One thing I love about Korean food is how delicious and colourful everything looks while still feeling like a proper meal. I’ve always liked the combination of banchan that comes with Korean food, and of course, there’s usually kimchi somewhere on the table.
Over the years, I’ve tried quite a few different Korean dishes, so I thought I had already made my way through most of the usual favourites. Then I realised there was one thing I had somehow never tried before: Korean rice bowls.
I’ve seen them on the menus at quite a few Korean restaurants I’ve been to, but never really thought about ordering one. It’s basically rice served with different dishes, toppings and sauces together in one bowl. It sounded simple enough, but I was curious to see what it was actually like.
So when we came across Jangsajang Deopbap, we decided it was finally time to give Korean rice bowls a try. I wanted to see if they would make it onto my list of Korean dishes I’d order again.
✅ About Jangsajang Deopbap
Jangsajang Deopbap is a Korean restaurant chain that specialises in deopbap, a Korean rice dish where rice is served with different toppings, meat or seafood and sauce in the same bowl.
The story behind Jangsajang started in 2019, when the brand began in a tiny 10-square-metre kitchen near Seoul National University in South Korea. From that small kitchen, the founders worked on their signature sauces and built the concept around serving a complete Korean meal in a single bowl.
The name Jangsajang is connected to “Jang” (장), a term associated with traditional Korean fermented sauces and pastes such as ganjang (soy sauce) and gochujang (chili paste). The brand’s signature soy-based and spicy sauces are still brought in from South Korea.
What makes Jangsajang a little different from the usual Korean restaurants is that its main focus is on deopbap rather than a long list of Korean dishes. The brand became particularly known for its beef belly deopbap, which has also gained quite a bit of attention online.
According to the brand, the restaurants use halal-certified ingredients and suppliers and are completely pork-free and alcohol-free. The brand is also currently going through the official JAKIM halal certification process.
✅ The Menu and What We Ordered
The main focus at Jangsajang Deopbap is their Korean rice bowls. There are quite a few options to choose from, with different meats, seafood and sauces served over rice. You can go for soy or spicy chicken thigh, beef belly, lamb, Australian beef tenderloin, Spanish mackerel or spicy cuttlefish. They even have a mushroom and tofu option for those who prefer something without meat.
Apart from the rice bowls, they also have kalguksu alongside five standard side dishes, including potato croquettes, chicken gyoza, mini kimchi pancakes, shrimp balls and fried shrimp.
One thing I liked is that every deopbap comes with unlimited refills of kimchi and hot miso soup. You can also upgrade your rice bowl to a set meal for an additional RM9.90, which comes with a side dish and a refillable drink.
For our visit, we went with:
- Soy Chicken Thigh Rice Bowl
My partner picked the Soy Chicken Thigh Rice Bowl. Visually, it looked almost the same as my Spicy Chicken Thigh Rice Bowl, with the chicken served over rice and the egg yolk sitting on top. The main difference between the two was really the sauce and flavour.
The soy chicken didn’t appeal to me as much at first because I usually go for something spicy, but I still took a few bites from my partner’s bowl to see how it tasted. The soy sauce gave the chicken a savoury and slightly sweet flavour, and the overall combination with the rice and egg yolk was delicious.
It was actually better than I expected, especially after mixing everything together.
- Spicy Chicken Thigh Rice Bowl
I went with the Spicy Chicken Thigh Rice Bowl and upgraded it to a set meal. With the set, I could choose one add-on, so I picked the Deep-Fried Shrimp, along with a refillable roasted tea.
Just like my partner’s bowl, mine came with rice, chicken, green beans, onions and an egg yolk on top. The raw egg yolk made me hesitate a little at first, as I’m not usually the biggest fan of eating egg yolk this way. Once I mixed everything together with the rice, though, it actually worked really well. The yolk blended nicely with the rice, chicken and sauce, making the whole bowl taste quite good.
