Haenam Nakji famous octopus specialty dish near DDP

Haenam Nakji: A Famous Octopus Specialty Restaurant near DDP

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Hello.

Today, I am writing a post introducing Haenam Nakji, a restaurant located at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park (DDP) Station in Seoul. Last week, the weather in Seoul, South Korea, was pure summer. It was so hot. Because of that, my friend mentioned that they had no energy. So, last Friday, I met up with my friend to eat octopus to soothe our tired bodies and minds. Let’s get started right away!

Haenam Nakji Location and Accessibility

Location

You can get off at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park (DDP) Station on Lines 2, 4, and 5. Exit through Exit 13 (towards Good Morning City Shopping Mall), walk a short distance, turn into the alley on the right, and then turn into the second alley on the left. You will find it there. I will attach a Google Maps link showing the route.

How to find Haenam Nakji on Google Maps

My Tip!

  • Exits 13 and 14 have stairs. If you have a lot of luggage, please use Exit 12. You can come up via the escalator. Alternatively, since the Dundun Shopping Mall, located between Exits 12 and 11, is connected to the subway, you can use the escalators or elevators in that building to get up.

  • There is also an elevator near Exit 4. However, it is on the opposite side of Exit 13, so you will have to walk a little further. For information on how to use elevators in the Seoul subway, please refer to “How to Easily Use Seoul Subway Elevators (Ver. Traveler).”
Business Hours

Monday ~ Saturday: 11:30 AM ~ 9:30 PM

There is a break time from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The last order is at 8:30 PM, so please arrive before then! Also, the restaurant is closed every Sunday.

Haenam Nakji Atmosphere

As I mentioned earlier, I visited Haenam Nakji around 6:00 PM last Friday. Perhaps because it was before dinner time, I was able to enter without waiting. It is located on the second floor, and since there is an elevator, those who have difficulty climbing stairs can use it comfortably. As a side note, I rode the elevator with a staff member, and they recommended some menu items. Haha.

A clean and spacious interior of the restaurant

Sitting at a table and looking around, I noticed that the window seats were floor-to-ceiling, so it seemed like a great place to enjoy a meal while looking out at the view. Also, when I visited, there were Japanese tourists dining at several tables. Seeing Japanese writing on the walls, I assumed it was a popular restaurant frequented by foreigners as well.

Recommended Menu & My Order

I was worried because my friend can’t handle spicy food well, but fortunately, Haenam Nakji had non-spicy options. The dish the staff recommended to me was the Stir-fried Live Octopus(Live Octopus duruchigi) (23,000 KRW). It is a special signature dish and a very popular item here. It is a dish where chives are placed underneath, and the octopus is placed on top and grilled together. It wasn’t spicy at all; it was sweet, chewy, and savory—it was truly delicious.

Haenam Nakji signature dish, Live Octopus duruchigi

After you finish eating, the staff member asks if you want to have the leftover rice fried, so definitely ask them to fry it for you!! I highly recommend it! In Korea, it is common to stir-fry leftover rice after finishing a meal, and it makes for a truly delicious dessert. If you are curious about other fried rice dishes, please refer to the Seoul night route (Jongno ~ Cityhall) that tourists should walk.

The next dishes we ordered were Yeonpotang (50,000 KRW) and San-nakji/Tangtangyi (23,000 KRW).

Yeonpotang is a dish made by boiling live octopus in a clear broth. In Korea, this type of broth is called Jiri. You should order the 50,000 KRW portion for two people, or 75,000 KRW for three people. The staff brings the hot broth and then immediately adds the live octopus into it; this might be somewhat shocking for foreign travelers to see. Since it is a dish that people either love or hate, I recommend doing some research before ordering. After enjoying the chewy octopus accompanied by water parsley and mushrooms with the sauce, sipping the refreshing broth will surely soothe your stomach and give you a boost of energy. It is one of Korea’s famous health-boosting foods.

live octopus soup with vegetables at Haenam Nakji near DDP

San-nakji/Tangtangyi is likely a dish that has already been widely introduced abroad. It is one of the foods you can easily find at Gwangjang Market. It is a dish where live octopus is chopped with a knife and mixed with sesame oil and seaweed. This might also be a shocking food for foreign travelers encountering it for the first time. However, if you just hold back and taste it once, you will immediately understand why Koreans love and enjoy this dish. The chewy texture combined with the nutty flavor of the seaweed and sesame oil makes it truly delicious. If you are visiting Seoul, be sure to give it a try!

Here is a tip!

Please do not eat too much at once. The octopus suction cups can stick to your mouth, making it difficult to eat and potentially dangerous!

Today, I introduced the Haenam Nakji restaurant located near Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station. Although I went there by chance with a friend, it seemed like it was already famous as a great restaurant among both Koreans and foreign tourists. If you are visiting Seoul and want to try something new or recharge after shopping at Dongdaemun or DDP, I highly recommend stopping by to try the octopus dishes. I will be back with more new information next time.

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