Inhu-dong jjukkumi restaurant in Jeonju: Hwasae set, Jjukkumi Sinhwa

Today I'm reviewing a local Jeonju favorite where the spicy baby octopus is the star: Jeonju Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung-ri Main Branch! It's been a beloved local spot for 19 years known for its deliciously spicy octopus, and it's also an Ajung-ri go-to that always brings in fresh ingredients sold on a day-only basis!

• Store info: Jeonju Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung-ri Main Branch
• Address: 16 Donggajaemi 2-gil, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk
• Parking available: Yes
• Hours: 11:15–21:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: 20:00
• Closed: None

Where is Jeonju Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung-ri Main Branch, and is there parking?

This Ajung-ri favorite is located in Inhu-dong, Jeonju, and it's fairly accessible, close to Uha-dong, the Hanok Village, and Jeonbuk National University! It's in a residential area of Inhu-dong where parking nearby is usually tough, but Jeonju Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung-ri Main Branch has its own spacious lot, so parking was a breeze — loved that!

Friday evening wait, seating and private rooms at Jjukkumi Sinhwa

Here's the inside of this Ajung-ri favorite. I visited on a Friday evening and it was packed — I waited about 15 minutes! Having been an Ajung-ri favorite for 19 years, it clearly has plenty of regulars, and lots of people drinking too. The table spacing was definitely generous, and there are about 2 private rooms, which looked great for gatherings or company dinners!

How much is the jjukkumi takeout deal?

This Inhu-dong, Jeonju favorite also sells takeout with this kind of crowd in mind — no side dishes included, but the usual ₩30,000 price is cut by 43% to ₩17,000, and you get double the octopus at 600g! The octopus was so good on this visit that I'm planning to do a takeout review next time!

Menu board and what we ordered

Here's the menu board at this Inhu-dong, Jeonju favorite. I ordered three servings of Hwasae, which comes with octopus, beef brisket, and shrimp together, plus two cheese fried rice! Octopus + beef brisket + shrimp — how could that combo not be delicious, haha. As a proper Inhu-dong spicy octopus spot, they can also adjust the spice level, which was nice.

• Hwasae ₩20,000 x3 (octopus+beef brisket+shrimp)
• Cheese fried rice ₩3,000 x2

The 10 banchan and the house garlic sauce

Here are the side dishes at this Inhu-dong, Jeonju favorite. Salad, pickled mushrooms, pickled onions, seasoned bean sprouts, pickled radish, bean sprout soup, steamed egg, stir-fried fish cake, perilla leaves, and lettuce — 10 banchan (side dishes) in total, plus a house garlic sauce made with domestic garlic and fruit!

Any extra side dishes, the house garlic sauce, lettuce, and perilla leaves could all be grabbed from the self-serve bar, which staff kept refilling regularly!

How Hwasae (jjukkumi, beef brisket and shrimp) for 3 tasted

Here comes the Hwasae from this Inhu-dong spicy octopus favorite! Jeonju Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung-ri Main Branch uses premium-grade octopus aged to a perfect balance with 100% red pepper flakes for the heat, and since they only bring in fresh ingredients sold on a day-only basis, it's always a popular Inhu-dong spicy octopus spot.

Staff helped cook part of it, and with the octopus, shrimp, and beef brisket packed in generously, it looked so filling and delicious, right? Haha. You could really tell it was premium-grade octopus with heat from 100% red pepper flakes — not an artificial kind of spicy, but a genuinely delicious spicy, which I loved!

Eating it alternately with lettuce, perilla leaves, and the house garlic sauce was so good, and you could really tell the fresh, day-only ingredients were all in great condition. The house garlic sauce, made with domestic garlic and fruit, was especially amazing — good enough that I wanted to learn how to make it.

Finishing with cheese fried rice

I ordered cheese fried rice for dessert, and they used good sesame oil with a generous amount of cheese and rice — loved it! With such a generous portion of octopus and then a generous portion of fried rice too, I could see why it's such a famous local Jeonju spot! The cheese cut through the spice nicely and gave it a savory flavor, haha.

Is Jjukkumi Sinhwa in Inhu-dong worth a visit?

This Ajung-ri spicy octopus favorite, Jeonju Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung-ri Main Branch, uses only premium-grade octopus and fresh ingredients, with heat from 100% red pepper flakes. The table spacing is generous, there are private rooms, and there's a private parking lot, so it looked great for family outings, company dinners, gatherings, or dates — and having been beloved as an Ajung-ri spicy octopus spot for 19 years, anyone who likes spicy food will enjoy it without exception! Takeout is also 43% off with double the octopus, so I'm planning to try the takeout next time, haha.

• Private parking lot is quite spacious
• The side dishes were all so tasty
• Uses premium-grade octopus
• Staff were very kind
• Heat comes from 100% red pepper flakes
• The restaurant is very clean and hygienic
• The cheese fried rice was completely delicious