JoongHwaRu

We were excited to finally try this place but we were unfamiliar with Korean noodle dishes. We came on a Thursday night and were seated right away. The staff were so friendly and helpful. They explained what the sauces and seasonings were and even cut our noodles for us. The food came out quickly and the staff were attentive. We ended up splitting a combo and an appetizer and it was plenty of food for three people. The prices were very reasonable. I definitely recommend for groups so you can try lots of dishes!

We got a combo with black bean noodles, a spicy seafood soup and the sweet and sour shrimp for $41. They were all delicious, especially the seafood soup. The shrimp was a little bready but still good, and I like that the sweet and sour sauce was more of a dipping sauce. It was a ton of food too. Easily enough for 2 people to have at least 2 meals. Only negative is that they charge $1 extra for the takeout supplies for the leftovers. We’ll be back, but with Tupperware. :)

Love the food here! I wasn’t very hungry but ended up eating a lot because it’s so good. The fried rice was my favorite. It comes with jjajangmyeon sauce and seafood soup. They do large handmade dumplings too. Free small parking lot which is rare in KTown.

Quiet little restaurant. Really good jajangmyeon, savory, fragrant, flavorful. The parking lot is small but free.

Review for the Seafood black bean noodles: *Highly recommended *Not too sweet *A little on the salty side And for Jjampong (Seafood spicy noodle soup): *Best Jjampong in the town *Not too salty *Definitely get it. Try it. Good foodie spot. Free parking. Do not expect good ambience / fancy plates.

Jjajangmyeon craving satisfied! You could tell the black bean sauce was made freshly to order. The fried pork was crispy & tender with delicious sweat and sour sauce. We went on a holiday and there’s only 1 person working behind the bar. Yet the service standards are still there. Our food came within 10 minutes.

I order food from this restaurant very often. The products are fresh and very tasty. The service is very polite. Especially the owner of this restaurant.I recommend you try Spicy Seafood Noodles (짬뽕)❤️

Had jjampong combos, one w sweet & sour pork (탕수육) and the other w kungpao shrimp. They were all good but the jjampong was great. Really deep flavored broth and chewy noodles. They make their own noodles!

JoongHwaRu specializes in Korean-Chinese style cuisine. Located in Koreantown on 8th and Catalina St. My friend recommended this place for Jjampong (spicy seafood noodles), so off I went. She knows the best places for Korean food and beyond. Thank you Soomin N! JoongHwaRu are known for: -Spicy Seafood Noodles (Jjampong) -Black Bean Sauce Noodles (Jajangmyeon) -Sweet and Sour Crispy Pork (Tangsuyuk) I came here for their: Spicy Seafood Noodles (Jjampong): a spicy Korean-Chinese noodle soup made with seafood (clams, mussels, clean shrimp, squid), vegetables, and a red pepper (gochugaru) flavored broth. The jjampong here is loaded with seafood and the portion is HUGE! You definitely can also taste the smokiness of the "wok hei" in the spicy savory broth. Most importantly for me was the soup wasn't fishy! Absolutely delicious!! Now, the restaurant is a complete hole-in-the-wall, but the food makes up for the ambiance. Good food, non-pretentious spot. They take cash and card. Friendly staff. Parking sux in this area.

Service was fast and good. Seating is very limited and not good for big groups. The jjampong is probably the best in LA. Super flavorful and the noodles are chewy. Has a spicy kick and full of seafood and vegetables. The tangsooyuk was good but nothing special. The black bean noodles were okay. I think the star of the show was just the jjampong .

TLDR: Keep being the way u r queen I'll be ur #1 supporter. I grew up in ktown, and I know there are a lot of bigger Korean-Chinese restaurants that have been trending on tiktok. A part of me hopes the media doesn't find this spot because it's so near and dear to me. The prices are so good, the food is even better. Something about the noodles here are more bouncy and different. Don't get me started on the dumplings here. Ambiance is just your usual small restaurant. Nothing special-- it just feels like you're at your mom's friend's restaurant or something. Zzamong and a lot of other restaurants changed after the pandemic, but my baby joonghwaru never changed.

