Korean restaurant near COEX for a date: seaweed octopus soup, Obongjip

We went on a date, just the two of us, to Obongjip Samseong Branch (오봉집 삼성점) in the alley by COEX's south gate. It's known for fire-grilled octopus stir-fry, but we picked the maesaengi yeonpo bossam (octopus soup with seaweed-egg, plus boiled pork).

Octopus soup, bossam (boiled pork wraps), kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and porridge are all bundled into one menu item, so we ate it like a course meal. Here are the menu prices and what we ate, in order.

Where is Obongjip Samseong Branch, and where can you park?

The address is 62 Teheran-ro 81-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 1st floor. It's close to Exit 5 of Samseongjungang Station, and about a 13-minute walk from Samseong Station.

There's no private parking lot; the restaurant tells guests to use the nearby Samseong-dong First Parking Tower.

Atmosphere and seating at Obongjip Samseong Branch

Long wooden tables run through the room, with separate seats along the wall and further inside. The tables can be pushed together, so it looked fine for group gatherings too.

You order on the tablet attached to the table. Small plates, cups, scissors and tongs are already set out.

By the entrance there's a self-serve corner with plum juice for dessert and water cups, and the restroom is inside the restaurant.

Obongjip Samseong Branch menu and lunch special prices

(Based on the menu at the restaurant on Oct 11, 2026) On weekdays from 11:00 to 15:00, the lunch special gets you fire-grilled octopus stir-fry for ₩13,000. For stir-fry dishes you can choose the spice level: mild, regular, spicy or "hell".

How is the Maesaengi Yeonpo Bossam served, and in what order do you eat it?

Side dishes and seaweed soup

When you order the maesaengi yeonpo bossam, a big tray arrives first with seaweed soup and the basic side dishes: bean sprouts, seasoned radish and stir-fried sausage all at once. (If you want more sausage, there's a self-serve bar! It's delicious.)

Bossam (boiled pork) on perilla leaves

The bossam comes with sliced boiled pork and bossam kimchi on perilla leaves. The bossam plate goes in the middle of the tray, so the table was completely full.

Octopus soup with a whole octopus and maesaengi seaweed stirred in

In the yeonpo soup (light octopus hotpot) at Obongjip Samseong Branch, a whole octopus sits in the middle of the pot, surrounded by plenty of mushrooms, water dropwort, bok choy and zucchini.

Once the broth boils and the octopus is cooked, you cut it into bite-size pieces with scissors and stir in the maesaengi (fine seaweed). The savory depth of the broth shot up, and we both kept reaching for our spoons.

We alternated: a piece of bossam topped with kimchi, then a spoonful of the soup in between.

Kalguksu noodles in the octopus broth

After we'd fished out most of the solids, we added the kalguksu noodles to the soup and boiled them. This is where we got really full.

Finishing with porridge

The maesaengi yeonpo bossam ends with porridge. A separate bowl arrives with rice topped with carrot, onion, zucchini and an egg yolk; you add it to the leftover broth, boil it, and finish with a drizzle of sesame oil.

The octopus soup flavor was soaked right into it, so we enjoyed the porridge too. We only ordered one set for two, but by the end we were seriously about to burst.

Obongjip Samseong Branch FAQ

Is one Maesaengi Yeonpo Bossam enough for two people?

We ordered the set for two, and after the porridge we were very full. Bossam, octopus soup, kalguksu and porridge are all included, so it was generous for two.

When is the lunch special at Obongjip Samseong Branch?

Per the menu on Oct 11, 2026, it's weekdays 11:00–15:00, excluding weekends and holidays. Items such as fire-grilled octopus stir-fry and the bossam set meal are ₩1,000 off.

Does Obongjip Samseong Branch serve dessert?

The self-serve corner by the entrance has plum juice, so you can pour yourself a glass after the meal.

For a COEX date, one Maesaengi Yeonpo Bossam was plenty

The maesaengi yeonpo bossam at Obongjip Samseong Branch was a run of octopus soup, bossam, kalguksu and porridge, all in one go. The broth was so savory that we finished every bit, down to the last of the porridge.

If you're like me and want a filling date meal near COEX, one maesaengi yeonpo bossam for two was plenty. Save this post for when you can't decide on lunch or dinner near Samseong Station.