Mangwoo-dong Jjukkumi-ne

About

A neighborhood jjukkumi spot by the entrance to Urim Market, known for spicy stir-fried webfoot octopus and a complimentary cold soba finish.

At 망우동 쭈꾸미네, the meal is built around the sound and aroma of spicy seafood meeting a hot pan—and, if you take the regulars’ advice, around the sizzle of pork belly alongside it. The signature order is 쭈삼, a combination of webfoot octopus and pork belly. One blogger notes that the dish can include fish cake, an unexpected extra among the curled octopus, vegetables and red sauce. The seasoning is assertive without leaning heavily on sweetness, according to one diner. Choose between a milder and a spicier version; the latter was described as hotter than Shin Ramyun but less fiery than Yeopgi Tteokbokki. If your table has mixed spice tolerance, a blogger says the owner recommends ordering both levels and combining them. Staff cook the dish at the table and add bean sprouts, so you can settle in rather than manage the pan yourself. The accompaniments are part of the fun, not just decoration. Wrap the octopus in perilla leaves with pickled radish, or try the blogger-favorite pairing of chewy, crisp cheonsachae salad with the spicy seafood. Steamed egg and soft tofu also appear among the side dishes. Once the heat builds, a serving of cold buckwheat noodles offers a refreshing contrast; more than one diner singles out this unusual finish as a highlight. Save room, too, for fried rice cooked in the remaining sauce—a near-consensus final order. The room is described as small and intimate, with round metal tables, an open kitchen and a casual, lived-in feel. It’s the sort of place where the owner’s hands-on cooking shapes the meal as much as the menu does. In Jungnang, 망우동 쭈꾸미네 makes a satisfying choice for a lively, hands-on dinner: order the 쭈삼, balance the spice with cool noodles, and finish the pan with rice.