Songpa octopus restaurant for an alcohol-free samhap: Muneo Cheonha

What is Muneo Cheonha in Bangi-dong like?

Muneo Cheonha (문어천하) is a samhap (three-ingredient platter) restaurant specializing in 100% live octopus, in the 3rd alley on the left of the Bangi-dong food alley. It has been a popular spot here for 13 years. Thirteen years in this location, impressive, right?

They say Muneo Cheonha uses live octopus sent up from Yeosu every day and domestic skate. The signature dishes are octopus samhap, octopus-skate sahap, skate samhap, duck samhap and bossam-duck sahap.

Side dishes include octopus seafood ramyeon, skate ramyeon, flying fish roe rice balls, spicy braised pollack, live octopus jeon (pan-fried patties), skate jeon, scallop jeon, assorted jeon and grilled mackerel.

To the middle-aged guys wandering around Bangi-dong who want a tidy company dinner that's also restorative food: haven't you been to Muneo Cheonha yet?

How does Muneo Cheonha prepare its live octopus?

Muneo Cheonha uses live octopus in every dish, blanching it the moment you order, so it's fresh and tasty. Shall we read up on octopus benefits too? It's a staple of Korean restaurants, after all. It's said to give tired bodies taurine, and to help a lot with eyesight recovery and preventing anemia. So, what do you say, I need it! Octopus!

What sets Muneo Cheonha apart

When it comes to prized food, nothing beats octopus.

Muneo Cheonha is famous for doing skate properly, not just octopus. I can't eat skate myself, but I wonder if skate jeon might be a way to get started?

Muneo Cheonha location, opening hours and parking

Muneo Cheonha is at 11-8 Ogeum-ro 11-gil, Songpa-gu, and you can park for free in the building's basement lot. It's open daily 14:00–24:00.

It gets more popular as the night goes on. It's near Songpa-gu Office, so it's easy to find and well located.

Atmosphere, seating and menu at Muneo Cheonha

Besides octopus, skate and pollack are famous too.

The restaurant is kept neat and clean, and the owner is friendly. The tables seat four, but you can push them together for groups. It has an old-school feel that suits Bangi-dong perfectly.

This is food that calls for alcohol, isn't it? The menu lets you mix and match octopus bossam, skate and smoked duck. They also keep whole live octopus, so since you've come to an octopus specialist, ordering a whole one is a good idea too.

The menu is simplicity itself. You can see the 13 years of experience.

This giant fan is Muneo Cheonha's signature.

What side dishes come with a meal at Muneo Cheonha?

Have you ever tried egg custard topped with octopus, and corn cheese?

The side dishes at Muneo Cheonha are egg custard with octopus, corn cheese and kimchi soup. A trio of company-dinner marvels, essentials at a raw fish restaurant, you couldn't run the place without them.

Every one is soft and good. The kimchi soup soothes your stomach.

How was the live octopus bossam samhap at Muneo Cheonha?

After a short wait, out comes live octopus brought in today and freshly prepared, along with bossam (boiled pork wraps). The presentation is so good I could shoot it as the menu photo as is. The aged kimchi is Muneo Cheonha's hidden pillar. It's crisp and refreshing.

A close-up of the bossam, then the octopus. A chance to eat precious octopus, a feast just to look at, right?

You've got to dip it in salted shrimp on aged kimchi and cabbage, then top it with dried radish strips. It totally calls for a drink.

Is Muneo Cheonha good for friends who don't drink?

A rare, clean, upscale samhap in Bangi-dong: Muneo Cheonha

My friends that day aren't drinkers, they just love samhap, so we just ate hard at Muneo Cheonha. It was a refreshing, healthy spread.

The cabbage is sweet. Yellow inner cabbage and bossam are Korean soul food on a level with rice and kimchi. The bossam at Muneo Cheonha is boiled clean and tender, and one samhap is enough for 2–3 people.

Verdict: Muneo Cheonha for group dinners in Jamsil and Bangi-dong

Muneo Cheonha has an unbeatable location in the Bangi-dong food alley near Jamsil Station. After 13 busy years, I'd guess most office workers around here have stopped by. Isn't a company dinner near home or near the station the best?

A clean, healthy dinner culture, with prized Yeosu rock octopus prepared the same day at Muneo Cheonha (they have skate too!). Guys living in Jamsil, take note!