The No.1 Mukbang Dish on K-Drama, Loved by Top Celebs Like Cha Eun-woo and Yoo Yeon-seok!

When it comes to the No.1 dish featured in K-dramas, films, and variety shows, there’s one clear winner: jjajangmyeon, Korea’s take on Chinese black bean noodles.

Though rooted in Chinese cuisine, jjajangmyeon has become a deeply symbolic comfort food for Koreans, often referred to as “the soul of Korean food.” While unfamiliar to many foreigners, one bite is usually enough to turn skepticism into obsession—despite its jet-black sauce, which may appear intimidating at first.

This iconic dish is more than just food—it’s nostalgia. Most Koreans grow up eating jjajangmyeon from childhood, and it’s a dish that marks both ordinary days and life’s milestones, like graduation or moving day. It’s also inseparable from Korea’s legendary delivery culture, having been a motorcycle-delivered staple since the 1970s.

But jjajangmyeon isn’t just beloved in daily life—it has produced legendary mukbang scenes in Korean entertainment. Here are some unforgettable moments:

Top K-Entertainment Jjajang-myeon Muk-bang Moments

1. Cha Eun-woo (Wonderful World)

Cha Eun-woo gave fans a textbook jjajangmyeon mukbang moment—slurping noodles straight from his chopsticks while pairing them with fried dumplings. Fans playfully dubbed him 'Cha-jangmyeon'—a pun combining 'Cha' from his name and 'jajangmyeon,' the iconic noodle dish. The set is a classic: jjajangmyeon + dumplings = double the flavor. Viewers praised him as a "handsome foodie who knows how to eat."

2. Lim Ji-yeon ( LIES HIDDEN IN MY GARDEN)

Dubbed the "Dead Husband Set" scene, this moment comes after her abusive husband dies in a drama. In a cathartic turn, her character is shown joyfully devouring jjajangmyeon, dumplings, K-style sweet-and-sour pork, and coke at a Chinese restaurant. The sense of liberation she conveys made the set a social media sensation, even trending on X (former Twitter). While some found the nickname controversial, its viral reach was undeniable.

It even became such a hot topic that Lim Ji-yeon talked about the scene on You Quiz on the Block, where Yoo Jae-suk praised her jjajangmyeon-eating performance, drawing even more attention.

Yoo Yeon-seok, who appears on the K-variety show Whenever Possible, was also the face of the Nongshim's instant Jjajangmyeon brand "Jja-wang." He impressed viewers once again by enjoying jjajangmyeon alongside Yoo Jae-suk on the show, delivering a truly satisfying mukbang moment that had fans saying, “Of course—it’s Yoo Yeon-seok!”

4. Jung Woo-sung (Padam Padam... The Sound of His and Her Heartbeats)

Jung Woo-sung, who starred alongside Han Ji-min in Padam Padam... The Sound of His and Her Heartbeats, left a lasting impression with his portrayal of an innocent man with an IQ of 80, falsely accused and tasting jjajangmyeon for the first time in 16 years.

Fearless of looking silly on screen, Jung devoured the noodles with a sense of deep longing—yet with undeniable delight—making the scene both emotional and unforgettable.

5. Han Ye-seul (Couple or Trouble)

Often referred to as the “original jjajangmyeon mukbang queen,” Han Ye-seul’s carefree and messy eating scene broke the typical K-drama beauty standard and became a legendary moment in food-centric acting.

A Dish with Deep Roots and a Modern Korea!

Jjajangmyeon traces its origins to the late 19th to early 20th century, when Chinese immigrants from the Shandong region brought the dish to Incheon’s Chinatown. It evolved from the original Chinese zhajiangmian—noodles topped with stir-fried fermented bean paste, meat, and vegetables. In Korea, however, the recipe gradually changed to suit local tastes. The Korean version adds sweetness through onions and sugar and swaps out rich oils and meats for simpler, affordable ingredients.

First served at a Chinese-Korean restaurant around 1905, jjajangmyeon gained massive popularity by the 1950s–60s during Korea’s post-war economic growth. It was cheap, filling, and became a go-to dish for working-class families.

There’s a reason this dish is the undisputed No.1 in celebrity-approved mukbangs!
If you get the chance, why not give it a try? 😊🍜

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