Daejeon Korean restaurant for octopus hot pot at night: Chongil Nakji

Chongil Nakji near Tanbang Station and Daejeon Lotte Department Store

On days when the breeze starts to turn gentle like it has lately, I keep craving something hot and spicy. This time, I visited Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch (촌길낙지 탄방점) in Tanbang-dong, Daejeon. Chongil Nakji has a Gwanpyeong branch and a Tanbang branch in Daejeon, and we went to the Tanbang one!

A great restaurant near Daejeon Lotte Department Store A great restaurant near Seongsimdang

Chongil Nakji is about a 10-minute walk from Daejeon Lotte Department Store and Seongsimdang, and about 5 minutes on foot from Tanbang Station, so it is easy to reach on foot or by public transit!

For parking, use the Fine Ormie parking tower in the building. The Fine Ormie parking tower runs from the 3rd through 9th floors, and each table receives a 1-hour parking voucher for one vehicle! Outdoor parking is also available on weekends and public holidays. On weekdays, the outdoor parking grace period is 11:30–14:00 and from 18:00 until 8:00 the following morning, so keep that in mind when you visit.

A white-toned dining room and kiosk ordering

Such a clean, stylish atmosphere! Inside, the overall white color scheme made it feel neat and pleasant. The tables were generously spaced, with seating for two and four, so it looked like a nice choice for a family meal or gathering too.

I heard Chongil Nakji began in a tiny 4.5-pyeong space and has grown to where it is now. As weekday dinner time approached, there were lots of delivery orders, and the restaurant filled up with diners!

Ordering is easy at the kiosk. Choose dine-in or takeaway ✔️

Yeonpo-tang sets and nakji stir-fry options

Chongil Nakji had more menu variety than I expected. Along with signature dishes such as spicy pork and nakji stir-fry, special nakji stir-fry, and scallop nakji stir-fry, they also have octopus and nakji yeonpo-tang, a Korean seafood hot pot, for dinner. There are also assorted rice bowls and set meals with cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) and wrap vegetables, so it seemed easy to pick according to your taste.

You can choose from three spice levels, so even people who do not handle spicy food well can order without too much pressure. Mild is described as barely spicy, medium as about the level of Shin Ramyun, and spicy as about the level of Buldak 볶음면 noodles.

With a nakji stir-fry set, you can have soy sauce bulgogi with a lovely smoky flavor, cheonggukjang, vegetable side dishes, and wrap vegetables. The cheonggukjang, side dishes, and wrap vegetables can be refilled without limit too, so it seems like good value. After debating between nakji stir-fry and yeonpo-tang, we ordered the nighttime-only yeonpo-tang set.

• Spicy pork and nakji stir-fry, small (for 2): thin-sliced pork belly + nakji stir-fry + 2 bowls of rice + cheonggukjang + vegetable side dishes (soy sauce bulgogi and wheat noodles not included)
• Chongil assorted special (for 3): octopus + nakji + beef + scallop stir-fry + soy sauce bulgogi + cheonggukjang + 3 bowls of rice + wheat noodles
• Special nakji stir-fry (for 2): beef + scallops + nakji stir-fry + 2 bowls of rice + wheat noodles + soy sauce bulgogi + cheonggukjang + vegetable side dishes
• Beef nakji stir-fry (for 2): beef + nakji stir-fry + 2 bowls of rice + wheat noodles + soy sauce bulgogi + cheonggukjang + vegetable side dishes
• Scallop nakji stir-fry, small (for 2): scallops + nakji stir-fry + 2 bowls of rice + wheat noodles + soy sauce bulgogi + cheonggukjang + vegetable side dishes
• Nakji stir-fry, small (for 2): nakji stir-fry + 2 bowls of rice + wheat noodles + soy sauce bulgogi + cheonggukjang + vegetable side dishes
• Soy sauce bulgogi baekban set: soy sauce bulgogi + vegetable side dishes + 2 bowls of rice + cheonggukjang
• Octopus and nakji yeonpo-tang set: octopus + nakji + scallop meat + beef shabu-shabu + vegetable side dishes (rice not included; octopus, nakji, beef, and ramen noodles can be added)
• Takeaway 2+2 bundle discount: nakji stir-fry for 4 + vegetable side dishes + 2 portions of wheat noodles + cheonggukjang

Regular customer events

Chongil Nakji was also running events for regular customers. There is a thank-you event where you receive a free octopus and nakji yeonpo-tang after collecting five stamps on the in-store coupon. They also offer a tasting portion of bulbaek worth ₩8,000 for writing a Naver receipt review. If you are planning to visit, checking out these events could make your meal even more generous. 😊

A yeonpo-tang set with octopus, nakji, and beef

The dish we ordered was the octopus and nakji yeonpo-tang set. It came with shredded radish salad and pickled onions as the basic side dishes.

The yeonpo-tang comes with octopus, nakji, mini scallops, and beef, so it looked generous even at first glance. Once it started to boil, they cut the octopus into easy-to-eat pieces. There was so much nakji and so many mini scallops too that we were busy scooping up seafood. 😂

The octopus and nakji were plump and delightfully chewy, with such a satisfying bite! Dipping them in the chojang (sweet-spicy vinegar sauce) served alongside was such a delicious combination. We added the beef and ate it shabu-shabu style, which was nice because we could enjoy seafood and beef all at once. The broth was nicely spicy yet refreshing, the kind you keep reaching for!

Ramen noodles added to the broth

At the end, we added ramen noodles too. With a broth this good, you cannot skip the noodles, right? 😋 With vegetables, octopus, nakji, scallops, and beef in that hot, spicy broth, it was the perfect dish for weather like this.

At Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch, you can enjoy everything from nakji stir-fry to generous yeonpo-tang with octopus, scallops, and beef in Tanbang-dong, Daejeon. The clean dining room, convenient parking, and varied menu made it a nice place for a family meal or gathering. The octopus and nakji were especially plump and chewy, and adding ramen noodles to the spicy, refreshing broth made for a filling meal right to the end. 🐙🍜 If you are looking for a generous nakji dish near Tanbang Station, Daejeon Lotte Department Store, or Seongsimdang, I think it would be great to stop by. 😊