Dangjin Korean pub for soju: squid hot pot and fried pancake, Ojjingeo

A great find I stumbled on while scouting properties in Dangjin! Just from the name you can tell it's a squid specialist, haha. I visited Ojjingeo Dangjin (오찡어 당진점) in Daedeok-dong, Dangjin.

What do the outside and inside of Ojjingeo Dangjin look like?

Ojjingeo Dangjin has an eye-catching exterior with a red sign and a squid drawing, and inside there are both private rooms and regular tables.

The exterior is a little intense, haha. A red sign with a squid drawing, lol.

Inside there were rooms and several tables. It doesn't have a huge number of tables, though!

Ojjingeo Dangjin hours, parking and reservations

Ojjingeo Dangjin is at 17 Cheongnyong-gil, Dangjin-si, Chungnam (Daedeok-dong 1478), open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 10pm and closed every Monday. There's a fairly large parking lot behind the restaurant, so it's easy to come by car.

• Location: 17 Cheongnyong-gil, Dangjin-si, Chungnam / Daedeok-dong 1478
• Hours: Tue–Sun 11am–10pm
• Last order: 9pm
• Break time: 3pm–5pm
• Closed: every Monday
• Restroom: inside the restaurant
• Parking: lot behind the restaurant

There's a pretty big parking lot behind the restaurant!

Who eats at Ojjingeo Dangjin?

I'm not a local, but the customers seemed almost all local. There were families eating out, groups of friends who came for drinks, and quite a few couples too.

• Reservations: no reservation system
• Dogs: not allowed

Ojjingeo Dangjin review perk and payment options

Ojjingeo Dangjin gives you a taster of squid tangsuyuk (sweet-and-sour squid) if you write a review! They accept both local currency and the high oil price relief support funds.

What's on the menu at Ojjingeo Dangjin?

True to a squid specialist, almost every dish at Ojjingeo is made with squid: squid hot pot, stir-fried squid, squid pancake, boiled squid (susuyuk), squid tangsuyuk, squid kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), and squid chogeonguksu (cold noodles)...! Funny and fascinating at the same time, lol.

There's also a lunch special menu: same dishes, but a bit cheaper. You order on the tablet on the table.

How does the O Set squid hot pot taste?

At Ojjingeo Dangjin you get four side dishes and dongchimi (radish water kimchi) by default. Personally, I loved the white kimchi!!

What I ordered was the O Set: a squid pancake plus squid hot pot set. The dish you see above is the squid hot pot. They say the broth is made with fresh, pure ingredients, simmered up to 6 hours or more and then aged for 2 days.

Here's how I'd describe the broth. Have you ever had squid soup? When you drink it, you get that distinctive squid flavor, right? Think of that squid flavor plus jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) broth.

I had it at medium spice, and it's not hot, just pleasantly spicy! It'd be perfect when you're craving something spicy. It seems one big squid goes in, and there's minari (water dropwort) too!

The broth is kalkal (sharp and spicy), which makes it perfect with soju. Maybe that's why, when I glanced around, there wasn't a single table without soju.

Does the boiled squid often sell out?

The boiled squid (susuyuk) at Ojjingeo Dangjin was sold out that day, so I couldn't try it. I actually wanted to try it too, but sadly it was sold out, T_T

While we were eating, a couple came in (they seemed to be locals), said "Ahh, the boiled squid is sold out again~" and left right away, lol. Maybe Ojjingeo is famous for its boiled squid! Of course, I don't know whether that couple tried the other dishes, haha.

Is the fried squid pancake at Ojjingeo greasy?

The squid pancake (jeon) at Ojjingeo Dangjin is a fried squid pancake, a bit different from an ordinary jeon. So people who don't like fried food may not love it! I don't like soggy, soaked fried food, but this one didn't taste oily at all??

It didn't feel greasy either. The amount of squid was a bit disappointing, though, haha. If you think of it as a vegetable and squid fried pancake, I think you'll enjoy it, haha.

They cut the fried squid pancake like a pizza! It was fun, like eating pizza (?)

Who is Ojjingeo Dangjin best for?

Ojjingeo Dangjin seems to be a place where lots of locals come for a drink, and the age range was varied. I think it's worth recommending to anyone traveling to Dangjin who likes squid! haha. The squid was fresh and chewy, and it was delicious~