Finding original Chinese food at Harbin Banjeom in Daelim Station

Chinese food ingredients are very various; sea cucumber, bamboo shoot, shrimp , a shark's fin, a swallow´s nest , ear shell , sea jelly, a duck egg, and hog liver. In general, they use pork, lamb, and seafood.

Chinese food is influenced by its wide territory, polyethnic, long history, and fusion with other nations.

In Korea, Chinese food is also called Chung dynasty's food or Junghwa (Middle Kingdom's) food which has been developed in China town in Incheon or Busan.

Actually Jajangmyeon (black-bean-sauce noodles), Chinese Tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour pork) , and Jjamppong (Chinese-style noodles with vegetables and seafood) are Korean food. Even though China has similar food, these are modified-Korean style food. 

When you get off the subway line number seven, Daelim Station, take exit 12. You can find lots of Chinese restaurants. Unlike Jajangmyeon in Incheon and Busan, food in here has original taste of China with coriander. 

From exit 12 to Daelim Market, this food alley is full of signs with chinese characters.

Among them, I visited Harbin Banjeom (Ban Jeom means a restaurant) because it was clean and had simple external appearance. 

Unlike the olden style Chinese restaurants which were dark, messy, or shabby, these days they are clean, bright, and have nice interior.

It is not a big store. Only 8 tables and each one has at most 6 chairs, which means less than 50 people can available. 

I ordered steamed clam. It included Manila clam with dried red pepper powder, chili, Welsh onion, and coriander. It was spicy and aromatic.

Clam was chewy and well mixed with sauce.

I also ordered spicy fried chicken wings. It had fried big chili and peanut, which made the food less oily. Chicken wing was really chewy and crispy. It's  flavor and texture went well with spice.

The last food was Chinese style cellophane noodle which was stir-fried with soy bean sauce, chives , and bean sprouts.  Vegetables made the food less greasy. Red pepper, which is usually very hot, was not that spicy.

Rice in this area is not sticky or elastic like Korea's rice. It's like Vietnam's rice, which doesn't have glutinousness.

You can choose the size of the food: Big or Small. Big one is around 15000 won and small one is  around 10000 won.

If you order single menu, it costs 7000 or 8000 won.

This restaurant is not only cheap and delicious but also has original taste of Chinese dishes. 

Location : Daelim 2-dong 1066-65, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Tel. 82-2-831-3776.