Seongnam Korean restaurant for octopus pot rice: Morang Haemul Sotbap

Wanting warm pot rice and something spicy near Jeongja Station, I visited Morang Haemul Sotbap Jungja Station branch (모랑해물솥밥 정자역점). I ordered muneo gwanja sotbap (octopus and scallop pot rice) and jukkumi samgyeop cheolpan (spicy webfoot octopus and pork belly griddle), then added steamed rice for a filling meal.

How do you get there from Jeongja Station?

The restaurant is on the second floor of Prugio City 2, about a 3–5 minute walk from Exit 5 of Jeongja Station. Once I went up to the second floor, the restaurant was easy to spot, even on a first visit.

The hours listed in the original post are 11:00–21:30 daily. Parking, reservations, group dining, takeout, and delivery are available. There are high chairs, a waiting area, and Wi-Fi, with separate restrooms for men and women.

Is it suitable for families or groups?

The interior felt neat and calm. The tables did not feel cramped, and there were seats suited to larger groups, so it looked like a reasonable option for family meals or gatherings with coworkers.

In the evening, the atmosphere also seemed suited to sharing griddle dishes over a drink.

What did I order together?

Pot rice is the focus here, with choices ranging from seafood pot rice to versions with meat. There was also jukkumi samgyeop cheolpan, which looked suitable for sharing, so the menu seemed easy to combine.

This time, I chose muneo gwanja sotbap and jukkumi samgyeop cheolpan. I also added steamed rice because I wanted to mix it into the griddle sauce.

How did the octopus and scallop pot rice taste?

The muneo gwanja sotbap I had been most looking forward to came with a generous amount of octopus and scallop over the rice.

The octopus was springy without being tough, and the scallop was softer than I expected. The seafood’s savory flavor blended into the rice, so it did not taste bland even without heavy seasoning.

The rice, eaten straight from the hot pot, was fluffy and nutty. Since it is cooked after ordering, it took a little time to arrive. There was a wait, but I liked the sense of eating freshly cooked rice.

The banchan (Korean side dishes) served alongside it were neat and simple, too.

Did the spicy webfoot octopus and pork belly griddle go well with pot rice?

The jukkumi samgyeop cheolpan paired the chewy texture of webfoot octopus well with the rich flavor of pork belly. Its spicy sauce made it good to alternate with the mild pot rice.

I added steamed rice to the remaining sauce. Mixing the sauce into the rice with webfoot octopus and pork belly on top gave me a flavor different from the nutty octopus and scallop pot rice.

The pot rice with tender octopus and soft scallop was especially memorable from this meal. If you also want something spicy, the jukkumi samgyeop cheolpan made a good pairing. The two dishes did not overlap in flavor, so I enjoyed alternating between them until the end.