Jonggak Korean lunch: octopus set that filled two tables, Bonghyejane

Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch: location and opening hours

Bonghyejane Jubang Jongno Tower branch (봉혜자네주방 종로타워점) is on B2 of Jongno Tower, connected to Jonggak Station Exit 3-1. This place surprised me with an all-time bargain set, so I had to write a review!

If you come by car, you can park in the Jongno Tower underground car park, and the first 90 minutes are free.

• Weekdays 11:00–21:00 (break 15:00–16:30, last order 20:00)
• Weekends 11:00–20:00 (break 15:00–16:30, last order 19:00)

Why diners crowd into Bonghyejane on Jongno Tower B2

There are plenty of restaurants on Jongno Tower B2, but Bonghyejane was the one that really stopped people in their tracks. The reason...?

Just looking at the digital signboard, the varied menu looked perfect for lunch,

and it's because Bonghyejane's signature fire-grilled whole octopus was featured on the mukbang (eating show) of Hibab and Jung Jun-ha. Sure enough, most of the people eating around us had ordered octopus dishes.

Inside Bonghyejane

Bonghyejane has an open layout, so you can see right inside from outside. The whole place has a retro, old-style gyeongyangsik (Western-style diner) look that felt clean and cozy at the same time.

How to order at Bonghyejane and what's in the spicy jjukkumi set

You look at the menu and order on the kiosk at each table. You can have a tidy meal with a special-dish banquet set (banksang), but since whole stir-fried octopus and spicy jjukkumi stir-fry are the signature dishes, my eyes kept drifting to them.

Oh, and you can also order by QR code. We chose the spicy jjukkumi stir-fry set for 2.

• Fire-grilled jjukkumi stir-fry, with rice and jjolmyeon noodles
• Choice of mushroom perilla soup or bossam sampler
• Fried flounder, muk-sabal and pumpkin porridge included

Jjukkumi set for 2: enough food to fill two tables

We sat at a table for two, ran out of room for the food, and ended up pushing the next table up too. And it still filled both tables!! Every time another dish arrived, I made a bewildered face like a foreigner going, "What?! There's more coming..?!" 😂

Pumpkin porridge, muk-sabal and flat dumplings to start

The starter pumpkin porridge settled my stomach first. It was just sweet enough and smooth, a nice way to start the meal.

First up: the refreshing muk-sabal (acorn jelly in cold broth) and my favorite, napjak-mandu (flat fried dumplings)! (I got the dumplings through the review event.)

Fried flounder included with the set

Fried flounder comes included too...? Bonghyejane's version is a crispy whole fried flounder topped with gangjeong (sweet crunchy glaze) sauce, and that sauce was the kicker!!

Bossam sampler as our choice item

For the choice item we picked the bossam (boiled pork wraps) sampler instead of the mushroom perilla soup. This is a sampler portion?!! Isn't this a total bargain..!! I was amazed all over again by what the set includes and how much of it there is!

Spicy jjukkumi stir-fry with jjolmyeon noodles: how did it taste?

Finally, today's main dish, the spicy jjukkumi stir-fry set, arrived!! I happened to be craving jjolmyeon (chewy wheat noodles), and the stir-fry came with jjolmyeon noodles included.

Rice comes along too, of course. You can drizzle sesame oil and mix the vegetables and jjukkumi into it, or scoop everything onto one spoon like I did! Before digging in, I mixed the noodles and jjukkumi together.

To me, Bonghyejane's jjukkumi stir-fry tasted more sweet and savory than spicy, and the jjukkumi was plump and bouncy to chew. Eaten with the jjolmyeon, the chewy texture was added and the combination worked better than I expected.

Bonghyejane review event

Bonghyejane's Jongno Tower branch has a review event: leave a Naver review and you get a free alcoholic drink or soft drink, or flat dumplings. We left a Naver review and got the dumplings. If you visit, give it a try :)

Why I recommend Bonghyejane for lunch in Jonggak

Bonghyejane's Jongno Tower branch filled us up with generous portions, from the main dish to all the sides. The sweet, savory jjukkumi stir-fry with jjolmyeon, plus fried flounder, muk-sabal and pumpkin porridge, made it great value too :)

It's connected to Jonggak Station so it's easy to reach, and it worked well both as a hearty lunch and for a drink in the evening. If you're near Jonggak Station and want a filling lunch, a range of Korean dishes, or good value, I recommend Bonghyejane Jongno Tower branch!!! 😊