Gukhoeuisadang Station octopus restaurant: mild jjuksam set for two

I went to Charcoal Isu Jjukkumi for a Yeouido lunch. I'd heard it's one of Seoul's three best jjukkumi (stir-fried octopus) spots, so I went in full of excitement.

Even someone who can't handle spicy food got hooked on this place — that's me. I keep thinking about it.

It's near The Hyundai Seoul and IFC Mall, so it's easy to eat here, shop, and take a walk in Yeouido Park afterward.

Mon–Fri 11:00–22:00 / Sat, Sun 11:30–21:00 / last order 40 minutes before closing

Where is Charcoal Isu Jjukkumi West Yeouido, and is there parking?

It's on the 2nd floor of a building, a 7-minute walk from Gukhoeuisadang Station. It's a 20-minute walk from The Hyundai Seoul and a 13-minute walk from IFC Mall, so it's great for a meal-then-date route.

Parking is available in the building's basement lot. The first hour is free, and it's ₩3,000 for every additional 30 minutes.

Inside the restaurant: can it seat a group dinner?

The interior is spacious enough for group dining. You can book up to 50 people through Naver Reservation, so it's perfect for a Yeouido company dinner.

Menu and the price of the jjuksam set for two

There were so many ways to enjoy jjukkumi that I genuinely had trouble deciding. The jjukkumi jeyuk (spicy stir-fried octopus with pork) caught my eye because it seemed unusual, but jjukkumi with pork belly is the classic choice, right?

They had a jjuksam set for two, so I ordered that (a set for three is also available). The set includes octopus, pork belly, and cheese fried rice. Spice level can be adjusted in three steps — I can't handle spicy food well, so I went mild, and swapped the glass noodles for udon noodles. (₩46,000 total)

Side dishes and how fast the food arrives

You get pickled radish, perilla leaves, bean sprouts, flying fish roe, boiled egg, and mayonnaise sauce as basic sides. If you run low while eating, you can grab more yourself — it's self-serve. There's no kimchi on the table.

It came out just 3 minutes after ordering. Since the food arrives so fast, it's great for nearby office workers to grab for lunch. I went on a weekend afternoon, and groups of friends, families, and couples on dates kept streaming in the whole time.

Honestly, there are a lot of restaurants in this building, so seeing customers keep coming in like this steadily means it really is a good place. Looking at reviews, quite a few people were repeat visitors, so I was excited even before the food arrived.

Hot-plate octopus with pork belly: how spicy is the mild level?

This is the jjuksam combo — the restaurant's signature stir-fried octopus on a hot plate with pork belly added. When it comes to jjukkumi, I think the sauce makes up 80% of the experience. How delicious the spicy sauce is determines whether I keep thinking about it.

The pork belly comes only lightly cooked, so it goes straight into the octopus sauce while the juices are still in it. There's no way this combo could taste bad.

They added the udon noodles right on top after that. Since the meat is thin, it cooks quickly, and the special sauce soaks all the way into the udon noodles.

They said the octopus is ready to eat once it turns white when cut, so while we waited, they made us an egg mayo sauce. Just mix mayonnaise with egg yolk, and it's ready.

You can see the broth soaked into the udon noodles. I don't usually eat much noodle at restaurants, but I think I ate all the udon here myself.

I really can't handle spicy food, but even the mild spice I ordered was so savory and delicious that I couldn't stop my chopsticks.

If you're a spice wimp, go for the mild option — you can absolutely finish it all.

Plump and tender octopus. They mentioned it shrinks in size when cooked, but it was still bigger than I expected.

The bean sprouts I almost forgot about while eating. I added them partway through and wrapped them with the meat. Since the meat was tender and large, it wrapped really well — a true meat wrap.

Egg mayo sauce with flying fish roe: how to eat it

My boyfriend and I scraped every last bit of the egg mayo sauce. It tames the spice, but it's also so savory and nutty that it's addictive. I got hooked on it and dipped every single piece of octopus in it.

Flying fish roe that pops in your mouth.

The octopus sauce is a style everyone, young or old, would love — I think ordering plain rice and mixing it right into the sauce would be amazing.

With the leftover egg white after using just the yolk, you put octopus in it and top with mayonnaise. I never would have thought of eating it this way, but the person who clearly knew food sitting across from me did it, so I copied them.

Finishing the meal with cheese fried rice

It would be a shame to leave without trying our beloved K-dessert — fried rice, of course, is the finale. They mixed the leftover octopus and sauce we saved specifically for fried rice, then sprinkled cheese on top.

I wondered if we'd have to wait for the cheese to melt on its own, but they used a torch to add a smoky flavor. The cheese melting thin and glossy over the fried rice was so tempting. No matter how full you are, you have to eat this.

We had some flying fish roe left over, so we sprinkled it on top and ate it together — good call saving that roe! Familiar flavors are the scariest. I used to think, 'People actually wait in line for jjukkumi restaurants?' but after trying it myself, I totally get it.

Octopus, pork belly, and cheese fried rice — how about this perfect trio for a satisfying lunch?