A Whole Octopus in Hand-Torn Noodle Soup, Sangdo-dong, Seoul: Lunch That Starts With Barley Rice

The restaurant's Korean name, 낙지한마리수제비, means "sujebi with one whole octopus." Sujebi is Korean hand-torn noodle soup, and the name is meant literally: inside the bowl sits one small octopus, whole.

Wednesday, around noon, on the ground floor of the Brownstone arcade on Sangdo-ro in Dongjak-gu. Before the soup, a bowl of barley rice came to the table.

Ground floor, red sign

The red-lettered sign hangs over a shop on the arcade's ground floor. The banner by the door shows a big photo of sujebi topped with octopus, and below it a notice: "Parking is behind the building."

Park in the arcade's car park. It was very easy.

Inside, long wooden tables run down the room. The walls hold the menu board and framed photos of braised and stewed seafood, with two rows of autograph cards pinned underneath.

Sujebi tops the board: clam sujebi ₩10,000, whole-octopus sujebi ₩12,000, seafood and octopus sujebi ₩15,000. Below are a spicy octopus rice set, a seafood pancake and big Gaeseong-style dumplings; on the right, sharing dishes such as braised octopus, octopus hot pot and braised monkfish. The red strip at the bottom reads "All menu items available to take away."

Barley rice comes first

Order the sujebi and they bring barley rice. A scoop of rice mixed with barley, lettuce on top, a red sauce underneath, and a small dish of yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi) beside it.

Mix it and eat. It's best as a starter. By the time I photographed the sujebi, the barley bowl was already empty.

Sujebi with a whole octopus

Clear broth in a black earthenware bowl. Thin pieces of hand-torn dough cover the surface, and among them sits one whole octopus, legs curled, head and all.

The dough is soft and springy, a lovely texture. The octopus is just right to eat and not tough at all. The broth was perfect.

The portion was about right, and if you need more, just ask and they'll give you more. Generous, and kind.

Visit info

📍 낙지한마리수제비상도 (Nakji Hanmari Sujebi Sangdo, "whole-octopus sujebi, Sangdo") · 19 Sangdo-ro 31-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, Brownstone arcade 1F

• 🕚 Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:30), Sat–Sun 11:00–21:30 (last order 21:00). Open every day of the year
• 🍽️ What I ordered: whole-octopus sujebi ₩12,000 (barley rice and young radish kimchi come with it)
• 🚗 Parking: the arcade car park, behind the building as the sign by the door says
• 🥡 Takeaway: the menu board says everything can be taken away
• 🧾 Origin: per the shop's origin board, octopus from China; rice and radish kimchi from Korea
• 🗺️ Map: View on Google Maps

Jayden's verdict

Barley rice to start, then soft sujebi and tender octopus. The broth was perfect. I want it again.

• What I ordered: the whole-octopus sujebi. The barley rice comes with it.
• Tips: mix and eat the barley rice first as a starter. If the portion isn't enough, ask and they'll add more. Park behind the arcade.
• Going back? Yes. Highly recommended.