Sangbong Station baby octopus restaurant, unaged jjuksam: Joajukne

What is Joajukne Jjukkumi in Sangbong like?

Joajukne Jjukkumi (조아죽네쭈꾸미) is a popular stir-fried baby octopus spot in the Sangbong food alley. Today I'm introducing this baby octopus restaurant near Sangbong Station!

One corner of the restaurant has the owner's story written up. They toured baby octopus restaurants around the country to study them, and revised the recipe for a whole two years to reach today's flavor. They were so absorbed in the research that they even came down with gastritis, so you can really feel the sincerity!

To bring out the natural taste of the baby octopus, Joajukne Jjukkumi doesn't age it. The fresh octopus meets a healthy spicy sauce made with 26 ingredients, so the flavor is deep and savory without being harsh. Even before visiting, I could see why people looking for baby octopus in Sangbong recommend this place.

Opening hours and parking

Joajukne Jjukkumi is open from 11:00 to 24:00, with a break from 14:00 to 16:00. It's in the Sangbong food alley, so parking isn't possible! Please use a nearby public parking lot.

Is there a wait at dinnertime?

Joajukne Jjukkumi is a popular spot with a wait at dinnertime. If there's a wait, write your name and party size on the waiting board at the entrance and then wait!

I visited in the evening and there was already a wait. Lots of people seemed to have come for spicy baby octopus to blow off after-work stress. Waiting there, I could feel why this place has such a word-of-mouth reputation for baby octopus in Sangbong.

Outdoor street-stall seats vs. indoor tables

Joajukne Jjukkumi has both outdoor and indoor tables. It has street-stall vibes and a clean indoor space too.

Outside has an old-school street-stall mood that's great in this kind of weather, while inside is clean and modern, so it's comfortable for a meal! There's even a baseball game on a big screen on one side, so if you like baseball, it's the perfect setting for a drink with baby octopus while watching. Among baby octopus places near Sangbong Station, I don't think many let you enjoy this kind of atmosphere.

Menu and how to order by tablet

You order easily with the tablet on the table. The menu has stir-fried baby octopus and baby octopus hot pot, and they also sell bibimbap at lunch.

It also looked good as a lunch spot for office workers near Sangbong Station. We ordered the set with jjuksam, nurungji tea (scorched rice tea) and several add-ons!

Side dishes and the self-serve bar

After you order, perilla leaves, pickled radish wraps, flying fish roe and mayo sauce are set out as the basic side dishes. They all pair perfectly with baby octopus, and you can freely grab more from the self-bar.

The self-bar also has bean sprouts, so if spice worries you, pile on the sprouts and it's much milder. This generous service seems to be one reason it's recommended as a baby octopus place in Sangbong.

What comes in the jjuksam set?

The jjuksam set at Joajukne Jjukkumi comes generously loaded: baby octopus and pork belly, plus boiled eggs, glass noodles and flat dumpling add-ons. Soon our jjuksam and add-ons arrived, and the look of it was better than expected.

Spicy baby octopus fills the middle, with pork belly ringed around it. It wasn't even cooked yet and already looked delicious. No wonder it has the name of a baby octopus spot in Sangbong!

Do the staff cook the baby octopus for you?

Yes, the staff cook the jjuksam for you. It's often unclear when to eat baby octopus, so having an expert cook it meant we could eat at the best moment, which I loved.

Once the baby octopus and pork belly are somewhat cooked, they add the glass noodles and flat dumplings too, and it was fun to watch.

Homemade nutty nurungji tea

The nurungji tea in the set came out just as the jjuksam was cooking nicely! It's homemade, not store-bought, so it tasted even nuttier and richer.

A spoonful between bites of spicy baby octopus cleans up your mouth, and I was personally very happy with it~! I'd definitely recommend the nurungji tea to anyone looking for baby octopus near Sangbong Station.

How bouncy and how spicy is the unaged baby octopus?

We were told the baby octopus is ready to eat once it turns translucent. Maybe because it's cooked without aging, the plump baby octopus had a really great bouncy texture.

The more you chew, the more the octopus's natural sweetness and savoriness come through, which I found very satisfying.

If you like it hot, you can add chili powder. I can't handle spice, so even the default felt a little spicy, about a bit hotter than Shin Ramyun. I think spice lovers looking for baby octopus in Sangbong would be satisfied too.

Tips for eating jjuksam: flat dumpling perilla wraps

My favorite combo here: put pickled radish on a perilla leaf, add a piece each of pork belly and baby octopus, then top with mayo sauce and flying fish roe. The flavor filling your mouth was the best!

The surprise favorite was the flat dumplings. They're good dipped in the baby octopus sauce, and even better tucked into a perilla wrap for extra texture. If you want to really enjoy baby octopus in Sangbong, definitely try it this way!

Finishing with snow cheese fried rice

To finish, we ordered the snow cheese fried rice, topped with plenty of snow cheese (shredded cheese). If you enjoyed the baby octopus, you can't skip the fried rice, it's the classic K-dessert.

The staff fry the rice for you too, and you can ask them to add the leftover baby octopus and pork belly. Once it's nicely fried, they pile snow cheese on top, and just looking at it made my mouth water.

No matter how full you are, you have to eat the fried rice! I don't think there's a better way to finish a baby octopus meal near Sangbong Station.

Free extras after the meal

After the meal, you can have ice cream for free! They said they'll provide a hangover drink or digestive aid if you ask, and I could feel the thoughtful care for customers.

After paying, they even handed us a Mentos each. It's a small thing, but it let us finish the meal on a good note.

Is Joajukne Jjukkumi worth it?

If you want proper baby octopus and jjuksam in Sangbong, I recommend Joajukne Jjukkumi! It was a meal full of the octopus's natural flavor and real effort. Having eaten there myself, I fully understand why so many people visit this baby octopus spot in Sangbong.