Baby octopus for two at 38,000 won in Jeonju: Jjukkumi Sinhwa

As the weather gets hotter, funnily enough I start craving spicy food even more — fighting fire with fire, haha. While wondering what would really blow off some stress, I found Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung-ri Main Branch. On top of that, I heard a lot of locals eat there, which got my expectations up — you know what they say, if locals go there, it's the real deal haha. So I went to properly try the jjukkumi at this Inhu-dong, Jeonju restaurant.

Where is Jeonju Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung-ri Main Branch, and what are its hours?

• 📍 16 Donggajaemi 2-gil, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, 1st floor
• ⏰ Mon–Sat 11:15–21:00 / Closed every Sunday / Break time 15:00–17:00

Is there parking at Jjukkumi Sinhwa?

If you're facing the restaurant, there's a dedicated parking lot on the left side.

Finding the red brick building in Inhu-dong

Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung-ri Main Branch sits down an alley in Ajung-ri, and the red brick building really stands out even from the alleyway.

Inside Jjukkumi Sinhwa: private room and the review event

It was packed when I visited so I couldn't take interior photos, but it quieted down a bit by the time we left, so I quickly snapped a few.

There are private rooms too, so it's a great spot for group gatherings.

If you take part in the Naver receipt review event, you get free cheese topping.

Menu prices and a takeout tip

Jjukkumi Sinhwa has a wide range of options, from the basic stir-fried jjukkumi to menus with meat or shrimp, plus a lunch special.

For reference, takeout orders come without side dishes but with double the jjukkumi portion. Sounds pretty good if you want to enjoy it generously at home.

Side dishes and the self-serve bar

As soon as we ordered, they quickly set up the basic side dishes.

Crunchy bean sprouts that go perfectly with the spicy red jjukkumi, plus salad and pickled radish, kkaji.

So soft and fluffy it practically slides down. Perfect to take a bite of between mouthfuls of spicy jjukkumi. One serving comes free by default, and extra orders are ₩2,000, just so you know.

There's also a separate self-serve corner near the entrance.

How much food is two servings of Hwasan Jjukkumi?

Order placed ✓ Hwasan Jjukkumi ₩18,000 × 2 ✓ Rice ₩1,000 × 2

Beef belly piled on top of a mound of jjukkumi, making a volcano-like visual as it arrives.

At first glance I thought, maybe this is a bit small? But nope, definitely not haha. Two women could eat their fill and still have plenty left over. We even tried to properly finish the fried rice at the end but just couldn't manage it. No need to worry about portion size here.

Once it's on the grill, the staff come and grill it for you themselves, even keeping an eye on the exact right moment it's cooked, so all we had to do was sit back and wait to eat. Thank you so much — places like this are the best.

How to eat the jjukkumi: the combos the staff recommend

If you're wondering how to combine the jjukkumi for the best flavor, don't worry — there's a guide on how to eat it. We followed the order written in the guide step by step.

First, just the jjukkumi on its own. You really get the deeply seasoned, chewy texture and spicy flavor of the octopus itself, so it was delicious from the very first bite.

Second, bean sprouts and jjukkumi wrapped together in perilla leaf, all in one bite. The crunchy bean sprouts plus the fragrant perilla leaf made a great combo with the spicy jjukkumi.

Third, dip it into the magic garlic sauce. It's mayo-based with raw garlic and apple mixed in, giving it a savory yet tangy flavor — dipping the spicy jjukkumi into it toned down the heat a bit and the combo was perfect.

Dipping the spicy jjukkumi into the savory cheese gives you yet another flavor. If you love cheese, definitely take part in the review event.

Is Jeonju Jjukkumi Sinhwa worth it for two?

Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung-ri Main Branch is clearly loved for a reason — it's been around for a long time. Overall the food felt carefully made, and most of all, satisfaction stayed high the whole meal, so I get why locals keep coming back. It's the kind of place that'll come to mind whenever I crave something spicy, and I'd definitely visit again. If you're looking for a jjukkumi restaurant in Inhu-dong, Jeonju, this is worth a try. Thanks for the meal today :)