Cheese rice cake and finishing pasta at Jju Baksa, Magok Seoul

When I want webfoot octopus in Magok, it's Jju Baksa

Jju Baksa Magok Branch is the first place I think of when I'm craving webfoot octopus near my parents' place. It's close by, and every time I go it's satisfying in so many ways — it really is a no-fail restaurant 🐙

Weekday evening vibe and the wait

We came on a weekday around dinnertime. When we first walked in there were still a few seats free, but about 30 minutes later the inside was already full, the outdoor tent seating was packed too, and takeout and delivery orders kept coming in nonstop. That's how popular this Seoul Botanic Park-area octopus spot is. Even my parents order delivery from home often — that tells you it's a true neighborhood favorite!!

We ordered the medium-spicy jjusamgyeop fried rice set

There's a wide range of menu options — jjusamgyeop (octopus with pork belly), jjukkumi (webfoot octopus), jjuwoosam (octopus with beef brisket) and more — but we always order the jjusamgyeop, medium spice. The set menu is great value, so we went with the fried rice set haha

The jjusam came out quickly with the basic side dishes ~~ perilla leaves, pickled radish, cheonsachae (seasoned glass noodles), bean sprouts, and peanut sauce are all essential companions to jjusam 🤍

The set even comes with corn cheese and steamed egg

And here's the truly generous part of the Jju Baksa set — it even includes corn cheese and steamed egg... It's all my favorite combinations, no wonder this is my all-time favorite octopus place!!!

Just because it's a bonus item doesn't mean the quality drops or the portion is small — it's genuinely generous ❤️❤️ I've never once been disappointed at this Seoul Botanic Park-area octopus spot

Couldn't resist adding cheese rice cake and udon noodles

The jjusam already had regular rice cake and cheese rice cake sitting cutely on top. We thought about adding more pork belly and decided to see how it went first — but there ended up being plenty, so we didn't add any!

The staff kept coming by to flip everything on the griddle, so we didn't have to worry about it ourselves, and when we added udon noodles separately, the kitchen boiled them and brought them out for us. How could anyone resist udon noodles with jjusam...

Yep, this is the visual we're here for ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

As a cheese rice cake lover, of course I added extra cheese rice cake haha

Inside the soft, chewy rice cake is savory, sweet cheese, which pairs perfectly with the spicy sauce. Highly recommend adding the cheese rice cake 💯💯💯

Why the octopus is big and tender

And every time, I'm amazed by the quality of the webfoot octopus at this Seoul Botanic Park-area spot. The pieces aren't tiny — each one is big enough that you almost need to cut it. And it's genuinely tender, staying soft even when fully cooked ~~

Couldn't skip the cheese fondue either

Cheese lovers can't resist the cheese fondue, right? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Jju Baksa's cheese fondue is perfectly seasoned and pairs so well with the octopus that I can't not order it. It's delicious even eaten on its own ㅜ

But it's even more delicious paired with the octopus ~~~?

How we ate our ssam (wraps)

Pickled radish, bean sprouts, and pork belly — need I say more. It's a combination that's hard for any Korean to dislike

But my favorite is still perilla leaf plus pickled radish, piled high with fillings!!!!!!! Everything tastes good, so no matter how you combine it, it's delicious. They look similar but each wrap is a totally different combination... ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Finishing with flying fish roe fried rice and pasta

The fried rice included in the set ~! We ordered flying fish roe fried rice, and the popping roe was the fun part

Even the fried rice, I wrap in a ssam... yes, I'm a wrap-obsessed person...

And the Jju Baksa pasta I order without fail every single time ••❤️ Even when I'm full, I can't skip this one, so of course I ordered it again at the end — and rumor has it I scraped up every last bit of sauce ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It comes out piping hot, which suits me even more!

Verdict on this repeat visit

It had been a while since my last visit, but the staff were still so kind and the taste hadn't changed at all — a satisfying trip to this Magok, Seoul Botanic Park-area favorite, Jju Baksa. The evenings are definitely getting cooler now, and the outdoor tent seating was already full of people, so I'll have to come enjoy it before it gets too cold haha. If you're looking for a great webfoot octopus spot in this area that's also dog-friendly, definitely visit Jju Baksa 🐙🧡