Gangnam octopus restaurant with a kalguksu lunch set: Sinsappeollakji

Sinsappeollakji Sinsa Station Branch

📌 Table of contents 1️⃣ Sinsappeollakji Sinsa Station Branch info & hours 2️⃣ The vibe inside Sinsappeollakji Sinsa Station Branch 3️⃣ Menu and the lunch special 4️⃣ Starting clean with the side dishes 5️⃣ Plump octopus stir-fry for one 6️⃣ Mixing in bean sprouts 7️⃣ Clam-packed kalguksu for two 8️⃣ Final verdict on Sinsappeollakji

I was trying to decide what to eat for lunch near Sinsa Station, and this time I was really craving something spicy — proper spicy octopus stir-fry. Searching for octopus near Sinsa Station, I found Sinsappeollakji Sinsa Station Branch. It's close to Exit 1 of Sinsa Station, easy to find, and it's an octopus specialty restaurant with a lot more than just the stir-fry — kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), yeonpotang (octopus hot pot), seafood jjim, and more.

This time I ordered the lunch special that lets you have both the octopus stir-fry and kalguksu together. The stir-fry looked super red and I expected it to be really spicy, but it turned out milder than I thought. The kalguksu, loaded with clams, had a refreshing broth, and the two together worked way better than I expected. If you're looking for a filling lunch near Sinsa Station, this is worth checking out :)

Where is Sinsappeollakji Sinsa Station Branch, and what are its hours?

Sinsappeollakji Sinsa Station Branch is at 7 Dosan-daero 8-gil, 1F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, open Monday to Saturday 11:00–21:20 and closed every Sunday. Group seating is available along with separate restrooms, parking, and Zero Pay payment.

📍 Location 7 Dosan-daero 8-gil, 1F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul — Sinsappeollakji ⏰ Hours Mon–Sat 11:00–21:20 Closed every Sunday 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Groups welcome 🚻 Separate restrooms 🅿️ Parking available 💰 Zero Pay accepted

It's close enough to Sinsa Station Exit 1 that getting there by public transport was easy. If you're driving, there's underground parking on the left side of the building.

Group visits are possible too, and the separate restrooms are tucked toward the back of the restaurant, so it seemed comfortable for a group or just an easy meal. Zero Pay is also accepted.

What is the dining room at Sinsappeollakji like?

Octopus- and squid-shaped decorations and figurines hang all around Sinsappeollakji Sinsa Station Branch, and extra side dishes are self-serve from a bar. I deliberately went at a slightly awkward time, just after the lunch rush, so I got to wander around and look at the place while it was relatively quiet.

Being an octopus specialty spot, there were octopus- and squid-shaped decorations and figurines hanging everywhere — a cute touch that matched the restaurant's name, haha.

Extra side dishes can be grabbed self-serve,

and there are aprons ready so the bright red sauce doesn't splash onto your clothes. Honestly, you kind of need this — especially for the octopus stir-fry, it's basically essential 😂. After the meal you can grab a cup of coffee, plus there's candy to freshen up with — a small but thoughtful touch.

They're also running a Naver receipt review event that gets you a free drink, so it's worth checking if you visit.

Sinsappeollakji's menu and what comes in the lunch special

Sinsappeollakji is an octopus specialty restaurant with a wide menu — octopus stir-fry, yeonpotang, seafood jjim, seafood pancake, live octopus, and more. I went with the lunch special that lets you have both the octopus stir-fry and kalguksu.

All menu items are apparently available for takeout too.

I wanted both kalguksu and octopus stir-fry, and while looking at the menu I spotted the lunch special that combines exactly that — so I went straight for it. We were only two people, but I was starving that day, so haha, I boldly ordered the 3-person set. Bottom line: the portion was plenty filling, a great combo to order on a really hungry day.

The side dishes at Sinsappeollakji

The basic side dishes at Sinsappeollakji Sinsa Station Branch were seasoned bean sprouts, salad, napa cabbage kimchi, and soft tofu — four in total. They're set out as soon as you order.

