COEX mall restaurant dinner for three, non-alcoholic beer: Obongjip

Where is Obongjip Samseong Branch? 8 minutes on foot from Samseong Station and COEX mall

Obongjip Samseong Branch is a Korean restaurant near Samseong Station and COEX known for its fire-grilled octopus stir-fry and bossam (boiled pork wraps). It's about an 8-minute walk from COEX. We visited during dinner time, and true to its reputation, the place was packed with customers 👀

🏠1F, 62 Teheran-ro 81-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea ⏰Weekdays 11:00–22:00 | Sat–Sun 11:30–22:00 | Break time 14:30–17:00 ✔️Naver reservations available, review event

What comes in the 62,000-won Nakji Obong Special

Obongjip's menu 📝 We ordered the Nakji Obong Special :: ₩62,000, a set combining octopus stir-fry for two, small bossam, and platter mak-guksu (buckwheat noodles)! The composition looks great for group work dinners, and the meal portions are so generous it'd also be perfect for nearby office workers' lunch!

Obongjip's banchan tray and the self-serve side dish bar

True to the name Obongjip (Five-Tray House), the side dishes came out neatly arranged on a tray! Seaweed soup, sausage, bean sprouts, baek-kimchi (white kimchi), and more, all beautifully prepared. I really love seaweed soup — I could finish a bottle of soju with just that.

If you need more side dishes, just use the self-serve bar! Every dish there is neatly organized too!!

Bossam, small size — still a generous plate of boiled pork

Bossam [small]. Even at the small size, the amount of boiled pork is generous! Look at that glossy sheen on the bossam!! 👀 How could this visual not taste good? The combo of crunchy bossam kimchi, sweet-spicy radish salad, and tender, moist pork!! Instant somaek (soju + beer) trigger.

Genuinely moist and clean-tasting bossam! It pairs well with the kimchi and radish salad, but it's also amazing simply with salted shrimp!!

Fire-grilled octopus stir-fry: how smoky and how spicy?

Wow, the fire-grilled octopus stir-fry was packed with smoky char!! I'm drooling just writing this post,, look at those plump octopus legs 🐙 Chewy and springy octopus stir-fry!! It had that smoky flavor with just the right amount of spice, and plenty of cabbage kept the heat clean and balanced! Total soju pairing 🤭🤭

Platter mak-guksu, the cold buckwheat noodles that come with the set

Egg garnish, seaweed flakes, vegetables — the platter mak-guksu came out colorfully arranged, almost too pretty to mix! But with the provided disposable gloves, mix it up anyway!! The sauce amount on the mak-guksu was just right too, not too salty and delicious. Plenty of vegetables made it refreshing and clean.

If you want to try a bit of everything, the Special Set is the way to go!! Highly recommend it!! The menu composition felt just right. If the octopus stir-fry gets too spicy, grab a bite of bossam, then finish with the refreshing mak-guksu!! A perfect set for 3–4 people.

Review-event fried peppers, and kalnakji on the next visit

Also, Obongjip Samseong Branch gives you fried peppers as a review event, so definitely try to join 🤭 Next time I'm planning to visit during lunch to try the kalnakji (knife-cut octopus). Their kalnakji has been popping up on my Instagram lately. The visuals look so tempting I'll have to come back for it. Here's a preview guide on how to enjoy kalnakji the best way!

For a final palate cleanser, they gave us plum juice on the house! After the three of us cleared the entire Special set, we were seriously full, but it was such a thoughtful dessert touch! haha Nothing beats ending a meal with plum juice ✨

Oh, and I noticed they now carry Terra non-alcoholic beer?? If you're driving, you still can't skip a drink with a meal like this, right 👀 It's genuinely 0.00, so no worries about driving!! Since Obongjip keeps it in stock, at least enjoy a glass this way haha.

A perfect spread with smoky octopus stir-fry, tender moist bossam, and sweet-tangy mak-guksu, all in the Special set!! If you're looking for a great Korean restaurant near Samseong Station or COEX for lunch or a dinner get-together, I fully recommend Obongjip!!!