Magok Korean BBQ set with hanwoo sirloin on a mini brazier: Songjjujip

A delicious harmony of smoky-charred webfoot octopus and juicy hanwoo sirloin — Songjjujip Magok, where grilling on your own little brazier is half the fun

Where is Songjjujip Magok and what are its hours?

Songjjujip Magok is a webfoot octopus Korean restaurant at 158 Magokseo-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, on the 2nd floor of Central Tower 2. It's 263m from Exit 1 of Magoknaru Station, and it's open Mon–Sun 11:00–23:00, with last order at 22:00.

Lunch near the Magok COEX area at Songjjujip Magok

I was out for lunch with a friend who, like me, usually goes for spicy-savory Korean food, and we ended up at Songjjujip Magok, which has been getting popular as a Magoknaru restaurant. It's a very short walk from Exit 1 of Magoknaru Station, so it's really easy to reach by public transport.

The area around the restaurant is packed with things to do — Seoul Botanic Park, Magok COEX Mall, LG Arts Center Seoul — all close by for shopping or culture. I always think this is a great neighborhood for a stroll after a meal, or as part of a date course.

What is the dining room at Songjjujip Magok like?

Heading up to the 2nd floor and through the entrance, the interior struck me as modern yet cozy and clean. The space is quite large with tables spaced comfortably apart, so it looked like a good fit for anything from a small meal to a work dinner or family gathering.

The moment we walked in, friendly staff greeted us with big smiles, showed us to our table quickly, and carefully walked us through the menu — it felt welcoming and easy from the start.

What's on the menu at Songjjujip Magok

Checking the tablet ordering screen at the table, I found a menu full of original, hearty dishes unique to Songjjujip. From the signature octopus + noodle add-ins to the cheese-loaded snow cheese octopus, plus the more casual (lunch) octopus bibimbap and (lunch) octopus + pork belly bibimbap, there was a good range of Korean dishes.

There was also a solid lineup of sides to go with the mains — king shrimp tempura, steamed egg, obut soup, kids' pudding pork cutlet, ice pickle naengmyeon (cold noodles) — enough variety that anyone could find something they liked.

What comes with the octopus and hanwoo sirloin set?

Out of everything on the menu, we ordered the octopus hanwoo sirloin set, a premium, one-of-a-kind special available only at Songjjujip. The set lets you enjoy fresh, spicy octopus stir-fry alongside tender, premium-grade hanwoo (Korean beef) sirloin that's been slow-aged for three weeks at low temperature — a really special, unusual combination. Shortly after ordering, the basic side dishes, a personal mini brazier, and neatly arranged main ingredients were all set out on the table.

Pre-seared hanwoo sirloin

The first thing that caught my eye in the octopus hanwoo sirloin set was the hanwoo sirloin, neatly arranged on an elegant stone plate. The meat came pre-seared, golden and tender on the outside, and the cut face showed vivid, bright red marbling — the kind of visual that makes your mouth water before you've even tasted it.

Grilling hanwoo on a hibachi-style mini brazier

It's a hibachi-style — or shichirin-style — mini Japanese brazier set up for grilling the hanwoo. A metal plate sits on top of the personal solid-fuel brazier at the table, and you grill the meat piece by piece yourself, searing it to your own preferred doneness, which was really appealing.

The clean, nutty juices of the hanwoo sirloin

Maybe because it was premium hanwoo slow-aged for three weeks, the nutty meat aroma rising off the brazier was on another level. The moment a well-cooked piece of hanwoo sirloin hit my mouth, the juices burst out softly and a deep nuttiness spread across my palate. There was zero toughness — it melted in the mouth, tender enough to make you go 'wow.'

Because the brazier kept a gentle, steady flame, the meat stayed warm and full of flavor right until the end of the meal, letting us enjoy the refined taste of the beef properly. The nutty hanwoo sirloin worked perfectly as both an appetizer and a main, settling our stomachs comfortably before we got into the spicy octopus.

Spicy octopus stir-fry with a sauce of 8 Korean herbal ingredients

After thoroughly enjoying the hanwoo sirloin, my eyes turned to the octopus stir-fry bubbling away on the main pan. Songjjujip's octopus stir-fry is apparently made with a carefully developed sauce containing 8 kinds of Korean herbal medicine ingredients.

Rather than artificial, harsh spiciness, it's known for a deep, clean sweet-spicy flavor. The pot was generously filled with plump, fresh premium octopus, piled high with fragrant minari (water dropwort) and fresh cabbage on top, which made it even more appetizing.

After letting the sauce reduce a bit on the pan, I tried a plump piece of octopus. The texture was excellent — chewy yet tender — and the sweet-spicy flavor of the sauce came through more with every bite.

The fragrance of the generous pile of minari and the crunchy sweetness of the cabbage paired beautifully with the octopus sauce, so I kept reaching for more without ever getting tired of it. Wrapping bites with perilla leaves, pickled radish, and other side dishes brought the spiciness and nuttiness together for an even richer flavor. Thanks to the generous portion, my friend and I finished it all off, full and satisfied down to the last bite.

For anyone in the Magok area looking for a proper, delicious Korean lunch or something a bit different and well put together, or thinking about where to take a date or a group gathering, I'd confidently and strongly recommend Songjjujip Magok.

Great meal again today, as always!