Chuseok monkfish stew in Songpa, Seoul: koji soy sauce at Ttoksuni

This is Ttoksuni Agujjim Jamsil Direct Branch (똑순이아구찜 잠실직영점), an agujjim spot by Olympic Park. · Hours: daily 11:00–22:00 · Location: 1 minute from Hanseong Baekje Station / 1 minute from Olympic Park · Parking: yes (valet), valet fee ₩2,000 · Groups OK, no pets, high chairs available

As someone who eats agujjim four times a month, I couldn't not go! For the first time in a while I skipped delivery and came to eat in at Ttoksuni, an Olympic Park favorite with 50 years of history. It's bright and spacious, so it works fine for a family get-together, and the savory agujjim, tasty side dishes and freshly made puffed rice snack for dessert all satisfied me 🐾

Where is Ttoksuni Agujjim Jamsil, and is there parking?

Ttoksuni is a one-minute walk from Hanseong Baekje Station (Line 9), and Olympic Park is right across the road. That makes it a perfect Korean restaurant to pair with a park outing or a date. The agujjim sign has been around since 1979, 50 years of tradition. A place like this is really rare!

The parking lot is behind the building, and for a ₩2,000 valet fee you get 2 hours of free parking. There's plenty of space so it's never going to fill up, and the Wiryeseong-gil public parking lot is right in front of the restaurant if you want cheap parking. There was a Catch Table waiting machine at the entrance, and having one of those means it's a certified good restaurant!!

Inside Ttoksuni Agujjim on an early Chuseok-day evening

I visited on Chuseok day, at an awkward, slightly early evening hour, and there were already people eating. The whole time we ate, the phone kept ringing with reservation calls, and I thought, 'yep, this is a real Olympic Park Korean restaurant.'

Inside there's a good range of group tables for 6 and 8, so it's perfect for a family meal, and at the back there are two private rooms if you want to eat with a bit more privacy.

Even after the afternoon break time ended and it was dinner, some guests were eating the great-value lunch menu. I asked the owner, and the lunch menu runs until 2 p.m., but regulars can still ask for it at other times, and in the evening they'll make it if they have the ingredients. I was amazed by the owner's kind service and thoughtfulness!

Scallion kimchi and fried eggplant, only at the self-serve bar

The self-bar at Ttoksuni is kept really clean, without a single spill. Every side dish has great homemade flavor, so refills are a must, and it's convenient that you can help yourself freely. In particular, the scallion kimchi and fried eggplant don't come with the standard table setting. They're hidden at the self-bar only! Don't just walk past it. I recommend checking the self-bar and bringing some back to taste.

Plum tea and freshly made puffed rice snack at the dessert corner

The dessert corner, for cleansing your palate after the meal, has cold plum tea and puffed rice snacks (ppeongtwigi). They come fresh out of the machine, so there's no sogginess at all. They're warm, crunchy and nutty, just like the ones you buy. The agujjim and sides were total rice thieves, so I'd already eaten a lot of rice, but I just couldn't resist this freshly popped snack, and I ended up overdoing the carbs haha

They say the agujjim carries the touch of a Korean cuisine master who is also a recognized master of braised fish and seafood!

And it has earned the 'Mint Star,' which is only given to the top 1% of restaurants on Baemin (a Korean delivery app), so the delivery quality is already proven! From now on, when I order agujjim at home, I've decided I'll definitely order from Ttoksuni.

Ttoksuni Agujjim menu and prices: what should you order?

Ttoksuni has several kinds of agujjim, so you can order to your taste. If you want the basic agujjim, go for the signature Ttoksuni Agujjim! If you'd rather eat thick, meaty flesh than the skin or collagen parts, the meaty agujjim is just right! It's not totally boneless like boneless fried chicken, though. The thick central bone is still in there, so keep that in mind when ordering.

Ttoksuni Agujjim couple set and family set

The set menus are also really solid for enjoying with a group at good value. The couple set, good for 2 people, bundles agujjim with fried squid and flying fish roe fried rice, and the family set for 3 adds a refreshing cod clear-soup hot pot on top. Such a great lineup!

