Mild, non-spicy octopus stir-fry in Tanbang-dong: Chongil Nakji

Where is Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch, and what are the hours?

Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch is an octopus stir-fry restaurant near Lotte Department Store in Daejeon, at 23-19 Gyeryong-ro 571beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea. It's open 11:00 - 21:00, with a break time from 15:00 - 17:00, last order at 20:30, and it's closed on Sundays.

I was trying to figure out what to eat near Lotte Department Store in Daejeon and ended up at Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch, a well-known spot near there. If you're looking for octopus stir-fry in the Tanbang-dong area, you've probably heard of this place already — a friend recommended it to me, and turns out it's already pretty famous~

Seats are easy to get later in the evening

The interior is really clean and the tables have plenty of space between them. I went a bit late in the evening and there were plenty of open seats~ It seemed like weekday lunch is especially busy.

Ordering at the kiosk by the entrance

Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch has a pretty modern ordering system. You order at a kiosk right by the entrance.

Kiosk menus can be a little confusing to navigate, but here the menu board next to it was laid out so clearly that I could get a good overview before I even touched the kiosk!

Chongil Nakji menu and prices in Tanbang-dong

• Pork octopus stir-fry: Small (2 people) ₩30,000 / Medium (3 people) ₩40,000
• Chongil assorted special (3 people): ₩52,000
• Special octopus stir-fry: Small (2 people) ₩35,000 / Medium (3 people) ₩45,000
• Beef octopus stir-fry: Small (2 people) ₩33,000 / Medium (3 people) ₩43,000
• Scallop octopus stir-fry: Small (2 people) ₩29,000 / Medium (3 people) ₩39,000
• Octopus stir-fry: Small (2 people) ₩28,000 / Medium (3 people) ₩38,000
• Soy sauce bulgogi set: Small (2 people) ₩20,000 / Medium (3 people) ₩30,000
• Octopus and octopus hot pot set: ₩39,000

Why a spice-shy diner picked the mild scallop and octopus stir-fry

That day I ordered the scallop octopus stir-fry, small (for 2), in mild spice level! Honestly, octopus stir-fry is something I sometimes hesitate over even when I want it, because of the spice (it's usually pretty spicy, ugh). Since I'm bad with spicy food, I went with mild this time. Bottom line: it wasn't spicy and it was delicious, so I was happy.

Looked like a lot of delivery orders were coming in too. Next time I should order delivery and eat it at home~

What comes with it: cheonggukjang and a taste of soy-sauce bulgogi

Ta-da~ the food came out fast! The scallop octopus stir-fry was loaded with octopus and scallops, and it came with a whole spread: radish salad, bean sprouts, pickled onion, rice to mix in, cheonggukjang, and even a taste of soy sauce bulgogi with lettuce wraps.

There were also thin wheat noodles mixed into the stir-fry, which I loved! It looked seriously appetizing..

The little taste of soy sauce bulgogi that came as a complimentary side was delicious too!

Is there enough octopus in the small size for two?

The octopus looked appetizing even before I took a bite — nice and springy. A lot of times when you order octopus stir-fry, there ends up being barely any octopus, but at Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch the portion was actually pretty generous!!

Dipping the octopus and scallops in the sauce and eating them with rice was honestly heavenly! There was almost no heat at all — the sweet-spicy sauce was delicious on its own, delicious in a wrap, and delicious with rice too!

I also love mixing everything together, so I mixed it with vegetables and rice~

How spicy is the mild level at Chongil Nakji?

The mild spice level at Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch has almost no heat, so even people who really can't handle spicy food can eat it without worry. But if you want even a little kick, I'd recommend going with medium spice instead.

The octopus had a great springy, chewy texture, and having scallops mixed in every so often added that clean, mild seafood flavor that made it even better! Most of all, I loved the sauce. Maybe because it was mild spice, but it was sweet and easy to eat without feeling heavy.

And the cheonggukjang served alongside it was the real kicker~~~ Scooping it up together with the stir-fry was such a perfect match! I wished I had more, haha.

Rather than just eating the octopus stir-fry on its own, being able to mix it, eat it with the cheonggukjang, and add in the soy sauce bulgogi too made the meal so much better, since I got to combine a bunch of different things together.

If you're near Lotte Department Store in Daejeon craving something spicy, or looking for an octopus stir-fry spot in Tanbang-dong, give Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch a try~ Next time I'd like to try the pork octopus stir-fry or the special octopus stir-fry. The menu is varied and you can choose your spice level, so it seems like a great place to visit with a group where everyone can pick what suits their taste!