Spicy baby octopus stir-fry and cheese fried rice in Seoul: Joajukne

I'd been craving spicy jjukkumi (baby octopus) stir-fry for a while, so I checked out Joajukne Jjukkumi, a well-known spot in the Sangbong food alley. Every time I walked past this alley it always had the most customers of any restaurant, so I already knew it as a Sangbong jjukkumi favorite and went in without a second thought!

Let me tell you about my weekend visit to Joajukne Jjukkumi — the outdoor seating vibe, and my honest thoughts on the food 🌀

Where is Joajukne Jjukkumi, and what are the hours?

• Location: Exit 3, Sangbong Station, Line 7
• Hours: Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 11:00–24:00 / Mon 11:00–23:00 / Tue 16:00–24:00

Sunday evening wait and the outdoor tables after 6pm

I visited around 5:30pm on a Sunday. There was no wait at that point, but after 6pm customers kept streaming in until the place was nearly full.

+ Outdoor seating is available if you visit after 6pm!

Most tables sat 2–4 people and everything was arranged very neatly. There was a baseball game playing on a wall-mounted screen — this place would be great to visit during a big game.

Menu and what comes in the jjukkumi set

Here's the menu at Joajukne Jjukkumi, a well-known Sangbong jjukkumi spot! The signature dishes are jjukkumi stir-fry and jjukkumi with pork belly stir-fry. Ordering a set gets you sungnyung (scorched rice tea) and a variety of extra sides for great value ☺️

We went with the jjukkumi + sungnyung + extra sides set for two‼️

Such a witty owner haha

The self-serve bar was also stocked super cleanly.

There's something oddly funny and cute about it haha

Free side dishes: cold cucumber soup and mayo sauce

The basic sides included lettuce wraps, cold cucumber soup, yeolmu wraps, flying fish roe, and mayo sauce. The cold cucumber soup was the kind that instantly perks up your appetite. Flying fish roe and mayo sauce are essential with jjukkumi! The mayo sauce wasn't plain mayonnaise — it had a slight tartar-sauce-like flavor, and personally I found it much nuttier and tastier than regular mayo.

The extra sides that come with the set!

How the jjukkumi stir-fry tastes and how spicy it is

Finally, the jjukkumi stir-fry arrived. There were a ton of big, plump octopus pieces.

The best part of this Sangbong jjukkumi favorite ⭐️ the staff are so friendly, and they cook it from start to finish making sure the sauce doesn't splatter⭐️ They stir-fried the jjukkumi carefully while blocking splashes of sauce, and I was so grateful for that!

Here's the finished jjukkumi stir-fry from Joajukne Jjukkumi — the moment it hit my mouth, a spicy-sweet sauce aroma spread and the big, plump octopus gave a satisfying bite. The jjukkumi was so fresh and springy! That said, those who can't handle spice will probably find it hot 🥹 (For someone like me who thinks Shin Ramyun isn't spicy but Buldak is, this was just the right level of heat! Milder than Buldak but the kind that makes you sweat.)

The best combination: wrapping jjukkumi in fried dumplings

The jjukkumi winning combo: perilla leaf + radish wrap + flying fish roe + mayo sauce. This is my favorite combination, and as expected it was so good I nearly teared up.

I tried wrapping some in the fried dumplings that came as a side, and it was good enough that I'd want to order extra. Personally, wrapping it in the dumplings made it insanely good‼️

Sungnyung and cheese fried rice at Joajukne Jjukkumi

You know the sungnyung that comes with the set has to be good, right? Warm and nutty, it perfectly cooled down the jjukkumi's spiciness — an amazing combo‼️

The jjukkumi sauce was so tasty that we ended up ordering cheese fried rice too.

They sprinkled cheese over the fried rice and stir-fried it with the leftover flying fish roe! The portion was really huge — I nearly burst, but it was so good I scraped the pan clean.

Proof.jpg that it was really that good

Free ice cream for dessert

After the meal, I chose ice cream from the special menu! It's the Together brand flavor. Rich and sweet vanilla 🍨 — after the spicy, intense jjukkumi, it cooled everything down amazingly. Kudos to the owner for the great touch 💯💯💯

Final verdict on Joajukne Jjukkumi

I visited Joajukne Jjukkumi in the Sangbong food alley craving spicy jjukkumi stir-fry after a while, and I can confirm it's a genuine Sangbong jjukkumi favorite! The staff were incredibly friendly, the interior was clean, and the outdoor seating vibe made it the perfect spot to visit these days. If you're near Sangbong Station or looking for a good restaurant in the Sangbong food alley, I highly recommend Joajukne Jjukkumi‼️