Best jajangmyeon in LA?? FOOD I got the seafood jajangmyeon and it was SO good. It had so much toppings and the noodles were nicely chewy without being overcooked. There was also enough sauce for the noodles (one of my pet peeves is not enough sauce on jajangmyeon haha). One serving is enough for 2 (normal) people to split, it's a hefty plate. Jamppong/spicy seafood noodle soup is my partner's favorite chinese-korean food and he deemed it the best he ever had. It wasn't too spicy and so you could easily finish a whole bowl. Tangsuyook had a good meat to breading ratio- it didn't taste like just dry breading. I personally thought the sauce could be sweater, but that's personal preference. The pricing is also extremely fair. A combo of jajangmyeon, jamppong, and pork for $40 and the plates were all heavy. Even two big backs will probably have leftovers. SERVICE One night aunty running the entire front of the store. She was extremely attentive to her customer's needs. AMBIANCE Very casual. At noon on a weekday, almost every table was filled with Korean aunties and uncles. We were the only non-Korean and that's how you know it's legit haha. PARKING Small shared parking lot at the front of the restaurant. Self park, no valet.

I ordered jajangmyeon and fried pork with sweet and sour sauce for pick up. The service was fast and I didn't have to wait long. The parking is small though so when I arrived at 11:30am, the lot was filled up. The portions are huge for a very affordable price. If you get a combo it is even cheaper. I definitely will come back.

Came here off strength of a Bap Ross post and was not disappointed. The combo I got could have fed the whole table, to be honest. The portions alone is a reason to come here. The dumplings were huge! The black bean noodle was delicious. We got our food super quick and left with enough left over for another meal.

If you've BEAN looking for a Korean black bean noodle spot, you definitely have to check out @joonghwaru_la ! They specialize in Korean comfort dishes such as jjajeongmyeon (black bean noodles) and jjambbong (spicy seafood noodles), and I love how every dish is lovingly cooked with a home-style flair that reminds you of your mom's cooking, with not too much salt or MSG. If you're like me and LOVE both of these dishes, they also have insanely affordable combos that include both of these noodles, as well as a side of fried pork, dumplings, fried rice, or fried shrimp for $40 and under. Service was so incredibly sweet, and I highly recommend checking out this hole in the wall if you're in the Ktown area! Featured here: black bean noodle with seafood spicy seafood noodle fried pork with sweet and sour sauce

BEST BEST BEST CHAMPONG IN TOWN!!! the noodles here are soooo chewy! Broth so spicy and fresh! I dream of it and bring all my frienda! The owner and staff are also so very Kind!!! Must try

Very decent place for korean chinese food! Prices aren't as affordable as other places in town but the combos are very worth. I got the banban (half black noodles, half spicy seafood noodles) with the spicy shrimp. For the seafood noodles I got the hot spicy one and I feel like the actual flavor got lost in the spiciness but I prefer it that way sometimes so it was good! The noodles are very chewy as well. My favorite was actually the spicy shrimp- really recommend getting this especially if you're getting a combo.

Was skeptical coming in because of the reviews and because I've never heard of this place but it was surprisingly good! Not sure if it was because I set my expectations low but I enjoyed my meal! I'd say that the pork was actually the highlight because it was so crispy yet chewy and tender. Service was mediocre and I don't remember how it was but it wasn't bad service either. At restaurants like this you usually don't expect much since it's a very self explanatory restaurant. It was pretty empty when we came but there were two elderly korean guys dining in so that's always a good sign ;) I think I'd come back honestly!

Wow I really like this place. I like how after eating here, I did not feel groggy. The food is delicious in a beautiful homestyle way. I can find myself returning back here to eat Jjajangmyeon definitely and trying out there other dishes as well. The spicy jjamppong is great for after a workout if you want something spicy but also not too junky. Despite jjamppong being a typically junky dish, this restaurant managed to make it taste delicious while not overpowering the dish with spice and unhealthiness making this a delicious light jjamppong I highly recommend. I shared a meal combo with my 2 eating companions and we were all satisfied stomach capacity and taste wise. Sweet and Sour Pork: So delicious. The sauce really complements this dish. Spicy Jjamppong: I love how you can taste how homestyle this is. The starch of the noodles adds a subtle creaminess to the broth. Jjajangmyeon: I love how this tasted so delicious in a heart warming homestyle way.

