Grilled octopus lunch near Nami Island in Gapyeong: Paldang Jikhwa Bul

I kept wondering when this brutal summer would finally end, but now there's a noticeably cool breeze morning and night — fall is really creeping in, isn't it? With Chuseok holiday falling in September, this month is going to fly by even faster than usual. Everyone, let's have a great September!

On this summer vacation I visited Nami Island, famous as the filming location for the drama Winter Sonata. Ever since I got back I've been rewatching the show through YouTube compilations and honestly it's still so good. Figuring who knows when I'd get back to Nami Island again, I took my time and toured the whole place slowly and leisurely.

Why I stopped here after touring Nami Island

I'd been walking around Nami Island diligently since the morning, and by the time I took the boat back out, it was already lunchtime. For lunch I stopped by Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi, a Seorak, Gapyeong restaurant, and ate until I was full. Since Petite France — a Gapyeong must-visit — and Cheongpyeong Lake are both nearby, this place is a great stop if you're out exploring Gapyeong.

Hours and closing day

Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi, a Seorak, Gapyeong restaurant, is open from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with last order at 8:00 PM, and closed every Wednesday. Like me, if you've just finished touring Nami Island, it's a good idea to have lunch here before heading to Petite France or Cheongpyeong Lake.

Is parking easy?

There's a wide parking area right in front of the restaurant, so I didn't have to worry about parking at all at this Seorak, Gapyeong restaurant. It was a weekend afternoon, and the lot was already packed with cars by the time I arrived, and cars kept pulling in even after I'd finished eating. Good value, great taste, and just a 10–15 minute drive from nearby attractions — it's a spot worth stopping at during a Gapyeong trip.

Menu and what we ordered

The menu had two main options — jjukkumi rice bowl and jjukkumi griddle stir-fry — along with side dishes like homemade pork loin cutlet, fried shrimp, and jjukkumi pancake. After debating between the rice bowl and the griddle stir-fry, I figured jjukkumi has to taste best fire-grilled on the griddle, so I went with jikhwa bul jjukkumi plus steamed egg! You can also add glass noodles, and once you finish the octopus, you can add fried rice and snow cheese, which was a nice touch.

Seating and group use

Inside Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi, a Seorak, Gapyeong restaurant, there are tables for 2–4 people, but since tables can be combined, it also works for group gatherings — great if a big family is stopping by after a Nami Island trip. Now that the weather's nice, people are doing a lot of driving and cycling too, right? This would make a great lunch stop along the way.

What's at the self-serve banchan bar?

Basic side dishes come out with the meal, and the rest are laid out neatly at a self-serve bar on one side of the restaurant, so you can take as much as you like. There was pickled radish and mayonnaise, great to pair with jjukkumi, plus perilla leaves and bean sprouts, along with jjolmyeon noodles and fried kimmari (seaweed rolls).

At Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi, the standard table setting comes with cool bean sprout soup, flying fish roe, seaweed, and perilla leaves. We grabbed macaroni corn salad, fried kimmari, and seasoned eggplant from the self-serve bar to snack on while waiting for our order.

Steamed egg for when it gets spicy

Ordering jikhwa bul jjukkumi comes with a side of steamed egg, and it was great for cooling down your tongue whenever the spice from the octopus got a little too intense!

How was the jikhwa bul jjukkumi?

Our order of Paldang jikhwa bul jjukkumi arrived, cooked in the kitchen, so we could dig in right away. It looked so appetizing, and the seasoning itself on this griddle-fried octopus stir-fry was delicious.

Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi, a Seorak, Gapyeong restaurant, tastes great on its own, but it's even better when you pile pickled radish and flying fish roe onto a perilla leaf and wrap it up!

It was also delicious eaten with seaweed. There's clearly a reason this place is so popular.

Finishing with a bowl of rice

The leftover octopus and sauce can be simmered again and eaten with a bowl of rice, or turned into griddle fried rice — either way sounds delicious. I thought about going for the fried rice, but I was already too full, so I just had it with a bowl of rice instead. That was my meal at Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi, the Seorak, Gapyeong restaurant where I ate my fill after a day exploring Nami Island.