Non-spicy cheese octopus near Hyochang Park: Jjigaen Jjukkumi

I had plump, juicy octopus stir-fry for dinner! Starting my review of Jjigaen Jjukkumi (찌갠쭈꾸미), a Hyochang Park Station spot.

Location and hours

60 Wonhyoro 41-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 1st floor

📣 Business info

• ✔️ Weekdays 11:00–22:00 / last order 21:30
• ✔️ Weekends 12:00–21:00 / last order 20:30

It's about a 5-minute walk from Hyochang Park Station Exit 3. It's located at the end of Yongmun Market, so I got to browse the market for the first time in a while too.

What's the vibe inside?

The interior is full of old-school charm. Most tables seat four, and they're on the wider side, so the meal felt really comfortable.

Most of the customers were locals, and lots of families with kids too!! (Turns out there was a reason!!)

The Jjigaen Jjukkumi menu

Here's the menu at this octopus place near Hyochang Park. Jjigaen Jjukkumi even has a lunch special, so visiting around lunchtime might get you a more reasonable price!

The signature dish is octopus, of course! 🐙Octopus🐙 + pork belly / cheese / beef brisket / none — you decide whether to eat the octopus on its own or paired with other ingredients. Out of the 4 octopus options, I ordered cheese octopus for 2 plus a rolled egg omelet.

And apparently this place was featured on Amazing Saturday (놀라운 토요일)!! That doubled my expectations.

Side dishes and flying fish roe mayo

While waiting for the food, I read the sign about how to enjoy octopus the best way, and then—

—the side dishes and my order came out together.

They mix mayonnaise and flying fish roe together for you. The bean sprouts and radish wraps that came as side dishes were the perfect match with the octopus.

Order the giant rolled egg omelet — no question

A steaming, giant rolled egg omelet (gyeranmari) arrived, still puffing with heat.

It's so plump that one bite fills your whole mouth. It had real weight to it too!! Dipped in the ketchup that came alongside, it was honestly the best rolled egg omelet I've had in a while. The seasoning was just right, so it was delicious even eaten on its own.

I really recommend ordering this one!

Cheese octopus for 2, no water needed even for spice-wimps

Plump octopus arrives together with fluffy white cheese, like soft wool. It's already stir-fried when it comes out, so you can dig in right away without waiting.

The color wasn't as red as I expected, so I wondered what it would taste like — turns out it's an octopus stir-fry that's more about smoky char and umami than spiciness!! One bite in, I understood why so many families with kids come here.

It's not spicy at all, so it's a flavor that everyone can enjoy regardless of age or spice tolerance. Even someone who can't handle Shin Ramyun could easily eat this!!!

3 ways to enjoy the octopus

Thanks to that satisfying umami, I kept reaching for more. I tried it a few different ways!

1. Dip it in the flying fish roe mayo

Dipping the soft, chewy, umami-packed octopus into mayo loaded with crunchy flying fish roe — basically, delicious meets delicious.💖

2. Wrap it in the stretchy cheese

Since it's sitting on a constantly heated plate, the cheese never hardens 🫶 Wrapping the octopus in that savory cheese adds so much richness.

3. Wrap it in lettuce/perilla leaf with side dishes

Crunchy bean sprouts, tangy radish wrap, and the pleasant fragrance of perilla leaf (kkaennip) doubled the flavor of the octopus stir-fry. Personally, eating it with perilla leaf was the best combo for me. They gave a really generous amount of perilla leaves too, so I never ran out.

Finish with flying fish roe fried rice for one

You can't have a sizzling-plate stir-fry without fried rice at the end. I ordered flying fish roe fried rice for one as dessert.

As soon as I ordered, they stir-fried it incredibly fast. I sat there hypnotized, watching the owner's quick hands, haha. The fried rice was delicious eaten straight off the plate, and just as good wrapped in perilla leaf.

I finished off the Korean-style 'dessert' fried rice down to the last bite. The portion is pretty generous, so wow, I was really full,,

To sum up

That was my review of Jjigaen Jjukkumi (찌갠 쭈꾸미), an octopus restaurant near Hyochang Park. It was my first time having an octopus stir-fry that wasn't spicy, and it was addictive in the best way.

Also, the giant rolled egg omelet was so good. You have to try it!!! If you're looking for a good restaurant around Yongmun Market or Hyochang Park, give Jjigaen Jjukkumi a visit!!