The soft tofu especially was great with a bit of the seasoned soy sauce on the table drizzled over it — the softness of the tofu with the salty soy sauce really opened up the appetite. Having a plain, clean side dish to alternate with the saucy octopus stir-fry worked well too.

Plump octopus stir-fry for one: how spicy is it really?

Despite the bright red color of the sauce, Sinsappeollakji's octopus stir-fry wasn't an intense spicy hit. I can barely handle Shin Ramyun's spice level, and I could still eat this comfortably with rice.

The octopus stir-fry finally arrived! Plump, well-fed octopus piled generously into that bright red sauce — just looking at it made me want rice. And the rice portion was quite generous too — noticeably more than a regular bowl, served in a wide bowl, filling from the start.

I honestly can't handle spicy food well — even Shin Ramyun is a bit much for me 😂. At first, seeing how red the sauce was, I thought, 'this is going to be really spicy.' But once I actually tried it, it wasn't as intense as I expected. Instead of sharp heat, there was more savory depth, and the octopus kept its chewy, springy texture — perfect to eat with rice.

Mixing the octopus stir-fry with bean sprouts and rice

This wasn't just a spicy sauce — it was the kind that made me want to keep mixing it into rice! At some point I got bold, haha, cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces, threw in the bean sprouts, drizzled sesame oil over everything, and properly mixed it all with rice. The crunch of the bean sprouts plus the nutty sesame oil softened the sauce's edge, and eating the octopus and rice together felt so much richer. This is a rice thief, no question 👍

Clam-packed kalguksu for two

Sinsappeollakji's kalguksu arrives as a big hot pot loaded with clams in broth first, with the noodles served separately to cook at the table.

And here's the other dish I was excited about — the kalguksu! A big hot pot arrives packed with clams in broth, with the noodles served separately. Since you cook it bubbling away right at the table, the rising smell of the kalguksu alone got my appetite going.

Once the broth starts boiling, drop in the kalguksu noodles and wait until they're cooked through — that's it!

The noodles kept a chewy texture, and above all the clam broth was refreshingly good. Rather than being sharply salty, it was a clean, deep broth with the clams' natural savory flavor — great to alternate with the octopus stir-fry.

And you really can't skip pairing kalguksu with kimchi. Piling well-fermented napa cabbage kimchi onto the noodles for a bite — chewy noodles plus refreshing broth plus crunchy kimchi! Need I say more, haha. I hadn't even had a drink the night before, but somehow it still felt like a hangover cure. After one spoonful of that hot, refreshing broth, an involuntary 'ahh~' escaped me, haha. My inner ajusshi briefly came out 🤣

How do the octopus stir-fry and kalguksu work together?

The whole point of Sinsappeollakji's lunch special is alternating between the sweet-spicy octopus stir-fry and the refreshing clam kalguksu. The two dishes have such opposite personalities that neither got old.

The real highlight of this meal was eating both dishes together! The octopus stir-fry is sweet, spicy, and savory, while the kalguksu has a refreshing, clean broth flavor — opposite charms that were great to alternate between. Mix rice into the octopus sauce, then take a spoonful of kalguksu broth, then back to noodles, then a bite of octopus — eating that way, I never got tired of it and kept reaching for more.

Final verdict on Sinsappeollakji Sinsa Station Branch

This visit to Sinsappeollakji Sinsa Station Branch was a great stop for anyone near Sinsa Station wanting to enjoy octopus stir-fry and kalguksu together. The plump octopus was well coated in that sweet-spicy sauce, and it wasn't as intensely spicy as I expected, so even someone like me who can't handle much heat could enjoy it with rice.

Add in the kalguksu generously packed with clams, and it makes for a solidly filling lunch. If you're searching for octopus, kalguksu, or a good lunch spot near Sinsa Station, this lunch special is worth looking into. On a day when I wanted spicy octopus stir-fry and hot, refreshing kalguksu near Sinsa Station, I think I'll be back again 😊 Definitely would return!