Jonggak Station Korean lunch with whole fried flounder: Bonghyejane

I went to Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch, a newly opened spot near Jonggak Station, during my company lunch break. I'd seen a photo of the whole octopus stir-fry while passing by — the octopus was laid on top completely whole?! The visual was so good I had to check it out, so I went with a coworker this time haha.

To cut to the chase — the plump octopus was tasty, but the sheer volume of side dishes that came with it was seriously generous!!!! If you're looking for a good-value lunch near Jonggak Station, I'd recommend this place haha.

Where is Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch, and is there a weekday lunch wait?

Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch is located in Jongno Tower, right in front of Jonggak Station.

We went during a weekday office lunch hour and luckily got seated right away with no wait! Since it's newly opened, the whole place felt clean and fresh haha.

The menu had a good variety of Korean dishes, from the signature whole octopus stir-fry to spicy webfoot octopus stir-fry, charcoal-grilled beef bulgogi set, and pork stir-fry set. Since we came specifically for the octopus stir-fry visual, we ordered it for two without hesitation haha.

The interior was bigger than expected! There were quite a lot of tables, and the overall clean vibe made it look great for office workers nearby to grab lunch. We were there for the same reason — good accessibility for a Jonggak Station lunch and just easy to get to.

How spicy is the mild option for the whole octopus stir-fry?

Ordering is done via the tablet at your table. The whole octopus stir-fry can be ordered for two or more people, and you can also choose your spice level. We went with mild, which was listed as roughly the spice level of Shin Ramyun. But when I actually tasted it… there was almost zero heat at all haha. If you like spicy food, you probably don't need to go with mild!

And the octopus stir-fry doesn't come alone — it comes with a whole set of dishes to eat alongside it. This turned out to be way more generous than expected!!!!

Water and cups were already set out, and scissors and tongs came along so you could cut the octopus yourself. The place itself was clean and made for a comfortable lunch atmosphere haha.

What comes on the table: jjolmyeon, mukbap and white kimchi

And finally, the whole octopus stir-fry arrived!!!! Oh… this is exactly the reason I wanted to come here lol. True to its name, the octopus is laid on completely whole!!!! It looked delicious in the photos, but seeing it in person, the octopus was way plumper and heftier than I expected. Jjolmyeon (chewy noodles) came on the side, and underneath the octopus was a generous bed of cabbage, onion, and other vegetables.

And the mukbap (acorn jelly in cold broth) that came with it! This was a delicacy on its own haha. The mukbap was cool and refreshing, so taking a bite between mouthfuls of the stir-fry cleansed the palate and tasted amazing. White kimchi came along too, and it paired well.

Mix the jjolmyeon into the octopus sauce right away

Here's a personal tip! The noodles on the side aren't glass noodles, they're jjolmyeon (chewy wheat noodles). The moment the food arrived, I mixed them straight into the sauce right away haha. I saw other reviews saying that mixing them in later meant the sauce didn't soak in well and it ended up a bit bland. So I mixed mine in from the start to let the sauce soak through… and eating it that way was delicious!!!! The smoky sauce soaked into the jjolmyeon nicely, and it paired perfectly with the octopus haha.

Octopus texture and smoky sauce at Bonghyejane Jubang

The whole octopus was cut into bite-sized pieces. Once cut up, it looks like even more, doesn't it…? haha. The octopus wasn't the thin, small type — each piece was plump and hefty. The texture was springy and chewy, real satisfying to bite into!

And what I personally liked was the sauce. The smoky flavor soaked well into the octopus and vegetables, but it wasn't overly spicy or salty or aggressive. The smoky flavor was clear, but the seasoning wasn't heavy! So it never felt like too much even after eating a lot, and it went well with rice too haha.

The cabbage and onion were genuinely generous too. Eating the vegetables alongside the octopus added a nice crunch and they went really well together. Eating both the octopus and plenty of vegetables… it felt like eating something delicious while also keeping it healthy haha. It wasn't the overly intense style of octopus stir-fry — it kept the smoky flavor while staying easy to eat, which I personally really liked!

Whole fried flounder and pumpkin porridge included with the set

And here's why I felt this was such good value!!!! A whole fried flounder comes with it too. With a visual like that, you'd assume it was a separately ordered side dish, right…? But it just comes automatically when you order the whole octopus stir-fry!!!!

The flounder's exterior was super crispy!!!! Crispy outside, but the fish flesh inside was soft, so the texture was great too. The sauce on top was sweetish, kind of like sweet and sour pork sauce. It paired well with the crispy fried flounder too haha. We came for the octopus stir-fry and got a whole fried flounder on top of it… this really is a great-value setup!!!!

Pumpkin porridge came with it too. It was nice to eat lightly like an appetizer before diving into the octopus stir-fry haha. Starting with the pumpkin porridge, then the octopus stir-fry with jjolmyeon and vegetables, taking bites of cool mukbap in between, then finishing with the crispy fried flounder… the two of us ate really, really well!!!! It wasn't just one tasty main dish — every side played its role properly, and I liked the overall setup.

Is Bonghyejane Jubang worth it for a Jonggak Station office lunch?

Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch, the new place I'd been curious about! The whole octopus was plump and hefty, so it wasn't just a good-looking dish — the springy chewy texture was satisfying too. I also liked the sauce, which kept a strong smoky flavor without being overly spicy or salty. In particular, the generous cabbage and onion plus the jjolmyeon made for a fun mix of things to eat together haha.

On top of that, the cool mukbap and pumpkin porridge and crispy whole fried flounder all came together, so the two of us ate really full and satisfied. Personally, top-tier value for money!!!! We visited during a weekday office lunch and there was no wait, and it's easy to access being inside Jongno Tower, so it seems like a good lunch option for office workers nearby too.

If you're looking for restaurants near Jonggak Station or Jongno Tower, or a generously portioned octopus stir-fry in Jongno, this place is worth a visit haha. Next time I go, I want to try it spicier instead of mild…! I'd recommend Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch — satisfying from the whole-octopus visual to the generous overall setup!!!!