Sangbong jjukkumi restaurant with Teumsae-ramyeon spice: Joajukne

It's finally that kind of weather where eating outside in the evening feels amazing, right? I had somewhere to be near Sangbong on a Friday, so I went for an early dinner around 4:30pm. Joajukne Jjukkumi sits right at the entrance of Sangbong Meokja Alley. The shop itself isn't huge, but they run outdoor terrace tables too, so on a day that's neither too hot nor too cold like this, it seemed perfect for sitting outside with jjukkumi (spicy stir-fried baby octopus) and a drink.

Where is Joajukne Jjukkumi in Sangbong-dong?

Joajukne Jjukkumi is at 17 Bongujae-ro 37-gil, 1F, Jungnang-gu, Seoul, about a 3-minute walk from Exit 3 of Sangbong Station. It's open Mon–Sat 11:00–24:00 (Monday closes at 23:00), with a break time from 14:00–16:00, and they have a baby chair too.

• 📍 17 Bongujae-ro 37-gil, Jungnang-gu, Seoul
• 🚇 About a 3-minute walk from Exit 3 of Sangbong Station
• ⏰ Mon–Sat 11:00–24:00 (Monday closes at 23:00)
• 🕑 Break time 14:00–16:00
• 👶🏻 Baby chair available

If you walk in from Sangbong Station toward Sangbong Meokja Alley, it's right at the entrance, so it's not hard to find.

Arriving Friday at 4:30pm, just as the restaurant empties out

We visited Joajukne Jjukkumi right after break time ended, around 4:30pm on a Friday. Since it was before the dinner rush, we could eat pretty comfortably. Looking around, the indoor space isn't huge. But there are outdoor terrace tables, so on nice-weather days I'd absolutely want to eat outside haha.

Perfect vibe for spicy jjukkumi with a drink. Once this weather passes, you won't get to enjoy it again for a while, so if you're looking for outdoor seating in Sangbong, now seems like a good time to go.

✔️ Check the wifi and bathroom passwords!

The jjukkumi, sungnyung and assorted sides set for two: 17,900 won per person

We ordered what looked like the most basic option, the jjukkumi + sungnyung + assorted sides set for two. The current price is ₩17,900 per person.

It comes with perilla leaves, carrots, pickled radish, flying fish roe, and a white sauce as standard sides. Except for the flying fish roe, you can grab as much of the basic sides as you want from the self-serve bar, which was convenient.

They have disposable aprons ready and a baby chair too, so it's a good spot to visit with kids haha.

What comes in the assorted sides at Joajukne Jjukkumi

True to its name, it's not just jjukkumi — you get assorted sides alongside it, which on my visit were a boiled egg, glass noodles, and a fried dumpling. At first I thought they were just extras to go with the jjukkumi, but eating through them, each one turned out really versatile haha. I'll talk more about the fried dumpling later — it was a quiet standout.

Staff cook the jjukkumi on the hot plate for you

When the jjukkumi arrives on the hot plate, staff cook it for you. So there's no need to wonder 'can I eat this now?' or 'does it need more cooking?' — just wait until they tell you it's ready haha.

As the sauce starts bubbling and soaking red into the octopus, the smell alone gets spicy enough to make you crave rice before you've even taken a bite.

How spicy is the jjukkumi? No spice levels to pick

Interestingly, Joajukne Jjukkumi doesn't have you choose a spice level separately. When I asked the staff how spicy it was, they said, 'It's about Teumsae ramyeon level.'

I like spicy food, and for me it was pleasantly spicy in a good way. But if you don't usually handle spicy food well, it might feel spicier than expected. On the flip side, for people like me who think 'could go spicier,' there's chili flakes on the table you can add to taste. I found the base level plenty tasty and spicy, so I just ate it as is haha.

The white sauce: closer to tartar than mayonnaise

Then there's the white sauce that comes with it. At first I naturally assumed 'ah, this must be mayo for dipping the spicy jjukkumi.' But once I tried it, it was a bit different from regular mayo. To me it had a tangy, savory feel like tartar sauce, though I couldn't confirm the exact name. Dipping the jjukkumi in it mellows out the spiciness nicely. It's also good on pickled radish or perilla leaves with a piece of octopus and a light dip in this sauce.

Wrapped up in a leaf, it's ridiculously good. And I could barely resist the flying fish roe ;;

Best side at Joajukne Jjukkumi: the fried dumpling taco

What I unexpectedly loved was the fried dumpling. It's crispy fried, so it's tasty on its own, but even better with the jjukkumi. The method I discovered while eating was piling octopus on top of the dumpling and eating it like a taco haha. The crispy, savory dumpling plus the sweet-spicy jjukkumi sauce made for a great combo. Adding a bit of the white sauce on top makes it even better. I used to wonder why dumplings were even in the assorted sides, but after trying this, it made total sense haha.

Why the sungnyung with the set is a nice touch

The set comes with sungnyung (scorched rice water). I figured it'd just be a palate cleanser, but it actually had a surprising amount of rice grains in it. Warm and toasty, it paired well with the spicy jjukkumi — a spoonful in between bites, and it's surprisingly filling too. One bite of spicy, one spoonful of nutty sungnyung. This combo was better than I expected haha. So the set felt pretty filling on its own without needing extra rice.

Small comforts, from the waiting area to the mouthwash

Joajukne Jjukkumi runs on walk-in waiting, with a seating area out front where you can wait. And what I noticed on the way out after eating was the Febreze plus portable mouthwash. After eating something with as strong a smell as jjukkumi, you might worry about the smell sticking to your clothes, and the sauce can leave your mouth feeling less than fresh — having these on hand was a nice touch. A small thing, but the kind that sticks in your memory haha.

Looking for outdoor tables in Sangbong? Go now

We visited around 4:30pm on a Friday and ate indoors fairly comfortably. But walking out, I thought eating on the terrace on a nice evening would be really great. The jjukkumi itself was sweet and properly spicy, the kind that kept pulling me back for more bites — topping the fried dumpling with octopus, mashing the boiled egg into the sauce, dipping into the white sauce when it got too spicy, taking a spoonful of sungnyung here and there haha. It was a place where mixing different combinations was more fun than just eating the jjukkumi alone.

If you've been looking for jjukkumi near Sangbong Station or in Sangbong-dong, this is worth a visit. Especially with weather this good for outdoor seating, I'd want to go in the evening. Next time I want to sit outside and have jjukkumi with a drink haha.