"I couldn't even look after my children once"... The story behind the 42-year-old Jjamppong restaurant visited by Oh Sang-uk

Fencing athlete Oh Sang-uk visited a famous Jjamppong restaurant in Daejeon, facing the years and family stories contained within. According to the TV CHOSUN 'Home-Style Meal Travels' video, Oh Sang-uk revealed an extraordinary affection for Jjamppong, having visited almost all the famous Jjamppong restaurants in Daejeon.

42 Years of Expertise Contained in Clear Broth

The place Oh Sang-uk visited is a Chinese restaurant that a married couple has operated for 42 years. The signature menu item, Jjamppong, is characterized by a clear broth without grease, unlike typical Jjamppong. In the video, after tasting the broth, Oh Sang-uk shared his thoughts, saying, "The visual even feels like squid radish soup," expressing how the rustic and simple taste was moving. In particular, he demonstrated his own way of eating noodles (a method of stretching the noodles up and down) that he mastered while eating numerous Jjamppongs.

The core of this restaurant's broth lies in the 'arrow (矢) broth.' The participant in the video explained that this broth, boiled with onions, green onions, and other ingredients, produces a clean and deep flavor. It is unusual for a professional Chinese restaurant to use arrow broth for decades, which manifests as the result of an obsession to produce clear broth.

"I couldn't even look after my children's events once"... Patience in front of the fire

Behind this restaurant, which has held its place for the long period of 42 years, there was the sacrifice and patience of the family. The couple, who have spent their lives making food in front of the fire, have been so devoted to their livelihood that they could not even attend important events such as their children's entrance ceremonies or graduations. In the video, one participant confessed the sadness of the past when they had to be raised by their grandmother, saying, "I couldn't even properly look after my children as they were growing up."

The son, who took over the family business, also went through a process of understanding his father's heart. The son mentioned the weight of his father, who had to take responsibility for the family solely through physical labor and diligence, saying, "I didn't think about it when I was working at a company, but after taking over, I understand why my father was like that." Currently, the son, his wife, and even his daughter-in-law operate it together, continuing the restaurant under the family name.

The weight of a single bowl preserved by family devotion

The traces of careful management to prevent oil from splashing and the hard labor in front of the fire prove the history of the restaurant. The video shows that the times spent enduring in front of the hot fire to take responsibility for the family for 42 years have gathered to complete the current taste. What Jjamppong enthusiast Oh Sang-uk faced was more than just the taste of food; it was the trajectory of life that one family has protected for 42 years.