Teheran-ro lunch: spicy octopus and pork belly bossam set for two

On a day when I suddenly craved spicy octopus stir-fry, I visited Obongjip Samseong Branch. Whenever I want octopus stir-fry and bossam (steamed pork wrap), Obongjip is the place that comes to mind. I'd recommend it as a COEX-area restaurant near Samseong Station! It's especially good if you add extra knife-cut noodles to make it into kalnakji (noodle-octopus).

Location and parking

There's no parking provided, so I'd recommend taking public transit!

Storefront and interior atmosphere

True to a COEX-area restaurant, Obongjip has a face right on the sign! You know that when a restaurant puts a face on their signage, it usually means they're confident in the taste, right?

It's also a place that's been on TV quite a few times.

Obongjip Samseong Branch has a spacious interior with lots of seats. It seemed like it could easily handle group guests too, for reference.

There's a self-serve bar tucked in one corner of the restaurant where you can grab extra side dishes if you run short. There was a good variety, so I think it'd appeal to all ages.

Menu board and the set we ordered

I ordered the Nakji Obongjip Special (Gabri) for ₩62,000. The Nakji Obongjip Special comes with spicy octopus stir-fry for two + gabrisal bossam + cold buckwheat noodles on a tray. Such a solid lineup!

These are the standard side dishes at Obongjip Samseong Branch. There's a good variety — warm seaweed soup, bean sprouts, seasoned radish, white kimchi, spicy radish salad, and more. There's also seaweed soup at the self-serve bar, so you can go grab more if you run out.

Spicy octopus stir-fry for two

Just look at the sight of Obongjip's octopus stir-fry. That red glow I wanted! Octopus stir-fried nicely in a red seasoning.

The Nakji Obongjip Special doesn't come with a separate bowl of rice, but true to a good COEX-area restaurant, lunchtime rice is free and unlimited, so I could scoop it myself from the self-serve zone.

You just scoop as much rice as you'll eat.

There were quite large chunks of octopus in the dish, so you need to use the tongs and scissors to cut them into bite-sized pieces. Since the pieces are big, they're heavy too, so handle carefully.

Take a moment to admire the plump, springy octopus!

Octopus bibimbap made with the side dishes

Then I dumped the side dishes into the rice. Bean sprouts, seasoned radish, seaweed flakes, spicy radish salad, all of it! And then I loaded in plenty of today's star, the octopus stir-fry. Personally, I loved that there was a generous amount of cabbage mixed in along with the octopus!

Every table has a bottle of sesame oil, and one good swirl of that turns it into proper octopus bibimbap!

Mix it all up and take a big spoonful — it'll bring back an appetite you didn't even know you'd lost. I think the real reason to visit Obongjip is for the pleasure of mixing the octopus stir-fry into rice like this.

How spicy is it, really?

I like spicy food, so none of it was spicy for me at all, but my husband, who can't handle spice, said it was a bit spicy — maybe from the cold spicy noodles, maybe from the octopus stir-fry — and went back for more seaweed soup. We ordered the set this time so we didn't add extra knife-cut noodles, but do try adding noodle strands for Obongjip's kalnakji too!

Gabrisal bossam

And then the gabrisal (pork jowl) bossam! The gabrisal bossam comes out neatly arranged, and the kimchi portion looked like almost a whole head's worth.

Both napa cabbage kimchi and radish kimchi come out together, so you can pair whichever you like with the bossam.

The kimchi at Obongjip Samseong Branch isn't too spicy and hits just the right taste, pairing really well with the bossam. The moderately spicy kimchi and the mild, savory gabrisal bossam are a great combination. Bossam is always the right call.

Cold spicy buckwheat noodles

Do cold spicy buckwheat noodles really need to look this pretty? Bossam's perfect partner is definitely cold spicy buckwheat noodles!

They also give you plastic gloves so you can gently toss the noodles by hand.

The cold spicy buckwheat noodles weren't too spicy either, hitting just the right sweet-and-spicy balance to whet the appetite. Really enjoyed it.

You can tell at a glance that the cold spicy buckwheat noodles and gabrisal bossam go well together. Do try them together too. One well-eating adult man and one adult woman shared the Nakji Obongjip Special, and we finished everything — and ended up way fuller than expected. We walked out of this COEX-area restaurant near Samseong Station clutching our very full stomachs after a hearty meal.

After the meal, there are toothpicks and floss set out in case food gets stuck in your teeth. Nice touch from Obongjip Samseong Branch. There are also hair ties, so ladies, feel free to use one if you need it.

Who I'd recommend this to

• Anyone wanting bossam and cold spicy buckwheat noodles
• Anyone craving octopus stir-fry or squid stir-fry
• Anyone looking for a good restaurant near Samseong Station and COEX