Daejeon seafood hot pot restaurant, dinner for two: Chongil Nakji

My husband and I finally had a date-night dinner together, just the two of us (no kiddo)! After work I always struggle with what to eat, but that day I was craving a warm, hearty broth loaded with seafood — and Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch (촌길낙지 탄방점) turned out to be exactly right, with its yeonpo-tang (octopus hot pot)!

Where is Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch, and where do you park?

Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch sits on Gyeryong-ro 571beon-gil in Seo-gu, Daejeon, close to Lotte Department Store Daejeon, Hanbat Arboretum, and the Sungsimdang inside Lotte — really convenient for a meal before or after shopping or a stroll.

Parking is available in the building, and we also found plenty of nearby spots, so we parked easily and headed in!

Inside Chongil Nakji: a small, clean and comfortable dining room

Walking in, the place was tidy and well-kept, and I was surprised to see so many groups already eating. It was a weeknight, and by the time we sat down the whole place was full — you could immediately feel it was a word-of-mouth favorite among Tanbang-dong locals!

We came as a couple, but I could see this being a great spot for a group dinner or small gathering too.

What we ordered: the octopus and nakji yeonpo-tang set

What we ordered at Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch was the octopus-nakji yeonpo-tang set!

The set comes with octopus and nakji (small octopus) of course, plus scallop meat and beef shabu, so we got to enjoy seafood, meat, and a refreshing broth all at once — perfect for what we were craving! They also said this version has more octopus than the standard yeonpo-tang, plus a generous helping of the prized scallop meat, which was totally our thing!! My husband especially loves yeonpo-tang, so I was extra excited. Looking around, I also noticed a lot of tables enjoying various nakji-bokkeum (stir-fried octopus) dishes — once I was there in person I was so tempted by the stir-fried octopus too, it was a happy dilemma the whole meal!

By the way, the restaurant is running a receipt-review and visit-thank-you coupon event, and apparently your 5th visit gets you a free octopus-nakji yeonpo-tang — isn't that amazing?!

The side dishes were nice and clean too, clearly homemade and a great match for the main dish. That mu-saengchae (spicy radish salad) especially was so good?!!

How hearty is the yeonpo-tang when it arrives?

When the pot arrived at the table, it was packed with octopus and seafood, broth nearly overflowing — it looked like the ultimate hot pot before we'd even touched it~~

Plump octopus and nakji caught my eye right away, with scallops and various vegetables mixed in — it looked incredible even before it started boiling~~ And the beef looked so fresh too~

Since we'd added scallops, the pot was totally loaded with them~ a total thumbs-up combo for two seafood lovers like us?? Once the broth started bubbling and that seafood aroma rose up, I just wanted to dig in immediately~!!

Octopus gets tough if you cook it too long, so it was pulled out quickly — and seriously, everyone, always follow the 'take it out fast' rule.. It came out incredibly tender and delicious!! My husband handled the timing perfectly, and I was already amazed from the first bite~!!

Chewy octopus, piles of seafood and pork belly too

Had to try the octopus first~ that look was irresistible~!

That chewy-but-tender texture — how is this even possible~~ It had this octopus sukhoe (blanched octopus) vibe even inside a hot pot!! So delicious. Combined with the refreshing broth, it genuinely made me go 'wow' out loud.

The scallop meat was seriously plump too — the texture was different from the very first bite! The nutty sweetness of the scallop meat made it genuinely fun to eat. Scallops can sometimes shrivel up once they hit the broth, but these stayed plump the whole time.

And the beef felt like the perfect partner for anyone who might find seafood alone not quite enough — alternating seafood and beef shabu, the two flavors worked together beautifully, and both went great with rice!

Clean, refreshing broth filled out with ramyeon noodles

Keep eating through the seafood and beef and the broth gets more and more refreshing and rich — you just keep reaching for more! As the ingredients' flavors built up, the broth kept deepening. It wasn't sharp, salty, or heavy — pretty clean overall — so my broth-loving husband kept spooning it up~! It felt like it would pair well with drinks too, but also worked perfectly as our dinner!! To make the most of that broth, we ordered the ramyeon noodles made for the hot pot~

We were already pretty full, but this was a whole other treat!! The broth soaked right into the noodles — so good. Once it soaked into the noodles, it was like eating a completely different, refreshing seafood ramyeon~

Adding the noodles after eating a good amount of seafood really brought out how deep the broth had gotten!! Even full, there was somehow always room for noodles haha. And that mu-saengchae side dish paired great with it too!

Chongil soy-sauce pork belly: the other highlight

By the way, the soy-sauce pork belly at Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch was also really good?? It comes as a full order you can get on the side, and I think it'd be great for feeding kids too — paired with our other dishes, it felt like a perfect matching set. This thing was seriously addictive with rice!!! Stir-fried in a smoky, special sauce with that perfect sweet-and-salty balance, it's a grilled pork belly bulgogi so good you could just order that alone and be happy!!

Is Chongil Nakji worth it near Lotte Department Store Daejeon?

With a menu that combines seafood and meat, various nakji-bokkeum dishes, and a refreshing yeonpo-tang, I think office workers nearby would come here all the time?!! And if you're looking for a good restaurant near Lotte Department Store, this feels like a solid choice whether you want octopus, nakji, or meat dishes spicy or mild. If you're heading to Sungsimdang at Lotte or looking for a Tanbang-dong restaurant to eat well and fully at, why not give Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch a try?

• Address: 23-19 105-ho, Gyeryong-ro 571beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00–21:00 / closed every Sunday