Baby octopus restaurant in Dongtan with self-bar refills: Jeongipum

When I crave something spicy at lunch, baby octopus stir-fry (jjukkumi bokkeum) is a pretty good pick. This time I visited Jeongipum Jjukkumi (정이품쭈꾸미) Dongtan Branch 1 in Mokdong, Dongtan. :)

We ate 2 servings of baby octopus and ordered cheese fried rice to finish. The chewy octopus went really well with the sauce, and the nutty cheese fried rice was delicious too. It turns out they also have set menus with meat and rice cakes, lots of add-ons, and a weekday lunch special, not just the griddle octopus. Let me walk you through the restaurant info, the whole menu and what we actually ate.

Where is Jeongipum Jjukkumi Dongtan Branch 1, and is there parking?

Jeongipum Jjukkumi Dongtan Branch 1 is a griddle baby octopus restaurant on Wangbaesan 2-gil in Mokdong, Dongtan. There is parking space in front of the restaurant, and we came by car. If there are no spots, you can look at the nearby public car park as an alternative.

Atmosphere and facilities at Jeongipum Jjukkumi Dongtan Branch 1

Baby octopus stir-fry is a great choice for a family meal or when you and your friends want something spicy. Jeongipum Jjukkumi Dongtan Branch 1 centers on griddle baby octopus, and it looked fine for family outings or eating in a group.

Inside there are tables for groups, and there is a self bar. They also have high chairs and a restroom inside.

That said, the number of seats, the spacing between tables and how crowded it gets may vary depending on when you visit.

What is on the menu at Jeongipum Jjukkumi?

Besides the basic griddle baby octopus, there is griddle-fried cuttlefish, set menus with meat, rice cakes and vegetables added, plus fried rice and side dishes, so there are plenty of options. I put the prices together in photos.

Griddle mains and set menus

Besides baby octopus, there is also a griddle stir-fry made with thick cuttlefish, so you can choose to your taste. The sets are split into a baby octopus set and a cuttlefish set.

If you want meat, rice cakes and vegetables together, take a look at the set menus. Unlike eating only baby octopus, you can add a variety of ingredients.

Add-ons and extras

Fried rice menu

You can finish with fried rice after the baby octopus, or choose a set with meat or rice cakes and vegetables from the start.

That day we ate 2 servings of baby octopus and then added 1 serving of cheese fried rice.

Weekday lunch special

If you visit Jeongipum Jjukkumi Dongtan Branch 1 at lunchtime, check out the weekday lunch special too. It is worth a look when you want a meal with rice instead of ordering several servings of griddle baby octopus.

How was the original-spice baby octopus for 2?

What we ordered at Jeongipum Jjukkumi Dongtan Branch 1 that day was baby octopus for 2, and I picked the original spice level. The red sauce coated the octopus nicely and it looked so appetizing.

Trying it, I loved the chewy texture of the octopus. The sauce blended so well with that chewiness that every bite was good. The octopus and the sauce never felt like they were doing their own thing; they went well together.

Ordering the original spice level, we could enjoy the spicy sauce and the texture of the octopus together.

How to enjoy the griddle baby octopus

Here is how Jeongipum Jjukkumi recommends eating the griddle baby octopus.

• When the baby octopus gets "sexy," get your wraps ready. (Sexy!!)
• Wrap in this order: perilla leaf (back side) → seaweed → bean sprouts → baby octopus, all in one bite!
• Once it is cooked enough, turn the heat down low so the octopus does not get tough
• Dip it lightly in the mayonnaise sauce
• Finish with fried rice where the cheese is "breathing"

They kindly tell you how to eat it deliciously, so of course we had to try it. This combo is seriously the best. We refilled just the perilla leaves, seaweed and pickled radish at the self bar three times!!

Baby octopus stir-fry is good while you eat the main dish, but the appeal is that you can use the leftover sauce for fried rice too. After finishing the octopus, we naturally added fried rice.

Is the cheese fried rice at Jeongipum Jjukkumi a must-order?

After the baby octopus for 2, we ordered 1 serving of cheese fried rice. Griddle food followed by fried rice is a combo that is hard to skip.

The nuttiness of the cheese went well with the baby octopus sauce. The savory cheese added to the flavor of the sauce we had tasted with the octopus, so it felt different from the main dish.

I was glad we ordered the fried rice instead of stopping at the baby octopus. Lightly grill some seaweed next to the fried rice and wrap the rice in it. It is honestly so good.

Overall verdict on Jeongipum Jjukkumi Dongtan Branch 1

We had baby octopus for 2 and 1 serving of cheese fried rice at Jeongipum Jjukkumi Dongtan Branch 1. The octopus was chewy with a well-matched sauce, and the cheese fried rice added a nutty flavor that made a satisfying finish.

Beyond the main griddle dishes, there are sets with meat, rice cakes and vegetables, various add-ons and fried rice, and a baby octopus griddle bibimbap is listed for weekday lunch, so you have plenty of choices. Next time you crave baby octopus stir-fry in Mokdong, Dongtan, compare the lunch special and the griddle menu and give it a visit.