Cheonho baby octopus restaurant, Friday-night Terra beer: Jjuksami

If you're craving spicy octopus in Cheonho, this is a place worth checking out! This time I visited Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch (쭉삼이 천호본점). I ordered 2 portions of jjukkumi (baby octopus) and added the Rich Gold cheese plate. What stood out was that you get octopus, cheese, sweet potato mousse and bean sprouts all together. So for anyone looking for a good octopus spot in Cheonho, here's my order and my visit review.

What is Cheonho's octopus alley like?

Cheonho's octopus alley (쭈꾸미골목) is a lane with octopus specialty restaurants on both sides, which is how it got the name. The shops line up along the alley, so it's a great place to come when you want spicy octopus. And the place I visited in that alley was Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch!

If you're looking for an octopus restaurant in Cheonho, take in the alley atmosphere too. When you want a meal and a drink together in Cheonho, you naturally check out the menu and the vibe. Of all the shops, I picked Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch, and I've included photos of the exterior and interior.

Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch location and hours

• Address: 8 Cheonho-daero 158-gil, Gangdong-gu, Seoul (1st floor)
• 196 m from Exit 6 of Cheonho Station (Lines 5 and 8)
• Hours: 12:00-01:00
• Takeout, delivery and reservations available

What's the atmosphere inside Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch?

Inside, round tables give it a relaxed pocha (Korean street-tavern) feel. It's less a formal restaurant and more a place where you sit around with friends and eat and drink comfortably.

Around 7 p.m., customers started arriving one after another: a couple, a team having a company dinner, three women chatting together. It suits a casual drink with octopus as well as a meal with a group.

How much were 2 portions of octopus and the Rich Gold cheese plate?

That day I ordered 2 portions of octopus and the Rich Gold cheese plate at Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch, ₩32,000 in total.

• Octopus ₩15,000 × 2 portions = ₩30,000
• Rich Gold cheese plate add-on ₩2,000
• Total order ₩32,000

When you order octopus, they set the table with perilla leaves, radish wraps, mayonnaise, garlic and ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste). You can dip the spicy octopus in mayo, or wrap it in a perilla leaf with radish and garlic, so there are lots of ways to eat it depending on your taste.

Instead of ordering just octopus, I added the Rich Gold cheese plate with cheese and sweet potato mousse. I was curious how the octopus would come together with it.

How is the Rich Gold cheese plate put together?

The Rich Gold cheese plate comes with cheese and sweet potato mousse ringed on the left side of the plate holding the octopus, and bean sprouts on the right. It was the most eye-catching item in this order. I was impressed that you can enjoy octopus, cheese, sweet potato mousse and bean sprouts together on one plate. If you want your octopus a bit more varied, have a look at the Rich Gold cheese plate add-on too.

A staff member stir-fried the octopus for us from start to finish, which was really convenient. No need to keep checking whether it's cooked; you just wait and eat. That let me chat with my friend and enjoy the meal in a relaxed way. 😊

How spicy is Jjuksami's octopus?

The octopus at Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch has a fairly spicy sauce that really gets your appetite going. The chewy texture octopus is known for was good too. And I was glad I'd added the Rich Gold cheese plate.

With cheese and sweet potato mousse on the left and bean sprouts on the right, there were lots of ways to eat the octopus. Spicy octopus with cheese went together well. I liked that you can enjoy several things together rather than just octopus alone.

Adding the crunchy bean sprouts made the texture even more varied. I ordered 2 portions of octopus plus the Rich Gold cheese plate for ₩32,000 in total, and being able to enjoy spicy octopus, cheese, sweet potato mousse and bean sprouts together is a useful reference when choosing your order. If you're craving spicy octopus in Cheonho and want a place for a meal and a drink, Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch is worth a look.

Nurungji tea, steamed egg and mayo corn alongside the octopus

Spicy octopus, then a cup of toasty nurungji tea

Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch also gave us sungnyung (nurungji, scorched-rice tea) as a free service. Sipping the toasty sungnyung while eating spicy octopus calmed my mouth and felt soothing for the stomach.

I think it's a welcome service for people who want something filling for dinner too. It's toasty and easy to drink, so it went well with the spicy octopus. Being able to pair a spicy dish with a stomach-soothing sungnyung is something I remember about Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch.

Spicy octopus with soft steamed egg

The steamed egg (gyeran-jjim) came bubbling in an earthenware pot! It was soft and wobbly like pudding, and the seasoning was just right. One bite of spicy octopus, then one bite of soft egg, and the heat mellows out and your mouth feels softer! 🌶️🥚

Spicy octopus and fluffy, soft steamed egg really go well together. Adding the egg made the octopus much more enjoyable.

Spicy octopus with a cold Terra

My friend and I also ordered bottled Terra beer. One bite of spicy octopus, then a sip of cold beer, and this combo really works! The spicy seasoning and the coolness of Terra kept me reaching for more. It was also nice for having just one light drink each with a friend.

Spicy octopus and a cold beer with good company! A Friday night that felt like a Thursday, and I really love little moments like this. 😊

Spicy octopus, then a bite of savory corn cheese

The mayo corn came sizzling on a hot iron plate! Corn with butter and mayonnaise is savory and sweet at once, which is its charm. Eating a savory bite of corn between bites of spicy octopus softened the heat in my mouth.

Alternating spicy octopus and sweet-savory mayo corn was a great combination. It's the perfect side to have with octopus!

How to enjoy the octopus even more

Dip it in stretchy cheese

The Rich Gold cheese plate I added to go with the octopus! When I dipped the octopus deep into the cheese and lifted it, the cheese stretched and stretched. Savory, soft cheese on spicy octopus is a good flavor pairing. And of course you have to capture that stretching moment on video, that's the whole point of cheese!

The richness of the cheese tones down the octopus's heat a little and adds a savory, salty note, and it was really delicious. Spicy octopus with soft cheese was a combination I kept reaching for. 😋

Dip it in mayo for extra savoriness

Dipping the spicy octopus in mayonnaise adds a savory flavor that gives it a different charm. With the spice and the richness together, I kept reaching for it. Octopus with mayo is quietly a real treat!

Crunchy enoki mushrooms and spicy sauce

The enoki mushrooms in the stir-fried octopus were a treat too. They have a nice crunchy bite, and the spicy sauce soaks in well so they were delicious. Eating enoki between pieces of octopus made the texture even more varied, so I enjoyed it right to the end.

Wrap it in perilla leaf and radish

I put octopus on a perilla leaf, added tangy radish and crunchy bean sprouts, and wrapped it all into one big bite. The fragrance of the perilla, the tang of the radish and the crunch of the sprouts made a really great combination. One wrap and you want another! I kept reaching for more. If you add mayonnaise and cheese inside the wrap, you get a range of flavors and it tastes even better.

Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch: wrap-up

I visited Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch wanting octopus in Cheonho. That day I ordered 2 portions of octopus plus the Rich Gold cheese plate. With cheese, sweet potato mousse and bean sprouts included alongside the octopus, it's a useful reference when choosing your order.

If you're looking for an octopus restaurant in Cheonho, or a place for a meal and a drink together, check out the menu at Jjuksami Cheonho Main Branch. I recommend checking the hours and menu prices before you visit.