Sangbong Meokja Alley baby octopus set with dumplings: Joajukne

I've been so stressed lately from all the vet visits~ I wish I could take the pain instead, but when a dog who can't talk is sick, it's just frustrating and heartbreaking >.< Last week too, we got a week's worth of medicine and said we'd try it before more tests, but still no change ㅠㅠ

So we went back again, got another week of meds, were told to feed only regular food and nothing else, and if there's still no change we're looking at blood tests and all sorts of heavy-duty exams... Just hearing about it stresses me out ㅠㅠ On top of already struggling to adjust to losing his sight, he got two shots today and seemed stressed too. After dropping him home, I needed to eat something myself but nothing really came to mind ;;

Then someone said when you're stressed, spicy food is the best cure, and suggested we go for jjukkumi (spicy stir-fried baby octopus), a Sangbong-dong favorite~ And the place that comes to mind for jjukkumi in Sangbong is Joajukne Jjukkumi in Sangbong Meokja Alley haha. We went on a recommendation, and eating something properly spicy really did make me forget the stress for a bit ^^;;

Where is Joajukne Jjukkumi, and how far is it from Sangbong Station?

Joajukne Jjukkumi is on the 1st floor at 17 Bongujae-ro 37-gil, Jungnang-gu, Seoul, inside Sangbong Meokja Alley. By subway, it's an easy walk from both Line 7 Sangbong Station and the Gyeongui-Jungang Line's Mangu Station!

Sangbong Meokja Alley is pretty hot right now, isn't it?! There aren't many alleys in Seoul with this kind of outdoor tabling, so it's become a rising Sangbong hotspot~ Coming in from the Shinhan Bank side of the alley, it's just a short walk in, on the right-hand side, 1st floor.

Inside Joajukne Jjukkumi: outdoor tables and a baseball screen

Joajukne Jjukkumi has full-glass walls, and when they're thrown wide open the place feels open and airy, not stuffy at all. As the evening goes on, they set up outdoor tables too, and everyone tends to sit outside~ It was pretty windy and chilly so we took an inside table, but I forgot Koreans are obsessed with iced coffee even in freezing weather lol — turns out that extends to outdoor seating too lol lol lol. Freeze to death but still sit outside >.<

And on the back wall inside there's a screen showing baseball broadcasts, so anyone who loves sports can watch while they eat ^^

What's on the menu at Joajukne Jjukkumi

You can order jjukkumi as a single dish, but the jjukkumi + sungnyung + assorted add-ons set is perfect when you don't want to fuss over choosing everything separately. If jjukkumi alone feels like not enough, there's jjusam with added pork belly, and if you're craving broth instead of a stir-fry, there's the spicy jjubul hot pot too~ With the wind picking up these days, when you want something hot and fiery, the jjubul hot pot isn't a bad call either ^^

The basic banchan are cucumber cold soup, pickled radish, perilla leaves, flying fish roe, and sauce. Anything you run out of, you can grab from the self-serve bar, and flying fish roe can be ordered extra.

The set for two with 3 dumpling pieces added for 2,000 won

— What we ordered at Joajukne Jjukkumi — jjukkumi + sungnyung + assorted add-ons (for 2) + 3 dumpling pieces added (₩2,000)

If you look at the photo for the 'assorted add-ons' on the menu, it shows mushrooms and rice cake too — and when you order the set like this, they include the mushrooms and rice cake along with the vegetables.

Once the food arrived, the staff explained it once and then cooked it to the right doneness for us~ So there was really nothing left for me to do haha. They'd step away and then come back right on cue lol

As the jjukkumi got close to done, they added in the jjolmyeon noodle add-on and the dumpling add-on too~ Almost time to eat >.<

How the sungnyung in the set cools down the spice

Right on time, the sungnyung (scorched rice tea) that came with the set arrived too — I'd almost gone with the single order instead, but ordering the set with sungnyung was the right call~ It's nutty and warm, just right for chilly weather, and it also helps neutralize the spice while you eat something fiery~

How spicy is the jjukkumi? Chili powder and mayo sauce

Now that everything's cooked, all that's left is to eat well! Popping a plump piece of jjukkumi straight in, or piling flying fish roe onto a perilla leaf~

It's moderately spicy as is, but if you want it hotter, there's chili flake powder on the table — just add as much as you like~

And when it gets too spicy, you can wrap it in pickled radish, or add a generous scoop of mayo sauce for extra richness ^^ Before you know it, the plate's empty >.<

Fried rice to finish, then ice cream for dessert

We were debating whether to order one more serving, but as a Korean, you simply cannot skip the fried rice!!

If a place lets you get fried rice at the end, ordering it is basically etiquette for anyone who knows how to eat well, right?! haha. Scraping up the leftover perilla leaves and flying fish roe and mixing them into the fried rice tastes great too lol

Once you're full, order Joajukne Jjukkumi's special gift — ice cream! Personally I'm picky about vanilla ice cream and usually only eat the fancy brands, but this one had exactly that kind of premium vanilla flavor, so skipping it would be a loss haha. A clean finish to wrap things up~

I usually buy myself an ice cream after a meal anyway, so a place that throws one in for free like Joajukne Jjukkumi gets bonus points~ When you're craving plump, spicy jjukkumi, this Sangbong Station favorite is the spot ^^

Joajukne Jjukkumi: address, hours and prices

• Address: 17 Bongujae-ro 37-gil, 1F, Jungnang-gu, Seoul (Sangbong-dong 106, 1F)
• Monday 11:00–24:00
• Tuesday 16:00–24:00
• Wednesday 11:00–24:00
• Thursday 11:00–24:00
• Friday 11:00–24:00
• Saturday 11:00–24:00
• Sunday 11:00–24:00
• Break time 14:00–16:00 / Last order 23:00