This is Jjukkumi Maeul in Banghwa-dong, famous for jjukkumi (webfoot octopus) once spring comes around.

The place

I showed up right at opening time and there was already a bit of a line. Once the first seating is done, though, the queue doesn’t get all that long.

The bakery out front

Shot this while waiting. Turns out they sell those Dubai chewy cookies here too…

Jjukkumi

Started off by ordering the plain, unseasoned ones…

Grilled up nicely

Tasty. The texture is fun.

Side dishes

Pretty ordinary.

The roe-filled ones

This one really is a delicacy. It’s nutty and good, sure, but I do wonder whether it’s worth standing in line for.

Garlic jjukkumi with pasta added

Cooked this way you taste the sauce more than the jjukkumi itself, but the sauce is delicious.

And fried rice…

Finishing off like this is excellent.

Doenjang jjigae

A good meal. If you like jjukkumi it’s a treat, so dropping by once in a while seems worth it.

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