Gyesan-dong, Daejeon restaurant with a jjuchipa set for two: Boksakkot

Today I visited Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch (복사꽃피는집 대전점), a well-known restaurant in Gyesan-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon! It's near Sutonggol on Gyeryongsan Mountain, so it's great to stop by before or after hiking, a drive, or an outing. It's a Korean restaurant where you can enjoy all kinds of dishes depending on your mood — from spicy fire-grilled webfoot octopus stir-fry and octopus stir-fry to creamy mushroom bulgogi hot pot and braised beef short ribs. It even has a kids' café room, which is rare for restaurants these days, so it's great to visit with kids, and it's already famous as a family gathering or group dinner spot for bringing your parents along. Let's get into the honest review!

Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch: hours, parking and facilities

Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch is open daily from 11:30 to 21:30, with last order at 20:30. It's open as usual on Chuseok, but closed 09/27–09/28.

• Kids' menu available / kids' facilities (playroom) available / high chairs available
• Group seating available, Wi-Fi available, takeout/delivery/reservations possible
• Separate men's/women's restrooms, waiting area available
• Wheelchair access at the entrance and seating, disabled parking spot available
• Corkage allowed (free)
• Free parking (space for about 4–50 cars)
• Group seating available (5–50 people), standing tables available, room available (45–50 people)
• Local currency card/mobile payment, Zero Pay, and easy pay accepted
• Tabling waitlist available

A family gathering spot near Sutonggol Valley, easy to visit with parents

It's fully autumn now! I went for a drive near Sutonggol on Gyeryongsan and suddenly got hungry, so I searched Tabling for nearby restaurants and saw a Korean restaurant that lots of people visit for family gatherings with parents and kids, so I came right over. Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch is a big restaurant with a big sign, so it was easy to find. There's a Jump Nori kids' café on the 2nd floor too, so it's a good recommendation if you're bringing kids~

Kids' menu, playroom and high chairs at Boksakkot Pineun Jip

Near the entrance, there's clear signage for hours along with the Tabling line-up instructions and a KakaoTalk notification system, so it's easy to register and wait on the spot when you arrive. Inside, the clean wooden tables and cozy lighting made it feel comfortable to stay a while. There's even a room that seats up to 50 people, and since it's such a large restaurant, the tables are spaced generously so you can eat at your own pace without feeling rushed. What surprised me most was that, in an era when so many restaurants are no-kids-zones, there's a dedicated kids' playroom for families visiting with children. It's perfect for parents who want to let their kids play while they enjoy the gathering~

The free unlimited self-bar: rice, seaweed soup, sungnyung and soda

I got a seat in the large room in the back.

Looking at the menu... from spice-adjustable fire-grilled pork stir-fry, fire-grilled webfoot octopus stir-fry, and fire-grilled octopus stir-fry, to the unusual fusion Korean dish jjuchipa (webfoot octopus cheese pasta), hearty beef bulgogi mushroom hot pot, octopus bulgogi, addictive king braised beef short ribs, and seafood king braised beef short ribs — the main menu lineup was endless. There were also plenty of kids' menu items like handmade sirloin cutlet, king shrimp tempura, fries, and kids' spaghetti, perfect for filling the kids up and sending them off to the playroom.

While I was still deciding, the basic side dishes came out quickly. Tangy yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi) to whet the appetite, refreshing beet and radish pickles, crisp seasoned bean sprouts, and savory japchae (glass noodle stir-fry)... I was already thinking the basic banchan was generous, when a staff member said, "There's even more if you check out the central self-bar~" so I went to look, and I was genuinely shocked;

The soda dispenser, perfect to pair with the food, had all the popular drinks: Fanta grape, pineapple, orange, Sprite, and Coca-Cola. And they're free. These days most restaurants charge ₩3,000 for a drink, so this is a steal. But even more amazing — is this some kind of Korean buffet?.. Japchae, dried gourd pickles, pickled garlic scapes, seasoned bean sprouts, macaroni salad, beet and radish pickles, yeolmu kimchi, japchae — not only are all these side dishes unlimited, but freshly cooked white rice, rich seaweed soup, and warm, nutty sungnyung (scorched-rice tea) are also unlimited refills?.. Just using this self-bar alone rivals a decent Korean buffet, and it's free — the value for money is unbelievable.

The ice cream corner was the only paid option in the self-bar area, but it has a hidden perk too — write a Naver receipt review and the ice cream is free too..! At this point, not coming to Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch feels like a loss;

How much is the jjuchipa set, and what comes with it?

The jjuchipa (webfoot octopus cheese pasta) set is ₩18,900 per person, and we ordered two for a total of ₩37,800. The set includes a choice of gorgonzola or arugula pizza and pepperoni pizza, plus salad, a rice ball, mukbap (jelly noodle soup), and brewed coffee.

Can you see what's in the jjuchipa set I ordered? The set lineup seemed endless already, so I skipped ordering extra sides and just went with a single set.

Before the main dish, the side items arrived first. A tangy salad to whet the appetite and a cool, refreshing mukbap really elevated the overall meal. And of course, the rice ball too~

Making flying fish roe rice balls and how the jjuchipa tastes

Making round flying fish roe rice balls to eat alongside the spicy octopus.

Meanwhile, this cheese-loaded webfoot octopus cheese pasta —

— becomes perfectly ready to eat right around the time you finish making the rice balls~

The signature dish jjuchipa is spicy fire-grilled webfoot octopus stir-fry topped with a generous layer of savory cheese, and once you push the cheese aside, plenty of pasta noodles hide underneath. It's a dish anyone, any age, would love without exception.

It's really a flavor that women in particular will love, whether as a meal or as a drinking snack, so I'd recommend it for a date course too..!

Eating the spicy-sweet octopus together with the savory flying fish roe rice balls in one bite. Plump, bouncy octopus coated in spicy sauce popping in your mouth together with the savory roe rice ball — you all know how well that combo works, right? It was so good together that I devoured the rice balls in no time.

Eating the cheese-loaded, wood-fired gorgonzola pizza in between takes the flavor combo to another level. It wasn't frozen but freshly baked, so it was hot and the cheese looked like it was about to melt right off, which made it even better. Dipping it in honey while the cheese was still stretchy was genuinely delicious. Sweet and savory, it goes down without getting boring. My boyfriend made a pizza wrap by piling octopus on top of the gorgonzola, and when I stole a bite, the pizza wrap turned out to be a hidden gem too? Jjuchipa is a fantastic Korean-Western fusion dish with no bad combination. The only downside is that it was so filling that I couldn't even get to the unlimited self-bar afterward..

Filling set, generous dessert: why Boksakkot is worth a return visit

By the time we finished eating, it was already late evening. Since I'm sensitive to caffeine, I sadly couldn't take advantage of the brewed coffee takeout service. And because I was too full, I also missed out on the free parfait ice cream review event. I'm planning to come back soon during the day and make it a proper one-meal-a-day outing, fully enjoying the coffee, ice cream, main dish, and unlimited self-bar.

With excellent value for money, a generous set composition, and great service.. I highly recommend it not just for a date course but for family gatherings, group meetups, club outings, and dinners. Come enjoy a successful family meal with your kids or your parents at Boksakkot Pineun Jip Daejeon Branch!