day, the day single men eat jjajang myeon commiserating that they are alone. As I am single, part of me wants to go here tomorrow to partake in this day, though, in truth, I'm just hungry for jjajang myeon.

I wonder, though, will the restaurant be busy?