Sunday lunch Korean restaurant in Gangnam: ₩62,000 Obong Special

Today I'm sharing my review of Obongjip Samseong Branch, a spot near Samseong Station known for octopus stir-fry and bossam (boiled pork wrap)~

Where is Obongjip Samseong Branch, and what are its hours?

• 📍 62 Teheran-ro 81-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (152-9 Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul), South Korea — 347m from Samseong Jungang Station Exit 5
• ⏰ 11:00–22:00 / Break time 14:30–17:00 / Last order 21:30
• 🚘 No dedicated parking lot (use nearby lots, about ₩6,000/hour)

The sky's been so blue and high lately that it really feels like fall is here~ When you think of fall you think of gizzard shad, prawns and blue crab being in season, but apparently octopus is in season too~

Craving spicy octopus stir-fry, I headed to Obongjip Samseong Branch~ It's close to Samseong Jungang, Bongeunsa, and Samseong stations, so on weekdays it's packed with office workers at both lunch and dinner~

I went on a Sunday, slightly off the usual lunch rush, so it wasn't too crowded, which was nice~ Just a heads up, the entrance isn't on the front but on the side~

Inside Obongjip: group seating and the self-serve banchan bar

The building at Obongjip Samseong Branch is a long, horizontal shape — apart from the kitchen and restroom in the back, it's all dining hall~ Most seats are by the windows, so you can enjoy the busy street view~

Behind the self-serve bar there's a partitioned area that would be great for company dinners or gatherings~ With about 3 tables, it looks like it could fit around 12 people~

On your way out, there's even a nostalgic gachapon toy machine and a cool dessert on offer~ The plum tea is self-serve, scoop it yourself~

There's also a self-serve bar where you can help yourself to soup, rice, and side dishes~

Overall the place felt clean and well-kept, which I liked~

What's in the 62,000 won Obong Special when the octopus soup is sold out?

I was torn between octopus stir-fry and octopus soup, but the day I went, the octopus soup was sold out, so there was no need to agonize — I just ordered the Obong Special~

The Obong Special is a set that comes with two servings of octopus stir-fry, a small bossam, and makguksu (buckwheat cold noodles) together~ It looked like just the right amount for about 3 adults~

• Obong Special: ₩62,000

Did you know 'obong' is a Japanese word for tray? Obongjip apparently got its name from its signature serving style — piling the octopus stir-fry, bossam, makguksu, and side dishes generously onto a big silver tray~ It's said to carry the devotion of a mother who worked in the kitchen to support her family, along with the familiar comfort of an old-school eatery~

Obongjip's bossam (small): how good is the meat-to-fat ratio?

The first thing to arrive was the bossam, and what stood out right away was the neatly rolled bossam kimchi~

Radish kimchi was snugly rolled inside the napa cabbage kimchi~ When bossam meat is all lean it's dry, and when it's all fat it's greasy, but here the ratio of lean meat to fat was pretty much perfect~

I also like the meat sliced a bit thin, and the thickness here was just right~ The bossam was great whether eaten with just radish kimchi or with the bossam kimchi~

Piling makguksu noodles on top of the bossam turned out to be a better pairing than I expected~

The octopus stir-fry and makguksu were both delicious, but the bossam was my favorite of all~

Fire-grilled octopus stir-fry: how spicy is it?

Right after the bossam, the octopus stir-fry came out — the dishes really arrived fast~ Just from the color, the octopus stir-fry looked deliciously spicy~

The octopus pieces were nice and plump, and there was plenty of cabbage, onion, and other vegetables mixed in too~

You can slice up the octopus and eat it plain — spicy and tasty — but it's also great mixed with rice, seaweed, bean sprouts, and sesame oil~

The octopus was plump with a nice chewy texture, and it wasn't overwhelmingly spicy — just pleasantly hot~

Makguksu: the chilled buckwheat noodles that come with the set

Last came the makguksu, topped with egg garnish and nuts~

The makguksu was tasty on its own, but wrapped in bossam it was even better~

Is the Obong Special worth it? A meal made with care

The tidy dishes served on the tray at Obongjip Samseong Branch somehow give off that comfortable, old-school restaurant feeling~ From the long-braised, tender bossam to the neatly rolled kimchi and the deliciously spicy octopus stir-fry, everything tasted like it was made with real care~

It'd be great to come during the day, but I think it would be even better in the evening with a bowl of makgeolli~ I'd definitely recommend coming here with family, a partner, friends, or coworkers~