Cheonho Station octopus restaurant with cheese tteok add-on: Jjuksami

Why Jjuksami stands out in Cheonho's octopus alley

Out of the many restaurants in Cheonho-dong's octopus alley, Jjuksami is my go-to spot that I keep coming back to. I went back again recently!

Since it's been a fixture in the neighborhood for so long, the taste and setup here are consistently reliable — it's naturally the place that comes to mind whenever I'm craving something spicy. This time I tried a slightly different sari combo and finished off with fried rice, so let me share how the revisit went!

How to reach Jjuksami from Cheonho Station Exit 6, and the wait

Jjuksami is easy to find — just walk a little way into the octopus alley from Cheonho Station Exit 6. The access from the station is great, making it a good lunch spot as well as a perfect route for dinner and drinks after work.

Since it's been running since 2006, it already has a very loyal customer base. During evening peak hours or on weekends, dine-in customers plus takeout and delivery orders can pile up, so a bit of waiting is possible — keep that in mind when you visit.

Jjuksami menu prices, free noodle sari and side dishes

You can pair the base octopus with pork belly or shrimp depending on your taste, and there's a wide variety of sari (extra noodle/topping) options to add on too.

Free noodle sari at Jjuksami: glass noodles or spaghetti

One of Jjuksami's biggest perks is that glass noodle or spaghetti sari is provided for free. It's a huge boost to the value for money.

The side dishes that come with every order

Warm scorched rice soup, soft steamed egg, and savory corn cheese come out as basic side dishes. The sweet, savory corn cheese in particular is an amazing match against the spicy sauce — and since it's refillable, I always make sure to have some.

How to tone down the spice at Jjuksami

If you're not great with spicy food, using the corn cheese and mayonnaise sauce generously will let you enjoy the meal without too much burn.

Octopus and pork belly for two with cheese tteok sari and the Rich Gold cheese plate

My friend and I ordered two servings of octopus and pork belly (₩16,000 per serving) and added cheese rice cake sari (₩2,000). When the smoky, spicy octopus meets the savory fat of the pork belly, the flavor of the sauce gets so much deeper, you know?~

Add in the chewy cheese rice cake and you get even more fun picking through the different textures!

Is the Rich Gold cheese plate worth adding?

Jjuksami's signature Rich Gold plate comes with bean sprouts, mozzarella cheese, and sweet mashed sweet potato. It's the classic spicy-sweet-salty combo, softening the heat of the sauce so it never gets old — definitely order this!

The lettuce wrap combo to build at Jjuksami

Put crunchy pickled radish on a fragrant perilla leaf, top with plump octopus, pork belly, cheese rice cake, and a bit of mayo sauce, and wrap it up — you get both a satisfying chew and full flavor in one bite.

Finishing with spaghetti sari and flying fish roe fried rice

After eating through most of the meat and octopus, we chose spaghetti for the free sari. The spicy Korean-style octopus sauce clings to the spaghetti noodles, turning it into a unique spicy pasta — this was seriously a hidden gem!

And of course, we finished with the essential Korean course: roe fried rice (₩3,500). The flavorful sauce base, the popping texture of the flying fish roe, and the savory seaweed flakes come together so well that you end up scraping the pan clean. Last time I was too full to have the fried rice, but this time I made up for it completely! If you're not sure where to go in Cheonho's octopus alley, I recommend Jjuksami :)

Jjuksami address, parking and visiting tips

• Address: 1F, 8 Cheonho-daero158-gil, Gangdong-gu, Seoul (4-minute walk from Cheonho Station Exit 6)
• Parking: nearby public parking lot recommended
• Nearby: Rodeo Street, Hyundai Department Store, and cafés are all clustered nearby, making it easy to continue on for a date or a second round after dinner

From a hearty lunch to a satisfying dinner with drinks, Jjuksami is a true Cheonho-dong favorite that delivers on all fronts — be sure to stop by when you want both spice and great value.