Gangdong Korean restaurant for cheesy spicy octopus: Jjuksami

Finding Jjuksami in Cheonho’s Octopus Alley

I go to Cheonho-dong’s Octopus Alley pretty often,

but this time, I popped into Jjuksami.

It had a relaxed atmosphere where friends or couples could comfortably sit down for a drink with something spicy, and it felt like the kind of cozy place people looking for a good restaurant-bar in Cheonho would enjoy. After this visit, I have another place to think of when I come to Cheonho-dong for webfoot octopus, haha.

Ordering Octopus, Pork Belly, and a Rich Gold Cheese Platter

We had webfoot octopus + pork belly, a Rich Gold cheese platter, complimentary glass noodles, and cheese flying-fish-roe fried rice.

The basics included corn cheese,

steamed egg, and

scorched-rice soup, too.

Spicy Webfoot Octopus and Pork Belly

Ta-da, such a satisfying spread~~ with the Rich Gold cheese platter. It tasted like exactly the kind of stir-fried webfoot octopus I love. The sauce had just the right spicy kick—one bite and I was seriously craving soju, lol. (Ugh, I drove there, so I couldn’t drinkㅠㅠ)

The seasoning had soaked evenly into the webfoot octopus and pork belly, so after one bite, I naturally went straight in for the next chopstickful.

The webfoot octopus still had a great texture without being overly tough or soggy, and the spicy sauce kept drawing us back, so the two of us ate it really quickly, haha. It felt like I’d finally had proper webfoot octopus in Cheonho again. My boyfriend was so excited by how good it was that he told the owner so while we were eating, haha.

Octopus and Pork Belly with Perilla Leaves and Pickled Radish

And the must-try combination is perilla leaves and ssammu (pickled radish wraps). Wrap ssammu, webfoot octopus, and pork belly in a perilla leaf, and the tangy note cuts through the spice—it keeps you reaching for more.

I think the two of us ate a whole field’s worth of perilla leaves and ssammu, haha. If you love Cheonho-dong webfoot octopus, you have to try this combination.

Rich Gold Cheese Platter and Complimentary Glass Noodles

Once the cheese starts melting, the owner melts it down in one smooth flourish with some seriously flashy hand skills!!! Adding cheese to the spicy webfoot octopus softened the heat, so they were great together.

Partway through, they also added glass noodles as a complimentary service,

and the noodles, fully soaked in the sauce, were another special treat.

If you like adding lots of combinations to a spicy main dish, I think you’ll be happy with this among Gangdong’s restaurants.

Cheese Flying-Fish-Roe Fried Rice Cooked at the Table

If you’ve had webfoot octopus, you have to go for fried rice, too.

After cooking it for us, the owner put the lid on. Once enough time had passed, he came back and even told us when it was ready to eat.

The nutty buttery flavor really came through, and when you stirred the cheese and rice together, the cheese stretched and stretched.

Finishing spicy webfoot octopus with savory fried rice made me understand why it works so well as both a good restaurant and a bar in Cheonho.

A New Regular-Candidate for Cheonho Webfoot Octopus

I found a new regular-candidate spot for webfoot octopus in Cheonho. It’s somewhere I’ll think of again when I’m craving something spicy among Gangdong’s restaurants.

• Anyone looking for a new regular spot in Cheonho’s Octopus Alley
• Anyone wanting a drink with spicy octopus and pork belly
• Anyone who likes plenty of accompaniments, including cheese, perilla leaves, and pickled radish wraps
• Anyone who makes sure to finish with fried rice

The Rich Gold cheese platter is an additional menu item. During this visit, glass noodles were added as a complimentary service partway through the meal, while corn cheese, steamed egg, and scorched-rice soup came as basic sides. The fried rice was cooked for us, and we were even told when to open the lid and eat it.