Pension-trip lunch in Gapyeong: octopus hot plate at Paldang Jikhwa

A Gapyeong Seorak restaurant that satisfied both a kid who can't handle spicy food and a couple craving octopus.

Lunch at Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi on the drive to a Gapyeong Seorak pension

Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi (팔당직화불쭈꾸미) is a hot-plate octopus specialty restaurant on Hanseo-ro in Seorak-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi. On our way to the pension, we agonized over lunch for a while. My husband and I really wanted spicy octopus, but our kids don't really eat seafood dishes.

Then near Misa719 Pension we found this Gapyeong Seorak restaurant, Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi. We'd read a lot of reviews saying the pork cutlet was great and that there was a self-serve bar, so we headed straight there — and honestly, it exceeded our expectations.

1. Address, hours and closing day

• Address: 150 Hanseo-ro, 1st floor, Seorak-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:00)
• Closed: Every Wednesday
• Parking: Large lot right in front of the restaurant
• Wait: We got seated right away, no wait (checking ahead on weekends/peak season is recommended)

The menu ranges from a single-serving octopus rice bowl to hot-plate stir-fry and pork cutlet.

2. Arrival: parking lot and baby chairs at Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi

Since we were traveling by car, parking was something we worried about a bit, but Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi has a spacious lot right in front, which made things easy.

Walking inside, the interior was bigger than expected and the tables had generous spacing, so we could eat comfortably without worrying about the next table over. There were also solo-dining seats and even baby chairs, which showed real care for families with kids. My husband said, happily, "This place would be perfect for a family visit."

After ordering, they brought out bean sprout soup along with the basic table setting.

3. What's on the self-serve bar: sundae, tteokbokki and pink sausage

The thing that made me happiest at Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi was the self-serve bar. Sundae (Korean blood sausage), tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes), and pickled radish — the variety was so wide it was practically its own mini snack-bar corner.

The kids who don't eat octopus helped themselves to tteokbokki and sundae from the self-serve bar, which meant we could enjoy our spicy hot-plate octopus without any guilt. A day with zero side-dish worries.

How long has it been since I've had pink sausage? Even the regular side dishes beyond the snack-bar items were all good.

The table was already fully set before the main dish even arrived — we ate it like an appetizer course.

There was jjolmyeon (chewy cold noodles) too, and wrapping it in fried mandu (dumplings) turned out to be delicious.

4. How the octopus hot plate with steamed egg for 3 and the pork cutlet tasted

We ordered the grilled fire octopus hot plate + steamed egg for 3 people and one pork cutlet. The default table setting comes with bean sprout soup, spicy and refreshing enough that even the kids drank the broth happily.

The hot-plate octopus arrived already fully cooked, so we could eat right away, and they told us if it cooled down we could just reheat it on the plate. The smoky fire flavor that hit right from the first bite was memorable, and the chewy texture held the spicy sauce well.

If you're not great with spice, I'd recommend having a spoonful of the steamed egg alongside. The soft steamed egg really tamed the heat, perfect even for a spice wimp like me.

The pork cutlet lived up to the reviews too — crispy and thick. It was seasoned just right for a kid's palate, so it was cleaned off with nothing left, and my husband was surprised, saying, "This cutlet is seriously thick." Being able to enjoy octopus and pork cutlet together in one place seems like this restaurant's biggest strength.

5. What to check before visiting Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi

• It's closed every Wednesday, so double-check the day of the week
• Last order is on the early side at 20:00
• There can be a wait on weekends and holidays, so it's best to avoid awkward peak times
• If you're bringing kids, make good use of the self-serve bar — it takes away a lot of the side-dish worry

If your family has a kid who can't eat spicy seafood but parents who are craving octopus, I'd recommend this Gapyeong Seorak restaurant, Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi.

I think we'll stop by again next time we're traveling to a pension around Seorak-myeon. Thanks to the self-serve bar, the whole family could eat according to their own tastes — a satisfying meal.