Octopus tempura & potato dumplings with rice soju: Jumak Inho, Gwangju

A while back, after finishing up shopping at Lotte Department Store, I was looking for somewhere to eat dinner and ended up at Jumak Inho. It's a place serving small plates made with seasonal ingredients alongside a variety of traditional Korean drinks — somewhere I'd had my eye on for a while, and I finally made it. Result: totally satisfied! Loved everything from the mood to the food!

Jumak Inho location and hours

• Address: 161-3 Geumnam-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju, South Korea (1st floor, left storefront)
• Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00
• Closed every Sunday
• Parking: Not available

Located near Exit 6 of Geumnam-ro 5(o)-ga Station, Jumak Inho is close to Lotte Department Store Gwangju, making it an easy stop after shopping.

A cozy, compact interior

The compact interior had a comfortable, homey feel to it.

Bar seats, 2-person tables and 4-person tables were arranged nicely, and warm lighting combined with wood interior made for an even cozier atmosphere. It felt like a good spot for a quiet solo drink or for two people to chat over a glass together.

Seasonal small plates and traditional drinks menu

Jumak Inho is a place that puts out a range of menus using the tastiest seasonal ingredients of each season! At lunch you can get a hearty gukbap (soup with rice) meal, and in the evening you can enjoy well-prepared small plates alongside traditional Korean drinks. Instead of regular soju or beer, they only serve traditional liquors, which gave the place an extra distinctive charm.

Order menu Chilled pork jowl — ₩17,000 Octopus tempura & potato dumplings — ₩12,000 Soft tofu stew — ₩11,000 Today's rice soju — ₩5,000 Non-alcoholic Earl Grey highball — ₩3,500

We ordered the non-alcoholic Earl Grey highball and the rice soju.

Basic side dish: nurungji (scorched rice)

The basic side dish was nurungji, and the seasoning sprinkled on top tasted like the ramyeon soup powder I remember eating as a kid, so I kept reaching for more without noticing. Crunchy and salty — a perfect start alongside a drink.

Chilled pork jowl

Thinly sliced pork jowl came out with a fragrant seasoned chamnamul (aromatic herb) salad — the clean presentation alone was striking.

Lifting a piece with my chopsticks, I could feel the pork jowl's distinctively springy texture. One bite and a nutty, savory flavor spread through my mouth, and even served cold, it was tender to chew. Topping it with chamnamul, rolling it up with the pork jowl, and dipping it in the special sauce added fragrance and umami that made it even better. Clean flavor, no gamey taste at all!

Today's rice soju and the non-alcoholic Earl Grey highball

This was my first time trying rice soju, and it was cleaner and smoother than I expected, easy to drink without any burden. The non-alcoholic Earl Grey highball had a subtle, appealing Earl Grey aroma, and surprisingly, it paired well with the chilled pork jowl too.

Chicken broth soft tofu stew

The soft tofu stew looked rich just from its deep red color. Taking a spoonful, it was packed with soft tofu, and thanks to the deeply steeped chicken broth, the flavor of the broth was deep and full.

It was spicy but not harsh, so I kept going back for more, and the broth alone was satisfying enough to eat on its own. It was great as a drinking snack, but it would have held its own as a proper meal too.

Octopus tempura & potato dumplings

One plate came out with crispy fried octopus and potato dumplings (gamja ongsimi) together — the visual alone made this octopus tempura & potato dumplings dish stand out as something different.

Dipping the octopus tempura in a laver-based sauce that added a subtle ocean flavor and umami really brought out its crispy texture and nutty richness. The potato dumplings had an appealingly chewy texture, and eating them together with the octopus tempura, the contrasting textures worked together perfectly — total winner! It was an unusual combination, but it worked better than expected and I enjoyed it a lot.

On a day when good small plates and a glass of traditional Korean liquor sound appealing, I'd recommend Jumak Inho, where you can enjoy food made carefully with seasonal ingredients!