Yeouido jjukkumi restaurant with garlic pork belly: Isu Jjukkumi

Garlic-loaded hotplate jjukkumi in Yeouido

Charcoal Isu Jjukkumi West Yeouido Branch, a great jjukkumi spot in Yeouido—and honestly, the best jjukkumi I have had so far.

While wondering what to eat in Yeouido, I suddenly had a huge craving for jjukkumi (webfoot octopus) for the first time in a while, so I headed to Charcoal Isu Jjukkumi West Yeouido Branch. I was so satisfied that it would not be an exaggeration to call this the best jjukkumi I have ever eaten.

I already love jjukkumi and have tried it in lots of places, but this one was clearly different from the first bite. The spicy sauce let the jjukkumi's signature springy texture shine through, and with savory pork belly in the mix too, I just could not put my chopsticks down.

They say Charcoal Isu Jjukkumi West Yeouido Branch presents a 20-year-old established jjukkumi recipe under the name Isu Jjukkumi. What I loved even more was that it was not simply all heat—it got both savoriness and spice just right.

Garlic-loaded hotplate jjukkumi and pork belly for 2

The menu I ordered that day was the garlic-loaded hotplate jjukkumi and pork belly for 2!

The name alone sounded delicious, but the moment it arrived on the hotplate, the visuals were overwhelming too. There was a generous pile of garlic on top of the jjukkumi and pork belly—it had me salivating just looking at it.

Garlic lovers, I think you will especially love this one.

As the jjukkumi, pork belly, and garlic cooked together on the hotplate, this incredible smell spread everywhere, and I was already getting hungry haha.

Springy jjukkumi and spicy sauce

It is a shame when jjukkumi gets overcooked and tough, but eaten at just the right point, it was wonderfully springy and chewy.

The sauce was great too. Rather than being blindly spicy enough to cover up the jjukkumi itself, it had a savory depth before the spice came through, the kind of flavor that keeps you eating. They also say the spice level can be adjusted, so even people who do not handle spicy food well can order it to suit their taste.

The jjukkumi, pork belly, and garlic combination

Adding pork belly made the balance of flavors really good. Jjukkumi alone centers on that springy, spicy flavor, but eating it with a piece of pork belly added a savory, juicy richness and gave it a totally different feel.

Especially as the rich fat from the pork belly mixed into the jjukkumi sauce, it felt like the sauce itself became even tastier! Jjukkumi plus pork belly really is an unbeatable combination. And with so much garlic, its sharp yet nutty aroma made it truly delicious. As garlic cooks, its bite softens and its sweetness and savoriness come forward, right? It went so well with the jjukkumi sauce too.

This place is seriously delicious.

I think I kept saying, “This place is seriously delicious,” while eating that day haha. Usually when I go out for jjukkumi, the first few bites are delicious and then the same flavor repeats, but here I kept switching up the combinations—jjukkumi, pork belly, and garlic—and just kept eating.

Do not skip the cheese fried rice to finish

And there is one thing you absolutely cannot leave out with this meal: the cheese fried rice! Seriously, you have to order it.

It is already delicious simply to stir-fry rice in the sauce left on the hotplate after finishing the jjukkumi, but once cheese is added too, there is no way it could not be delicious.

With rice stir-fried in the spicy jjukkumi sauce and cheese melting softly over the top, it looked absolutely perfect too.

Parking information and whether I would return

Parking is available in the building's underground lot. Except during weekday lunchtime, the first hour is free, then it is ₩3,000 per additional 30 minutes, so keep that in mind if you are visiting by car.

If you are looking for delicious jjukkumi in Yeouido, I really want to recommend Charcoal Isu Jjukkumi West Yeouido Branch. Especially if you love jjukkumi like I do, please try the garlic-loaded hotplate jjukkumi and pork belly for 2. And the cheese fried rice at the end is non-negotiable! It was so delicious that I kept thinking about it afterward, so I think I will come back the next time I am in Yeouido.