JoongHwaRu is an amazing hidden gem! The food was superb and delicious. We ordered the jjajangmyun combo with tangsuhyuk and it was perfect. Portions are generous and you will be full guaranteed! Come check it out!

Delicious and affordable food that is comparable to Jjajangmyeon in Korea!!! The Jjamppong noodles have such a great texture and the soup is so flavorful. The Tangsuyuk is also super crunchy and goes with the sauce perfectly. Definitely my favorite place to get Jjamppong in Ktown and has good customer service and a similar restaurant feel as ones in Korea.

Wow. Best Korean Jjamppong / Jjajangmyeon in ktown. The friendly service and atmosphere helps accentuate the meal and the prices are low while the quality is high! It tastes just like authentic Korean food that you would get in Korea and this will be my new go to spot.

Seriously, I can't stop thinking about it! Their spicy and non spicy 짬뽕 (jaampong) were so amazing!! Their broth had so much depth and house made fresh noodles were so chewy. The BEST Korean-Chinese seafood noodles!

Best jjampong we've ever had, hands down. The noodles are sooo chewy. Service is so hospitable and kind as well. We will be back!!!

We ordered #3 which comes with jajangmyeun, jampong, and tangsuyuk. Jampong soup had a spicy kick to it with lots of mussels and other seafood toppings. Jajangmyun was just right, not too sweet. Noodles were yummy, with chewy consistency. The sweet and sour pork was crispy and meaty. All dishes were delicious, and ate up fast, that we forgot to take photos of them. I had an 1hr 15min drive back home, and asked for another jajangmyun to go. Our server lady was nice enough to offer to take uncooked noodles so that I can boil it back home. When I brought it back and boiled the noodles, it was as good as it gets. I highly recommend JoongHwaRu.

I walked in just after they opened at 10:30 am so it was empty and quiet. The interior is quaint and very no frills but cozy. You're here to eat your meal and head back out to wherever your next destination is. But it's clean, the staff is very accommodating, and there's a small private parking lot right out front! Portions are bigger than what I've received at other comparable restaurants. The jjamppong (짬뽕), which is a spicy seafood noodle soup, has a deep seafood and spice flavor, vegetables are finely chopped to easily eat, and spicy but not enough to make the meal unpleasant! Seafood includes mussels, clams, squid, and shrimp which were all fresh. The noodles were plump, chewy, and bouncy! If you want to try each noodle dish you can order the half and half which is half jajangmyeon and half jjamppong (자장면 and 짬뽕). Jajangmyeon is a black bean sauce noodle dish and the sauce usually has diced vegetables and beef mixed in. The jajang sauce was incredible! Deep, rich black bean flavor that is balanced well by the noodles. We ordered the jjamppong combo with tangsuyuk (탕수육) which is sweet and sour pork (sometimes beef). The fried pork comes out on the side separate from the sauce so you can choose to dip it (to appreciate the crispy fried texture) or to pour the sauce on top of the meat (for a softer, chewier texture as the sauce soaks in). They have some awesome looking lunch specials that are a combination of fried rice, chow mein, and a meat dish if that's more your style. I'll definitely be back because this is now my most favorite place to get jjamppong, jajangmyeon, and tangsuyuk! :)

Love the food here! I wasn't very hungry but ended up eating a lot because it's so good. The fried rice was my favorite. It comes with jjajangmyeon sauce and seafood soup. They do large handmade dumplings too. Free small parking lot which is rare in KTown. Staff was very nice.

Good spot to go for a quick meal - the flavors hits the spot and great prices. Standard jajameyon and jampon (sp?)

Incredible Korean noodle dishes and chicken dish. Outstanding service, too. A definite place to dine at in K-Town.

Food is awesome here. The noodles are perfect. Will always come back when craving some jangjang myun.

