Wae Baek 외백 is a Korean-Chinese restaurant that has been open for over 40 years. It is tucked away in the back alleys of a neighborhood close to a bunch of apartment complexes. Only the people that know about this place go here. I love Korean-Chinese food since it is something I grew up with as a child and still continue to love as an adult. It is different than your authentic Chinese food. It is a food that got invented when an immigrant from China decided to come to Korea. They wanted to share their food with Korea, but the food was very foreign to Koreans at the time and it wouldn’t sell. So they decided to change up the recipes a little bit to cater to the taste buds of Koreans. It became a very big success!
When people typically order Korean-Chinese food, there are 3 main dishes that people order: Jjajangmyeon 짜장면 (black bean noodles), Jjambbong 짬뽕 (spicy seafood noodles), and Tangsuyuk 탕수육 (sweet and sour pork). All of these dishes are delicious and you should definitely try them all. The only challenge is to find really good ones. Which is why I am introducing you to this place here.
I ordered the Gan Jjajangmyeon 간짜장면 which is a little different than the standard Jjajangmyeon 짜장면. The Gan Jjajangmyeon is a slightly stronger flavored version of the regular Jjajangmyeon. They put more Choonjang 춘장 (fermented black bean paste) into it than they do the normal version. Gan Jjajangmyeon is usually made to order as well unlike the regular version where most places already have a pre-made sauce they just heat up. The people who really appreciate Jjajangmyeon usually get the Gan Jjajangmyeon although I have had good regular Jjajangmyeons as well.
The second dish that I ordered was the Sacheon Tangsuyuk 사천탕수육 aka spicy sweet and sour pork. If you order the normal Tangsuyuk, it isn’t spicy but more on the sweet side. This place is actually more known for their spicier version and I would have to agree. If I was with a friend, I think I would’ve gone through a ton of soju or beer eating this as an anju 안주 (foods eaten while drinking alcohol). The flavors are outstanding in this dish. With each bite you get a little bit of sweetness, sourness, spiciness, and umami. I will order this every single time I go back here. I literally want to go back there tomorrow because this picture is making my mouth water honestly.
This place is a little on the larger side with an upstairs as well. There are a lot of businessmen that tend to come here for their company dinners/outings. They have a pretty big menu as well that are really good items for drinking and sharing. The owners are actually Chinese and that’s why I like this place. They make their dishes just slightly more on the Chinese side than trying to cater to the Koreans. It adds that extra special touch that makes this place better than other places. On a side note, if you also want a snack/appetizer, there is a very good tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) spot right across the street.
Korean Address: 서울 마포구 도화2길 4
Naver link: https://map.naver.com/v5/entry/place/13160190?c=14131367.2639359,4514767.4076067,15,0,0,0,dh
English Address: 343-1 Dohwa-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
