Doesn’t look much like chop suey, does it? 

Normally, I would never order something entitled “noodles with chop suey soup” at a Chinese restaurant, but that’s precisely what I did last week at the Korean-Chinese spot Samwongahk. That’s because the dish whose English name screams American-style Chinese food bears no resemblance to greasy wok takeout. Clearly, something was lost in the translation of the Korean-Chinese specialty jjam ppong. It’s not a stir-fry at all, but a spicy seafood noodle soup packed with shrimp, scallops and squid, and it's brimming with veggies, including bok choy. There’s also a healthy helping of homemade noodles. It makes for a sinus-clearing, body-warming lunch on a cold winter’s day. At $7.49 a bowl, it’s easy on the wallet, too.

Jim demonstrates how to mix and enjoy jjajangmyeon. 

Even though I ordered jjam ppong, the real draw at Samwongahk and other Korean-Chinese restaurants is jjajangmyeon ($5.99). Look around at lunchtime and you’ll see that almost every table has a big bowl of wheat noodles with a sidecar of pitch black sauce made with chunjang, a salty black soybean paste, onions and bits of pork. Mix the sauce in with your noodles and start slurping. My friend Jim J.H. Kim, who accompanied me, along with Jeff Orlick, founder of the Jackson Heights Food Group, told me that Korean-Chinese joints are as common in Korea as pizzerias are in New York City. Queens isn’t far behind Jim’s homeland. Last time I checked there were nine such eateries, including two locations of Samwongahk.

Keep on eating,

Joe DiStefano

Sam Won Gahk, 144-20 Northern Blvd., Flushing, 718-445-8500; 219-01 Northern Blvd., Bayside, 718-352-5600

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