My Korea Trip last November 2025 was filled with collaborations with several personalities and chefs, and among them is Korea’s LEGIT Masterchef Chef Yeo Kyung Ok.
He’s a Korean-Chinese cuisine expert with years of experience working in the best hotels in Korea and even cooking for the President!! I am super honored to learn directly from him because he’s the OG!! I’ve watched him on TV and YouTube as I was growing up, and this was both nerve-wracking and unforgettable.
Chef Yeo shared with me two Korean staples Gan Jjajangmyeon and Tangsuyuk. These may be ordinary dishes, but when done right, they bring so much comfort to Koreans. It was so surreal to be learning the restaurant-style recipe from an expert.
Check out my other collabs with Korean personalities and chefs that I personally look up to:
- Sung Si Kyung’s Hobak Jeon and Gireum Tteokbokki recipe
- Chef Jung Ji Sung’s Fried Pork Balls with Pasi
- Imokase’s Traditional Korean recipes
- Chef Fabrizio Ferrari’s Traditional Italian Carbonara
What is Gan Jjajang?
Gan Jjajang is a variety of black bean noodles that’s less saucy, less sweet, and slightly saltier. “Gan” literally means dry, and because we do not add water to the sauce, the black bean flavor is more intense.
This is usually a little more expensive than regular jjajangmyeon because it’s made to order and must be served and consumed right away. Nevertheless, the glossy stir-fry sauce, along with the succulent pork belly and crunchy vegetables, will truly satisfy you.
Despite being more expensive, I find it is much simpler and quicker to prepare at home. My family loves jjajangmyeon, and I am happy to share this with everyone so we can all learn together from the best!!
Ingredients You’ll Need
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- Udon Noodles – Used mainly because of accessibility, but noodles for jajangmyeon are easily interchangeable. You can use fresh noodles, thick egg noodles, knife-cut noodles, or even spaghetti noodles.
- Black Bean Paste or Chun Jang – The main ingredient of the sauce. It’s salty and bitter to almost earthy. This is not interchangeable with other sauces.
- Pork Belly – This is commonly the protein used for jajangmyeon because of the flavor and oil it produces that complements the black bean paste, but you can also use beef, shrimp, or keep it vegetarian by increasing the aromatics and adding zucchini, cabbage, and/or potatoes.
- Onion – The only vegetable used in the dish, which also complements the black bean paste.
- Scallions, Garlic, and Ginger – These are the aromatics used to add fragrance to the dish.
- Oil (Canola, Vegetable, Grapeseed, etc.) – Jjajangmyeon usually uses a lot of oil to cook off the black bean paste. As you saute the paste, the bitterness is reduced, and it will taste even better.
- Soy Sauce – For aroma
- Oyster Sauce – For the umami flavor. You can also sprinkle in a little bit of MSG if you want more umami.
- Sugar – Optional, depends on whether you like your noodles on the sweet side or the salty side. A small amount will do.
How to Make Gan Jjajang?
Mince the garlic and ginger, chop the onion and scallions, and slice the pork into strips.
Place the pan on high heat, add two tablespoons of oil, and saute the garlic, ginger, scallions, and pork.
Once aromatic, add the black bean paste. Stir fry the paste until the moisture is reduced, the paste is slightly darkened, and it starts to cling to the pork. Season with soy sauce and stir-fry until fragrant.
Add the onion and toss to absorb all the sauce. Likewise, it will also emit its flavor. Keep the heat on high and continue on stir frying so that the sauce does not water down. It will also become darker because the sauce gets evened out through all the ingredients.
Season with oyster sauce and give it a taste. It’s normally a bit salty because there’s no water, and the sauce will still be added to the noodles. But if you want to adjust, add sugar for sweetness or MSG for umami flavor. And it’s done!
Cook noodles according to package instructions, drain, then wash with cold water to remove excess starch and for chewiness.
Plate the noodles, top with the sauce, and enjoy! Optional garnish includes julienned cucumber and/or fried egg, but this is good to go on its own!
Other varieties of Jajangmyeon that you might like:
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Gan Jjajangmyeon by Chef Yeo Gyeong Ok
Ingredients
- 2 servings Udon Noodles
- 1 tbsp Black Bean Paste
- 200 grams Pork Belly
- 1 medium Onion Chopped
- 1/2 stalk Scallion Chopped
- 1/2 tbsp Ginger Minced
- 1/2 tbsp Garlic Minced
- 2 tbsp Oil (Canola, Vegetable, Grapeseed, etc.) For stir frying
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1/2 tbsp Sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the garlic, ginger, scallions, onion, and pork belly.
- Place the pan on high heat, add oil, and stir-fry the garlic, ginger, scallions, and pork.
- Once fragrant, add the black bean paste and stir-fry until the moisture is reduced and the paste is slightly darkened and is sticking to the pork.
- Season with soy sauce and continue to stir-fry.
- Once fragrant, add the onion, and toss to absorb flavor.
- Season with oyster sauce, keep stirring all throughout.
- Taste and adjust with sugar and MSG as needed.
- Cook noodles according to package instructions, drain, then wash with cold water.
- Plate the noodles, top with the sauce, and enjoy!
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