Soy crab and whelk set at Jumak Haemulchon, a Mokdong seafood spot

While looking for a seafood spot in Mokdong, I stopped by Jumak Haemulchon near Mokdong-sageori. True to its name — 'jumak' means an old-style tavern — the place has a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, more suited to a casual meal with a drink than a polished, upscale restaurant.

What is on the menu at Jumak Haemulchon?

Out front there was a tank of live seafood — the kind of sight you expect walking into a seafood specialist. Looking over the menu, there was more variety than I expected: haemul-jjim, agujjim, kkotgetang, octopus, whelk, ganjang gejang, and more.

I ordered the whelk + octopus + ganjang gejang solo set, small size, for that day. Price: ₩60,000. I had it with rice and a beer on the side.

The side dish spread at Jumak Haemulchon

Before the main dishes arrived, the side dishes came out first: cabbage kimchi, seasoned nogak (aged cucumber), miyeok (seaweed), kkosiraegi (seaweed noodles), egg roll, apple salad, and stir-fried anchovies in gochujang — quite a spread.

When the main dish came out, whelk, octopus, and ganjang gejang were all on one plate together. If you like seafood, this kind of set where you get to try a little of everything, rather than just one dish, was a nice format.

How do the whelk and octopus taste?

I started with the whelk. It had a nice chewy texture, good for picking at one piece at a time with beer.

Switching between whelk and octopus, the different textures made things interesting. I like dipping octopus in sesame oil sauce — the nutty sesame oil, the salty edge, and the fresh chewy octopus come together perfectly. I think this chewy texture is exactly why seafood dishes work so well as drinking food.

Ganjang gejang, soy shrimp and crab shell bibimbap

And then the ganjang gejang and soy-marinated shrimp. The salty crab and shrimp weren't too salty, so they went well with rice, but they were even better with a beer.

The soy shrimp was especially good — some people apparently come just to get it packed to go, so I'd definitely recommend trying it. And mixing rice into the crab shell is something I simply can't skip.

When is Jumak Haemulchon worth a visit?

Overall the menu is heavily seafood-focused, so if you're looking for seafood in Mokdong, there's a good range of options. It also seemed like a good place to visit with a group and share several dishes rather than order just one. True to its 'jumak' name, the atmosphere is unpretentious, so it works fine for a casual meal, and in the evening it's well suited to seafood with a drink.

Personally, I liked that this kind of place feels less like a flashy destination restaurant and more like a neighborhood spot you can casually drop into for a meal — that was actually a plus. If you're searching for Mokdong Korean food or a Mokdong rice place, the seafood variety here gives you plenty to choose from. If you want to try several kinds of seafood at once, like octopus, whelk, and ganjang gejang, the set menus are worth a look.

On a day when seafood is on my mind in Mokdong, and I want something with a cozy, unpretentious atmosphere rather than a slick, polished restaurant, plus a soju-and-beer mix, Jumak Haemulchon was a good call. And of course, it holds up as a proper meal too!! Now I'm curious what other seafood combos are like here — maybe I'll go for the haemul-jjim next time?!