Lunch specials available on weekends and holidays too

Great news for office workers nearby and Olympic Park visitors! Ttoksuni has three great-value lunch special menus (available on weekends and holidays too!). Even though they're lunch menus, you get the same variety of standard side dishes you'd get when ordering the main agujjim. You can enjoy the side dish self-bar too, so it's a great Olympic Park lunch spot for a filling meal without any pressure.

Two kinds of makgeolli (rice wine) and three non-alcoholic beers

If you like a drink with your meal, the alcohol lineup at Ttoksuni will impress you! Besides the basics of soju, beer and Saero, there's Sansachun, Baekseju and bokbunja wine, and even two makgeolli (rice wine), Jangsu and Jipyeong. Best of all, there are as many as three non-alcoholic beers for people who can't drink or for drivers, which really moved me! They even have Heineken non-alcoholic beer, which I personally think is the top one. So thoughtful!

Medium monkfish stew for ₩48,000: how many side dishes?

That day I ordered a medium Ttoksuni Agujjim for ₩48,000 and one bowl of rice. Even the water wasn't plain bottled water but nutty barley tea! It's a small thing, but I could feel the care in even a glass of water, and it put me in a good mood.

The standard sides come out neatly: seaweed soup, salad, young radish kimchi, seasoned seaweed, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) and perilla leaf namul. Add the scallion kimchi and fried eggplant that are only at the self-bar and you get 8 side dishes in total. I wonder if there's any other agujjim place that serves sides this well!

All the sides have great homemade flavor, but especially the deep, nutty seaweed soup made with dried pollack and perilla seeds, the soft and savory perilla leaf namul, the cool, nicely fermented young radish kimchi and the seasoned seaweed with a hint of the sea... Every one is a proper rice thief. You could finish a bowl of rice with just these before the agujjim even arrives.

It turns out the owner is from Jeolla province, famous for good home cooking! No wonder every single side dish was seasoned so perfectly. There's a reason for the deep flavor and neat quality that make many Korean table d'hôte restaurants (hanjeongsik) envious.

How does Ttoksuni Agujjim taste? Koji soy sauce and monkfish stomach

At last, it was time for the steaming hot, medium-sized Ttoksuni Agujjim! It was a generous portion, plenty for 2 people, with a heap of fresh, fragrant water dropwort (minari) piled on top, and just looking at it made my mouth water.

The moment it hit the table, a subtle, nutty sesame oil aroma drifted to my nose. It's added in just the right amount, not overpowering, so it doesn't spoil the flavor of the sauce and lifts the savoriness of the agujjim.

I dunked the thick, mild flesh and the tender, collagen-rich skin into Ttoksuni's special koji soy sauce. With 50 years of experience, even the soy sauce has a clearly different depth! It's not ordinary soy sauce that just tastes salty. It has a subtle savoriness and sweetness that brings out the monkfish's clean flavor and chewy texture even more!

This white piece I put on my spoon while eating is agu-wi (monkfish stomach), a special cut loved by agujjim fans, including us otters (the writer's nickname for herself and her husband). The chewy, springy texture when you bite in is a work of art, a completely different bite from the flesh!

Ttoksuni Agujjim spice levels: how hot is Shin Ramyun level?

A big plus is that when you order at Ttoksuni you can choose from 3 spice levels: slightly spicy / Shin Ramyun level / a bit spicier than Shin Ramyun. I picked my usual 'Shin Ramyun level,' but the kick was stronger than I expected, and it felt slightly spicier than Shin Ramyun. It was a bit hot for us spice wimps, the otter couple, so next time I'll definitely order the mildest 'slightly spicy'!

Ttoksuni Agujjim Jamsil Direct Branch: final verdict

• The touch of a 50-year Korean cuisine master and a special sauce
• A table d'hôte-level side dish lineup and dessert
• Easy access to Olympic Park, a space suited to family gatherings and a great-value lunch menu

Among Olympic Park restaurants, Ttoksuni Agujjim Jamsil Direct Branch stands out for its agujjim. Do give it a visit!