8-year regular's octopus and pork belly pick in Cheonho, Seoul

Getting some good octopus before heading out to watch Hannie & Odyssey episode 2 🐙

Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch

Where to find Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch near the Cheonho octopus alley

Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch, a well-known Cheonho restaurant and bar, sits about 5 minutes' walk from Exit 6 of Cheonho Station. Come out of the exit and head toward the Seongnae-dong octopus alley, and you'll reach it without much trouble.

I first visited Jjuksami on a friend's recommendation, and eight years later I still come back regularly. Even after a while away, whenever I crave octopus, this is the place that naturally comes to mind. There are several octopus restaurants nearby, but somehow I always end up back here — I think it's the familiar taste built up over years of visiting 🫶🏻

Walk into the octopus alley and right at the entrance you'll spot a sign with a yellow accent and an octopus character — that's Jjuksami! Rather than a flashy exterior, it has the friendly, comfortable feel of a longtime neighborhood favorite 〰️

The vibe inside, seating, and whether you need a reservation

Inside, it's set up with round tables and seating good for larger groups. The atmosphere is comfortable and lively, great for octopus with a drink, and in the evening it gets pretty crowded with both people there for a meal and those just there for a casual drink.

Even though it was a Monday, once it hit past 6pm the place filled up fast. A lot of people also come here for dinner, company dinners, or get-togethers, so if you can, I'd recommend booking ahead 〰️

Jjuksami menu and prices

Here's the menu board at Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch, a Cheonho-dong octopus favorite 👀 The menu is built around octopus, paired with pork belly or shrimp. Octopus alone is ₩15,000, octopus + pork belly and octopus + shrimp are each ₩16,000, and octopus + shrimp + pork belly is ₩18,000. You can add extras like shrimp, pork belly, cheese rice cake, bean sprouts, or flying fish roe, and finish with cheese fried rice or flying fish roe fried rice.

The basic side dishes were perilla leaves, pickled radish, garlic, and ssamjang (dipping sauce) — great for wrapping. Octopus on pickled radish, or pork belly wrapped in perilla leaf, is even better!!

Octopus + pork belly for two, with Rich Gold cheese

We ordered the 'octopus + pork belly' for two 🐙 Spicy-seasoned octopus topped with pork belly and enoki mushrooms, with Jjuksami's signature Rich Gold cheese and bean sprouts filling the edges of the hot plate. Being able to mix and match combinations within one plate made it feel even more generous!

Staff grilled the octopus themselves until it was just right, so my friend and I could just relax and chat while eating 👍🏻

The standard side dishes

Ordering a main comes with sides included as standard! Nicely grilled corn cheese, warm nurungji (crispy rice), and soft steamed egg were all ready to alternate with the spicy octopus. Nom nom

How was the octopus?

The octopus had a lively, springy bite, and the spicy sauce wasn't overly intense — it had a subtle sweetness and umami that kept me reaching for more. It worked well wrapped in perilla leaf or pickled radish too, and dipping it generously in the cheese pooled at the edge of the pan added a sweet, savory twist for another way to enjoy it 😋

Finishing with complimentary spaghetti instead of fried rice

At the end, we ordered the complimentary spaghetti to finish instead of fried rice 〰️

The spaghetti was a nice palate change, and the portion was bigger than expected, so it made for a satisfying finish!

Why I keep coming back after 8 years

Since I've been coming here consistently, Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch is the first Gangdong restaurant that comes to mind whenever I want octopus 🐙 The combination of octopus with pork belly and cheese was satisfying, and the generous standard sides made it a solid, filling meal. It has that familiar taste that never gets old no matter how long you keep visiting, so it's a place I'll keep coming back to 🫶🏻