Private corner table and free cheese egg custard in Magok: Jju Baksa

Hi, this is Kuma. Today's post is a review of Jju Baksa, my go-to lunch spot near Yangcheon Hyanggyo Station in Magok, which I've visited more times than I can count as a local.

Jju Baksa Magok Branch / 1F 130, Daebang DMC City 2nd Officetel, 23 Magokdong-ro 10-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea / Open: daily / Hours: 11:00–01:00 / Group seating available, outdoor tables, free parking, baby chair

Where to sit at Jju Baksa Magok Branch: outdoor tables and the private table at the back

Jju Baksa, a lunch spot for jjukkumi near Yangcheon Hyanggyo Station and Seoul Botanic Park, has outdoor tables, so it's perfect for anyone who wants octopus on a nice day like this!

But my favorite is the private table all the way in the back, so that's where I ate haha .. There are plenty of tables and outdoor seating too, so it works for group visits, but it's also great for a cozy date or family meal. Especially since it's a great combo to eat and then stroll through the botanic park, so I noticed a lot of couples on dates.

Ordering jjusamgyeop with the drink set at Jju Baksa

Every time I go, I order a different set menu, and this time I went with the drink set. And instead of plain jjukkumi, I ordered jjusamgyeop, which comes with pork belly! They don't just serve plain octopus — you can mix and match, which makes it a great option for anyone who loves jjukkumi near Seoul Botanic Park.

Here's the overall spread, and I'll show the details below!

Side dishes, the self-serve bar and the rice balls in the drink set

The side dishes are perilla leaves, angel hair radish salad (cheonsachae), and pickled radish (ssammu), and since it's a drink set, a zero-sugar cola comes with it (you can choose)! I didn't get a separate photo, but a dipping sauce and bean sprouts for the octopus come out too, so you can eat it milder. You grab the side dishes yourself from the self-bar. I've come so often I could probably skip this explanation haha.

The drink set comes with a rice ball instead of fried rice. The flying fish roe that comes with it can go into the rice or be used to dip the octopus. My friend prefers to dip the octopus separately, but I personally found it more savory mixed into the rice.

Corn cheese and cheese egg custard at no extra charge

And here's what makes Jju Baksa near Yangcheon Hyanggyo Station such a great deal — this set also comes with corn cheese and egg custard 🤤 You can add cheese to the egg custard, and there's no extra charge, so I always go with cheese ..!! The egg custard is soft and delicious — I think I'd order it even without the set.

Staff stir-fry the hot plate for you, plus how to order it less spicy

The jjukkumi at this Seoul Botanic Park favorite is always grilled by the staff, so you can eat comfortably without lifting a finger! If you want it milder, just ask them to cook it with the bean sprouts, and once everything's done, start with the rice cake. Also, the staff at Jju Baksa are all so kind. Maybe that's why it's always busy, both with delivery and dine-in customers.

Instead of shaping the rice ball round, I spread it out like rice and topped it with octopus dipped in the flying fish roe sauce. So, so good, just the right spicy level, and the octopus was plump .. 🫰

I once went to another jjukkumi place and was disappointed by octopus so small it was embarrassing to even call it jjukkumi, but at Jju Baksa the quality is consistently good no matter when I visit, so I always leave satisfied.

Eating it with the rice ball is great, but you have to finish it off by wrapping it in a perilla leaf with angel hair radish salad on top too ..

I was so full and having such a good time eating that I didn't take many photos for this post, but if you check my earlier posts, you'll see this really is a true regular spot for me haha.

Jju Baksa near Yangcheon Hyanggyo Station isn't a place I keep visiting just because I live nearby — it's genuinely delicious, which is why I go so often. So if you live around here or are looking for a good jjukkumi spot near Seoul Botanic Park, I hope you give it a try!