Gimpo Korean restaurant Osaejju: jjukkumi hot pot rice birthday meal

Osaejju in Pungmu-dong, Gimpo: a jjukkumi restaurant for Mom's birthday

Osaejju is a Korean restaurant specializing in octopus (juggumi) dishes on Pungmu 2-ro in Gimpo. I was looking for a good Korean restaurant to celebrate my mom's birthday, and since she said she wanted octopus, I searched near my parents' place — and found this Gimpo gem, Osaejju!!

There's a bus stop nearby so it's fine to walk over. I headed straight from work for a lunch appointment! My mom loves spicy food so I had high hopes, and since they have hot pot rice dishes that older folks tend to enjoy, I went in specifically eyeing the hot pot rice.

Osaejju menu and prices

Osaejju's spicy octopus and pork belly hot pot rice set is ₩13,000, and the octopus hot pot rice set is ₩12,500. Here's the menu!!

• Spicy octopus & pork belly hot pot rice set: ₩13,000
• Octopus hot pot rice set: ₩12,500
• Kaljebi (hand-torn noodle soup): ₩11,000
• Hot-plate octopus & pork belly / cheese / octopus: ₩15,000
• Extra toppings – pork belly, shrimp, squid: ₩9,900

They also have pajeon (green onion pancake) and cheese fondue sauce!! Since we brought my parents, we ordered three servings of the spicy octopus and pork belly hot pot rice set.

What comes with the jjukkumi and pork belly hot pot rice set

Osaejju's spicy octopus and pork belly hot pot rice set comes with bracken fern, radish salad, bean sprouts, lettuce, steamed egg, and cold seaweed soup. Everything arrived beautifully arranged alongside the steamed egg.

Having bracken fern, radish salad, bean sprouts and lettuce all together to mix in was a huge plus. At other places you sometimes just get bean sprouts, right? But here it felt like bibimbap with a variety of flavors, and I loved that.

The rice was turmeric rice too, so it looked prettier and seemed healthier — I really felt like I was treating my parents well!

Eating at Osaejju with elders who can't take spicy food

Osaejju's cold seaweed soup and steamed egg did a great job toning down the spiciness. Taking a bite of the cold seaweed soup, especially when things got spicy, really helped settle things down. My dad mixed in the steamed egg too and said it was much less spicy that way — he loved it. If you're with elders who struggle with spicy food, mixing in the side dishes that come with the meal is a great idea.

When it got too spicy for me, I mixed in some cabbage salad, and the mayonnaise neutralized the heat nicely. After finishing, drinking the nurungji (scorched rice) water made from the hot pot rice also helped cool things down. It really felt like eating a course meal — so good!!

I mixed everything together neatly and took a big bite. The savory flavor was great, and delicious. The pork belly had a nice smoky char too, which made it even better. The portion was generous even for three people, and we ate until we were completely full. The owners were very kind, and it seemed like there were quite a few regulars.

Inside Osaejju: the room and the self-serve bar

Osaejju has a self-serve bar where you can help yourself to more soup, side dishes, vegetables, and sauce. The interior was clean and well-kept, which I really appreciated.

They also have a wide range of alcohol and drinks, so it seemed like a great option for groups with both adults and kids to have plenty of choices!!

I noticed they had a review event that gives out a free drink, so keep that in mind and grab a drink on the house~~ Remembering little things like this is what makes you a smart shopper, haha.

It was a late weekday lunch, and once we started eating, a lot of regulars and other customers came in too, ordering plenty of hot pot rice sets and hot-plate dishes~ The AC was blasting and the staff kept checking in, which I really liked.

How to get to Osaejju and where to park

You can park at a nearby public lot, or there's also a parking lot in the building across the street. They say you just need to let them know when you park there!! We parked at the public lot and were out within an hour, then crossed the crosswalk into the building you can see from there — it's on the 2nd floor. I'd recommend calling ahead to ask about parking before you go.

Which gatherings does Osaejju suit best?

If you're looking for a tidy, well-run restaurant in Pungmu-dong, I recommend Osaejju~~ It's great for company dinners and great for family gatherings too!! I especially recommend bringing your parents!! There are plenty of cafés in the surrounding shops, so after the spicy heat of Osaejju you can easily head to a nearby café to relax — very convenient!!