Jjukkumi restaurant in Sangbong with kids: sungnyung set at Joajukne

Maybe it's the change of seasons, but when my appetite gets weirdly low like it has lately, I end up craving something spicy. Not just spicy for spicy's sake, but chewy jjukkumi (baby octopus) with a really good sauce. This time I went to Joajukne Jjukkumi, a solid pick if you're hunting for jjukkumi restaurants in Sangbong-dong.

It's a jjukkumi specialty restaurant near Sangbong Station, right in the Sangbong Station food alley — and it turned out to feel a bit different from your average jjukkumi joint.

Seating at Joajukne Jjukkumi: open-air yajang or modern indoor room

What stood out at Joajukne Jjukkumi was that it holds two different moods in one space. One side has a yajang (outdoor tent-style dining) feel, the other is modern indoor seating, so you can pick depending on who you're with.

One side has that cozy, old-school yajang vibe, and the other is done up in a modern, sleek style — good for a date, and just as good for a casual drink with friends. I got to enjoy the yajang seats with my kid for what felt like the first time in forever.

They say they aim to be a jjukkumi restaurant for all four seasons — cool in summer, warm in winter. I also liked that it's the kind of place you can comfortably use for anything from a date to a family meal to a work dinner, depending on the mood of the group.

Why jjukkumi isn't all the same jjukkumi

There are plenty of jjukkumi restaurants out there, but what really matters in the end is the ingredients and the sauce, right? Joajukne Jjukkumi says freshness is where the flavor starts, and they only use premium grade-1 jjukkumi. Since freshness shows up immediately in the texture of jjukkumi, if you care about a plump, chewy bite, that's worth noting. And the sauce isn't just spicy for spicy's sake — it's made with 26 carefully selected ingredients.

They say they put real effort into making a sauce that complements the natural flavor of fresh jjukkumi without being overly harsh, while still delivering deep flavor.

Joajukne Jjukkumi menu and prices: what comes in the set

Joajukne Jjukkumi's menu runs jjukkumi (single) at ₩14,900, jjuksam at ₩16,900, nunchi jjukkumi at ₩17,900, and nunchi jjuksam at ₩18,900. If you're in a group, the set menu with sungnyung (scorched rice tea) + extra noodles + jjukkumi is the easy pick.

The menu is built around jjukkumi as the base, with jjuksam, nunchi jjukkumi, and nunchi jjuksam as options depending on your taste. There are also plenty of add-ons — extra jjukkumi, extra pork belly, fried rice, and more.

Our order Set menu (sungnyung + extra noodles + jjuksam) ₩18,900 × 2 Steamed egg ₩6,900 Nunchi fried rice ₩4,000

The basic side dishes are clean and easy to pair with the meal. Refreshing pickled radish and garlic, ssamjang and mayo sauce, along with perilla leaves and carrot sticks, made it easy to wrap the jjukkumi in a ssam (wrap). And they even gave a generous amount of pricey flying fish roe!

There's also a self-serve side bar on one side, so you can grab any extra sides or ingredients you need whenever.

Jjuksam, the spicy pan the staff stir-fry at your table

Joajukne Jjukkumi's jjuksam comes with pork belly laid around the rim and a generous pile of jjukkumi and vegetables in the center. A friendly staff member stir-fries it from start to finish, so all you have to do is wait and eat.

The jjuksam finally arrived. I wasn't expecting much, but I was surprised by how generous the portion looked!

With pork belly ringed around the edge and jjukkumi and vegetables piled high in the middle, it was the kind of plate that makes you want to start cooking right away. As it started sizzling on the pan, the savory fat from the pork belly began mingling with the spicy jjukkumi sauce. And since a very kind staff member stir-fried everything from start to finish, all I had to do was wait and eat.

At first the ingredients looked like a lot, but as they cooked down and the sauce coated everything evenly, a really appetizing plate of jjuksam came together.

The jjukkumi kept its plump, chewy texture, and the pork belly was savory and tender, so together with the spicy sauce, the combination worked really well. Jjuksam is already good on its own, but wrapped with perilla leaf + pickled radish + mayo + flying fish roe, it's a whole different level of good. (Seriously, highly recommend this combo.)

And don't even get me started on the yaki-mandu (fried dumplings) soaked in that sauce. I wanted to order more but held myself back...

Sungnyung in the set: why it works for sharing with a child

The sungnyung included in the set menu was great too. It had savory nurungji (scorched rice) in it, so there was something fun about spooning up rice grains and scorched rice from the warm water. After eating the spicy jjuksam, that plain, savory sungnyung felt especially soothing. The portion was also huge, so it was easy to share with my kid.

Side order: steamed egg, 6,900 won

While eating the jjuksam, we also ordered steamed egg as a side, and it's not to be skipped. It comes bubbling in a stone pot, and it's basically a steamed egg bomb! Scoop it with a spoon and the egg is soft and fluffy, with a strong sesame oil aroma that worked perfectly between bites of spicy jjuksam. The portion was also huge — we ended up leaving without finishing it all.

Ending with nunchi fried rice, 4,000 won

And of course, a meal like this has to end with nunchi fried rice, right? Rice gets tossed into the leftover sauce and stir-fried, then finished with a sprinkle of fluffy snow cheese — done! The sauce soaks into every grain of rice, making it the perfect closer. With savory ingredients and spicy sauce mixed together, it's the kind of fried rice you keep reaching for even when you're full. Looking at the photos, I really cleaned this one out to the last bite...

The small touches that make Joajukne Jjukkumi worth a return

Joajukne Jjukkumi also says it puts real thought into how to bring joy to each individual guest. It felt like a place that cares not just about the food, but about making the whole dining experience comfortable. If you're looking for a good restaurant near Sangbong Station and one of those days hits where you're suddenly craving something spicy, jjukkumi is a solid choice — I'd recommend it.

A place where you can enjoy properly made jjukkumi with fresh ingredients and house-made sauce. It's a good spot to stop by in Sangbong-dong whenever you're craving something spicy. If you're looking for jjukkumi in Sangbong, give Joajukne Jjukkumi a try. Next time, I'd like to try one of the other set menus :)