Wonju spicy octopus restaurant near Munmak IC: mild jjusamsae combo

I went to Singi Arrowroot Naengmyeon & Jjukkumi (신기칡냉면&쭈꾸미), a restaurant in Munmak, Wonju, Gangwon-do. It's near Munmak IC, so it's a great stop before or after a trip to Gangwon-do. I went for dinner, and apparently they've been a codari naengmyeon (dried pollack cold noodle) specialty restaurant since 2010.

The signature menu includes jjukkumi bokkeum (stir-fried spicy octopus), jjusam, jjusaewoo, and jjusamsae — you can pick chewy jjukkumi paired with pork belly, shrimp, or both, depending on your taste.

Wonju Munmak restaurant, jjukkumi — Singi Arrowroot Naengmyeon & Jjukkumi / 204-9 Geondeung-ri, Munmak-eup, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do / Open daily 11:00–21:00 / Break time 15:00–17:00

Where is Singi Arrowroot Naengmyeon & Jjukkumi, and is there parking?

There's a parking space right in front of the restaurant, so I parked easily and went in. Even during dinner time there were quite a lot of delivery customers — a real local favorite in Munmak, Wonju.

Inside the restaurant: a wide hall for groups and families

Stepping inside, the hall is spacious enough to eat comfortably. It's roomy enough for group visits too. Since parking right out front is so convenient, I saw a lot of families as well.

Menu and prices: naengmyeon, jjukkumi and gukbap

The menu at this Wonju Munmak jjukkumi restaurant, Singi Arrowroot Naengmyeon & Jjukkumi, is really varied — besides the signature naengmyeon and jjukkumi, they also have gukbap (Korean soup with rice).

Since naengmyeon is a seasonal dish, having gukbap on the menu too means you can enjoy the place year-round.

• Mul naengmyeon ₩10,000 / large ₩12,000
• Bibim naengmyeon ₩10,000 / large ₩12,000
• Mul bibim naengmyeon ₩11,000 / large ₩13,000
• Codari mul naengmyeon ₩11,000 / large ₩13,000
• Jjukkumi bokkeum 2 people ₩28,000 / 3 people ₩42,000
• Jjusam (octopus + pork belly) 2 people ₩30,000 / 3 people ₩45,000
• Jjusaewoo (octopus + shrimp) 2 people ₩34,000 / 3 people ₩51,000
• Jjusamsae (octopus + pork belly + shrimp) 2 people ₩36,000 / 3 people ₩54,000

• Gukbap menu: pork, sundae, lean meat, offal, mixed gukbap ₩9,000
• Spicy beef jangteo gukbap ₩10,000 / spicy beef offal soup ₩12,000
• Sides: grilled galbi ₩10,000, briquette bulgogi ₩9,000, native sundae ₩8,000, tteokgalbi ₩4,000, flying fish roe rice balls ₩4,000

We were going to get jjusam, but chose jjusamsae so we could enjoy the shrimp too. You can pick mild, medium, or spicy!

Great news for people like me who can't handle spicy food. Still, just to be safe, I double-checked what each spice level meant when ordering, and the staff were so kind about it. We also ordered grilled galbi and flying fish roe rice balls, and it was a really generous spread!

The free acorn jelly muk-sabal that comes with every order

To make bibimbap with the jjukkumi, they bring out bean sprouts, shredded radish, seaweed flakes, flying fish roe, and more — plus a free muk-sabal (acorn jelly in cold broth) that comes out huge! Such great service. People at other tables were even surprised, asking if this really came free as a basic side. The acorn jelly alone is a massive portion... I was worried I wouldn't have room for the main meal, so I just tried a bit, haha.

Jjusamsae on mild: how spicy is it really?

Our order of jjukkumi, pork belly, and shrimp — the jjusamsae — arrived. The spice level was just right, and it was packed with vegetables inside. I happen to like shrimp, and there were plenty of plump shrimp in there, so I was satisfied.

There's quite a lot of shrimp mixed in. Plus the crowd-pleasing pork belly! Looking at just the pork belly and vegetables, it reminded me of the sauce in a stir-fried sausage and vegetable dish — the kind of flavor that goes great with drinks. The ingredients are generously packed in.

How to eat jjukkumi in a lettuce wrap

Next to the food, there were instructions on how to wrap jjukkumi deliciously. Put ssammu (pickled radish wrap) and jjukkumi on a perilla leaf, add the crunchy flying fish roe danmuji (pickled radish), then top with savory garlic mayo, and you've got a delicious wrap!

Since they showed us how to eat it deliciously, I had to try it exactly that way. Then there's the jjusamsae sauce and pork belly piled on top of the flying fish roe rice balls! It's plenty tasty even without mixing everything together. If you love flying fish roe and mayo, try mixing it all up as the tip suggests.

Grilled galbi side for 10,000 won: 1.5 times the usual portion

At first I wondered how we'd ever finish the grilled galbi we ordered as a side, it was so much — but as we kept picking pieces off while eating the jjukkumi, it disappeared fast. Honestly, the main dish, the rice, the side dishes — everything seemed like 1.5 times the portion of other restaurants, but it was so good we cleared every plate. And the staff were so kind, haha.

It's tasty and the staff are kind, which is probably why they've been doing well for so long. That was my review of dinner at Singi Arrowroot Naengmyeon & Jjukkumi, the jjukkumi restaurant in Munmak, Wonju — fresh octopus, pork belly, and shrimp full of smoky flavor in the jjusamsae. Stay healthy today.