Kids room and self bar spicy octopus lunch in Dong-gu, Gwangju

My friend and I were trying to decide what to eat for lunch and landed on spicy octopus, so we headed to Jjukkumi Sinnara. It said there was a kids room, haha.

There were waiting chairs set up in front of the store for people in line.

Hours and the lunchtime wait

It opens at 11 AM and closes at 10 PM. We arrived right at 12 PM, prime lunch hour, and wow, it was clearly a hit spot because there were so many people!

The moment we walked in and saw the tables packed tight, I was honestly stunned. Only two tables were left, so we scurried over and grabbed a seat.

A little later and we'd have had to wait. Looking at the layout, there are tables on the left as you walk in, and past the planter area there's more spacious seating. The space was much bigger than I expected, with way more tables than it looked from outside.

A kids room that's great to bring children to

On one side of the inner seating area there was a kids room set up! Cute blocks and a nostalgic arcade machine were sitting there, perfect for kids to have fun. Parents bringing children along could clearly eat comfortably too.

Side dishes and the menu board

The basic side dishes were a refreshing crunchy cabbage salad, tangy pickled radish, savory bean sprouts, and a corn salad I kept reaching for. On top of that, they gave us warm bean sprout soup to settle our stomachs before the meal — nice touch!

We ordered the jjukkumi bokkeum (spicy octopus stir-fry) since we wanted to mix it with rice for lunch. Looking at the menu, besides octopus there were plenty of side dishes suitable for young kids too. What stuck with me most was the pizza item! Spicy octopus paired with sweet, savory pizza — I definitely want to order that combo next time.

A self bar with cold bean sprout soup too

On one side of the restaurant there was a neatly organized self bar. Perilla leaves, pickled radish, various sauces, plus kkakdugi (radish kimchi), corn salad, bean sprouts, and garlic were all there in generous supply, help yourself. Scissors and plates were free to grab too, which was convenient. And the cold bean sprout soup that's essential when eating spicy octopus was there separately — wow, it was genuinely ice-cold, like it had actual thin ice floating in it!!! Best backup for cooling down the spice.

Medium-spice octopus stir-fry, mixed in a huge bowl

Finally, the star I'd been waiting for arrived — my beloved octopus stir-fry!!!! Ordering the jjukkumi bokkeum comes with dried seaweed flakes to sprinkle on top. Plus, to make mixing easy, it comes with a bowl of rice in a completely huge bowl. Such a great big bowl for mixing, I loved it.

Looking around, tons of people were eating solo and enjoying it! Totally doable as a no-pressure solo-dining gem. I just ordered the medium spice. The menu has mild, medium, and spicy levels, so it's easy to pick based on your taste.

Time to dig in for real! Piling rice and the smoky octopus into the big bowl, mixing it all together, then placing it on a fresh perilla leaf to wrap and eat — that taste... yum, my mouth exploded with savory flavor, so so good!!!

There was a subtle smoky char to it, but the octopus never got tiresome — tender and plump, the texture was seriously a work of art.

My friend and I kept marveling and wolfing it down like crazy, finishing everything in no time. The combo of wrapping it in fragrant perilla leaves, plus adding crunchy bean sprouts, matched so~ well. Ugh, looking at these photos makes me want it again. It was really really delicious. Rice cleaned out completely.

A little thoughtfulness at the register

Happily patting my full belly on the way to pay, I noticed candy for a dessert palate cleanser, plus, cleverly, disposable floss picks at the counter~ Totally touched by the owner's thoughtfulness. Nice touch, seriously.

I can't believe I only just found out there was such a solid, delicious spicy octopus spot in Dong-gu, Gwangju! Next time I visit, I'm planning to order the griddled version and fry up rice with the leftover sauce. If you're looking for good food in Dong-gu, Gwangju, or near Gwangju National University of Education, I highly recommend 'Jjukkumi Sinnara.'