Octopus restaurant in Muan with a ₩55,000 nakji course: Dongsanjeong

When you think of Muan in South Jeolla, the first specialty that comes to mind is mud-flat octopus (beolnakji)! It's said to be so nutritious it can get a collapsed cow back on its feet, so plenty of people head to Muan's Mud Octopus Street to enjoy it properly. Here's a spot I tracked down that's the real deal.

Even in Muan Octopus Alley, it stands out with 45+ years of tradition and a generous course of all kinds of octopus dishes: Muan Mud Octopus Dongsanjeong (동산정)!

A few weeks ago I saw an octopus course on TV and really wanted to eat one properly, so I picked this place after a lot of searching!!!

Where to park at Dongsanjeong on Mud Octopus Street

Dongsanjeong is directly across from the public lot at the Nakjigol Parking Tower, so parking is really easy. When you arrive at Mud Octopus Street, parking is the first thing you worry about. (And I mean literally directly across the street!!! The public lot is free for 2 hours!)

Inside, you're greeted by a spacious, tidy dining room, and it fills up even at weekday lunch, loved by locals and tourists alike. In front of the restaurant they also sell live octopus and seafood, and lots of locals come just to buy octopus. Lots of regulars here!

The person who greeted us as soon as we walked in that day was the owner's daughter-in-law, and I recognized her face from the TV show Saengsaeng Jeongbotong!

Signature octopus course: price and what you get

If you're at Dongsanjeong, I strongly recommend the signature octopus course over single dishes! For ₩55,000 per person (₩110,000 for two), you get an octopus party with a table that nearly bends under the food. (If you're drinking alongside, the ₩40,000 course is plenty satisfying too!!)

By a rough count, the course for two had 8 or more octopuses in it. They don't hold back, so it's a restorative feast with far better value than beef.

Galnaktang, octopus chomuchim, tangtangi

Galnaktang (rib and octopus soup): You can have yeonpotang (octopus soup) instead, but we went with galnaktang! You get hearty beef rib meat and octopus in one bowl, two birds with one stone. A whole large live octopus goes into a cool, mildly sweet broth with napa cabbage and bok choy. Tender octopus and rich broth fill you up nicely.

Octopus chomuchim (vinegared spicy salad), or stir-fry (pick one): Seasoned just right, neither too spicy nor too salty! Mix it with rice in a big bowl and it's a total rice thief. Mouth watering!! Apparently younger people like the stir-fry and older folks like the chomuchim. We thought the stir-fry would be too heavy, so we got the chomuchim, and it was a good choice!! 👍

Octopus tangtangi (chopped raw octopus): Fresh, still-wriggling baby octopus (sebal-nakji) tangtangi! No fishy taste at all, and the nutty, crunchy texture is a work of art.

Horong-gui, octopus salad, octopus pancake

Octopus horong-gui (grilled octopus wrapped on a stick): A Muan specialty, plump octopus wound around a wooden chopstick and grilled! The natural seasoning isn't harsh and brings out the savory depth, so it's chewy without being tough.

Octopus salad: A salad with only lightly blanched octopus legs! With fresh vegetables and balsamic dressing, it couldn't be more refreshing.

Octopus pancake (nakji-jeon): I'd only ever had pancakes with squid, so a pancake with a whole octopus in it was a first, haha. It definitely tasted different from any pancake I'd had before, and I happily ate it up.

Side dishes that rival the mains: soy crab, grilled abalone, sticky-rice tteokgalbi

What makes Dongsanjeong's course special isn't just the main dishes, but the quality of the sides and banchan that come with them.

Ganjang-gejang (soy-marinated crab): Not fishy, not too salty, and it seems restaurants in South Jeolla almost always serve marinated crab. Dongsanjeong does too! But the crabs were plump and much bigger. Honestly, though, it was too sweet for me..

Grilled abalone: Fresh abalone taken straight from the tank and lightly steamed!!! Clean, nutty and so big you can't fit it in one bite. Try it yourself and you won't forget how tender it is to chew!!

Sticky-rice tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty): A handmade patty the size of an adult's fist, wrapped in sticky rice, and kids really love it. High meat content and mild in flavor. A hidden signature, maybe?!

Lotus root salad: Raw lotus root and bell pepper with a sweet-and-sour vinegar dressing, a salad that cleanses your palate before or after the meal!! Lotus root and octopus go together better than you'd think.

Add the neatly arranged Southern-style banchan and you really feel treated like a guest.

Verdict: a restorative meal for elders and kids alike

Muan Mud Octopus Dongsanjeong is the best choice for trying fresh domestic Muan mud-flat octopus in many styles at once: tangtangi, horong-gui, stir-fry, yeonpotang and more. It's a Muan octopus restaurant carried on for 45 years by a second generation.

The flavors are healthy and not harsh, so it's great for taking older family members, and with kid-friendly dishes like tteokgalbi it's perfect for a whole-family meal. If you're looking for things to do in Muan, I recommend recharging properly at Dongsanjeong, a legend of Muan Octopus Alley! 🦑💪 Since you've come all the way to Muan, really enjoy it at Dongsanjeong!!

*Dongsanjeong location: 176 Seongnam 1-gil, Muan-eup, Muan-gun