Yuseong seafood restaurant for tender octopus agujjim: Seommaeul

Seommaeul’s location and parking at Jaun-dae Intersection

Today I’m bringing you a story about a Yuseong favorite I sought out after hearing the buzz, because I was seriously craving something spicy and warming from the sea. If you often pass through Sinseong-dong in Daejeon or near Jaun-dae, you may have spotted the Seommaeul sign while waiting at the light on the corner of Jaun-dae Intersection! I visited Seommaeul Agujjim & Nakjibokkeum (섬마을 아구찜&낙지볶음), a seafood-braise and agujjim specialist that is always bustling with diners at lunchtime and on weekend evenings.

• Address: 1F, 1163 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:30
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: 20:30
• Closed every Sunday
• Private-room reservations for parties of 5 or more; Naver reservations available

It is right on the corner at Jaun-dae Intersection, so it was easy to find!

For parking, there is a dedicated Seommaeul lot 30 m after you enter the alley to the left of the restaurant and turn left. The parking signs are easy to follow, and there are plenty of spaces, so you can visit without parking worries!

I visited early on a weekend, but people really started pouring in at peak time. There were lots of families out for a meal. I also liked that the dining room was spacious and the tables were well spaced!

Ordering standard agujjim with octopus and choosing the spice level

Along with classic agujjim, the menu has agujjim with octopus, seafood braise, abalone and octopus braise, bone braise, and stir-fried octopus. There are four spice levels: mild, standard (Shin Ramyun), spicy (Buldak), and very spicy. I like spicy food, so I debated it, but since even the standard level is said to be about as spicy as Shin Ramyun, I ordered the standard agujjim with octopus. Agujjim is the main menu item, but some people come specifically for the stir-fried octopus, so I’d like to try that next time too.

Side dishes and steamed egg

The basic side dishes were stir-fried potatoes, stir-fried fish cake, black sesame salad, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), shredded seaweed, and dongchimi (water kimchi). They were all such great rice companions that I kept reaching for them before the main dish even arrived. Everything was perfectly seasoned and so delicious!

You can help yourself to extra side dishes at the self-service bar! Steamed egg also comes as part of the basic set. This steamed egg was fluffy, perfectly seasoned, and seriously tasty.

Agujjim with a generous whole octopus and monkfish

As soon as the agujjim with octopus arrived, I fell for its generous portion. There was really so much of it. It was enough for two people to eat until full.

A large whole octopus came right on top. Once I cut it up and took a bite, it was not tough at all—just wonderfully springy and tender ㅠㅠ

There was also plenty of plump monkfish, with so much meaty flesh to pick from. The sauce had soaked right through, and it was the perfect match with the bean sprouts ♥︎ They said the standard level was Shin Ramyun spicy, but honestly it was less spicy than Shin Ramyun, so I found myself wishing it had a little more heat! Next time, I’m going to take on the spicy level.

Fried rice in the remaining sauce and a sikhye finish

It would be such a shame not to have fried rice after a steamed braise, right? Depending on your preference, I think adding ramen noodles, thin wheat noodles, kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), or steamed egg would make a great combination too. The fried rice they made in the remaining sauce was moist, nutty, and bursting with savory umami—it was the kind of thing you keep eating even when you are full.

They also have homemade, mom-style sikhye (sweet rice punch) ready for dessert! It was sweet and cool, with none of that artificial sweetness, which I loved. Ending with sikhye to freshen my mouth after the meal made this such a feel-good dining experience.