Gapyeong octopus restaurant for a weekend drive: Paldang Jikhwa Bul

I was looking for somewhere to drive to on the weekend and ended up going all the way to Gapyeong. Since it had been a while since our last outing, I searched for Gapyeong food course recommendations, and came across a place famous in Seorak, Gapyeong for grilled octopus: Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi. If you're heading to Gapyeong for a vacation or weekend trip and craving something spicy and appetite-whetting, this place is perfect. Smoky charcoal-grilled octopus, a generous unlimited side bar, and solid side dishes — here's my write-up of this Seorak IC restaurant, a real Gapyeong octopus gem!

📬 Address: 150 Hanseo-ro, Seorak-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (1st floor) ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:00) *Closed every Wednesday 🚗 Parking: Dedicated lot on site ⭐ Highlights: Baby chairs available, unlimited self-serve bar, wide range of sides — perfect for family dining

Where is Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi, and is there parking?

Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi sits right by Seorak IC, making it a great stop whether you're heading to a Gapyeong pension or exploring nearby sights before or after.

There's plenty of parking right in front of the restaurant, so parking wasn't a worry at all.

Inside the restaurant: seating and high chairs for kids

Walking in, the space was much bigger and cleaner than I expected. The tables were spaced generously apart, so we could eat comfortably.

They also had baby chairs ready, so this place holds up well as a Gapyeong family restaurant too.

'It's fine, octopus doesn't make you gain weight' 🤎 The neon sign on the wall adds a stylish touch too!

What's on the unlimited self-serve side dish bar?

The real jackpot of Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi is the wonderfully stocked unlimited self-bar!

Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), fries, kimmari (fried seaweed rolls), old-school sausages — it was packed with food. We came for the octopus and ended up filling up on the side dishes — a truly bewitching setup.

We originally planned to finish with fried rice too, but we filled up so thoroughly on the self-bar sides that we sadly couldn't fit it in!

Seaweed, flying fish roe, and bean sprout soup come served as basics, and you help yourself to the rest at the self-bar (though flying fish roe is extra).

Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi menu and prices

They had everything from à la carte octopus to sets. All menu items are also available for takeout.

• À la carte — Grilled fire octopus ₩13,000 / octopus + pork belly ₩14,000 / octopus + Korean beef large intestine ₩15,000
• SET ⭐recommended⭐ — Octopus + egg custard ₩15,000 / octopus+pork belly + egg custard ₩16,000 / octopus+beef intestine + egg custard ₩17,000
• Sides — Hand-breaded pork loin cutlet ₩11,000 / octopus pancake ₩12,000 / fried shrimp (4pc) ₩10,000 *black tiger shrimp / mook salad ₩5,000 / egg custard ₩4,000
• Extras — Self-serve rice ball ₩3,000 / hot pot rice ₩3,000 / flying fish roe ₩1,000 / rice ₩1,000 / fried rice ₩3,000 / snow cheese ₩3,000 / glass noodles ₩2,000

How does the grilled octopus + steamed egg set for two taste?

Finally, the dishes we ordered arrived, filling the table generously.

Order Grilled fire octopus + egg custard (2 people) 30.0 Pork cutlet 11.0 Rice 0.1

We got the basic octopus + egg custard set for two, plus the hand-breaded pork loin cutlet on the side. The octopus comes topped with perilla leaves, chives and radish salad, and since you also get the egg custard set, the set menu is a must-recommend!

The griddled octopus was slightly spicy but really appetite-grabbing. The longer it simmered, the more that smoky charcoal flavor came through — genuinely delicious.

The octopus also came loaded with glass noodles, bean sprouts, onions and other vegetables, which was great.

Wrapping a piece of octopus in lettuce with mayo and chili on top made for an amazing combination.

This pickled chili is a bit of a sleeper hit — try it in the wrap or on its own!

The egg custard included in the set was soft and moist too. Take a bite of it whenever you need to cool down the spice.

Is the hand-breaded pork loin cutlet a good order for kids?

I came for the charcoal-grilled octopus and was surprised the cutlet was this good too. Crispy outside, moist inside — a quality on par with a dedicated cutlet restaurant.

The crispy cutlet is doused generously in sweet sauce, making it a great order for kids who can't handle spicy food — this is also a solid Gapyeong cutlet spot. Recommended if you like old-school Western-style (gyeongyangsik) cutlets!

Naver review event at Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi

• Leave a standard Naver receipt review and get a free canned drink
• Leave a Naver photo review and get a free egg custard

Take part in the Naver review event and enjoy the perks too 🤎

Final verdict on Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi in Seorak, Gapyeong

A Seorak, Gapyeong restaurant with smoky, delicious griddled octopus, a generous tteokbokki-and-fries self-bar, and a clean, spacious dining room! I stumbled on it while looking for somewhere to drive to on a weekend, and it turned out to be a genuinely great Gapyeong octopus restaurant. If you're after a solid Gapyeong food course recommendation, give Paldang Jikhwa Bul Jjukkumi a visit!