The chicken itself was flavourful, although I wouldn’t say it was particularly spicy. For someone who loves spicy food like me, I was expecting a little more kick. Still, I preferred it over the soy chicken because I liked the overall flavour more. The bowl also looked quite interesting with all the different colours, and it was filling enough for me.
The miso soup was good too. If you like taucu, I’d say the taste is quite similar, although I’m not usually a big fan of miso. This one, however, got my approval.
The Deep-Fried Shrimp was actually the highlight for me. It was fried really well, and I could hear the crunch the moment I bit into it, while the inside was still juicy. The sauce that came with it was ridiculously good too. I really enjoyed it and honestly wished there was more.
- Drinks
For the drink, apart from the roasted tea that came with my set meal, we also picked the Lotte Milkis Peach Flavour. It’s a Korean carbonated drink with a light milky yoghurt taste, and the peach flavour made it really easy to drink.
I liked it straight away and would happily order the peach flavour again. It was fizzy without feeling too heavy, and the sweetness from the peach was just right. I’m glad we ordered this because I didn’t really enjoy the roasted tea that came with my set meal.
✅ Is It Worth The Price?
You can expect to spend around RM20 to RM40 per person at Jangsajang Deopbap, depending on what you order.
Their regular rice bowls and noodles generally fall around RM16 to RM35, with most of the chicken, seafood and other popular rice bowls sitting in the RM26 to RM35 range. If you want something more premium, options such as beef belly, marinated raw shrimp and Australian beef steak can go up to around RM48.
If you want to make your rice bowl into a more complete meal, you can add the Set Meal for RM9.90. This comes with your choice of a side dish and a refillable drink, while the kimchi and hot soup are already included with the rice bowl.
Most of their individual side dishes, including the fried shrimp, chicken gyoza, shrimp balls and mini kimchi pancakes, are RM12.80 each.
They also have sharing deals such as the Family Feast, which comes with four rice bowls, four side dishes and four refillable drinks for under RM200.
For me, the pricing felt reasonable, especially since the rice bowls already come with unlimited kimchi and hot miso soup. The set meal is worth considering if you want a side dish and drink with your meal.
💡 Special 15% Off full-priced items exclusively for Government Servants, UN staff and IOI City Mall staff. Just show your valid work pass at checkout.
✅ Location and Opening Hours
For this visit, we went to the Jangsajang Deopbap outlet at IOI City Mall Putrajaya. It’s located inside the mall, so it’s pretty easy to get to if you’re already there for shopping or looking for somewhere to eat.
Jangsajang Deopbap currently has three outlets across Selangor and Putrajaya:
- Jangsajang Deopbap, SS15 Subang Jaya
- Jangsajang Deopbap, IOI City Mall Putrajaya
- Jangsajang Deopbap, IOI Mall Puchong
Opening Hours:
The IOI City Mall Putrajaya and IOI Mall Puchong outlets are open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
The SS15 Subang Jaya outlet operates from 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM.
✅ Will I Come Back?
Yes, I will.
I’d love to come back and try some of the other rice bowls and dishes they have.
The bowl was satisfying, and the portion was generous enough to leave me feeling full after the meal. I’m usually quite picky when it comes to kimchi, but I actually liked the kimchi here. The smell wasn’t too strong, and I could finish it, which is quite rare for me because I normally leave kimchi behind.
The chicken bowl I ordered wasn’t spicy enough for me, but I still enjoyed it and would happily order it again.
I also liked how simple the ordering process was. Everything was done through the QR code provided at the table, and the staff were around to help whenever we had questions. The restaurant wasn’t packed when we arrived, so we could take our time having lunch without feeling rushed.
The decor is pretty simple with a few Korean touches. It’s not a fancy place, but I liked the casual vibe, and the tables were spaced comfortably enough that we didn’t feel cramped.
If I’m craving a Korean rice bowl again, Jangsajang Deopbap will definitely be one of the places that comes to mind.
Wanderhoney Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5)
Love,
Auri Duham 🌻
