Plain jjukkumi stir-fry with cheese sarie add-on in Jeonju: Jjukkumi

Today's visit! If you like jjukkumi (spicy octopus), you've probably heard of, and maybe even been to, this Inhu-dong, Jeonju restaurant — "Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung Branch."

Location and parking at Jeonju Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung-ri Main Branch

Address: 16 Donggajaemi 2-gil, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk / Hours: Mon–Sat 11:15–21:00, closed Sundays / Parking: dedicated lot on-site

Anywhere with tough parking makes you hesitate to visit, but "Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung Branch" has a spacious lot behind the restaurant, so even new drivers should be able to park comfortably.

This Ajung-ri, Jeonju restaurant, "Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung Branch," sits near Inhu Elementary School and the Ministry of Employment and Labor office building.

It's closed every Sunday, open Monday through Saturday 11:15–21:00, with a break time from 15:00–17:00.

Order takeout and get 2 servings for the price of 1

"Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung Branch" also offers takeout so you can enjoy it at home, camping, or on outings — they give you uncooked jjukkumi, 2 servings' worth, for the price of 1. I've actually bought this a few times for housewarmings and camping trips, and the portion was so generous that just one order was plenty.

Two private rooms, fully booked even on an early Saturday evening

The interior is bigger than I expected, with plenty of tables. There are two private rooms, great for group gatherings or work dinners. Even though I visited during an early Saturday evening slot, almost every table was full or reserved.

This Ajung-ri, Jeonju restaurant, "Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung Branch," apparently has been serving its distinctively delicious, spicy jjukkumi stir-fry for 19 years. I've been coming here for about 7-8 years myself but had no idea it had such a long history haha ~..~

Free Wi-Fi is also available, so check the wall sign if you need it.

At "Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung Branch," writing a Naver receipt review isn't optional — it's a must! Add the free cheese sarie (add-on) from the review event and your jjukkumi gets way better.

Basic side dishes, self-serve bar, and complimentary steamed egg

The basic side dishes are simple — salad, braised mushrooms, pickled onion, radish wraps, lettuce wraps, bean sprout soup, and mayonnaise. The cold bean sprout soup is perfect for cooling your mouth down between bites of spicy jjukkumi. And that mayo sauce — you'd be sad without it. Refilling it two or more times is the unwritten rule; dip generously.

If you need extra side dishes or tableware, there's a self-serve bar by the entrance.

A fluffy steamed egg custard is served free, one per table.

Two servings of plain jjukkumi stir-fry, spice level set to regular

I don't like anything else mixed into my jjukkumi stir-fry, so I always order it plain haha. There are two spice options — regular and extra spicy. Even the regular level is quite hot, so I'd recommend regular unless you're really into spice.

The staff came back and forth to cook it for us the whole way through.

When you go out for jjukkumi stir-fry, it's often mostly cabbage or rice cake with barely any actual octopus — but "Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung Branch" is different. The plump octopus was genuinely generous.

Adding the review-event cheese sarie and bean sprouts

Finally, time for the free cheese sarie (add-on) I got for writing a Naver review to shine.

They sprinkled the cheese sarie over the side of the well-cooked jjukkumi stir-fry.

Once it's nearly done cooking, they add a generous amount of bean sprouts. For extra bean sprouts, use the self-serve bar.

As always, "Jjukkumi Sinhwa Ajung Branch" doesn't disappoint. Big, plump octopus pieces, a sauce that's spicy but not overwhelming, and that savory mayo sauce ㅠㅠ When it gets too spicy, a bite of steamed egg or bean sprout soup resets your mouth, and you're right back to eating more jjukkumi.

Finishing up with cheese fried rice

Leaving this delicious sauce behind would be a crime. Naturally, we stir-fried some fried rice in it.

Eating it with the few pieces of jjukkumi we intentionally saved made for an absolutely perfect finale.. It made me wonder if this whole meal was just a build-up to that fried rice.

I nearly ate the pot too. Ugh... writing this post is making me crave spicy jjukkumi with a cold soju-beer mix right now.