30 years of tradition at Sinsongru Chinese restaurant

Korean `jajangmyon` or `jjamppong` has a stronger taste than its equivalent on mainland China. It is hard to find Korean-style jajangmyon with thick bean sauce and red jjamppong mixed with hot powdered pepper and hot pepper oil in China.

The established theory is that Inchon is the home of the jajanmyon and jjamppong that were altered to suit the tastes of Koreans. In Inchon`s Chinatown, at the foot of the mountain in Freedom Park, which commands a good view of the port area, are many Chinese restaurants operated by ethnic Chinese. The restaurants began to open one after another in the past four to five years.

``Sinsongru`` (032-772-4463) in Sinsaeng-dong, Chung-gu, Inchon, which has been operating since the 1940s, is one of the most popular of these restaurants. It has been holding fast to the same menu for over 30 years. The old building, with total floor space of 150 pyong (one pyong is equivalent to 3.3 square meters) doesn`t look like much from the outside, but the dishes served there keep bringing the customers back. The owner-chef from Sandung Province, China learned how to cook from his father, and tries to cook according to the methods on the mainland.

The trademark dish of this restaurant is ``Samson jjamppong`` priced at 5,000 won. The noodles in the soup are boiled with oysters, called ``milk of the sea,`` sea cucumber, shrimp and bamboo buds. The taste is clean and spicy at the same time. Some customers have been coming to the restaurant for dozens of years just to enjoy the dish.

Among 50 dishes on the a la carte menu are shark`s fin (35,000 won), kkanso shrimp (22,000 won), jachungol (25,000 won) and rhusansul (25,000 won). ``Buchu chapchae`` (23,000 won) made from Chinese leeks, pork, mushrooms, bamboo buds and shrimp is recommended.

The hall on the first floor can seat only 30, but there are six separate rooms that can accommodate 10 to 30 persons each. It has a parking lot some 100 meters away. The restaurant is closed every first and third Monday.

Park Hee-Je min07@donga.com