Samseong Station Korean restaurant, three-way bossam bite: Obongjip

A Samseong Station favorite: Obongjip Samseong Branch.

Today I visited Obongjip Samseong Branch, a well-known spot near Samseong Station and COEX. I ordered the signature 'Obong Special' and honestly, both the taste and the portion size exceeded my expectations!

Obongjip Samseong Branch hours and parking

Obongjip Samseong Branch is open daily from 11:00 to 22:00. Break time is 14:30–17:00 on weekdays and 15:00–16:00 on weekends, and there's no parking available.

Where is Obongjip Samseong Branch, and which station is closest?

Obongjip Samseong Branch sits between Samseong Station and Samseong Jungang Station, so it's super easy to reach by subway or bus. It's a 13-minute walk from Samseong Station and just 4 minutes from Samseong Jungang Station!

The storefront and its "38 years of a mother's cooking" sign

The moment you turn into the alley near Samseong Station, a huge sign catches your eye from a distance! It reads '38 years of mother's hand-cooked taste' in red lettering, giving off major retro vibes haha.

Right by the entrance stands a signboard packed with TV and YouTube appearances — knowing it's an octopus spot praised by famous YouTubers really got me excited!

Inside Obongjip Samseong Branch: interior and group seating

The inside of Obongjip Samseong Branch is much roomier and more open than I expected. From 4-person tables to group seating for many, everything's well set up — this would be a crowd-pleaser for a Samseong Station evening company dinner! The tables are spaced generously too, so you can chat away without worrying about the next table over.

The self-serve bar is seriously great! Order the budget-friendly lunch special and rice and banchan are unlimited — no wonder this place is so popular among Samseong Station office workers!

What we ordered: Nakji Obong Special at regular spice

We got the Nakji Obong Special, said to be the most generous and satisfying choice for 3–4 people. I liked that you can pick your spice level — mild, regular, spicy, or extra spicy — and we went with regular, which turned out to be just the right amount of heat!

The basic side dishes came out on a big rustic tray.

The Nakji Obong Special comes with three main dishes together: fire-grilled octopus stir-fry, obong bossam, and jaengban makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles on a platter).

Fire-grilled octopus stir-fry, full of smoky flavor

Plump, thick octopus pieces are piled on whole, uncut! I snipped them with scissors and could feel the bounce right through my fingertips!

The octopus wasn't tough at all — totally chewy and springy! And the sauce isn't artificially spicy, it's a genuinely delicious sweet-spicy smoky flavor!

It's even better eaten together with the unlimited-refill bean sprouts!

They serve a bowl of rice made for easy mixing — mix it with the bean sprouts and seaweed flakes and it's genuinely heavenly!! Ugh, writing this is making me want it again...

Obong bossam: tender boiled pork with no gamey smell

The ratio of lean meat to fat is the golden ratio haha. It barely needs chewing before it melts tenderly in your mouth! Zero dryness! Zero off-flavor!

Wrap a piece of bossam with the spicy-sweet, crunchy dried radish strips and it's a total flavor explosion!

Sweet-and-sour jaengban makguksu and the three-way bossam bite

The soba-like buckwheat noodles come out neatly topped with shredded cabbage, lettuce, seaweed flakes, crushed peanuts, and egg garnish — colorful and tidy.

Put on the disposable gloves, mix in the sauce and vegetables, and it's sweet and tangy with the special sauce soaked well into the buckwheat noodles. Wrap the noodles and vegetables in a piece of bossam and take a single bite — spicy, sweet, and savory all in perfect balance!

Final verdict: when to visit Obongjip Samseong Branch

Octopus, known as 'wild ginseng of the sea' for its restorative qualities, paired with tender bossam and chewy noodles — the Obong Special combo was genuinely so satisfying! When you're craving Korean food near Samseong Station, stuck on what to have for lunch, or looking for a company dinner spot, save this one and pay a visit!