Sinsa octopus restaurant takeout: abalone bowl, Sinsappeollakji

With morning sickness these days, it isn't easy to get a proper meal down, but every now and then I really crave something spicy. So this time I picked up lunch to go from Sinsappeollakji (신사뻘낙지) near Sinsa Station.

Sinsappeollakji Sinsa Station Branch: location, hours and parking

Sinsappeollakji is at 7 Dosan-daero 8-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (1st floor), 159 m from Exit 1 of Sinsa Station on Line 3 and the Shinbundang Line. It's open Monday to Saturday, 11:00–21:30, and closed every Sunday.

• Address: 7 Dosan-daero 8-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (1st floor)
• 159 m from Exit 1 of Sinsa Station (Line 3, Shinbundang Line)
• Hours: Monday–Saturday 11:00–21:30
• Closed every Sunday
• Parking: underground parking on the left side of the building

It's an octopus specialty restaurant near Sinsa Station, and it's usually packed at lunchtime anyway, but this time I did takeout instead of eating in.

What's on the takeout menu, and how much?

I ordered two things to go: the abalone octopus stir-fry rice bowl and the giant octopus dumplings.

Prices were ₩22,000 for the abalone octopus stir-fry rice bowl and ₩9,000 for the giant octopus dumplings.

It seems you can get extra side dishes if you eat in the restaurant~

I just waited for the takeout to come out!!!

Doesn't it look so delicious?!

How are the giant octopus dumplings?

The giant octopus dumplings (₩9,000) come as 5 pieces, and they packed soy sauce separately, which was great for dipping. The dumplings are bigger than I expected, so the name "giant" really fits, and they're packed full, so even one bite feels filling.

Maybe because they have octopus in them, the texture was more fun than ordinary dumplings and they had more flavor too, so I really enjoyed them. By the way, steaming the dumplings takes about 8 minutes!

Abalone octopus stir-fry rice bowl: what's in it and how it tastes

The main dish, the abalone octopus stir-fry rice bowl (₩22,000), came with 2 abalone and stir-fried octopus, plus bean sprouts packed separately so you can mix them in. As you'd expect from a specialist, the octopus was plump and springy, which I loved.

The seasoning wasn't too harsh either, more of a savory, mildly spicy style, so it was just right for when you have no appetite.

The funny-sad episode of the missing rice

But here's the funny-sad part. It was lunchtime, so maybe they were busy, because the rice was missing. I was flustered at first, but I just tried eating it anyway. And what do you know, it was plenty delicious even without rice.

Mixing the boiled bean sprouts that came with it into the stir-fried octopus was deliciously different in its own way. It actually felt lighter, which was even better with morning sickness.

The set also came with salad and seaweed soup as standard, so the whole meal was pretty generous. Even as takeout they packed it all in, so I could eat well and was satisfied.

Other dishes and the lunch special at Sinsappeollakji

Sinsappeollakji isn't just octopus rice bowls. The menu is varied, with yeonpo-tang (octopus soup), seafood jjim (steamed seafood), seafood pajeon (scallion pancake) and live octopus, so choosing is half the fun. According to the notice in the restaurant, there's also a separate lunch special for 3–4 people.

The set looks good and seems like great value, so next time I'd like to go with my coworkers and try the lunch special properly.

Sinsappeollakji takeout: overall verdict

Overall, Sinsappeollakji keeps the octopus's springy texture and the seasoning isn't overwhelming, so it's the kind of food almost anyone would enjoy. Takeout was satisfying enough, and it makes me want to eat there next time while it's piping hot.

If you can't decide on lunch near Sinsa Station, I recommend stopping by at least once.