Kids' clear octopus soup & kalguksu, Eurwangni: Eurwangni Jjanggune

After a weekend family outing to Yeongjong Island, we weren't sure where to eat dinner, so we finally went to Eurwangni Jjanggune (을왕리짱구네), a place I'd wanted to try for a while. Eurwangni is famous for grilled clams and seafood, but plenty of people also want a hearty Korean dish that works for kids, right? The name was familiar but this was our first visit, and to say it up front, it was much better than I expected.

Where is Eurwangni Jjanggune and what is it like?

Eurwangni Jjanggune is an octopus restaurant right near Eurwangni Beach, so it's a handy spot to combine a meal with a look at the sea. The exterior looks like an older local favorite, and you can feel the octopus-restaurant vibe from the entrance.

The menu is simple, which actually makes choosing easy.

Pets and parking

The notice in front of the restaurant says pets are allowed, but you need proof of vaccination and a carrier or stroller. Handy to know if you're traveling with a dog. Parking was easy too, so it looked fine for families visiting by car.

Seating that works for family meals

The inside was clean and homey, with seating from 4-person tables to group tables, so it seems good for family dinners or company gatherings.

Menu and prices: the difference between the red one and the white one

There are two menu items, the "red one" and the "white one," both ₩30,000 per serving. Order the red one for spicy octopus hotpot (jeongol), or the white one for clear octopus soup (yeonpotang).

• Red one (octopus hotpot): ₩30,000 per serving
• White one (clear octopus soup): ₩30,000 per serving

We were two adults and one child, so we ordered 2 servings of the white one. Since we had a kid with us, we skipped the spicy red one, and we were really happy with that choice.

What does the white one octopus soup look like?

After we ordered the white one, the side dishes came first: napa cabbage kimchi, water kimchi, and a dipping sauce. Very simple.

A pot with clear broth and plenty of vegetables came out first, and we waited for it to come to a boil.

The live octopus our child found fascinating

Then the staff brought live octopus from the tank, and our child was so fascinated by the wriggling octopus that they even let him touch it :)

Once the broth boiled, they put in two whole octopuses, and the sight alone was a showstopper. A staff member prepared them right there and cut them into bite-size pieces, which was fun to watch.

A non-spicy octopus soup: will kids eat it?

The white one has a clear broth, but it had more depth than I expected, and the refreshing flavor from the octopus was great. There were plenty of vegetables and mushrooms, like chives, enoki, napa cabbage and radish, and the broth wasn't harsh, so it was easy to share with a child.

The octopus wasn't chewy at all, really tender, and our child said it was delicious and ate it so well! Octopus for the first time, plus broth and vegetables, and he ate it all, so I was glad we chose this for a family meal.

There are also plenty of clams at the bottom, so you can enjoy it like a refreshing clam soup too. Tourist-area food can sometimes have a nice atmosphere but disappointing taste, yet at Eurwangni Jjanggune the food itself was very satisfying.

Adding Cheongyang chili and the octopus ink treat

After serving the child first, ask for Cheongyang chili (a spicy green chili) and add it to the broth for a much more refreshing, kick-y bowl. I dipped the octopus in soy sauce and in sweet-spicy chili paste (chogochujang), and it felt like a proper health boost.

They cook the octopus heads a bit longer and then cut them into bite-size pieces, and popping the ink sac and eating it was a total treat! I wanted my broth clear, so I ate it separately, but I hear many people deliberately stir the ink into the broth for a nuttier flavor.

Is adding kalguksu at Eurwangni Jjanggune worth it?

The real highlight at Eurwangni Jjanggune was the kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) we added at the end. At first the amount looked like a lot and I hesitated, but I would have regretted skipping it. Adding the noodles to the broth left after the octopus and vegetables made it feel like a completely different dish.

The broth was already richly infused, so the flavor soaked into the noodles and it was so good. Our child loves noodles too, so it was great for sharing, and for families the noodle add-on feels almost mandatory.

Is it a good family meal in Eurwangni?

Because the white one is a soup dish, it isn't harsh, and the seating was fairly comfortable. When I think of Eurwangni I only thought of grilled clams, but this was a reminder that a clean, simple Korean dish works too. If you're driving around Yeongjong or visiting Eurwangni Beach and need a family dinner spot, I hope you'll give it a try :)