Chowol Korean restaurant, spicy squid duruchigi & sotbap: Oneuldo Utja

Where to go in Chowol-eup when you crave spicy food?

When I want spicy food, the first place that comes to mind is Oneuldo Utja (오늘도웃자 초월) in Chowol-eup. I've tried a lot here, from kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) to pork duruchigi and squid-and-pork duruchigi, and I've been happy every single visit.

Some days, strangely, you just want something fiery and hot. When I want a spicy meal that relieves stress and wakes up my appetite, this is where I end up. This time I was craving squid duruchigi in particular, so I went without a second thought.

If you're looking for a hearty meal in Chowol, I think it's worth a visit. I'd also recommend it to anyone searching for good food near Chowol Station, and the location is easy if you're hunting for a place around Gonjiam, which made me even happier with it.

Still busy after lunch hour at Oneuldo Utja

I got there at a somewhat late lunch time, and there were still quite a few diners inside. Seeing customers keep coming in well after mealtime, I could tell right away why the place has such a reputation.

The restaurant was neat and tidy, and the staff were quick to help, so I could start my meal in a comfortable mood. I've been here many times, so choosing the menu wasn't hard.

This time I ordered squid duruchigi and sotbap. I'd enjoyed that combo before, so my expectations were high again. The delicious smell started spreading even before the food arrived, which got me even more excited.

How were the taste and portion of the squid duruchigi?

The squid duruchigi at Oneuldo Utja comes generously topped with minari (water dropwort), and the portion is so big that chunky squid keeps turning up until the end. It's fiercely spicy but not too sweet or salty, so you keep reaching for more.

The first thing that caught my eye when the dish arrived was the heap of minari. All that green looked appetizing, and the aroma was really good.

When I mixed the minari in a little, there was a huge amount of big, plump squid. It wasn't just one or two pieces; it kept coming until the very end, which I loved.

The squid wasn't tough and kept a springy, bouncy texture. It tasted nutty the more I chewed, and I really liked the sauce. The heat is properly there, but it isn't too sweet or salty, so you keep reaching for more.

The spicy sauce, fragrant minari and chewy squid go really well together, and eating it with rice balances everything out so it's even tastier.

How to enjoy the sotbap and nurungji

With the sotbap here, I scooped the rice into a bowl first, poured water into the pot to make nurungji (scorched rice), and finished the meal with it. This pot rice was as satisfying as the squid duruchigi itself.

The moment I lifted the lid, the glossy, shimmering rice was so impressive. Add the nutty smell of freshly cooked rice and my appetite perked up even more.

I first moved the rice into a bowl, then poured water into the pot to make the nurungji. Then I put squid duruchigi on top of the warm rice, and the spicy sauce and fluffy rice went really well together. The heat wraps your mouth, but the rice softly balances it, so I never got tired of it. There was so much squid that I actually ran short of rice.

At the end I ate the finished nurungji, and its toasty flavor calmed my mouth nicely. Finishing with hot nurungji left my stomach feeling full and cozy, so I was satisfied right to the last bite.

If you want a hearty meal in Chowol, of course, but I also felt it's a very satisfying stop for people looking for a good restaurant around Gonjiam on the way.

Why I keep coming back to Oneuldo Utja

With generous squid duruchigi, freshly cooked sotbap and nutty nurungji, Oneuldo Utja delivers a very well-rounded meal, and it's a place I keep thinking about and returning to. Both taste and portion satisfied me, so I'd confidently recommend it to people around me.

I think a good restaurant isn't one you visit once and forget, but one you keep thinking about and go back to. Oneuldo Utja is exactly that for me. The squid duruchigi I'd been looking forward to delivered again: the generous portion, the springy texture, and a fiery heat that still isn't harsh. Add the freshly cooked sotbap and nutty nurungji, and the meal was really complete.

I felt once more why customers keep coming even after lunch hour. On a day when you crave something spicy and want a filling meal, I hope you'll try the squid duruchigi and sotbap combo at Oneuldo Utja. It was a recommended spot in Chowol where I left fully satisfied.