basically title. I don’t know how many little variations I’ve tried but I’ve lost count. No matter what i do i can’t get that authentic taste from the korean restaurants. It’s even more frustrating tasting all these restaurants’ jajangmyun and they all taste very similar. HECK even the instant noodle jajangmyun tastes better than whatever i make for homemade lol.
WHAT IS THE SECRET THAT ALL THESE RESTAURANTS ARE DOING. Any help really appreciated. I’m lost.
​
All the recipes i’ve tried are more or less like this one: [recipe](https://aaronandclaire.com/the-simplest-jjajangmyeon/)
**Variations I’ve tried:**
\- Some recipes used ginger, tried with/without, it changed the flavor but didn’t taste like the restaurant.
\- Tried with msg, made it taste pretty good but not close to restaurant.
\- Tried with some different brands of black bean paste: [this](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fruthgeorgiev.com%2Fjajangmyeon-noodles-in-black-bean-sauce-recipe%2F&psig=AOvVaw0MZxe-UUHRwmDuxi7oO6dy&ust=1694911836170000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBAQjRxqFwoTCJC29uv0rYEDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD) and [this](https://forkandchopsticksblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/img_3632.jpg) (first was better but not like restaurant, something missing)
\- Frying the black bean paste more or less
​
**Things I’ve yet to try:**
\- using lard instead of oil
\- some people say to put the fried sauce in the fridge to mature the flavor? dunno never seen the online vids in korean street food vendors do this.
by Yui_Olive_3119
10 Comments
Have you tried adding corn syrup? Seems to be a critical ingredient for making restaurant style foods. My Korean SO insisted we needed it for realistic street vendor style tteokbokki.
I usually use pork belly, not ground pork. I think you need the fatty flavor. Also, fry the black bean sauce.
FWIW, I use this recipe: [https://www.koreanbapsang.com/jajangmyeon-noodles-in-black-bean-sauce/](https://www.koreanbapsang.com/jajangmyeon-noodles-in-black-bean-sauce/)
and leave out the sugar, and use a little bit less oyster sauce (about 1/4th less than the 1Tbsp the recipe calls for). My Korean MIL approved.
I believe this is the brand of black bean paste I bought at HMart: [https://www.amazon.com/Haitai-Roasted-Black-Bean-Paste/dp/B00NX72M0I](https://www.amazon.com/Haitai-Roasted-Black-Bean-Paste/dp/B00NX72M0I) It’s been pre-roasted, so you save a little time with it.
1. Fire power is different restaurants and homes.
2. At home, It made small amounts, but restaurants are making big amounts.
3.myun-noodle is different.
Take a look at these videos
1) https://youtu.be/tQUTkWfHdO8?si=N_oWjNZT-bmjbgV0 (see English subtitle)
2) https://youtu.be/QiR-vhwRVas?si=NHc7eFlKipPyhbuj (no English subtitle)
Vid1 is a famous Korean Chinese chef. He mentions in the vid that most restaurants use a brand of black bean paste with a lion logo. So I guess brand matters. Unfortunately I could not find this brand anywhere in the US. Have not tried to look for commercial suppliers.
Vid2 uses scallion oil base to sauté meat and all other veg. Could try this approach to up your flavor. I preferred this scallion oil approach.
I believe the big difference maker is a wok and extremely high wok heat. No residential range in the US can output enough BTU to produce true wok heat necessary to singe the veg, meat, and oil. But you can try using a iwatani torch to mimic this effect. It’s not quite the same but I found it does punch up the flavors.
Also found that noodles do impact the flavor as well. Most restaurants will use alkaline noodles. The alkaline gives the noodle the yellow hue and chewiness but it also imparts a bit of funk to the noodle itself which adds to the overall flavor profile.
I’ve tried making JJM at home but at this point it’s so much work to get it right that I have just resorted to going out to eat it.
Have you tried this [chunjang?](https://www.hmart.com/11030031) It’s the only one I use and it tastes fairly close to what I have gotten at the restaurants. I follow [Maangchi’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4Cm75Qvk4A) recipe but use pork belly. Chef Paik Jong Won says in a jjajang video that the jjajangmyeon you make at home will taste different than restaurants because of the brand of chunjang that restaurants buy and it wont be the one you get at the market.
Lots of oil it’s basically deep fried and like others have said pork belly and that fat.
The secret to all restaurant food is excessive amts fat (oil and/or butter) and salt. Way more than anyone would use at home.
This is going to be an almost impossible task because the restaurants use their wok and super high heat, which imparts so much smokey flavor to the jjajang sauce. At least you got the ingredients correct. At least your home made version will be healthier than the restaurants lol
Try this recipe – all her recipes are BOMB!
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/jjajangmyeon