Grilled octopus and pork belly fried rice near Yangcheon Hyanggyo: Jju

A Magok restaurant: Jju Baksa

Hi, this is Parkgaji. I was craving spicy webfoot octopus, so I went to Jju Baksa near Yangcheon Hyanggyo (a Confucian shrine) in Magok. Jju Baksa Magok Branch is pretty close to Yangcheon Hyanggyo Station, so it's a good lunch or dinner spot for people working in Magok.

What I liked most is that it opens from 11 a.m., so it works not just as an evening drinking spot but also as a Magok lunch place. It's also not far from Seoul Botanic Garden, so if you're visiting with family or friends and looking for a webfoot octopus restaurant near Seoul Botanic Garden, this could be worth checking out too.

Jju Baksa's fried rice set

Webfoot octopus alone is already tasty, but I can't resist jjusam, where it's stir-fried together with pork belly. This time we ordered the griddled jjusamgyeop, plus the fried rice set on top, so we properly worked through crab egg custard, jjusam, and finally fried rice.

How spicy is it, really?

On the wide griddle, octopus and pork belly soaked in red sauce cook together, and the smell that rises as they cook is already amazing. If you like spicy food, the spice level here is genuinely hot, so you should try it. This was my third visit, and for my taste — I really do love spicy food — it hit the spot exactly. The octopus wasn't at all chewy, keeping a springy texture, and the pork belly added a savory note that paired really well with the spicy sauce.

Eating the octopus alone brings a sharp spicy kick, and adding pork belly brings in a greasy savoriness that softens the flavor. It's not the kind of thing you eat once and stop — my chopsticks kept going back for more. Spicy, savory, and slightly sweet sauce that practically demands rice. I immediately understood why jjusam is a popular menu item.

The octopus tastes much better dipped in the flying fish roe and sauce.

Crab egg custard and basic side dishes

Personally, the crab egg custard we had alongside was something I was really satisfied with. Taking a spicy bite of jjusam and then a spoonful of soft egg custard clears your palate completely. The custard itself was moist and soft, so it would be especially good for people who can't handle spicy food when dining together. Soft, moist, and a perfect match for the octopus.

These are the basic side dishes: perilla leaves, angel hair radish, and sliced radish wrap. The jjusam and egg custard combination worked far better than I expected. Alternating between spicy and soft kept it from getting tiring all the way through. Eating it with bean sprouts on top, along with the radish wrap and angel hair radish, is an art form.

The finish: cheese fried rice

The real finale of griddled webfoot octopus is, of course, the fried rice. After finishing most of the jjusam, they fry rice in the sauce left on the griddle — you absolutely cannot skip that!

The flavor left behind from the octopus and pork belly stays right there on the griddle, and once that sauce soaks into every grain of rice, it's truly special. Even though I was quite full already, the fried rice kept going in. Honestly, because of this final fried rice, I think I'll keep ordering the fried rice set next time too.

The cheese stretched with every pull, and the rice was fried up nice and savory — I really enjoyed it. Overall, Jju Baksa Magok Branch is a place that would satisfy anyone who likes spicy dishes.

Who is this good for?

The octopus and pork belly combination was great on its own, but adding the crab egg custard and fried rice made the whole meal feel really complete. If you're looking for a lunch spot as an office worker in Magok, craving something spicy after visiting Seoul Botanic Garden, or hunting for a restaurant near Yangcheon Hyanggyo, this is worth stopping by. Especially if you're like me and love mixing rice into webfoot octopus sauce, I definitely recommend the fried rice set — go check it out.