Bangi-dong food alley octopus restaurant to take kids: Muneo Cheonha

We went diving with the kids over the weekend 🤿💦 After an hour of pouring all their energy into the water, the kids suddenly started whining that they were starving 🤣 We rushed out of the water and headed straight for Muneo Cheonha (문어천하) in the Bangi-dong food alley, chasing down the kids' favorite menu!

Why we picked Muneo Cheonha in Bangi-dong: octopus and bossam on one table

My daughter's favorite thing in the world is octopus 🐙, and my son's favorite thing is bossam (boiled pork wraps) 🥩! This is a place where you can enjoy both deliciously in one meal, so we chose it without hesitation. When the kids saw the live octopus swimming around fresh in the tank by the entrance, they were fascinated and couldn't look away 🤩

The free sides at Muneo Cheonha: corn cheese and pudding-soft steamed egg

🍳 Touching, honestly! The free side dishes

Right after we sat down and ordered, the free sides — corn cheese and pudding-style steamed egg — arrived 🧀🍳 Wow... the steamed egg was so wobbly-soft, just like pudding, that it melted the moment it hit our mouths! And there was a cute little octopus topping on top too — what a nice touch! The corn cheese was nutty and sweet too, and the kids kept saying "Mom, this is so good!" while digging in with their spoons non-stop 😋

Flying fish roe rice balls and octopus seafood ramyeon: how did the kids react?

🍱 Rice balls loaded with flying fish roe & a broth that's a work of art

Along with the main dish, the extra sides we ordered arrived too.

Flying fish roe rice balls 🍙 — packed generously with popping flying fish roe and savory roasted seaweed flakes! Rolled into cute round balls, and my son practically inhaled a whole bowl by himself, they were that good 🤣

Octopus seafood ramyeon 🦀🍜 — the seafood ramyeon I ordered for my daughter was overwhelming just from the look of it. Loaded with blue crab, plump king shrimp, and octopus, the broth was incredibly deep and refreshing 🌊🦀 The moment she took a sip of the broth, she blurted out, "Wow, this broth is a work of art!" 👍 The price felt so reasonable given how packed with ingredients it was — I was genuinely touched!

How to eat the live octopus bossam samhap

🐙🥩 Today's main event: tender live octopus bossam samhap!

Finally, today's star dish, the live octopus bossam samhap, made its appearance ✨ Glossy boiled pork, lightly blanched and tender live octopus, and neatly arranged sides of aged kimchi, dried radish strips, and dipping sauces to wrap it all up with.

There were so many different ways to eat it that we never got bored!

Dip the fresh live octopus into the light, nutty sesame oil sauce to enjoy its natural texture 🧂

• Wrap it up neatly in crunchy aged kimchi or fresh cabbage leaves with bossam, octopus, chili, and garlic 🥬
• Pair the light bossam with the chewy octopus together for a harmonious texture 🥩🐙
• Dip lightly in the sweet-and-tangy chojang sauce for extra flavor! 🌶️

The octopus wasn't chewy at all — the more you chewed, the nuttier and cleaner it tasted, so the kids ate it happily without any hesitation. It filled up their hungry stomachs after swimming, and filled them up well 💯

Why Muneo Cheonha is easy with kids: the owner's care

❤️ The warm and kind owner

The food was great, but what made me happiest that day was the owner's warm kindness ☺️ Seeing us eating happily with our kids, she came over and said kindly, "Seeing a warm family out together like this just makes me happy," and took extra special care of us. Thanks to her warm heart, I felt warm inside throughout the whole meal. Thanks to her kindness, even the kids gave a cheerful bow on the way out 🖐️😊

Is Muneo Cheonha in Bangi-dong worth it? Final verdict

• Location: 11-8 Ogeum-ro 11-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul (in the Bangi-dong food alley)
• Recommended menu: Live octopus samhap, octopus seafood ramyeon, flying fish roe rice balls
• One-line summary: A live octopus restaurant that completely wins over the taste buds of kids and adults alike! With such kind service, I'd 200% come back ❤️

Muneo Cheonha in Bangi-dong really healed our hungry stomachs after diving with the kids — I strongly recommend it to anyone wanting hearty seafood and warm hospitality! 🌟 They're also known for their hongeo (fermented skate) apparently, so next time I'll come with friends and try the octopus sahap. Haha.