[Korean Food] Chinese-Style Gourmet: Jjamppong, Jjajang & Sweet and Sour Pork Half-and-Half (CU)

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Hello. Today I’m introducing CU’s new lunchbox lineup: Chinese Gourmet Jjamppong + Sweet and Sour Pork Half-and-Half, Jjajang + Sweet and Sour Pork Half-and-Half. It’s not that jjamppong, jjajang, and sweet and sour pork are all packed into one. Instead, they released two separate options: jjajang + sweet and sour pork, and jjamppong + sweet and sour pork. Half-and-half combos like this are something you usually see at Chinese restaurants, so it felt new for a convenience store. I was curious, so I picked up both right away. Let’s take a closer look.

Table of Contents

Chinese Gourmet Jjamppong + Sweet and Sour Pork Half-and-Half Price & Highlights

CU has launched a “Chinese Gourmet” lineup. I expected typical single-item releases like jjajangmyeon or stir-fried jjamppong, or maybe a standalone sweet and sour pork dish, but they went with a unique half-and-half “poured-on sauce” style combo, so I bought it right away. I’ve seen plenty of single-item options at convenience stores before, but this kind of setup is a first.

First, let’s look at the jjamppong + sweet and sour pork half-and-half. To suit a lunchbox format, it’s released as a brothless stir-fried jjamppong. They could have gone with a “pour in hot water” style, but it seems they chose the safer, more convenient option. The sweet and sour pork comes with the sauce already poured on.

Jjajang + sweet and sour pork half-and-half taste highlights

The price is 6,500 KRW. Total weight is 470g, with 813 kcal, and sodium at about 86% of the daily recommended intake. Considering the price, the calories feel similar to those bigger 11- or 12-side-dish lunchboxes. Sodium also isn’t as high as I expected. They also note that the pork used for the sweet and sour pork is domestically sourced.

Chinese Gourmet domestically sourced pork sweet and sour pork

Chinese Gourmet Jjajang + Sweet and Sour Pork Half-and-Half Price & Highlights

Next up is the jjajang + sweet and sour pork half-and-half. Jjajang is the usual setup—just add the noodles and sauce to finish—so there doesn’t seem to be anything especially new there. The sweet and sour pork is, of course, served with the sauce already poured on.

Convenience store Chinese Gourmet review

The jjajangmyeon option is also 6,500 KRW, with a total weight of 470g and 854 kcal. Sodium is about 83% of the daily recommended intake, almost the same as the jjamppong option. The sweet and sour pork also uses domestically sourced pork.

Sweet and sour pork: sauce poured on vs. dipping

Jjamppong + Sweet and Sour Pork Half-and-Half: What’s Inside

Next, let’s check the contents. When you open the lid, you’ll see a plastic tray with a pattern that could almost be mistaken for real melamine tableware. Half is stir-fried jjamppong, and half is sweet and sour pork. It’s a pretty clever idea.

There’s sauce on top of lightly cooked Chinese-style noodles. Onion, a bit of meat, and zucchini stand out the most, and it looks like there are a few other ingredients mixed in as well. I think you really have to mix it up and taste it to know for sure.

As the label says, the sweet and sour pork is served with the sauce already poured on like this. If you prefer dipping, that might be a bit disappointing. They might separate the sauce in a future refresh.

Chinese Gourmet Jjajang + Sweet and Sour Pork Half-and-Half: What’s Inside

This time, it’s the jjajangmyeon version. The tray is the same, and in the jjajang sauce you can spot some onion, assorted vegetables, and green peas. Honestly, the only real difference between the two menus is the sauce.

Chinese Gourmet jjamppong + sweet and sour pork value for money

Convenience store Chinese Gourmet cooking instructions

Putting jjajang aside, doesn’t the sweet and sour pork look like there’s subtly more of it than in the jjamppong version? I’m not sure if it’s just the one I bought (there doesn’t seem to be any price difference by menu, right?), or if it’s the same across the board. I’ll need to double-check. Haha.

Chinese Gourmet sweet and sour pork with sauce poured on

Jjamppong + Sweet and Sour Pork Half-and-Half: Taste

After heating it properly in the microwave, I’ll mix the sauce and noodles and dig in. While mixing, the sauce feels quite thick, and since the noodles are cooked then chilled, there’s a small issue where they can break easily if you mix too aggressively.

Chinese Gourmet sweet and sour pork types details

Still, once you pick up a bite and taste it, you get a jjamppong flavor that’s mildly spicy with a gentle sweetness. That sweetness could be from sugar in the sauce, or possibly from the onion. The wok-hei is very subtle.

And because the sauce isn’t in a soup form, it lacks the bold, spicy kick of classic jjamppong, which was a bit of a shame. Still, it didn’t taste bad. As for the sweet and sour pork, since it’s convenience-store food heated in a microwave, it’s hard to expect a truly crispy coating, so I didn’t feel there was a big difference between sauce-poured and dipping anyway. Haha.

Convenience store food review experience

Jjajang + sweet and sour pork price comparison

Overall, it’s a solid, no-frills menu: the jjamppong feels like the main meal, and the sweet and sour pork feels like a side. With a reasonable price, satisfying fullness, and a pretty decent taste, it was more than enough for a satisfying meal.

Sweet and sour pork with sauce poured on: sauce condition

A Great Pairing of Jjajang and Sweet and Sour Pork

Next, I tried the jjajang option right away. The jjajang sauce felt a bit dry because it lacked oil, but I managed to mix it in. The noodles breaking easily seems unavoidable.

Once it’s well mixed and you take a bite, there’s a slight bitterness in the sauce, and the flavor of stir-fried chunjang (black bean paste) comes through quite strongly, like it was cooked without onion or seasonings. I wouldn’t call it “old-school jjajang,” exactly, but more like the taste you get when you stir-fry a classic store-bought chunjang without onion or extra seasoning. Haha.

CU Chinese Gourmet lunchbox 구성 evaluation

The sweet and sour pork portion was noticeably larger than in the jjamppong version, but I’m not sure whether that’s just how this menu is, or if the person who packed mine was simply generous. Even soggy sweet and sour pork is great when the pieces are big.

The slight bitterness in the jjajang sauce threw me off at first, but the more I ate, the more I liked it. It’s a perfectly workable option for a meal.

Still, if I had to choose just one, I’d personally lean toward the jjamppong. This lineup fills you up reasonably well, but it’s more about enjoying the unique concept than chasing an amazing flavor. Keep that in mind when you decide which one to buy.

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