Ordered the seafood jjajangmyeon, wife had the jjamja myeon (half jjambbong, half jjajangmyeon), and an order of kkanpong saewoo. Kkanpong saewoo is not like Chinese kung pao shrimp, though I believe the Korean name of this dish is derived from the Chinese dish; the sauce is sweeter with a syrupy consistency and not as pepper-forward, though it does have a little kick to it owing to the peppers. The sauce comes on the side so you can dip the shrimp in it. The shrimp is fried in one of those heavy batters, presumably so that it could hold up better against the sauce without going soggy. I joked to my wife -- it's like a dude wearing a huge sweater. He could be scrawny, he could be big, we don't know because the sweater is huge. In following with that analogy, these shrimps were definitely pretty huge. Love the dish. I prefer to dip the shrimp in the sauce before eating, in case I want to take it home and reheat the shrimp in an air fryer later. Which brings me to an important point: these portions are colossal. My wife's jjam-jamyeon looked like a single serving of each noodle dish at most Korean Chinese restaurants I've been to. So don't let the prices scare you -- they give you a lot of food. Tips because you probably over ordered: - the jjajangmyeon is huge; finish the noodles (if you can). Otherwise, pick them out before packaging it to go and the sauce can keep in the fridge for a couple days. Reheat that thing in a pan, toss with some noodles or mix in some leftover rice from home and it tastes great. - unless you plan on finishing the fried meat / shrimp dishes at the restaurant, stick to pouring the sauce on individualized portions. You can take the sauce home with you separate from the meat/shrimp. Reheat the fried pork/shrimp/chicken in an air fryer, 380 degrees for like 6-7 minutes max (careful not to burn it), the batter will re-crisp. Sauce can be microwaved for 45-60s, stir once halfway. Service is marvelous. This is a lean operation, I saw a Korean lady foh handling something like 20 dine-in covers and packaging four massive to go orders simultaneously at lunch today. Incredible efficiency. The Central American dudes in the back are legit stir frying pros. I got a good chuckle out of the dude's wok skills, which were pretty impressive. Go during peak lunch hours. Parking sucks, you might have to wait, but there's a lot of turnover so everything is made fresh. I love supporting lean family operations like this with hard-working people; especially when the food is this solid. Lot of love in here. Don't miss it.

I lived next to this place and it is a great staple noodle place. I've had other places like zzazzamong and the place next to louders (their portions are larger). But this homey noodle spot hits the spot for sure. Service is good ambiance is normal but the food is super dank. Would recommend for any noodle lover in ktown! Let me know if there are better places than this.

Amazing!!! Will be back! Noodles are homemade, service is great, and ambiance is homey. The fried shrimp 깐풍기 is great as well! They're huge!

We were craving for black noodles and found this little gem . We weren't sure how it would be but ordered just the combo of the black noodles & seafood jjamppong and sweet n sour pork. All I can say is this place was very different, the first bite was wow! You can tell the noodles were made different. They make their Fresh noodles in-house. They had a machine in the back and you could see they made the noodles fresh. The texture was so good with the black bean sauce together just made you want more with every bite . JJAMPPONG (KOREAN SPICY SEAFOOD NOODLE SOUP) If you like spicy, I think this was my favorite. We ordered a second dish (same combo) & had a friend join us to try it. We all agreed we'll be coming back again. Service was amazing, The waitress (Emo) took care of us, so nice! Along with the owner, so nice & great service. Place started to get busy when we left so definitely come early. They do have parking but not a lot.

this place deserves 5 stars! came here on a weekday rainy night and it wasn't busy at all. i didn't know i can get both jjajangmyeon and jjamppong until my boyfriend told me and was so amazed LOL. both were delicious!! i 100% think its better than paik's noodle and much more bang for your buck. also just like the many other reviews, it tastes very homey and i just can't describe it but its really really good. and eating tangsuyuk on the side with it is perfect! i can't wait to be back!

짬짜면 최고 짜장면 짬뽕 둘다 먹고 싶은데 그것이 가능하다... 요리들이 다 양이 진짜 많다 주차는 웬만하면 괜찮다 짜장면 진짜 맛있고 짬뽕도 진짜 맛있습니다. 정기적으로 와줘야 함. 그리고 매우 친절하세요 감사합니다. 야채랑 고기랑 듬뿍 들어가서 진짜 든든함 너무 맛있음

