Seafood restaurant in Yuseong: abalone octopus at Seommaeul

Craving something spicy, our family of four—my husband, our four-year-old, and our baby—visited Seommaeul Agujjim & Nakjibokkeum (섬마을 아구찜&낙지볶음) in Yuseong, Daejeon. I thought the seafood stew might be too spicy for the children, but we chose it for a family meal because there were side dishes they could eat and the seating was spacious.

Where can you park when driving to Seommaeul?

There was a dedicated parking lot behind the restaurant. We parked right in front of the restaurant that day before going in. The exterior had the feel of an older restaurant, and I saw quite a few families there too.

What came with the ₩40,000 abalone and octopus stew?

The abalone and octopus stew we ordered that day cost ₩40,000. When it arrived, it had six abalones, and the octopus legs were fairly substantial too. It also came with bean sprouts and minari (water parsley), which were easy to pick up and eat with the seafood.

How spicy and filling was the seafood stew?

For my taste, the spice level was just right. The seasoning was spicy but not overwhelmingly hot, and I could still taste the seafood.

The abalones and octopus had a nice texture with the bean sprouts and minari. I was satisfied with the amount of abalone and octopus in a ₩40,000 dish. We were hungry, so we ordered two bowls of rice to have with it, but the seafood stew was so plentiful that we could not eat the fried rice we had planned to order. I regretted not getting to try the fried rice afterward.

That said, it was still too spicy for the children, so I could not give them the seafood stew.

What did the children eat instead of seafood stew?

The children ate the side dishes instead of the seafood stew. There were steamed egg, seasoned seaweed flakes, stir-fried potatoes, and stir-fried fish cake. The steamed egg was not salty, so it was good to share with my child. Our four-year-old tried various side dishes, and I made sure the baby had side dishes they could eat too.

It was nice that there were several side dishes for children who were not eating the seafood stew. In particular, the seasoned seaweed flakes were sweet, so they had them twice.

How were the seating and atmosphere for a meal with two children?

The seating toward the back of the restaurant was fairly spacious, so eating with two children was not especially inconvenient. The staff were kind, and with many family groups there, eating with children felt natural. Its older-restaurant atmosphere made it feel like a place regularly visited by neighborhood customers.

How was the homemade sikhye after the meal?

To finish the meal, I also tried the homemade sikhye (sweet rice drink). Drinking the sweet sikhye after the spicy seafood stew made the heat in my mouth feel settled.

At this meal, the adults ate the spicy seafood stew with abalone and octopus, while the children ate the side dishes. The children could not share the main dish with us, but the side dishes and seating made the meal workable for our family of four.