Muan octopus course meal at Dongsanjeong, an octopus restaurant

I tried the two-person Signature Set at Dongsanjeong, a well-known spot from TV on Muan Ppeolnakji Street. It was a generous Muan octopus feast, from live chopped octopus and grilled rolled octopus to stir-fried octopus and galnaktang.

While traveling in Muan, I decided to properly try Muan ppeolnakji—mudflat octopus—this time.

Dongsanjeong at the entrance to Muan Ppeolnakji Street

The place I visited was Dongsanjeong, a popular octopus restaurant near the entrance to Muan Ppeolnakji Street.

It had been featured on TV several times, so I was curious.

When I visited, I was most surprised by just how many customers there were. The dining room was bustling, with both travelers and plenty of locals. Seeing a steady stream of people come in, I could see why a place featured so often on TV stands out.

Dongsanjeong, found on Muan Ppeolnakji Street

Dongsanjeong sits near the entrance inside Muan Ppeolnakji Street, so it was easy to find. There is a public parking lot directly across the street, which made parking easy too. If you are looking for a good octopus restaurant in Muan, it is in a convenient spot to add to a Muan itinerary.

A Muan octopus restaurant featured on TV many times

Dongsanjeong has appeared on a range of programs, including SBS Live Today, KBS 6 O’Clock Hometown, KBS Battle Trip, and KBS 2TV Live Info.

• 2026 KBS2 2TV Live Info, episode 2604 → Muan mudflat octopus; live chopped octopus and grilled rolled octopus
• 2019 KBS2 Battle Trip, episode 156 → Muan octopus course meal
• 2019 KBS2 2TV Live Info, episode 949 → octopus
• 2018 KBS1 6 O’Clock Hometown, episode 6587 → grilled rolled octopus and yeonpotang (octopus soup)
• 2018 SBS Live Today, episode 2040 → octopus

What comes with Dongsanjeong’s two-person Signature Set

We ordered Dongsanjeong’s two-person Signature Set. It costs ₩55,000 per person, or ₩110,000 for two people. It is Dongsanjeong’s signature menu and a choice many diners make.

The set lets you try a range of octopus dishes at once, from live chopped octopus and grilled rolled octopus to stir-fried octopus and galnaktang.

A substantial octopus spread, right down to the side dishes

I expected plenty of octopus dishes, but even the side dishes made for a very full table. It really captured the generous style of a southern Korean meal.

Not only the octopus dishes but every side dish was neatly presented, so we could truly enjoy the abundant spread.

There was steamed abalone, fig salad, kimchi, assorted seasoned vegetables, stir-fried shishito peppers with quail eggs and anchovies, and soy-marinated raw crab.

With so many side dishes, it was fun tasting each one. In particular, the salad made with Muan’s specialty figs was refreshing and whetted the appetite.

The flavorful kimchi was so good that I kept reaching for it.

Side dishes substantial enough to be mains

As the dishes began arriving one by one, the table filled up in no time.

Along with the octopus dishes, steamed abalone arrived too.

There was soy-marinated raw crab, tteokgalbi (grilled minced beef patties), which I first mistook for glutinous rice, and octopus jeon (savory pancake) as well.

There were many hearty dishes that could have passed for mains, so it felt like being treated to a proper full-course table. Getting to sample so many different foods gave it the feeling of a lavish feast.

Octopus with a different appeal in every preparation

I love octopus, but rather than eating the same dish continuously, it was fun to have live chopped octopus, grilled rolled octopus, stir-fried octopus, and galnaktang prepared in different ways.

Live chopped octopus and grilled rolled octopus

The octopus was springy and pleasantly chewy, with a nutty flavor that came through as I chewed. Freshness really matters with Muan mudflat octopus, and this octopus felt lively and fresh. The grilled rolled octopus, made by rolling up the octopus and grilling it, was unmissable too. The chewy octopus was coated in seasoning and gained a smoky grilled aroma; it was delicious with rice, but appetizing even on its own.

Stir-fried octopus mixed with rice

The richly seasoned octopus paired wonderfully with rice. It was also fun to mix it with the rice and the roasted seaweed flakes that came alongside. This was a set that let us enjoy octopus in many ways while still having a satisfying meal.

Finishing with galnaktang

The final dish of the Signature Set was galnaktang, a soup with beef short ribs and octopus. It also contained napa cabbage and mushrooms, making the broth refreshing and clean-tasting.

Even after all the octopus dishes before it, the warm soup made the meal feel properly complete. Being able to eat octopus and short ribs together was great, and the broth was clean and refreshing.

An octopus feast for the final meal of our Muan trip

Actually, we went to Dongsanjeong for octopus as the final stop on our Muan trip that day. It was dinner time, and after traveling all day, I was quite tired before we reached the restaurant.

After eating the generous octopus spread, I felt noticeably different. We had our fill of chopped octopus, grilled rolled octopus, stir-fried octopus, galnaktang, and octopus jeon, and I definitely felt more energized.

Normally I would have been sleepy on the way home, but that day I was not sleepy until I arrived home—I was actually wide awake, which was amazing. It really made me think, “Now I understand why octopus is called a stamina food.” Perhaps because it was the last meal after a full day of traveling around Muan, Dongsanjeong’s Signature Set felt especially satisfying.

Dongsanjeong hours and parking

• Hours: 09:00–21:00
• Parking: Use Muan Nakjigol Public Parking Lot; free for up to 2 hours
• The public parking lot is right in front of the restaurant.
• Address: 176 Seongnam 1-gil, Muan-eup, Muan-gun, Gwangju, South Korea