Best jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) EVER. I am usually a jjajangmyeon (black bean noodle) fanatic but the jjamppong here was to die for. Ktown obviously has a ton of Korean/Chinese restaurants but this place is now really high on my list. Taste, service, price are all great so I will definitely be coming back. The lady is so sweet and nice! We ordered a combo meal for the 3 items below and it was only $36!!! My honest ratings for each item I tried during my visit. Jjamppong: 6/5 The broth was just sooo good. It was filled with tons of veggies and seafood like shrimp, squid, mussels, clams. All in all such a great dish and better than I've had at many other restaurants in ktown. Tangsooyook: 5/5 It's what you expect from tangsooyook. It checked off all the boxes of crunchy, sweet, and tangy. Jjajangmyeon: 4/5 Jjajangmyeon was also solid but I have to say it was missing a little something. I can't say what. Maybe a little more soy sauce in the seasoning? I would probably get it again but the jjamppong was just so good. All in all such a solid spot to eat if you're in the mood for this cuisine. I'm gonna recommend this spot to all my friends now!

If you go to JoongHwaRu, I highly recommend getting their combos so you can try as many items as possible. You'll thank me! Trust. Their jja jang myeon is the best I've had thus far in LA. I know they are new, but they are doing it right. Good noodles, but even better black bean sauce. Loved it. Their tangsuyuk was good with the lightness you want in a Korean sweet and sour pork dish. I liked it but didn't love it. It was great but something in the flavor department is not clicking perfectly. We also had Kkanpung Saeu (깐풍새우) which had HUGE shrimp. Like you never see this size at your usual Chinese Korean spot. They were plump, delicious fried coating and the sweet & spicy sauce had a good mix of both flavors. I ordered delivery so can't comment on ambiance or service, but everything was so well prepared. Perfect little containers with everything we could need (except bap :/) and separating the proteins from the sauces so everything stayed crisp & fresh. Now I need to go back and try the jjampong everyone is talking about!

Best jjajamyeon I've had in LA! The seafood soup was also delicious. The shrimp comes with the sauce separately and is fried perfectly to taste the flavor. The owner is very kind too. :) we will definitely come back!

Great food, excellent friendly service, free tea, amazing portions. The parking is hard but it is worth the wait/walk.

Came here for some sweet and sour crispy pork and I absolutely love it !!! Would definitely come back again !!! The pork is so fresh! The service was great ! You can count on them being super clean as well ! Will definitely come back again!

It's a tradition to have the black meal noodles after a move-in, so we had to check this place out! Surprisingly, no wait times around 2:30 pm and were seated quickly so we were happy about that. The food was good! I asked for less spicy for the soup. LA gets hot during the summer, so I'd recommend that the restaurant use AC! These types of foods will get your sweat going easily without AC. I'd come back.

Ordered beef noodles as a takeout. It was seasoned well and tasted great. Since it was take out the noodles, sauce, and meat were separate. It wasn't until I got home, I realized the meat portion was just marinated onions with one or two strips of beef. I ended up having to supply my own beef because the entire thing just tasted like onions. A 30 minute wait and $15 for just noodles and onions is not worth it.

Discovered this place on IG. The food was reasonably priced. It's in a strip mall, small no frills. We ordered the combo with jajangmein, jampong, and tansuyuk. It was tasty, I would definitely order the jampong again. Footnote, they do not serve kimchi.

Came here with 2 other people we ordered the jjajjangmyun (black bean noodle), champpong (spicy seafood noodle), and fried shrimp. Everything was really good and we could barely finish it. The jjajjangmyun (black bean) noodles were nice and chewy, the sauce was flavorful without being too salty, and they even put a lot of meat to top it off. The champpong (spicy seafood) broth was very rich and had a deep smoky flavor like it had been charcoal grilled and it also had a ton of mussels, clams, and shrimp. The spicy shrimp came with the sauce on the side which is usually a good sign because that means the restaurant wants you to taste how well the item has been fried and it keeps the food from getting soggy. Our waitress was a very kind ahjumma too who was constantly checking up on us and making fun conversation. Most of the other people dining were Korean ahjussis who looked like they've been coming here for decades so you can definitely trust it'll be good

bap ross sent me super great jjangjjangmyeon with ginormous servings considering the price delicious sauce with a mom and pop vibe

This restaurant is small but the plates are big! Our food was delicious. We all tried something new. The black bean noodles were great. The noodles were so long. The orange chicken was light and awesome. I can't wait to go again.

i was never a jjangmyeon fan but gave it a try bc it looked so appetizing. i ended up loving it! the noodles are perfectly chewy while the sauce is sweet and slightly savory. i think the sweetness comes from the onions, which are almost caramelized. i liked that it came with chunks of meat, though very few in quantity. i ordered combo 6 so i also had the sweet and sour pork. i anticipated the sauce to have more tanginess and wish it had a zestier taste to freshen up the dish. i still enjoyed it tho. the pork's crisp and chewy texture went so well with the jjangmyeon. combo 6 was good value & will last me 2 meals. takeout experience was quick and friendly, and the parking lot added to the convenience. 10/10!

