Daejeon Korean restaurant for pork octopus stir-fry: Chongil Nakji

Wanting something with a spicy seasoning, my husband and I went to Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch for lunch. We added scallop meat to the pork octopus stir-fry, eating it in wraps and mixed with bean sprouts and rice.

Where is Chongil Nakji, Tanbang branch, and is parking available?

The restaurant is at 105, 23-19 Gyeryong-ro 571beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea, opposite Sanho Apartments. The hours posted when I visited were 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with a break from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. It is closed on Sundays, and the building's parking tower offered one hour of free parking.

Outside the building, there were signs for octopus stir-fry and yeonpotang (clear octopus soup). Since yeonpotang was available only in the evening, we could not have it at lunch.

How were the lunch seating and wait for food?

There were tables for two and four, with plenty of space between them, so we could eat comfortably. When we arrived at around 1 PM, about half the seats were occupied, and more customers came in while we ate.

When we visited, the owner was cooking alone, so we waited a little for the food to come out.

How did we choose a menu for two?

The owner's recommended dish was pork octopus stir-fry. There were also special octopus stir-fry, beef octopus stir-fry, and scallop octopus stir-fry, as well as Chongil assorted special stir-fry with octopus, small octopus, beef, and scallops. The assorted special was for three people, so it seemed like too much for the two of us.

We ordered two portions of pork octopus stir-fry with extra scallop meat, along with a sample portion of bulgogi. There was also a special discount notice for takeout when we visited.

There were two events posted when we visited. The yeonpotang service available after five visits was offered in the evening, and customers could receive a sample portion of bulgogi by posting a Naver photo review.

How were the side dishes and sample bulgogi?

First came perilla leaves and lettuce, shredded radish salad, and pickled onions. All were refillable; the shredded radish salad was good on its own as a side dish and also worked well mixed into rice with the octopus stir-fry.

Rice, cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew), and the sample bulgogi also arrived. We started with the bulgogi while waiting for the octopus stir-fry; the meat was moderately fatty and went well with the stir-fried onions. Its lightly sweet seasoning made it easy to eat with rice.

How much pork octopus stir-fry with extra scallop meat was there, and how did it taste?

With extra scallop meat added to two portions of pork octopus stir-fry, the serving looked quite large at first. They also gave us plenty of bean sprouts to mix with rice.

With the bulgogi and side dishes alongside the octopus stir-fry, the table looked plentiful. The octopus was plump, and the thin pork had absorbed the seasoning well. I was also happy with how well the extra scallop meat suited the dish.

How spicy was level 2, and how did we eat it?

First, I placed octopus stir-fry and rice on wrap vegetables. Having the octopus, pork, and scallop meat together went well with the leaves.

In a large bowl, we generously mixed bean sprouts and pork octopus stir-fry with rice. We chose level 2, described as Shin Ramyun-level spicy, but it felt less spicy to me than dishes at other places described as the same level.

I also liked wrapping the pork octopus stir-fry and scallop meat with shredded radish salad. At first, it seemed as though we had ordered a lot, but alternating between wraps and mixed rice, we finished it all and ended the meal feeling full.