Seoul monkfish stew restaurant near Olympic Park: Ttoksuni Agujjim

A great agujjim (spicy braised monkfish) spot near Hanseong Baekje Station in Bangi-dong — Ttoksuni Agujjim Jamsil Direct Branch, an Olympic Park favorite

On a day when the cosmos flowers were in full bloom at Olympic Park and I was soaking up autumn, I had a big, delicious agujjim lunch near Hanseong Baekje Station. I was already craving something spicy, and the crunchy bean sprouts, chewy monkfish meat, and popping sea squirt all came together in a tastily spicy sauce — filling and satisfying. Let me introduce this Olympic Park favorite. If you're craving agujjim around Jamsil or Bangi-dong, go here.

How to get to Ttoksuni Agujjim near Olympic Park, and where to park

Ttoksuni Agujjim Jamsil Direct Branch is a 1-minute walk from Hanseong Baekje Station Exit 3, right across from Olympic Park's South Gate 3 — easy to reach from Mongchontoseong Station or the Jamsil side too, and easy to spot since it's on a main road. For parking, get a stamp when you dine and you get 2 hours free in the building's parking (valet fee ₩2,000 applies), then ₩500 per 10 minutes after that. There's also paid public parking on the street in front, in case you need it.

Turns out it's a Bangi-dong favorite with 50 years of Jeolla-style cooking that's been featured on various TV shows.

• 48 Wirisungdae-ro, 101-ho, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–16:30
• Last order: 21:00

Inside Ttoksuni Agujjim: group tables and private rooms

Walking into Ttoksuni Agujjim Jamsil Direct Branch, I was struck by how spacious, pleasant and clean the interior was. There's group seating suited for office dinners, family gatherings, or all kinds of get-togethers, and private rooms further inside too.

Even though I went for a late lunch right before break time, there were plenty of families and nearby office workers having lunch.

On one side of the restaurant, framed certificates for Korean master chefs and a certified fish stew master were on display, which raised my expectations for the food — and made me feel proud I'd found the right place!

Menu and prices: agujjim, sets and lunch specials

The Ttoksuni Agujjim menu was posted at the entrance, and every table had a tablet kiosk for ordering, making it easy to choose. The signature menu had various types of agujjim, along with set menus great for groups, a variety of side dishes, and lunch specials like a spicy jjukkumi (baby octopus) set, agu-tang (monkfish soup), and a refreshing cod jiri-tang (clear cod soup).

Since it was lunchtime I considered just having a simple bowl of soup, but felt I should try the main dish, so I ordered the agujjim.

Side dishes and the self-serve side bar

After ordering, a neat spread of basic side dishes was set out.

First, they brought out a generous bowl of seaweed soup flavored with dried pollack and perilla seed powder, big enough to share.

There was also japchae (glass noodles) loaded with wood ear mushroom, bell pepper and carrot, cabbage salad, refreshing water kimchi, seasoned seaweed, and garlic and garlic stem salad — every basic side dish was good.

On top of that, they run a self-serve side dish bar so you can easily refill whatever you're running low on. There was even crispy fried perilla leaves.

Before the main dish arrived, I tried the savory seaweed soup — hearty and refreshing, and it turned out to be perfect to pair with the spicy agujjim later too.

What the medium agujjim for two at medium spice is like

I was told the medium (2-person) size is a good portion for two, and it really did come out generously.

There were plenty of plump, crunchy bean sprouts, but what stood out most was the generous amount of large, springy monkfish meat. It came topped with fragrant water dropwort, and a few pieces of steamed monkfish stomach on top. You could choose your spice level when ordering, and I picked medium — about as spicy as Shin Ramyun. Maybe because of the Jeolla-style secret sauce, the sweetness wasn't overpowering; it was tastily spicy with a deep, rich savoriness that made it enjoyable down to the last bite.

I started with the monkfish meat, whose springy, distinctive texture is really its charm, piled high with bean sprouts. There was a subtle, savory heat to it — medium spice really seems like the sweet spot for most people.

Delicious dipped in mustard soy sauce, and delicious plain too!

The plump monkfish meat was tasty, but the springy, chewy skin wrapping the meat was a real treat too. Mixed with the spicy sauce, the chewy bite in every mouthful was so good.

The sauce at this Olympic Park favorite wasn't heavy at all — it was cleanly spicy, more deep and rich than sharply hot, and it worked in harmony with the mild monkfish so it never felt like too much, even down to the last bite.

The moist, mild meat tasted fresh, and even though it's called the 2-person size, the portion was so generous that three people could have eaten until stuffed.

It was so tastily spicy that I ordered a bowl of rice but kept picking at the monkfish meat first, only mixing in the rice later.

I picked out the meat and piled it with bean sprouts and sauce over rice — an absolute rice thief!

Besides the crunchy bean sprouts and plump monkfish, there was fragrant water dropwort, sea squirt popping in every other bite, and soft potato hidden inside too.

A few pieces of monkfish stomach came on top as well — chewy, savory, with a wild texture.

Every side dish was delicious, so I kept dipping into them throughout the meal — cabbage salad to refresh my palate when the spice built up, and the japchae was so good I refilled it several times.

The combination of tender monkfish and crunchy bean sprouts soaked in sauce works great for lunch, and would be just as good as an evening drinking snack. Whether you're out near Olympic Park, or in Jamsil, Bangi-dong, or near Hanseong Baekje Station and craving properly good agujjim, this is the place I'll be thinking of.

Dessert at Ttoksuni Agujjim: plum tea and rice puffs

After a satisfying meal, as I was heading out, there was dessert waiting near the entrance.

There was refreshing cold plum tea and rice puffs — perfect for cleansing the palate. The staff kindly told me to grab some dessert before leaving, so I had a cup of plum tea and took a rice puff, which was the perfect way to finish off a spicy meal. This Jamsil/Bangi-dong favorite had a pleasant space, tasty basic side dishes, and a great main dish — I'll definitely be back with my family for another outing.