Best jajangmyeon I've had so far. Noodles are thicker than usual, and firm. Delicious balance of flavor. A bit lacking in pork, but makes up for it with crazy savory pork flavor. Amazing noodles. Price? A steal almost for what you get. 10/10 would come again

Best JjamPPong in L.A. period! Other menus are ok :) Combos are good value. I had a takeout of JjamPPong this week and was not disappointed.

Delicious jampong, jajangmyun and sweet and sour pork! Will be back! Service is excellent.

i came here with a jjamppong craving and let's just say i was humbled LOL. i have a really high spice tolerance so i got the spicy fire jjamppong as opposed to the regular spicy jjamppong and i literally spent the entirety of my meal panting, drinking water, and taking intermittent breaks eating the sweet and sour pork. pls don't be like me and pls just try the regular spicy jjamppong before venturing further haha. i personally loved the jjamppong and sweet and sour pork combo for $29.99 and it was such a good amt of food to split between me and my boyfriend! i think i found my new favorite jjamppong spot :-) highly recommend!

OMG THIS PLACE IS SOOO GOOD!!!! Used to be Young Bin Ru, but is now open under new ownership!! Came in and was greeted by the very friendly owner :) was served tea when given the menus...I like I like. Ordered the #2 combo with the jjajangmyeon, Jjamppong and Tangsooyook. Let me just say this was the best Jjamppong I've ever had in my life!! Even better than in Korea in my opinion!! I literally cannot stress how good the broth was and there's was a bounty of seafood in it. The Tangsooyook was also soo tasty. Of course you need to get the sauce on the side and create a mixture of soy sauce vinegar and the ground chili pepper to go along with it. They were pretty decent sized pieces and were very crispy! Yum af The jjajangmyeon was decent, not my favorite out of all of them but adding some chili and the broth of the Jjamppong helped a lot. Needless to say we finished the whole thing. Finished everything basically. Walking out feeling great after an amazing meal. Definitely a 20/10 for this place. Couldn't be more pleased and I'm never going ANYWHERE else. You hear me ANYWHERE!

Rubber bands greeted me as soon as I opened the container. Called the restaurant again, seemed to be very busy to solve this. I have to call my bank to open a dispute for this since they're not doing anything about it.

Formerly known as YoungBinRu, this place has a new owner, hence the name change. This lady is heaven sent because her version of jjampong is the best I've had around town! They've also added more items on their menu, they even have lunch specials! Lastly their prices are hard to beat, very reasonable especially how inflation has been nowadays. I'm really happy this place is thriving

One of the best jjajangmyeon spots (if not the best) I've tried in LA K-town so far! Fresh chewy noodles, generous portions, and delicious sauce. We ordered a side of the fried shrimp too which was amazing. Definitely coming here again!

One star for convenient parking lot in this tiny plaza. One star for friendly staff but keep reading below. It was very confusing as this place still has the youngbin ru signs everywhere and even their menu still says young in the. I ordered the jajangmyun to go, which was surprisingly cold (ate it like 5 minutes after picking it up and I had placed the to go order when I had arrived in person as I couldn't find their phone number online). It was also very bland. I also ordered the kkampoong chicken which to me is a fried chicken dish w roasted garlic spicy sauce but this was more like the korean version of sweet and sour chicken which was not very good. The chicken was very soggy w the sauce (the fry had lost all of its structural integrity) and the sauce was very sweet. They also seemed to have some phone/internet issues, when I tried to pay with my credit card they asked me if I had cash because their credit card machine wasn't working. I told them I didn't, one of the ladies was on the phone w system, possibly trying to troubleshoot the issue but they insisted on holding onto my credit card until their machine was working again which I was not comfortable with. I asked for my card back while they figure out their issue and the lady held onto it.